Here's the next installment of the soap opera. Happy reading.
Sun afternoon
"Steph, hi." Jayden said in surprise as she opened the door. "No babies?" She asked in disappointment.
"No I decided I needed a me day and dumped them on Paul." The other girl replied laughing. She slumped into a chair pretending exhaustion. "They're into everything. You stop one and the other takes off."
Jayden laughed. "Just wait until they hit the terrible two's."
Steph covered her ears. "Don't even go there. I'm not sure I can handle that."
"Well you can give them to Aunt Jayden anytime you want." She offered eagerly as she led the way into the kitchen.
"You may come to regret that." Steph warned. "If you think you're worn out now, just wait."
Jayden frowned. "Are you saying I look that bad?" She asked pretending to be affronted.
"Yes." Steph answered bluntly. "You have dark circles under your eyes and your hair is all limp."
"Thanks." The redhead answered dryly. She vainly tried to run her hand through her hair.
"But that's why I want you to come with me." She conjoled, linking her arm through the other girl's. "We can hit the mall, get out nails done, go out to lunch. Have the ultimate girls day."
Jayden hesitated, torn between wanting to go and her responsibilities. "I don't know. Dave's taking a nap right now."
"Is he feeling any better?" Steph asked sympathetically.
The other girl shrugged, wanting to confide in someone but not wanting to betray Dave's confidence.
Steph nodded in understanding. "Going out is not a bad thing. It might even help a little. You know, it'll give him some alone time and you get a chance to recharge."
Jayden nodded reluctantly. "Okay, let me just go check on him."
Cena household, same time
Journey gagged one last time before slumping over the toilet. Sweat dampened her forehead as her stomach continued to roll.
"Here, this will help." Nikki Cena said, holding out a wet wash cloth.
"Thanks." She whispered as she began gagging again.
"Honey, you need to go to the doctor." Nikki tried as she led the pale girl to the bedroom.
"I don't need a doctor." Journey protested as she curled up on the bed. Tears leaked uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Sweetie, you've lost at least five pounds since the last time I've seen you and you've done nothing but puke your guts up since I got here."
"I'm fine." Journey protested as she raced for the bathroom yet again.
Nikki was waiting for her with her arms crossed when she stumbled back to bed. "Drink this." She instructed pushing a cup towards her.
"What is it?" Journey asked warily, taking a cautious sip.
"Chamomile tea. It'll help settle your stomach. So... how far along are you?" Nikki asked her friend.
"What?" Exclaimed the other girl, struggling to sit up.
"You're pregnant. How many weeks are you?" She asked expectantly.
Journ'ey's face paled. "I'm not pregnant." She protested weakly.
Nikki's eyebrows went up. "Could have fooled me. When was the last time you had a period?"
She thought about it before shrugging. "I don't know. Ever since the fire I've been real irregular."
"So it's a possiblly right?" The younger girl prodded.
Journe'y face became even paler as she thought about it. "It's just the stomach flu. It'll pass."
"Ari told me that you've been doing this every day for the last two weeks. Seems a little excessive for the flu."
"Ari need to mind her own damn business." Journey muttered as tears leaked from her eyes. "Besides, her behavior and John's response to it is most likely the cause. I probably have an ulcer."
"She can't be that bad." Nikki interjected laughing. "She's in her room right now, quietly listening to music."
"Don't let her fool you. I try to set boundaries for her when John's not here. She deliberately breaks them and pushes me until I'm at my wit's end. When I yell at her she runs and calls her father. And do you know what that son of a bitch tells me."
"I'm scared to find out." The younger girl murmured.
"He tells me to leave her alone, that she didn't do anything wrong and that I shouldn't have made rules in the first place." Journey yelled as she flung a pillow at the window.
Nikki frowned. "Why the hell would he say that?"
"Damned if I know. It's not like he talks to me anymore anyway. Basically I'm only good for one thing."
"Do you think maybe you're overreacting just a little bit?"
