A/N: I'm beyond sorry, guys. Really, I am. I didn't want to give anyone the impression that I'd lost my mojo on this fic or that I'd abandoned it. I haven't. Not by a long shot. My ability to write latley has just tanked, however. I'm slowly picking myself off and getting back into the groove but it's taken a while. So, I'm truly sorry for the wait but I sure hope you all think it's worth it. I missed writing these guys and have to get back into the groove! Hope you enjoy the latest installment and hopefully I wont take nearly as long next time. ;)

Chapter Ten

The sound of his phone chirping woke Johnny slowly. He groaned and reached for it, his brows furrowing when his hand didn't hit the bedside table like it usually did.

He opened his eyes, confused even more by the warm glow of early morning sunlight spilling through a window that was way too big to be in his bedroom.

A soft sigh to his right caught his attention and he looked down to see Karina curled up against him, her arm over his chest, and her hair spilling over his arm and shoulder.

His phone chirped again. Dragging his gaze away from the girl at his side and he felt around to the left until he found it half under the pillow.

Musta missed it goin' off the first time, he thought, seeing that it was going off at the usual time he had it set to go off at...a good hour after he had originally set it. He silenced it, turning the alarm off, and dropped his phone. He could probably spare, at the very most, ten more minutes.

Then again, he thought, running his fingers down her arm and marveling at the silken texture of her skin, would it be that bad to get caught?

Laying beside Karina, soaking in her warmth and feeling more at peace than he could ever remember feeling, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with her, learn more about her, figure her out while she was figuring her out. A morning spent like that was far more appealing than getting under the hood of some old junker and listening to Barry drone on about things he never paid attention to.

He moved his hand from her arm to her hair. The mass slid through his fingers, catching a little before falling back against her shoulder.

I could just stay. Screw goin' to work.

...I don't want to leave her.

The thought didn't catch him entirely off guard. He was honest enough with himself to realize that he was looking for ways to be with her away from everyone else since he'd met her. But the ferocity behind the thought was unexpected.

Karina stirred against him, making a small noise and he grinned.

"You awake?"

Her brow furrowed and she opened her eyes. The initial sleepy confusion clouding her eyes ebbed when she glanced up, her gaze meeting his. "Johnny-."

"Mornin' beautiful."

A tiny smile lit up her face and she closed her eyes again, nuzzling against him. "What time is it?"

"About six." He moved his hand back to her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Should probably get going soon."

"Even half awake, it doesn't sound like you're convinced that you should be doing that."

"Nah. Would rather stay here with you all day. Does the butler do any kinda room service?"

Karina laughed, levering herself up on her elbow. She watched him for a moment, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Did I wake up at all?"

"Besides right now?" Johnny shook his head. "Ya hardly moved."

"Really?"

He tried to remember if she'd moved but he'd honestly been so exhausted and so comforted by her warmth that he'd probably slept just as hard. "If you did, I didn't notice."

"Then that...has been the best night of sleep I've gotten since I showed up here." She dropped back down, snuggling against him and he turned, sliding an arm around her waist and her smaller arm found its way around his. At the rate he was going, he'd never get out of the house without being noticed. And he couldn't find it in him to care even a little bit.

"You feelin' any better today?" he asked.

"I feel…rested. Too early to feel more than anything else."

Her words sparked an idea and he caught her chin between his thumb and finger, coaxing her to look up. When she did, he ducked his head and kissed her - brushing his mouth slowly over hers and savoring the softness of her lips as much as he savored the feel of her shifting her weight to settle more against him, her leg sliding over his.

"How about now?" he asked, pulling away only far enough to speak, grinning when he saw the way her cheeks flushed and watched her eyes flutter open slowly. "That change things at all?"

Her smile was slow and seductive, making him think a million different things he probably shouldn't have been thinking when lying in bed with a beautiful woman and knowing his time was quickly running out.

"Maybe a little," she murmured.

He dug his fingers lightly into her side, drawing a startled giggle from her and causing her to squirm which he quickly realized was a horrible idea. Her leg twisted through his and she pressed her body firmly against his, trying to eliminate his ability to reach any more sensitive areas.

He stopped tickling her and hugged her close, burying his face against her mass of hair. Her body stilled. She made a small humming sound and relaxed, her arm going back around his waist. They stayed like that, content and silent, a clock somewhere in the room ticking away their time.

"Should get going," Johnny finally said.

Karina sighed. "I guess. You'll be back to pick me up after lunch?"

