A/N: Happy 2nd Anniversary to Torrie and Peter Gruner. (7th July 2005)Short chap, decided to update it after a long while.

Chapter Twenty

John had finished laying table for tonight's New Year's Eve dinner party. Everything looked perfect and he made sure that all the utensils were in their place. He admired his 'work', pleased with himself. It had been such a long time since he had helped around the house, ever since he had begun wrestling, he was constantly on the road. He kind of missed the little things in life, like being with his family… and of course, Ms Wilson…

"Need help in the kitchen?" he asked casually, walking into the kitchen. His mother, Carol, who was preparing the fruit punch looked at him in amazement.

"What?" he asked.

"Something's wrong, you never ask to help around the kitchen…" she replied.

"Well I guess I missed doing chores…" he answered with a slight chuckle.

"Oh really?" she asked with her hand on her hip. "Well why don't you help me do the dishes?"

"Sure," he shrugged as he walked over to the sink and stuck his hands right in.

"Are you sure there isn't anything wrong? Are you worried about something?"

Yes, of course he was. He was worried whether Torrie would show up or not. He had his fingers crossed, hoping she would come, as he desperately needed to talk things over with her about Heather… who was most definitely not invited to this dinner party… She'd humiliate him in front of his entire family with word that escaped her mouth and every single action she'd do.

"No, nothing's bothering me…" he lied, looking at his mother, who saw right through him. John looked away before she began her interrogation.

"No lady friends this year?" she asked.

"…No," he hesitated to answer.

"Well that's not what your brothers told me,"

"They told you?" John asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"No actually, I overheard them… they weren't talking about it very discreetly though…"

"Idiots…" he muttered under his breath, scrubbing the plates even harder.

"Why? Was it meant to be a secret?"

"No, there's no secret, those idiots were making it up. No lady friends this year ma…I would never date a girl without your approval…" he assured her, lying through his teeth as he placed the dishes on the rack to dry.

"Sure…" she replied sarcastically. "Why isn't your fiancée here then?"

John's eyes widened, accidentally letting go of the china plates and watching it smash on to the floor, the shards of fine china scattered across the kitchen floor. John hurried to pick them all up, accidentally cutting himself.

"John, careful!" his mum cried, snatching his hands away and preventing him from picking up any more. "Run your hand under the water! Quick! Don't get blood on the floor!" John ran his hand under the water, observing the cut that lay across the entire of his palm.

"What's all the commotion?" asked John's brother Dan, as he stood by the kitchen door.

"Dan! Get the broom and the dustpan! Get your brothers to clean this mess!" Carol demanded.

"What! Why me?" asked Dan unwillingly.

'Cos I said so…" she replied.

"All because John can't do anything…" Dan muttered as he grabbed a broom and dustpan from the closet.

"Shut up ok!" John belted. "By the way thanks for telling everyone about me inviting a girl over…"

"You're welcome!" Dan replied sarcastically, sweeping up the bits on the floor. "Where is she by the way? Stood you up?"

"It's none of your damn business!" John spat, insulted by his brother's comments.

"She probably found a better person to spend Thanksgiving with…"

"You asked for it…" John sighed, leaving the sink and grabbing his brother by the scruff of his collar and pinning against the wall, irately. "Don't you EVER talk about her again! You understand!"

His mother rushed in, she had heard the whole thing and noticed that this was a sensitive issue for John.

"Stop it boys!" she screamed as she pulled the two apart. "When will you start acting your age?"

"He started it!" they both said in unison, pointing to the other. Their mother rolled her eyes in frustration. She managed to pull the two apart, only by gripping them by the ear, the way she used to do it ten years ago, she didn't imagine having to do it now…

"You didn't have to do that" shrieked John, grasping his ear in agony. Just then, the doorbell rang… John's eyes widened as he raced to the window, trying to see who it was with his mother and brother following closely behind. The three of them gathered around the tiny window, trying to take a peep of who it was. John's jaw dropped.

"She came…"