Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with TNA. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.
Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings:
Chapter 31
Parking his rental a couple of blocks from the house Joe watched Ella enter into, he traveled the short distance on foot to keep his presumed dead wife from seeing and hearing his approach.
Even a couple hours later, Joe was still reeling from the shock of seeing Ella at the Hilton. He had asked one of the auditorium's ushers about the singer and got the name she was using for herself. He then hurried to his room and grabbed the phone book, searching for the address of Claire Jones. Quickly locating it, he wrote the address on a slip of paper, then went down to get his rental car, and exited the parking garage. Punching the address into his GPS, he sped to the house, easily breaking the speed limit.
Now, as he set foot on her porch, his anger ignited once again at the mere thought of Ella living in such a beautiful home, driving a nice car, and living the high life her singing had brought her while he'd lived the past twelve years in utter torment grieving over a wife who was actually very much alive.
He wanted to be happy about finding her, but he was too angry and hurt to feel any joy at the moment.
Ella had ruined his life.
Instead, he raised his fist and knocked on the large wooden door. He couldn't hear footsteps or a person's approach through the thick wood of the door, and he wondered if she'd gone straight to bed. But he realized he was wrong when in the next instant, the doorknob turned and the door opened.
And there she was—right within his reach.
Ella's gaze moved upward till her eyes locked on Joe's face. He watched as her mouth opened slightly in a breathless gasp of surprise. Her face drained of any color. In the next instant her eyes fell closed and her legs buckled, the shock of Joe standing before her being too much for her mind to comprehend.
Uttering a sharp curse, Joe darted inside the doorway and caught her before she could hit the hard-wood floor. He held her limp frame up with one arm while his other hand, as if with a mind of its own, rose upward and brushed lightly over the smooth skin of her cheek. Staring intently at her pretty face, he trailed his finger down her jaw and stroked his thumb over her cheekbone and stared in disbelief at his wife.
I still can't believe… It really is her…
Despite his anger and his hurt, Joe was incapable of stopping himself from leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her mouth. He felt her soft gasp against his lips and opened his eyes to find hers gazing groggily up at him in disbelief.
"Joe…" she barely managed to whisper. "D-dreaming?…" Then her eyes slid closed once more and she went limp again.
Joe bent down then and scooped up her legs, booting the front door shut with his foot. He hurriedly carried her through the large foyer, and up the stairs in search of her bedroom. He discovered the master bedroom halfway down the hall and entered it, again booting the door shut with his foot. He had the room's distance covered in only a couple seconds and then laid Ella down on the huge bed.
"Ella," he said softly, patting her face. "Wake up."
He patted her cheek again and when he got no response, he glanced around the room, hoping he'd see something that would aid in waking her up. His eyes fell on a private bathroom and in the next instant he was at the lavatory, wetting a washcloth in cold water. Folding it, he went back to Ella and lightly placed the cool cloth against her forehead. She still didn't stir, so he sat down in the chair next to the bed and waited for her to awaken.
Finally, a few moments later, Ella's eyes fluttered slightly and her head shifted restlessly against her pillow. He heard a slight whimper escape her lips as she reached up and pulled the washcloth from her forehead. Everything seemed to come back to her then as she shot up in the bed and looked around the room. She seemed to feel Joe's penetrating stare because in the next instant, her gaze settled on him next to her bed and she gasped with the sudden need for air.
"Breathe, Ella," Joe said calmly, as his black eyes glared into hers. "I don't want you fainting again, because I have way too much to say to you. And I don't have the patience to keep waking you up."
Ella gaped at him as she shakily stood from the bed. He was so different.
He isn't the same Joe I loved, she thought, tears burning her eyes. He hates me.
"Stop the tears," Joe added, clearly not caring how his actions and words were hurting her. "You're the one who did the damage here. You're the one who wrecked our marriage. I didn't even think I had a wife anymore." He shouted suddenly, roaring out his fury as Ella stumbled back with a fearful cry. His anger escalated the more he spoke. "Do you even care what you did to me," he growled, standing to his feet and looming over her in the next instant. "You have no idea what kind of person I've become!"
"Joe, please," Ella said softly, trying to back away from him and put some distance between them. "I… I'm sorry…"
"Twelve years of hell on earth and you think 'I'm sorry' takes care of it," Joe raged. "Because of what you put me through, I turned to alcohol to ease the pain and I pushed my best friends away. You let AJ blame himself for your death! And I blamed him too! I hated him for years! I got into fights with your uncle, and beat up my friends in the ring because I couldn't figure out how to live without you!"