He nodded and propped himself up on an elbow. Karina's hair was spilled over the pillow, her bright eyes fixed on him, a hint of a smile curving her lips. He bent and kissed them slowly, dragging the few moments that he had out just a little longer before pulling away and getting out of the bed, making an honest effort to get scarce before a maid burst through the door. Or worse - Nana. Though he could hardly picture the elderly woman bursting through much of anything.

Once his shoes were on, he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on, turning back to the bed as he did. Karina had already fallen back to sleep. He went to her, smiling down at the gorgeous creature that had captured him entirely. Leaning over, he brushed a kiss against her forehead. "See you later, beautiful."

She was too far gone to hear him. Her hand twitched ever so slightly against the pillow but it was quite clear that sleep held her closer than he could right now.

Reluctantly, he left the room and made his way quietly downstairs, watching for any signs of movement. The house seemed quiet enough but he had no idea how houses like this worked. How sneaky could a penguin butler be? Or a maid? He'd never had them. He had movie references and vague ones at best.

At the landing he stalled, holding his breath and listening. Several seconds ticked by, each one marked by the grandfather clock in the wide entrance he'd have to make it across without getting spotted. Confident that he was alone, he started for the door.

"Good morning, Jonathan."

Every foul word he knew ran through his head but he managed not to say any, going still instead as cold dread washed over him. Slowly, he turned to the voice and there sat Nana, all prim and proper in some kind of informal sitting room, a tea cup in her hand and a knowing grin fixed on her face.

"It is Jonathan, isn't it?"

Though he was the son of a criminal, he had manners and knew exactly how to use them. He rubbed his neck self consciously. "Yes ma'am. I go by Johnny, though."

She hummed, then gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Tea?"

It was a trap. It had to be. She looked too calm, was acting a little too kind. He took a hesitant step back, panic making it difficult to decide on a best course of action. "I'm ah...more of a coffee drinker, thanks," he half lied.

"That wasn't a question. Sit Jonathan."

The command was kind but clipped, her refusal to use his shortened name sending up a red flag. She raised a hoof in the direction of the empty seat beside her. With one last, longing look at the door, he started for the table.

"Robert, coffee for our guest, please."

The butler, a stout penguin with an expression of permanent boredom, stepped out from behind the door, startling Johnny, nodded to Nana and waddled off.

Johnny watched him for a moment, wishing he could do the same, then sat down. The chair was a little too small for his bulk and uncomfortable, but he managed, splaying his hands over his knees for added support. He couldn't make himself look at Nana. But he could feel her gaze boring into him, the weight of it reminiscent of his fathers.

"I believe it is safe to assume that you did not recently arrive?"

Johnny swallowed hard. ""No, ma'am."

"Would also be safe to assume that you spent the night with Karina?"

Fis face warmed immediately. Her shrewd gaze gained a good twenty pounds. "Yes, ma'am. But we didn't-."

"What you did or didn't do is none of my concern, Jonathan. Your both adults."

He did look at her then, surprised to see a ghost of a smile on her face. "Last night was the first night since I brought Karina here that went uninterpreted. She is a very fitful sleeper."

Robert returned wight a tray carrying a pot of hot water and a decent looking mug of coffee. Johnny had expected something dainty and floral, much like Nana's teacup. Although the coffee smelled far stronger than anything he'd ever brewed, the cup wasn't dainty. Something about that consideration put him at ease. Just a bit.

"She told me about the nightmares," he said as Robert refilled Nana's tea.

"Hm, the ones she remembers."

Something flashed in Robert's eyes. No amount of composure could hide it. It was dark and sympathetic. It said the butler knew very well what Nana was talking about. "The ones she remembers?"

Nana waved Robert away impatiently before taking a sip of her tea and returning the cup to its matching platter. The scalloped edges were lined with gold. Johnny was willing to bet the plate alone was worth more than every piece of chipped flatware his father had managed to accumulate over the years.

"Most of the nightmares she can easily remember. She does not, however, know that they are a nightly occurrence. The guilt she feels over those she knows of is quite overwhelming to her. The staff has been instructed not to inform her or even speak of the one's she is not aware of."

Johnny set his cup down after taking a tentative sip, finding the coffee almost unpleasantly strong. "Is there a difference?" he asked.

Her gaze was direct. There was no escaping it or the truth of what she was about to tell him. But he had known there was no escaping any of this since the moment he first had Karina in his arms.

"Yes, quite. The nightmares she knows nothing about are...extreme enough to the point that mild sedatives have been needed at times."

