A/N: Took me long enough to update, huh? Sorry—I got pulled too much into
another story I was writing, but I should be all better now and have an
idea for the next chapter too—not sure how many more til the end, but the
longer the better—right? Everyone enjoy—PCGirl.
~~~~~~~~~~
He was sitting in the dark staring at the stage playing with the empty glass on the table when he saw her walk down the steps, her eyes caught his and her smile caused him to smile himself, "Hi mom," he said getting up and giving her a hug.
"John—this is such a surprise. If you had told me you were coming I would have had you come to my dressing room."
"It's ok, I was really just trying to stay hidden out of the lime light tonight."
"In other words you were enjoying be by yourself, right?"
"Yeah, something like that," he grinned.
"I take it that Natalie isn't around—or your brother for that matter."
"Michael knows I came to see you tonight, as for Natalie—well Llanview is in the past now."
"Really? I thought you had taken a job with Bo," she said as he shook his head. "Ok—I see what we need to do—have a nice little chat, hmm?" she said nodding over towards the bar.
"It doesn't matter, I've made up my mind already."
"Yeah, I know how both my boys are—heads that are as hard as rocks, but I still want to know what's going on."
----------
"John, you know she didn't mean anything by what she said earlier. You both need a few days to calm down from all the music box killer stuff."
"Yeah, well I've decided to move back to AC—that's if I can get a job around here."
"Are you sure you won't miss Natalie?"
"I—yes, I'm sure. I've been one who enjoys getting deep into his work, you know that."
"Sometimes you get a little too deep into it John."
"What's wrong with that?" he said with a slight laugh.
"There's nothing wrong with that—I do it too. But when you were in Llanview on this case, well I thought you were enjoying yourself, and enjoying your company more than you have let yourself lately. Is that why you are running John—you think Caitlyn would be upset if you were to move on in your life?" Eve didn't say anything—just watched the feelings and thoughts going through John's head pass in front of her by watching his eyes, "You know she'd want you to be happy John—don't ruin the chance because it might not come again."
-----------
John was sitting in the car letting it idle—he'd been sitting there most of the night, watching the red lights like little ants going away from him, and yellow ones coming towards him until they passed him. Everyone seemed to know where they were going, but John had no clue. He knew the turn off to go over to Llanview was just a mile down the road, but was he sure he wanted to go back. He heard a car pull up behind him and saw the flicker of blue lights really quick, "Can I help you officer?" he said rolling down the window as he leaned over to talk to him.
"I heard there might be an abandoned car here—is everything ok?"
"Yes sir, I was just pulled over so I could think."
"Well, move on soon or I'll have to give you a ticket."
"Ok," he said as he sighed and rolled the window up. He figured he might as well try it, and put the car in park and joined the rest of the cars knowing where their destination was.
---------
John walked into Rodi's and looked around, for a Friday night it was quiet. He saw her standing there, her back to him and walked over, "Can I get a beer?" he asked softly as he looked around.
"Sure," she said turning around with a smile that suddenly disappeared when she saw it was him, "I thought you'd left town yesterday," she said throwing down his beer and sloshing it over the sides.
"I did, but I came back—I take it you aren't happy to see me."
"Wow, you are smarter than you look," Natalie retorted back.
"Well, I need to talk to you—it's important."
"Sorry, I'm busy the whole night."
"Oh come on, this place is a ghost town—just take short walk with me—just down to Angel Square and back—I promise you'll be back here in ten minutes."
"No," she said as she walked off.
He bit his lip to think and went over to the other bartender, "Can you tell me what time Natalie gets off?"
"Sure, she gets off at 10."
"Thanks," he said as he gave him a five and left.
-------------
"I'm just so happy you decided to come back," said Roxy as she sat directly next to John on the couch while he waited for Natalie to come home.
"Well, I'm glad to be back," he smiled at her as they heard the key in the door and it opened and Natalie walked in.
Natalie's eyes closed slightly at seeing him sitting there, "What are you doing here?"
"He's come back to stay—isn't that rad, Natty?" said Roxy as she got up and went next to her daughter.
"Yeah, rad," she said without expression. "Well, I'm tired—I'll see you around John," she said as he went up the steps.
"Hey, wait we need to talk," he said going up the steps behind her leaving Roxy looking around and trying to act invisible as she heard Natalie's door slam.
"Natalie, will you please open the door," yelled John as he leaned his head onto her door with his eyes close.
"Why should I?" she called back.
"Because I need to explain something about yesterday."
"What is there to explain—you left town and for some reason you've decided to come back. That's great—glad to hear it—now will you PLEASE let me go to bed."
"Fine," he said as he gave up and went down the steps, passing Roxy on the way out.
Natalie opened her door when she heard the front door shut and saw Roxy standing at the bottom of the steps, "That was the wrong thing to do Natty."
