Chapter One-Hundred and Fifty-One

Thomas pulled his tie off, his brow furrowing as he noticed that John's bedroom door was closed. He knocked on John's door, praying that his daughter wasn't inside with him. "John?" He heard something bump on the ground, and hushed voices inside. "John, open this door."

John swung his door open, wedging his body between the wall and the door as he tried to smooth his mussed hair. "Yes, Sir?" He asked, his breath rushed as he looked up at him.

"Is Claire in there?" He asked, trying to force past John.

"No." He stated, rubbing his hand over his side as he spoke. "Kaylie took her to pick out Halloween costumes."

Thomas placed his hand on John's door, noticing that John's body was shimmering with sweat. "What are you doing in there?" He asked, forcing John's door open. "What are you doing in here?" He asked, noticing that the desk was covered in paint, glitter, and all manor of other craft supplies, and that he had several pin pricks in his fingers and that he even had a small cut on the back of his hand.

"I, um, I was making something for Amelia for Halloween…" He picked at an old scar on his arm, letting Thomas see the project. "I thought she might like to be a cat for Halloween… so I made her some glittery cat ears with reflective tips."

Thomas chuckled, shaking his head at the fact that John would have glitter in his room for years afterwards. "She wants to be you for Halloween." He motioned to John's tattoo. "She's even gonna ask Dom to draw your tattoo on her arm."

"No one'll know who the hell she is." He stated, having completely forgotten about the record deals the band had been offered after the Battle of the Bands.

Thomas chuckled, placing a paper that only needed one last signature on it. "LA Records, wants to sign you guys. If you sign this, people will know who you are."

John smirked, reading over the label deal before he signed it. "We've gotta get Dom back into bass playing."

"Don't worry about it. We'll get him back to it."

Claire watched as John and the rest of the band plugged their instruments into the recording booth, listening to them begin to play. She smiled as John's rough tones filled her ears, the gravel of his voice nearly as sweet as his kiss.

"You know I need a fix when I fall down You know I need to find a way To get me through another day Please be the one to numb me Hold me when the Demons choke me out they're Never gonna let me get away The shoulder I cry on The dose that I die on You, you can be my painkiller, killer, killer I'll love you till it's all over, over 'Cause you're the shoulder I cry on The dose that I die on you, you can be my painkiller, killer, killer You know what I want so desperately I know you'll give me one for free Forever You're coming back to me Now I'm gonna give us what we need 'Cause I know what we fiend on and what we lean on And what we lean on The shoulder we cry on The dose that we die on You, you can be my painkiller, killer, killer I'll love you till it's all over, over 'Cause you're the shoulder I cry on The dose that I die on I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer Did we find another cure? Did we find another cure? You, you can be my painkiller, killer, killer You'll love me till it's all over, over 'Cause you're the shoulder I cry on the dose that I die on You, you can be my painkiller, killer, killer Painkiller."

Clarissa watched as John relaxed as he played his guitar, able to see that high he always got with the music. "I can't believe he wrote that…" She smiled, knowing that he was speaking about his addiction to Oxy and how Claire was able to stop his pain. She smiled at her daughter, able to see that she was enjoying his music.

Amelia twirled around the studio, as John's voice continued to sing his songs. "You'll love me till it's all over, over…" She sang, the bottom of John's old flannel fanning out around her hips as she spun in the too-big shirt.

Vernon watched as John swayed slightly, his brow furrowing at the unusual movement from the kid. "Does he look a little unsteady?" He asked, looking over to Thomas and Asher just before John collapsed.

Ryan pricked John's finger with a small pin, wiping a drop of blood onto a test strip and placing it in the reader. "Low blood sugar." He stated, taking a jar of honey from his bag and placing a small amount on John's lips. "Give him a second. He'll come around once he gets that in his system." He smiled as John's tongue darted out of his mouth, licking the honey from his lips. "There you go."

Claire brushed her fingers through John's hair, happy that he'd only had low blood sugar and not anything more serious. "He'll be okay?"

Ryan nodded, patting John's chest as he began to come out if it. "He'll be fine."