A/N I am so so so so so sorry I haven't updated in forever. I was grounded. Stupid parents. Anyway, here it is!

Chapter 19

The Mother's Day Card

Ten miles and no Starbucks later, we pulled up to Bobby's house. It was elegant and pleasant looking from where I was sitting in the backseat. Logan parked on the street and we hopped out and walked towards the front door.

"They're at a hotel. Ronnie has a football game tonight in the next county, so they'll be back tomorrow morning." Bobby informed us, reaching up and grabbing a key from the top of the doorjamb and opening the front door.

"There are two bathrooms, if you guys wanna go change. I'll use my room. John, don't burn anything." Bobby said, showing us the facilities.

John just smirked.

Rogue and I sat down on the stairs and divvied up the clothing amongst us, and then took turns getting dressed in the downstairs backroom.

The boys were dressed almost immediately, big surprise.

I walked down the hall and felt a pang of jealousy as I looked at the family pictures that lined the walls. Holiday cards sat on a wooden table by the stairs and I picked one up.

It was a Mother's Day card, signed by Robert.

Tears filled my eyes as I stared at it angrily for a few seconds and put it back down on the table next to some others.

"You okay?"

I turned around and saw John leaning against the wall, in his typical bad boy stance, lighter in one hand.

"Yeah… I'm feeling a lot better." I said hurriedly, wiping my eyes quickly, moving to walk past him.

"I'm not talking about that." John said, pushing himself off the wall and beginning to walk towards me.

"I'm fine." I said as firmly as I could, pushing away more tears.

"No, you're not." He put both his hands on my shoulders. I looked down, not wanting to meet his intense gaze.

"What are you, John? Some kind of a fucking psychologist?" I snapped, staring at my feet.

"No, but you have the same expression on your face and tone that I use when I think of my alcoholic, sonofabitch father." John explained evenly, picking up my chin.

I looked up at him, and I saw sadness in his dark eyes. I didn't know what to say to him- Hey, this is great, and I know someone who has horrible family issues too! Wanna go talk about our feelings and hug stuffed animals together?

"John…" I trailed off. He was still holding my chin, and even though he was being exceedingly gentle, I could feel the familiar, rising panic in my stomach that directly resulted from when people touched me sometimes. I pulled my face away from his hand and leaned back against the stairs, trying to understand what John had just revealed to me and why he had done so.

Bobby walked down the hall. "I was looking for you guys. You want something to eat?" he asked, clearly oblivious to the fact that something serious was being discussed prior to his arrival.

"I'm not hungry." I said, as my stomach inconveniently growled that I was lying through my teeth. "Is there somewhere I could lie down?"

"You can use the guest room. It's the second door on the left up the stairs." Bobby said.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later." I said as cheerfully as I could manage, and I dashed up the stairs without looking back at John.

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Whadja think? R & R!