"I don't care, and neither should you," she said going back in her room and slamming the door.
~~~~~~~~~~
He was sitting in the dark staring at the stage playing with the empty glass on the table when he saw her walk down the steps, her eyes caught his and her smile caused him to smile himself, "Hi mom," he said getting up and giving her a hug.
"John—this is such a surprise. If you had told me you were coming I would have had you come to my dressing room."
"It's ok, I was really just trying to stay hidden out of the lime light tonight."
"In other words you were enjoying be by yourself, right?"
"Yeah, something like that," he grinned.
"I take it that Natalie isn't around—or your brother for that matter."
"Michael knows I came to see you tonight, as for Natalie—well Llanview is in the past now."
"Really? I thought you had taken a job with Bo," she said as he shook his head. "Ok—I see what we need to do—have a nice little chat, hmm?" she said nodding over towards the bar.
"It doesn't matter, I've made up my mind already."
"Yeah, I know how both my boys are—heads that are as hard as rocks, but I still want to know what's going on."
----------
"John, you know she didn't mean anything by what she said earlier. You both need a few days to calm down from all the music box killer stuff."
"Yeah, well I've decided to move back to AC—that's if I can get a job around here."
"Are you sure you won't miss Natalie?"
"I—yes, I'm sure. I've been one who enjoys getting deep into his work, you know that."
"Sometimes you get a little too deep into it John."
"What's wrong with that?" he said with a slight laugh.
"There's nothing wrong with that—I do it too. But when you were in Llanview on this case, well I thought you were enjoying yourself, and enjoying your company more than you have let yourself lately. Is that why you are running John—you think Caitlyn would be upset if you were to move on in your life?" Eve didn't say anything—just watched the feelings and thoughts going through John's head pass in front of her by watching his eyes, "You know she'd want you to be happy John—don't ruin the chance because it might not come again."
-----------
John was sitting in the car letting it idle—he'd been sitting there most of the night, watching the red lights like little ants going away from him, and yellow ones coming towards him until they passed him. Everyone seemed to know where they were going, but John had no clue. He knew the turn off to go over to Llanview was just a mile down the road, but was he sure he wanted to go back. He heard a car pull up behind him and saw the flicker of blue lights really quick, "Can I help you officer?" he said rolling down the window as he leaned over to talk to him.
"I heard there might be an abandoned car here—is everything ok?"
"Yes sir, I was just pulled over so I could think."
"Well, move on soon or I'll have to give you a ticket."
"Ok," he said as he sighed and rolled the window up. He figured he might as well try it, and put the car in park and joined the rest of the cars knowing where their destination was.
---------
John walked into Rodi's and looked around, for a Friday night it was quiet. He saw her standing there, her back to him and walked over, "Can I get a beer?" he asked softly as he looked around.
"Sure," she said turning around with a smile that suddenly disappeared when she saw it was him, "I thought you'd left town yesterday," she said throwing down his beer and sloshing it over the sides.
"I did, but I came back—I take it you aren't happy to see me."
"Wow, you are smarter than you look," Natalie retorted back.
"Well, I need to talk to you—it's important."
"Sorry, I'm busy the whole night."
"Oh come on, this place is a ghost town—just take short walk with me—just down to Angel Square and back—I promise you'll be back here in ten minutes."
"No," she said as she walked off.
He bit his lip to think and went over to the other bartender, "Can you tell me what time Natalie gets off?"
"Sure, she gets off at 10."
"Thanks," he said as he gave him a five and left.
-------------
"I'm just so happy you decided to come back," said Roxy as she sat directly next to John on the couch while he waited for Natalie to come home.
"Well, I'm glad to be back," he smiled at her as they heard the key in the door and it opened and Natalie walked in.
Natalie's eyes closed slightly at seeing him sitting there, "What are you doing here?"
"He's come back to stay—isn't that rad, Natty?" said Roxy as she got up and went next to her daughter.
"Yeah, rad," she said without expression. "Well, I'm tired—I'll see you around John," she said as he went up the steps.
"Hey, wait we need to talk," he said going up the steps behind her leaving Roxy looking around and trying to act invisible as she heard Natalie's door slam.
"Natalie, will you please open the door," yelled John as he leaned his head onto her door with his eyes close.
"Why should I?" she called back.
"Because I need to explain something about yesterday."
"What is there to explain—you left town and for some reason you've decided to come back. That's great—glad to hear it—now will you PLEASE let me go to bed."
"Fine," he said as he gave up and went down the steps, passing Roxy on the way out.
Natalie opened her door when she heard the front door shut and saw Roxy standing at the bottom of the steps, "That was the wrong thing to do Natty."
"I don't care, and neither should you," she said going back in her room and slamming the door.