Disbelief and anger were suddenly at war within him. They'd sedated Karina without her knowledge. They could have hurt her. Or far worse. It was that far worse that had him latching onto anger instead of fear. "You drugged her?" he managed in a voice unsteady from the rage slowly building.

Nana's reaction had him checking himself immediately. The woman had a way of making people feel emotionally unbalanced, that was for damn sure. She didn't rush to appease him or backtrack. Instead, one wooly brow lifted and a knowing grin pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I assure you, Jonathan, nothing used could cause her harm. It was always used to keep her safe. I'm glad to know the level of sincerity to your feelings for Karina, however."

"I...well...I just...she-."

"Is quite amazing, I know. It warms my heart to see that I'm not the only one who thinks so." She tilted her head, dropping her contemplative gaze to the tea cup in front of her. "I believe it is safe to say that she need someone like you in her life."

"You think she needs the son of a convict in her life?"

He winced at the note of bitterness in his voice, hating that it gave away so much about him. He didn't have to answer to anyone for his father's actions, especially not this woman. So why did he feel a need to point out that specific fault? Maybe to point out that her judgement was flawed? To make himself believe he wasn't worthy of her trust?

All of the above, he thought sourly.

"I think she needs people who care about who she is and not what she is. Your father's decisions do not change the fact that you care for her…do they?"

"No."

"Your father's mistakes are not your mistakes, young man. You may want to make a habit out of telling yourself that often. Or, at least until you believe it."

He couldn't find it in him to answer her in any way. She had a point and had thrown it in his face without hesitation. He stared into his coffee cup, looking for any answers or at least some stability in the strong brew. He had run the gamut on emotions from the moment he woke up and was starting to feel it about as much as he was feeling the gnaw of hunger in his stomach.

A light hum called his attention and he sighed, dropping his head and giving up completely.

Karina entered the room. She was still in the clothing she'd worn to bed and was securing her hair in a strategic mess high on the back of her head.

"Morning Nana. I smelled coffee and-."

She stumbled to a stop just as her words did, staring at him wide-eyed. Johnny shrugged, mouthing the word, "sorry" and wishing there was something more he could do...like find the nearest time machine, go back to 5 a.m. and not ignore his alarm.

"Good morning, dear," Nana returned pleasantly. "Care to join us?"

She looked back and forth between the two, unmoving, looking like she'd rather book it for the door. He could sympathise entirely.

"I'm sorry, Karina," he said aloud. "I didn't mean-."

"O, for heaven's sakes," Nana interrupted, "Neither of you are in trouble. Karina, have a seat and some coffee. Breakfast should be along shortly. There will be more than enough for all of us."

Johnny made one last effort to argue with her before giving up entirely. "I should really get back to the garage."

Nana gave him a pointed look. "You'll stay." She settled herself primly in her seat, unnecessarily adjusting her flowing gown as Karinna took a seat next to Johnny, sharing a shy look with him and glancing down at his coffee. Without a word, he nudged it over to her and caught the upward tilt of her lips before she lifted it and took a sip.

"Now...as I was telling Jonathan before you joined us, you are both adults. This sneaking around for my benefit certainly isn't necessary. Though, I rather do miss catching my children in the act of sneaking around. There is nothing I enjoyed more than making sure they understood just how little they could get by me. My personal enjoyment aside, you two have nothing to hide. I would be a fool, after such a peaceful night, to deny the benefits of Jonathan being in your company, Karina."

Karina's cheeks flared with color and Johnny shifted uncomfortably, his body reacting automatically to the image that sentence evoked.

"Johnathan, should you end up staying overnight, it is not something I would oppose. And should Karina choose to stay at your home at any given time, all I would require is for her to let me know that she's safe so that I do not spend the evening worrying over her wellbeing. Limiting you, Karina, and not allowing you a life past these walls, was never my intention. Whatever way you can find freedom and happiness, please know I would never stand in the way of that."

She paused as Robert entered the room, carrying a tray laden with an assortment of fruits in bowls, fruits wrapped in extremely thin pancakes topped with whipped cream, three types of syrup, a dish of creamer and another mug of coffee that he set in front of him after seeing that he'd given his to Karina.

Johnny stared at it all dumbfounded as Robert placed a platter of the wrapped pancakes in front of each of them.

To think, he'd planned on a dry piece of cinnamon toast and a Mountain Dew.

He watched Karina use her fork to cut off a small piece of the pancake and daintily put it in her mouth. He did the same and nearly groaned from the decadent flavors that exploded on his tongue.

If this was the treatment he'd gain from being an unexpected guest, he'd make as much of a habit out of it as possible, he thought as he eagerly shoveled another forkful into his mouth.