Ella felt sick. She never realized the full extent of how her death would affect Joe—how it would affect everyone.
"Joe…"
"I'm not finished," Joe snarled, grabbing her by the shoulders. She whimpered and cringed, but he ignored her fear. "I loved you. I would have given my life to save yours. But all you cared about was…" he glanced around the room. "A nice house and car, and a coveted singing career." His fingers gripped her tighter and his dark eyes flashed with embittered fury. "I was nothing to you. You've not just lied to me over the past twelve years. You've been lying to me your whole miserable life!"
"Joe, stop! Please," Ella sobbed, trying to break free of his grasp. "I didn't lie to you! How can you believe that?"
Joe yanked her closer and got right in her face.
"Because it's true. Because you've been here—without me," he said. "You once told me that nothing mattered to you without me. Apparently everyone has their price."
"No, Joe…" Ella cried, frantically shaking her head. "I was just trying to… to find something—anything to bring me a little peace—a little contentment." She dared to meet his eyes and continued. "You'll never know how it hurt me to leave you!"
"Please," Joe scoffed. "You don't even know what pain is. You-"
His words halted as Ella's flattened palm slapped him across the face.
"I know every bit as much about pain as you do! Before I had to leave you, I watched my parents die!" She shoved him back with all her might then. "I'm sorry I hurt you," she said in a softer tone; finality in her voice. "But seeing as you refuse to believe me, words are all I can offer you. I-"
Stunned by the force of her shove, Joe charged back up to her and grabbed her again, this time yanking her away from the bed and pinning her against the wall with his hands.
"J-Joe…" Ella breathed, frightened, yet unable to fight off the pull of desire tugging at her senses. "Please… I had to do it. I just had to."
"Why?" One of his hands grasped at her wrists, pinning them to the wall above her head.
"Because I wanted to protect you and my family and friends. It was the only thing I could think of to do." She panted; fought to catch her breath. The heat of their argument paired with the force of her own passion seemed to thicken the atmosphere around her. "I knew my death would make Fournier give up on me—and then he'd have no reason to hurt you or anyone else. I couldn't watch you all die, one by one—not because of me."
Joe fought his emotions. He believed her on one hand, but his anger wouldn't allow him to accept the truth.
"You will never know what you put me through, Ella. I hate myself now." He heard her soft cry, but forced himself not to react. "Do you know how many meaningless one-night-stands I had simply because I was trying to bury my pain? You're the cause of my breaking my marriage vows to you! I turned to all the wrong things to fill the void and all along, you were alive."
Pain engulfed her at hearing he'd slept with numerous women, but she realized she'd put him in that position.
"Joe… You're right."
He froze, eyeing her skeptically.
"It was my fault," she continued, avoiding his intense gaze. "You thought you were legitimately single—widowed. I don't blame you for… for..." She couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"For sleeping with lots of women," Joe finished for her, trying to hurt her even further.
She flinched and swallowed hard, but nodded. "You didn't know any better."
"Oh, cut the sympathetic act, Ella," Joe shouted in frustration. He couldn't handle her being so understanding of his flaws and mistakes. Taking his frustration out on her, he smirked at her before speaking distinctly. "Besides, you can't tell me you haven't messed around in the past twelve years."
Ella gasped loudly and looked horrified. "How dare you," she screamed, the first time she'd raised her voice to him during their argument. She struggled against his hold. "I've never made love with anyone but you! And I never would!" Tears streamed down her face as she cried. "I never even had the desire to sleep with another man, Joe. You are the only man for me. For the past twelve years I've lived like a nun!" She sobbed. "I'd give anything if I could..." She trailed off, lacking the bravery to voice her wish.
Joe reeled for an instant at her passionate proclamation, but quickly composed himself and retorted. "What?"
"I wish I could've found a way to kill Fournier. Then I could've stayed with you, and we could've been..." She trailed off again, and managed to tug one of her wrists free; found the courage to reach up and caress his cheek.
Joe wanted to pull away, but as always, Ella's touch seemed to tame the savage beast within him. Looking into her eyes, he saw the same twelve years of torture that he'd endured. They'd both been through more than any person should have to go through.
"We could've been together. And happy," she finished softly, finally dropping her hand from his face and gently pushing away from him.
Her body language showed resignation. She was giving up. Or rather, she was afraid to hope.
Well, forget that, Joe thought, touching her shoulder and turning her back around to face him. He pushed her back up against the wall, and demanded one more answer.
