Chapter Two-Hundred and Fifteen

Julia welcomed Claire into a hug, watching as John soothed her baby by bouncing her in his arms. "How're you two doing?" She asked, smiling as John sang to Johanna in his softest voice, the rasp from blowing his vocal-cords still obvious in his tones.

"We're managing." She yawned, jumping when Johanna started to fuss. "What's wrong?" She asked, knowing that Johanna hardly ever cried when John was singing.

John shrugged, turning as Chance started to growl. "Chance-" He was cut off as Timothy grabbed his shoulder, hugging Johanna close when he caught sight of the blade. "LOCK DOWN!" He shouted, not thinking Timothy would turn the knife on his dog. He passed the baby to Julia, pushing her and Claire into the classroom behind them and closing the door. "Stop!" He screamed, dropping to the ground and pressing his hand against the bleeding wound on Chance's shoulder. "You fucking prick!" He grabbed one of his crutches, swinging it in a wide arch and knocking Timothy to the ground his ankle bending at an odd angle with a crunch.

Timothy screamed in pain, clutching his leg as John struggled to stop the bleeding from Chance's shoulder. "Your dog attacked me!"

John unzipped his bag, pulling a sewing kid from a pocket and threading a needle with some fishing line. "I gave her a command! You're the one that was trying to kill me!" He pinned Chance's head under his casted leg, pushing the needle into her hide and sewing the wound shut.

"Fuck you, Bender!" He spat as Principal Anderson pulled him to his feet. "I'll fucking kill you!"

John shook his head, pulling Chance's head onto his lap after the last stitch was secured. "I'm sorry, Baby…"

She whimpered, licking his face as tears began to slide down his cheeks. She pushed her nose into his stomach, trying to tell him to stand up and that she was okay. After all, as a fighting dog, she'd felt worse.

Julia helped Claire fit a jacket under Chance's shoulders, helping the pup limp her way to the nurse's office for bandaging. "Who would do this to a dog?" She asked, checking on John as he hobbled along with Johanna sleeping on his chest in her baby sling. "You okay back there?" She asked, noticing how John's muscles were tense and that he was fighting something.

"Scared…" He breathed, pressing his lips against Johanna's downy baby hair and breathing in the scent of baby shampoo and baby powder.

Claire nodded, smiling as Toby moved to walk beside John. "She'll be okay."

Toby grinned, tapping Johanna's nose as she slept against John's chest. "Hey, Sweet cheeks-"

"Don't." John stated, remembering how Prick Dick had called him that while he'd been smacking his ass hard enough to leave swollen hand prints. "Don't call her that." He kissed her soft spot, starting to retreat into his own world.

"Sorry… I forgot." Toby apologized, holding Johanna's chubby little hand in his fingers. "What do you call her?"

"Cupcake." John whispered, stopping in his tracks just to focus on pushing his demons back. "She's my Cupcake." He jumped when Johanna started to make little sounds, pulling a rag from a pocket on the carrier and holding it to her mouth as she started to spit up. "There. That better?" He asked, patting his hand against her back to make sure she'd gotten it all out.

Johanna burped, letting John wipe her chin.

"She's cute." Toby chuckled, his nose wrinkling when he smelled something odd. "Oh, God… did she just poop?"

John nodded, hobbling into the nurse's office and setting her on the exam table. "Julia, can you hand me the diaper bag. Johanna needs her butt changed."

Julia handed John the diaper bag, laughing when she saw that Toby was keeping a fair distance from them. "Haven't you ever changed a diaper?"

He shook his head, fighting back his gag reflex when John undid the soiled diaper and started wiping the baby's butt clean. "No."

John placed a clean diaper under Johanna's bum, taping it back on with the sticky taps and sitting her up to play. "That's better, huh?" He kissed her nose, tickling her ribs to hear her bubbling little laugh. "Hey? Where's your belly?" He asked, grinning as she lifted her shirt to show him the new thing she'd learned. He kissed her belly button, and blew a raspberry on her soft skin. "Where's my belly?"

She poked his stomach, giggling as he played with her favorite toy.

"That's my Cupcake." He smiled, picking her up and kissing her on the cheek.