First Date

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched." George Jean Nathan

I got this faster than I thought I would so here ya go. Don't forget to do a review for me and let me know what yout think.

Chapter 7

After Johnny helped Kanda down to the kitchen table they sat and had a quick breakfast before Roy had to walk the kids down to the bus stop. It was quiet and a little nerve wracking for Roy. He was trying to figure out if Johnny was still upset with him over all that had happened. Burdened with his own feelings of guilt he only hoped that Johnny didn't blame him too. His partner would talk when he was ready. That's just how Johnny was about things that bothered him, quiet and brooding then Roy would finally be able to get it out of him.

Jenny seemed fine again and was busy telling Kanda about her Barbie's adventures while they had been gone and was quick to add that the giant named Johnny captured her castle and put it in the toy box. Kanda just laughed at her and whispered in her ear that after school they would rescue the castle and tie up the giant.

Jenny giggled as Johnny rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Roy sat back and soaked in the interaction between them.

Roy put his plate up and saw Chris waiting for him at the door, "Let's go Jenny, time for school." She jumped down and to his delight she reached over and hugged Kanda goodbye and of course Johnny. That was a given. He then looked back into the kitchen, "I'll be right back." Walking the kids to the bus stop was a routine in the DeSoto household which normally Roy looked forward to but this morning his mind was on so many other things.

"Dad is Kanda going to stay with us until her foot gets better?" Chris asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

"No, she'll go back to the ranch."

"Don't you think she should stay here?" Chris asked with concern.

Now Roy was paying attention, "I don't think she can take care of the ranch from here Chris." He watched his son closely as they walked. "Are you worried about something?"

"No," he said but didn't make eye contact with his dad.

"Chris if you know that someone is in danger you need to tell me son," Roy said as he stopped and took Chris by the shoulder. "You know I don't want anything to happen to Kanda."

"Me either," he said as he shrugged. "It's just between mom and some people at the ranch talking. I'm tired of hearing bad things."

Roy cocked his head and he knelt down beside his son, "I need you to tell me what's going on Chris."

They both looked up to see the bus pull up at the stop near them. "I have to go dad," Chris said as he pulled away from his father.

"We'll finish this conversation after school, alright?"

"Yes sir," he said as he climbed onto the bus.

Roy was furious now as he headed back to the house. It seemed that with every step his anger brewed. How dare she put the kids in the middle of her misery.

When Roy left with the kids Johnny leaned against the kitchen counter, his legs and arms crossed. "So what happened last night?" He was still upset but he hadn't quite decided who to be upset at just yet.

She sat back and held her cup of coffee, "Grilling Roy last night wasn't enough?" She smiled as that caught him off guard and he tried to look all casual about it. She knew perfectly well that they had already talked about it. She didn't have to be down here to know the conversation took place. The picture of her little brother coming to her defense, even against his best friend, was clear in her mind.

"We talked some," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'd like to hear it from you."

She shook her head in frustration. "Hear what Johnny? That Roy was terrible, that he lied about the tire? That he dragged me down to the beach then tripped me on the way back up?"

Johnny looked like a chastised child, "I didn't mean."

"Is there any part of you that would actually think he would do anything to hurt me or knowingly allow anything to happen to me?"

He took a deep breath, "Of course not."

"Then stop quizzing me like someone is guilty. It was just a bad set of circumstances, like a Friday the 13th. Things happened but they weren't our fault." She reached for the chair next to her and put her cast up into it. The swelling was still significant and it was now throbbing beyond belief after being up and about.

"I'm sorry. It's just after what Chris said last night I'm thinking that someone is to blame for all this." He stood up and took her arm, "Let's get you more comfortable."

She frowned a little as he helped her stand up and move out of the kitchen. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night Chris thought something was going to happen to you two. And the fact that he was right really has me worried." He helped her to the couch and put a pillow under her foot. He went back to the kitchen and returned with a cup of water and her pain pills.

She waved him off, not wanting more drugs. "Why would someone want to hurt one of us," she asked with anxiety creeping into her voice.

The front door suddenly slammed shut, rattling the pictures on the walls and making them both jump, "I don't know but I sure as hell plan on finding out!"

Johnny was taken aback by the level of anger from his friend, "What happened?"

Roy walked past them and into the kitchen where he picked up the phone and dialed. Johnny left the stunned Kanda sitting on the couch as he followed Roy. It was incredibly rare that Johnny saw his friend this angry over anything. "Roy what's going on?"

He slammed the phone down and took a deep breath. "I'll be back. I have someone to see." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

Johnny knew where he was going, "Roy. Surely you don't think she had anything to do with all this."

"I plan on finding out one way or another right now," he said as he slammed the door behind him.

"Johnny?" She didn't understand what just happened. It didn't occur to her that Joanne might be involved in the occurances of the previous night.