"What about your marriage vows, Ella," he asked quietly, pressing his body up closer against hers. "You promised to always be with me—in the good times and the bad. We weren't married more than five hours and you left me. You broke that vow."
"But I kept all the others," Ella cried, meeting his gaze. "I also vowed to protect you as you protected me—at all costs. Leaving you behind was that cost! And it almost killed me!" A heartbroken sob ripped from her throat. "I wished so many times that I had died-"
Joe's mouth crashed against hers. Her body jolted. She cried out in a mixture of surprise and pleasure. He groaned against her mouth as he kissed her. He pulled her body closer to his and slanted his mouth across hers at a different angle. Then his mouth was trailing down her neck, kissing and nipping at her skin.
"Joe…" she whispered, clinging to his shoulders. "I-I can't…"
"Can't what," Joe asked absent-mindedly, tasting the hollow of her throat.
"Can't stand m-much longer," she whispered, as her legs threatened to buckle. "The bed…"
Joe held her up as he reclaimed her mouth with his. Coaxing her mouth to open beneath his, he slipped his tongue past her lips and groaned passionately from the sensations flooding his body. His hand went to her head and freed her long hair from its clippie. The thick bulk fell past her hips and Joe tangled his fingers into the soft waves, anchoring her head in place as he continued lavishing her mouth with passionate kisses.
"Joe," Ella moaned softly through the loving strokes of his lips over hers. She felt his hands slide downward and slip inside her satin robe, then shivered when they began wandering.
"Please," Ella whispered, her voice shaking. "Don't do this unless you mean it, Joe—unless you're planning for us to be together again." She sobbed as his fingers gripped at her robe. "N-not rev-enge..." she uttered the sentence fragment, shuddering and losing her mind as he kissed her again. He then pulled back and watched her face for her reaction. "Oh, God... Please, don't make a fool of me-"
His mouth captured hers once more, and he didn't stop kissing her till they were both gasping for air. "You're mine, Ella. And I'm yours. You are NOT leaving me again. I won't allow it." His hands roamed down to her waist and then lifted her. "So help me..." He groaned in a pained voice. "I will hunt for you to the ends of the earth..."
Ella whimpered softly then shakily slid her hands underneath his t-shirt. Ripping it over his head, she melted against him, relishing in the feel of his naked chest against hers. "Bed," she whispered again, desperation coloring her tone.
Joe didn't hesitate to carry her to the bed then, as she fumbled with the tie to her robe as she worked to discard it. He laid her across the mattress and then his eyes fell on her rib-cage as the tender flesh was exposed, and he saw the tattoos she'd gotten a couple years prior. He touched the first one with his finger and Ella gasped.
She'd forgotten about the dates tattooed on her ribs.
He seemed to recognize the first three dates, but when he came to the fourth one with the two hearts intertwined he paused.
"What does this tattoo signify?"
Breathless, Ella hedged. "Can we talk about it later?" She pulled his face back to hers and kissed him passionately, softly brushing her tongue over his. "Can we fix this," she asked, gazing at his handsome face. "I've hurt too," she said softly, pleading in her eyes. "I promise I didn't want to leave you. It was more than I could bear."
Joe nodded. "I know," he whispered. "I just wanted to hurt you in return. I didn't mean any of those things I said. I know you didn't sleep around. And I know you did what you thought was best."
A sob shuddered through her body. "I love you, Joe. I love you so much."
"I love you too," Joe replied, kissing her softly. "And I hope you forgive me for what I've done by mistake."
Ella covered his mouth with her fingers and shushed him lightly. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I put you in that position, so I accept full-"
Joe covered her mouth with his, and swallowed her soft cry of passion. "Shh," he whispered against her mouth. His hands wandered over her body as he kissed her relentlessly…
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"I'm so sorry, Joe."
Joe glanced at Ella's face and kissed her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
"Shh," he whispered. "It's behind us. I hate what happened, but you did it because you loved me and your family. We have a future together—that's what matters."
"But," Ella started, fighting tears. "We lost so much time." She flushed as she recalled the moments they'd just shared. "We could have had more time like this. We-"
Joe cut her words off with a soft kiss to her mouth.
"We'll still have plenty of time, honey," he whispered, kissing her again. The passion of the kiss escalated and he settled himself over her slender frame. He growled in pleasure as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and returned his kisses. His arms went underneath her back and held her tightly against him, melding their bodies together.
Ella let out a satisfied groan as she gripped his shoulders and then managed a light giggle. "We're never going to leave this bed, are we?"