Journey shook her head. "You said it yourself, I might be pregnant. How can I think of bringing a child into this kind of environment. I'm not even sure I want to stay myself."
Outside the bedroom door the dark haired child frowned as she silently crept back to her own room.
"So you have thought about it." Nikki leaped on the admission, pleased when it caused the other girl to laugh.
"I miss having you around Nikki. You've been absent a lot lately."
The younger girl shrugged. "It's a little awardward to be around Randy."
"Yeah well, he won't talk about what made the two of you break up. So spill."
Nikki got up to pace around the room. "Commitment issues I guess."
Journey rolled her eyes. "I should have know. I don't think that boy is ever going to stay in a relationship."
Nikki frowned, her expression sad. "Actually you have it backward. I'm the one that broke it off." She shrugged when the other girl gave her a startled expression. "I'm only 20 years old. I'm not ready to settle down. There's too much I want to see and do, too many people I want to see and do." She said causing Journey to laugh.
The were silent for several minutes. "He proposed to me you know." Nikki said finally.
"He asked you to marry him?" Journey asked astonished.
Nikki nodded. "And that's when I decided I couldn't stay with him. I think I hurt him really bad."
"Damn, no wonder he wouldn't talk about it." Journey was silent. "Does John know?"
"I didn't tell him." She made another rotation around the room. "Okay, since we are now both throughly depressed how about we go to the mall. I am in need of some serious shopping."
Journey shook her head regretfully. "I can't leave Ari here alone and I don't want to take her with us. Knowing her she would try to steal something." Groaning she put her head in her hands. "I know I shouldn't say stuff like that and I'm probably making the situation worse, but it's been a very tough couple months."
Texas
"Okay now, put it in reverse and slowly back down the driveway." Mark instructed as he tried to keep his voice calm. He forced himself to continue to look straight ahead. He didn't want to intimidate her by watching too closely.
Taking a deep breath Laney glanced behind her for the third time before she slowly let off the brake. Reaching the end of the driveway she flashed him a huge smile. "I didn't hit anything so...are you going to actually let me drive on the road?"
Mark closed his eyes as he thumbed a rolaid. "God help me, yes."
Putting the car in park she reached over and covered his hand. "Thanks daddy. I really appreciate this."
His voice choked as he pointed to the steering wheel. "Let's get this over with before my heart gives out."
Grinning she put the car back in reverse. Making sure there was no traffic coming she pulled out into the street, pretending not to notice her father's white grip on the center console.
"Some boy called for you last night." He remarked once they had driven for a couple minutes with no mishaps.
"Who was it?" She asked turning to look at him.
"Keep your eyes on the damn road." He roared sharply. She rolled her eyes as she focused back on the road. "I want to know why guys are calling you. Got a boyfriend I don't know about?" He asked paying close attention.
Frowning she deliberately increased her speed causing him to curse under his breath. "Either pull over or slow down." He gritted out, drawing a big breath as she slowed down to the speed limit. "Head down this street." He pointed down a side street leading away from town.
"So who was it?" she asked impatiently as she flipped on the turn signal.
"He said his name was Jared. He seemed really disappointed that you weren't there." He relented.
She was silent for a couple minutes. "Would you let me date him, if I wanted to?" She asked finally.
He frowned. "You're making me out to be the mean papa, you know that right? You're only 15 and just barely that." He sighed. "How old is he?"
She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking. "I think he's 18."
Mark gave a short laugh. "You should know better than to ask me something like that."
"Daddy." She whined.
"Laney." He whined back. "I don't feel comfortable with you being alone with a guy that old, especially not in his car." He said firmly.
She remained silent, causing him to sign long and hard. "Don't make me lock you in your room."
She shrugged letting the subject go. "I was wondering, now that you're home a lot more, about maybe going to public school." She rushed on before he could respond. "I want to go to things like the spring formal and the prom. Plus it would look really good on my college applications if I was in activities like student government."
Mark gave a little smile. "Easier to meet boys too."
