Okay, so I'm very, very sorry that it took so long (offers cookies). anyway, this story is probably almost done. There should be one or two more chapters I think. We'll see. Hopefully the next update will be sooner

Jess

Chapter 20: Angry Men

November 13 2011

I'm sitting in the library with Bella. She's trying to listen to their conversation, and I got bored, so I'm writing in here.

I just finished 12 Angry Men. Mama didn't read it with me, but we talked about it. It was so good! I was thinking about the last juror to change his mind to not guilty. When he fell apart over losing his son even though it was his own fault. That's who reminds me of John House. He wanted his son to be like him, but he pushed and pushed and lost him. We saw the movie. The original one in black and white.

Bella wants to sneak back out. Mama will catch us, but I'll go with her anyway. Blythe tried to hug me. Strangers don't hug me. Mama said that I get that from her. When she was pregnant with me all anyone wanted to do was touch her stomach and she wouldn't let them. Gotta go!

"So." Bella gave John House a classic House glare. "Now that we're all here, one big, happy family, enlighten us. Why are you here?"

"I saw the article in USA Today Little Girl."

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's Isabella. Even an idiot like you should be able to remember that."

John House took a step forward and Bella stared up at him. Her eyes showed pure defiance, and no fear. No one had ever raised a hand to her, and John House wouldn't get another step closer, she knew.

She felt her body lifted in one arm by her father as she was placed behind him and next to Dani.

"Why don't you girls go to the library for a little while?" It wasn't a question but Bella glared at her father.

"I want to see the show."

"Isabella Blythe-" Greg started. He didn't see the surprise on his parents faces.

"Fine."

Dani shrugged. "When is everyone going to be here? I want to finish our game."

"Everyone?" Blythe asked.

"Our family" Dani replied softly. If Bella had said it, she would have sounded angry and intending to hurt her dad's mom in the right place. With Dani, it was just a fact.

Danie turned and grabbed Bella's arm and the two walked out of the room. Bella wasn't happy to be leaving, so it ended up that Dani was half dragging her older sister out of the room.

Cameron gestured for Blythe and Jonathon to sit down on one sofa, while Allison and Greg took the other.

"Isabella Blythe?" Blythe asked immediately. Allison returned with two glasses of water, a root beer for Greg and lemonade for herself.

"Allison named the girls. Isabella Blythe and Daniela Joyce."

John eyed his son. "You mean that you had no part in it?" His tone was accusing and House bit his tongue. The last thing that he wanted to do was get into it with his father about leaving.

He actually really did want to get into with his father, but not in front of Allison and his mother.

"Something along those lines."

Allison squeezed his hand and he smiled at her. Blithe could sense the tension.

"Allison, would you introduce me to the girls, I think I scared Daniela a bit." Allison turned to look at Greg who inclined his head slightly in agreement. He needed to have it out with his father once and for all.

"Bella, stop listening at the door, your not going to hear anything."

"But I might. And it could be important. And what if he like decides to kill dad or something, I could be saving his life." Bella turned to look at her mother, hands on her hips.

"Greg will be fine." Allison raised an eyebrow and Bella shot her mother a look of impatience and irritancy that was so Greg Blythe had a hard time keeping a straight face.

"I want to know what's going on." Dani was watching amusement. She had warmed up a little to Blythe after her mother had come in with her.

"I don't think that you're going to find anything out Bella."

"I could."

Dani shrugged. "Maybe. You could. But it never worked in Greece did it? That was the hardest place to hear anything. Except for maybe Tokyo because it was always loud there."

"There were other places."

"Tell me it wasn't super-duper hard to ease drop in Greece."

"Oh it was, but we came up with a way in the end, remember."

"Hello." Allison waved at her daughters. "I would just like to remind you that I'm sitting right here."

"Eh." Bella shrugged. "Greece was years ago."

"Yeah. It was amazing though." Bella nodded and turned her eyes back to the door.

"You don't have x-ray vision Bella. Get over it." Dani sighed out.

Blythe smiled at her granddaughters. The little that she had seen of them made her heart constrict. They were amazing.

"I thought you realized that Dr. Cameron was only with you for your money and left her." John growled at his son. Greg stood up.

"No. you convinced me that she was only with me for my money and then eventually I left her. Then she came back, I realized my mistake and now Allison, Isabella, Daniela and I are living happily ever after."

So it hadn't happened exactly that way, but John didn't need to hear that.

"I thought that I told you to break up with her."

"Yeah. And for some absurd reason I listened to you." John House took a step towards his son, but Greg didn't flinch.

"If you have a problem with the fact that I'm going to marry the woman that I love and live happily ever after with her and our children, then get out of my house. If you don't have a problem then we can sit down and be civilized adults. You can even meet your granddaughters."

John didn't answer. He didn't even yell for his wife. He stormed out of the house seething in anger. His son was making the biggest mistake of his life.

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