"Not likely," Joe panted, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "We never got to have our honeymoon, so we're having it now."
"I'll never take this moment for granted," she sighed, brushing her lips across his chest. She nipped his shoulder then and smiled at the growl she heard rumble in his throat.
"Mom!"
Both Ella and Joe sat straight up in the bed. Joe's gaze shifted to Ella's. She saw hurt in his eyes and instantly knew what he was thinking.
"Mom," he repeated.
He got out of the bed then, and began silently pulling his boxers back on. Hurriedly, Ella grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself, securing the belt in a knot. She walked up to Joe and lightly touched his arm, "Joe."
He turned and looked at her wearily. "What is it?"
"I didn't lie. There's been no one but you—ever. She's yours, I promise. You'll know it when you see her."
The hurt began to slowly leave his eyes. "What? How?"
"Well, we did get to make love on our wedding night even if it was just one time," she explained. "I wasn't on birth control and you didn't use any protection. I didn't find out about her till a couple months after I left."
Joe was silent for a moment, and Ella feared she would lose him again.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, cautiously going into his arms. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. "Not a day went by when I didn't wish I could share her with you. It just didn't feel complete without you. But I had to protect her—had to put her safety first."
"Does she know about me?"
Ella nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, and she will be so thrilled to meet you. She's going to love you."
"I love her already," Joe smiled, leaning down and pressing his mouth against hers. "How old is she? Eleven? Twelve?"
"She'll be thirteen soon," Ella grinned. "She's beautiful. She has your eyes and hair."
"Her name?"
She smiled again, "I think I did pretty good with that. Miracle Kalani. It's a little backward but I meant her name to mean "heavenly miracle".
Joe smiled at the middle name, recognizing the Samoan term for "of the heavens".
"What about her last name," Joe asked. "Is she going by Jones too?"
Ella nodded, a look of mischief crossing her face. "But not for long," she said, hugging him closer. "I longed for her name to be Miracle Kalani Seanoa. And now it can be."
Joe grinned, flashing his dimples, "I love that. It's beautiful." His face flushed slightly then. "I'm a father." He looked a little roguish as a twinkle entered his eyes. "I wish we could have a little more alone time right now," he chuckled. "I'm even more in love with you. I didn't think that was possible."
His words cut off as Ella pulled his face down to hers and kissed him softly. She nipped his bottom lip and thrusted her tongue against his.
Joe growled low in his throat and kissed her back, then lifted her effortlessly and sat her on her bureau. Grasping her waist in his hands he pulled her towards him. Some perfume bottles crashed to the floor, but they went unnoticed as Ella returned his kisses.
He groaned and then kissed her neck, nibbling lightly at the soft skin.
"You're killing me," he whispered in her ear. "Do you know how badly I need you right now?"
"About as much as I need you," Ella admitted on a shaky breath. "But-"
"MOM!"
They both jumped again, and Ella chuckled. "I have to go see what she needs. She…" Her words trailed off and her face looked deep in thought.
"What is it," Joe asked.
"She was at a sleepover," she replied a little worriedly. "I hope she's not sick."
"Well, let's go check on her," Joe said, searching for his discarded shirt.
"Let me," Ella said. "I need to ease her into this. She'll love to meet you, but she's in for a shock, I'm afraid."
Joe nodded and smiled understandingly. "Alright. I'll finish getting dressed."
"Okay, I'll come get you in a few minutes."
"Mom! Please, get down here!"
"I'm coming, lo'u alofa," Ella called loudly. She looked at Joe then. "I'd better go," she said, apologetically. She saw Joe smiling happily, and realized he was glad she used the Samoan term of endearment on their daughter.
Smiling at Joe again, she hurried from the room, shutting the door behind her. She hurried down the stairs, composing herself as she went.
"Miracle, baby? What's wrong?" She didn't see her in the foyer so she hurried to the living room, "Miracle?" She stepped through the door and froze in her tracks.
"Mommy…"
Ella saw Miracle first, then the numerous men who stood around her, next. A knife was held to her daughter's throat and her mind instantly recalled the night a knife was held to her throat.
Miracle is NOT going through this too. Not my baby!
Ella shifted her gaze upward and saw Viktor was the one who held the knife.
"Viktor, let my daughter go…" She paused as she looked the man over. Something was different.
"It's Jacques Fournier, Mama," Miracle cried. "His eyes-"
Her words halted as the knife dug into the skin of her neck. Ella saw the ice blue of Viktor's eyes then and knew her life was over—no matter whether she lived or died.