"Would you like a menu to plan accordingly?" Nana asked, grinning at him.

Johnny swallowed, shooting an uncertain look at Karina.

"I'd break a million laws if they stood in the way of me and these crepes," she said with a smile.

"But you wouldn't be breaking any laws," Nana pointed out. "In fact, having the company is rather welcome. If I recall correctly, you participated in the show Mr. Moon organized last year?"

The sudden change of subject caught him off guard but he switched gears just as quickly, glad to be off the subject he and Karina spending the night together. "Yes, ma'am," he said with a nod.

"You played the piano, if I recall correctly. You have quite an amazing voice. Do you intend to perform again?"

"Not really sure, to be honest. Been goin' in and practicing every day. Mrs. Crawley's been nice enough to keep offerin' me piano lessons but I haven't taken Mr. Moon up on any of his offers."

"Whyever not? Seems such a waste with talent like yours."

Johnny shrugged. He'd questioned himself on that numerous times, never quite able to find the answer. He wanted to be a singer more than anything, but some clouded uncertainty held him back. He didn't have a name for it, couldn't quite understand why it was there. The only thing he knew was that it stood firmly in the way of the direction he was supposed to be taking.

"Well, I for one truly look forward to seeing you perform again. There is such quality and honesty in your voice. Too much to be hiding away."

"Thanks," he murmured, his face heating from the praise.

Nana relented with a knowing gleam in her eyes and turned her attention to Karina, striking up a conversation about mundane things like the weather, the book they'd been reading and small details regarding the theater. Johnny was content to eat his meal in silence and listen to the easy flow of their voices.

He found a comfort in the smooth feminine quality of their voices that was entirely foreign to him. He had never known his mother and the loss of her was something her father had refused to replace. Conversations in the garage revolved around gant activity - nothing more. This conversation was light, edged in humor and genuine interest. He wanted his morning to start like this. Always.

Well, minus the confrontation piece. That he could do without.

The plates were cleared away a while later and Johnny was thanking Robert for the refill on his coffee when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He slid it free, starting slightly when he saw how much time had passed and that Barry was trying to call him.

"I ah...I'm sorry but I should probably get goin'. Barry's at the shop 'n I've got it locked up."

"Oh, of course," Nana waved him off.

"Thanks for breakfast. It was really great."

"Thank you for staying," she returned with a wink. "Karina, be a dear and see our guest out?"

After daintily dabbing at her mouth with the napkin and setting it aside, Karina pushed away from the table and joined him in walking to the back door. He made no attempt to talk, conscious of the constant hum of activity around them, but reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers and sharing a shy look of tenderness.

When they were outside and the door was shut, he turned to her just in time to catch her as she threw her arms around his neck and silenced anything he was about to say with her lips.

"That was surreal," she murmured against his mouth.

He hummed his agreement and tilted his head, deepening the kiss, tightening his arms around her and soaking in her floral warmth. When the kiss started edging on something less controllable, he backed away, resting his forehead against hers and grinning.

"I'm glad she caught you," she said softly. "I don't want you to be one more thing I have to hide."

Karina let her hands fall and he caught them, twining his fingers through her. He hadn't even thought of about the significance of having to hide their relationship. To him, it would have just been something they did out of the developing habit to stay out late.

To her, it meant so much more.

Feeling impulsive, he gave her hands a squeeze. "I want to tell my dad about you."

"You...you do?"

"Yeah. I do. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He paused to smile ruefully. "Not that he could, bein' in prison an' all."

"How would you explain me? I can't go in there. I mean, I'd like to meet your dad but I'm sure security would have a few questions."

"Well...what if I took a picture?"

Her smile turned slightly shy, a delicate blush blossoming over her cheekbones. "Of us?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"Only if you send a copy of it to me."

Johnny grinned, fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Deal." He thumbed through the apps and selected the camera icon, then flipped the screen. "There, now just-."

Before he could finish the sentence, she snuggled up to him, resting her head against his chest. "How's that?"

It would have been just fine, had he not gotten the distinct impression that her efforts were to show his father that she was protected by his son.

"Hang on." He shifted her in front of him, wrapping an arm around her waist where it wouldn't show in the picture and yet offered her security. She settled against him, letting her head fall back against his shoulder and he pressed a kiss to her temple. "He wouldn't hurt you. Even if he wanted to, which he wouldn't...I wouldn't let him."

She looked up at him, a million doubts swimming in her stormy blue eyes. "I wouldn't let anything hurt you. Not if I can help it."