Stopping at a stop sign she turned to face him. "It's not like that. It's just hard to be with my friends when they're talking about things that happened at school and not know what they're talking about."
"Darling, I'm not arguing with you. I agree that it would be a good idea."
"And it's not like ti would be right away. This semester is half over and it would be easier to start next fall."
He nodded solemnly, his eyes twinkling. "You've given this a lot of thought.
She nodded as she circled back toward home. "I've been thinking about this for awhile."
"Anything else you've been thinking about?" He asked, half dreading the answer. He expected her to sprout Sammie's name.
She flashed him a grin. "I want to model."
"As in walk down the runway with your ribs showing?" He asked astonished. "What brought this on?"
"Just pictures." She responded laughing. "I met this really cool guy yesterday. He just moved here from El Paso. He's a photographer and he's wanting to add some local girls to his profolio." She explained.
"I don't see a problem with that. But I definitely do not want you going alone." He warned.
Laney wrinkled her nose. "Aunt Mandy acted really weird when she saw me talking to him."
"Weird how?" He asked perplexed.
"She came running up to us yelling about how he's a pervert because he was talking to me next to the dressing room."
"He was in the dressing room with you?" Mark sat up straighting in outrage.
"No he was waiting outside for his girlfriend. I stepped out to show Mandy a dress, she wasn't there and he commented on how photogenic I looked." She explained patiently. "He was really nice even when Aunt Mandy kept yelling."
"Weren't you taught not to talk to strangers?"
"Daddy, it was a simple conversation. It's not like he was going to rape me." She rolled her eyes again, earing a swat on the head when her father caught her.
"You need to learn to be more careful." He growled.
She shook her head in exasperation. "We were in the middle of a crowded store."
"Things can happen anywhere." He said again, giving her a second bop on the head.
She swatted his hand away. "So does that mean you're going to let me to it?"
"As long as I'm there and you don't wear anything revealing." She caught herself in time from rolling her eyes again.
"Sooo, next time we go driving do you think maybe we can go on roads that have traffic?" She asked as she pulled into the driveway.
"You're trying to kill me, aren't you baby girl."
Connecticut
"Journey." Steph called across the crowded mall.
Turning the younger girl smiled softly. "Where are the babies?" She asked once the group was together.
"With someone else for the day, thank goodness." She dramatized, causing everyone to laugh.
"Trust me when I tell you I know the feeling." Journey answered with feeling.
"Luckily Ari wanted to go to a friend's so we have a few hours of playtime." Nikki announced, throwing her arms around her friend.
Jayden frowned as she noticed the deep shadows beneath her adopted daughters eyes. "Are you feeling okay honey?"
The petite blond shrugged, causing Nikki to speak up. "She might be pregnant but isn't willing to admit it yet, so I dragged her out to have some fun." She announced.
"Oh I'm having fun, but I'll have a lot more killing you." She said sending daggers at her friend. "I'm not pregnant." She assured the older girls.
"It's a possibility." Nikki sing songed as she danced out of reach.
"Well, regardless, a good meal will do you a world of good. We have reservations at Chez's." Steph said giving the younger girl's shoulder a squeeze. "The more the merrier."
Soon they were all sitting around the table laughing as Steph related the antics of the twins.
"See, babies aren't all bad." Nikki poked at her friend.
"It isn't the baby I'm objecting to, it's the father." Journey responded shaking her head. She couldn't help but smiling.
"So we can get a pregnancy test on the way home?" She conjoled bouncing in her seat.
Journey looked to the other two for help. "Make her stop, please." She pleaded laughing.
"No way. I don't want her starting on me." Jayden declared, her eyes twinkling. She held her hands up when three pair of eyes swung her way. "I'm not." She said firmly.
"Okay Grandma Jayden." Nikki teased her.
Journey and Jayden eyes lit up. "Grandpa Dave." They chorused together as they burst out laughing.
Satisfied with a job well done, Nikki and Steph shred conspiratorial smiles.