"Hold on," he said as he went running after him. Throwing the door open he ran to the driver's door of his Rover and grabbed onto the steering wheel through the rolled down window. "You can't do this Roy."

He was furious and spoke in a low voice, "Let go of the wheel Johnny."

"No. You're too mad to go see her right now. Come back inside," he said as he looked back to see a frightened Kanda holding onto the doorframe. "We'll tackle Joanne I promise but right now you need to come back inside."

Roy loosened his grip on the wheel, took a deep breath and turned off the engine. Johnny worked to push his heart back down out of his throat and followed him back into the house.

He looked over to Johnny, "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing."

"Not saying that partner but we need to figure out what's going on first."

After making about fifty phone calls Roy managed to track down where his car was towed. Grimacing at the cost of getting it out he knew there was really no other choice. Of course the secretary that answered the phone had no idea why it had been towed to begin with. All the report said was 'illegal parking zone'.

"Johnny can you give me a ride out to pick up my car?" He asked rather sheepishly since he was a little embarrassed over his earlier tirade.

"Sure, do you think we should leave her here alone?" He asked as Kanda talked on the phone.

Roy debated it in his head. She was moving around much better and still refused pain meds which at least allowed her to be alert. He knew she would be fine but he still hesitated.

"Will you two quit looking at me like some two year old not able to take care of themselves?" She hobbled in from the kitchen with the help of the crutches that Roy had left over from his last broken leg. "I'm not helpless. Besides after you get your car I need Johnny to take me home."

Now Roy really didn't want her out at the ranch right now. It seemed too far away for his own peace of mind. But she was reading his look already. "Look, I'm fine. I won't be alone. Rosa is there and said she would stay with me tonight. I've got a sick horse and I need to get back. There are plenty of folks around to keep an eye on me."

"Early told you to stay off that foot completely for a week. How do you expect to do that trying to run around a ranch and care for a horse?" Roy knew she would over do it.

She just sighed then a thought came to her. "You two are off for the weekend and the kids will be out of school. Instead of you babysitting me here why don't you come out there with me?"

Sorting through all the possibilities he finally gave in to her, "Alright." A part of him didn't want to be separated from her for any reason. A part of him was worried about her. She needed the rest and could also use the help at her place. Honestly it was the best of all options right now. "I have to get some things done here first and you have to see Joe Early tomorrow for a checkup. Will you at least stay here tonight then we can head out there after your appointment tomorrow?"

She knew that Paul was taking care of the animals and that Rosa was seeing after the house. It wouldn't kill her to wait one more day. "Agreed."

Johnny held his head back, "I think you two forgot that you had the hot date last night. Tonight is my date night."

Roy laughed, "Stacey, right?"

"You bet Stacey. It took me a month to get this date with her. You two can sit around the house tonight but I'm going out."

Kanda and Roy exchanged looks. Yep, they would love to just sit around the house tonight.

Kanda was sleeping on the couch when they returned from picking up the car. Roy only had a couple of hours until the kids were out of school and he was ready now to find out what was going on with Joanne. Johnny had been right before. He was way too angry to show up at her door. Nothing good would have come out of it since their relationship was tenious as best sometimes.

After draping a light blanket over her he quietly moved to the kitchen he picked up the phone to call her but again there was no answer. He knew she had planned to visit her sister for the long weekend since he had the kids but he really didn't want to do it over the phone. With resignation he gave up for now. He knew in his heart that she wasn't the cause of anything that happened but it was obvious that she was saying things to upset both of the children. That was going to stop.

"Roy?" Johnny stuck his head in the kitchen.

"Yea?"

"I'm going home for a while. Call me if you need anything."

"I will, thanks."

Johnny glanced in at his sister sleeping like a rock, "Take good care of her for me." He felt bad for even thinking that Roy would be responsible for anything that happened to her.

Roy saw the look of heartfelt guilt on his face, "You know I will."

He nodded, yes he did know. There was no other man that would completely and utterly trust to love and care for his own sister.

Roy went upstairs and started picking up the clutter in the kids rooms trying to stay quiet so she could sleep. After getting the worst and managing to find two baskets of dirty clothes to do he then moved across the hall to his room. Closing the door he leaned against it and tried to force the emerging pounding in his head to go away. He felt exhausted and a nap sounded very good to him too as he eyed his bed.

Next thing he knew Jenny was jumping up and down on his bed, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!"

He rolled over, stretched, and smiled at her exuberance. Then as his brain woke up he sat up like a bullet, "Jennifer, how did you get home?" He looked over at his clock in a panic. It was after four.

"That man brought me home," she said with a big ole smile.

Roy's heart almost stopped beating as he grabbed her arm, "Jenn, what man!?"