She lifted a hand, pressing it to the side of his face, then raised up on her tiptoes to capture his mouth with hers. "I'm so glad I met you."

"Same." He bumped her nose with his. "Smile like you're not scared out of your mind by that."

He snapped another picture, pleased to see that they both looked more mure natural and genuinely happy.

"When are you going to see your dad?"

"Closer to noon. Barry can handle the place on his own for a while and visiting hours cut off at 11:30. Want me to pick something up for you?"

"Coffee?" she requested, her grin sheepish.

Johnny laughed. "Yeah, after gettin' a taste of that stuff myself, I'd miss regular stuff too." He leaned down and kissed her, moving his mouth languidly over hers, savoring the few minutes he had left before his phone buzzed impatiently again. "Okay, I gotta go or I'm gonna spend my morning listenin' to him complain about my lack of responsibility. I'll see you later."

"Absolutely."

She stood on the back stoop until he was in his truck and had it started, offering one last wave before disappearing back inside.

He made it to the garage just as Barry was starting to lose his patience and immediately found a project to immerse himself in to pass the time - a complicated foreign car with a bad catalytic converter. That left Barry to the standard water pump replacement that allowed him the opportunity to perform standard level repair work while railing on Johnny for making him wait. Had he not spent a majority of his morning with Karina, he might have actually argued with the shorter man. Instead, he let him say his piece, ignoring him entirely and remaining focused on his job. Closer to ten, he stopped into the small, cluttered office off the garage and used the printer to print off the picture of himself and Karina. He folded it carefully, slipping it into his back pocket before locking the computer up and jogging to the truck.

"You able to lock up for me?" he asked Barry as he passed.
Barry grumbled, scowling at him. "Guess so. You actually gonna be on time tomorrow?"

"I will, mate. Promise. Thanks for helpin' me keep this place runnin'!"

Before Barry could mumble another comment under his breath, Johnny hopped in the truck and took off, anxious to see his father.

The line for visitors was short to the verge of depressing. But Thursday's were usually like this. Only he and about three other people made it a point to show up regularly to visit loved ones. The rest were faces that would leave no impressions and may or may not show up two or three weeks down the line.

He tried not to look as impatient as he felt as he went through the standard check in, dropping his keys and phone into a bin and subjecting himself to a quick pat-down after passing through the metal detector. He was starting to wonder if a day would come where instead of getting patted down, he'd get an uninterested wave but there might be some kind of job-related retribution for not following protocol.

There was another ten minutes wait as the prisoners filled into the small room lined with cages where eight tables sat for families to sit around. Finally, a loud buzz sounded and he and the other visitors were ushered into the room by guards flanking the doorway.

His father was at the table closest to the window. When he saw Johnny, he smiled broadly and stood, opening his arms to invite him into a hug. Johnny stepped into them, feeling a steadiness there, a security that he ached for in the days following his father's imprisonment. With Karina around, it wasn't nearly as bad but he wouldn't ever deny that he missed his father terribly.

"How's life, my son?" his father asked after they'd taken up spots across the table from one another. "The shop still runnin' okay?"

"Oh, yeah yeah...shop's runnin' great, dad. Barry's been helpin' out a lot. Closes up the place for me when I'm at the theater."

"And how's that goin'? Ain't heard much from you about singin'. Damn lawyers been takin' up all our time with all that legal stuff."

Johnny grinned. "You mean, that legal stuff that's gonna get you outta here sooner?"

"Yeah," his father said, rolling his eyes a bit. "That. But we're not talkin' about that today. How's the sigin'?"

Johnny reached behind him and took the picture from his pocket. He held it in front of him, fingering a corner of the folded paper nervously. "That's been...that's been really good, actually. I ahh...I met somebody."

"Ohh yeah? Met a girl, did ya?"
"Yeah...I did actually. But she's...um, she's not really...like anyone I've ever met before." Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the paper, placed it on the table and smoothed a hand over it before sliding it across the table to him. "Her name's Karina."

His father gave him a confused look before reaching for the picture and dropping his gaze. For several seconds, he just sat there, staring down at the picture of Karina and himself. And then, something entirely unexpected happened. His father lifted a hand to his mouth, covering it. His eyes were suddenly bright with tears and haunted in a way that scared Johnny.

"Dad?"

His father closed his eyes tightly. His wide shoulders trembled.

"Dad, what is it? I know she's different but-."

His father shook his head and tapped the picture with his index finger before saying in a voice hoarse with emotion, "She's just like your ma."