"Daddy, where'd Johnny go?" Alanna asked her dad as they made their way through to the first class lounge at the airport.

"Johnny went to catch his flight," Randy explained. "Do you remember, I said he was going to pick up Aunty Em, from the hospital in Canada. We're going to meet him in Tampa with Uncle Teddy and Uncle Cody."

Alanna nodded in reply as he rested her head on Randy's shoulder. When they made it through to the lounge Randy spotted Ted and Cody already seated.

"Hey guys, sorry we're late, we got caught up," Randy said apologizing.

Cody looked at him as though he thought there was more to the statement but Randy didn't oblige. He didn't want to go into the details.

"Johnny kiss Daddy," Alanna said innocently letting Randy's secret out, not really understanding the implications of what she'd seen.

Cody's eyes nearly bugged out his sockets as Randy put Alanna down on the seat for a nap. He took his jacket off and laid it over Alanna to use as a blanket. He sat down next to her so he could keep an eye on her before they resumed their conversation.

"Dude, in the airport, you really thought that was the best time?" Ted chuckled.

"We thought Al was asleep, it was a quiet spot, no one around," Randy tried to reason. "When she commented we had to stop and explain. John almost missed his flight."

"Did she understand?" Ted asked.

"We explained that John and I like each other in the same way I used to like her mom, which he why we kissed in the same way," Randy explained.

"You mean with tongues," Cody almost shouted as he regained his senses.

"Okay, one, I'm trying to let Alanna get some sleep. Two, we're in public Codes, don't shout. Three, it ain't none of your business how John and I were kissing," Randy snipped, somewhat annoyed at Cody's outburst.

"I'm sorry, but talk about dumbass move," Cody remarked.

Randy shook his head at Cody and then rested his head in his hands as he leant forward on the table.

"Anyway, I don't think she really understands. I don't think she really understands why I'm not living with Sam and her anymore," Randy said somberly as he watched Alanna sleep next to him on the seat. "I'm just grateful Sam came round to the idea of me having Alanna on the road with me."

"How often do you get her?" Cody asked.

"Every three weeks roughly; it just depends on my schedule, when I can get home to pick her up," Randy said, smoothing Alanna's head as she slept.

Randy woke up to a low knock on his hotel door. Whoever it was, he was going to kill them, his little girl was still asleep and although the knock wasn't loud enough to wake her, it damn well woke him, and from a fantastic dream as well. He looked at the clock and saw it was only two in the morning. Who could want him at this time in the morning?

He went over to the door and opened it up. Standing outside was a very tired John.

"I couldn't sleep," John whispered looking pitiful.

Randy reached out for his hand and pulled John into the room, letting him lean against his body as he closed the door.

"How did you get over here?" Randy asked, concerned that John had driven in his exhausted state.

"I called a cab," John stated, instantly relaxing Randy and his concerns.

Randy stood there and held him for a couple of minutes, soothing the older man, as he gripped to Randy's top. When he noticed John's eyes were closing, he reached down and picked John up, carrying him to the bed, bridal style.

He placed him lightly on the bed and the older man automatically relaxed. Randy crouched by the side of the bed and undid John's belt so it wouldn't dig into his sides if he rolled over in his sleep.

Although he was gentle, John stirred from his light slumber and looked at Randy with the same pitiful eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if it were something more than his tired state that caused the look.

"You know, I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow," Randy commented quietly, not wishing to disturb Alanna. "Nothing's happened at home has it?"

"No," John said without making eye contact. "I just couldn't sleep without you by me."

"You seemed to do okay last week when we were back here," Randy pressed as he ran his hand along John's arm.

John shook his head at Randy's statement and stopped his movements with his hand.

"I'm tired; can we talk about this tomorrow?" John pleaded.

Randy nodded and walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in behind John. Randy was surprised when John automatically turned around and rested his head on his chest; usually it was the other way around. In fact, he could count the number of times they slept like this on one hand.

He rubbed his hand along John's back, trying to soothe the older man to go to sleep, and it didn't take long before John's breathe evened and Randy could tell he was out. He glanced over to Alanna's bed to make sure she was still sound asleep and then shut his eyes, for the first time in nearly a year, Randy felt content.

"This is ridiculous," Em grumbled as Randy stood to leave the room. "I've swapped one bed for another. This is my house and I'm being told what to do."

Randy tried to bite back the grin forming on his face as he saw the state Emma was working herself into.

"The doctor said you were to stay in bed," Randy stated. "And as long as we're in town, that's where you're staying. If you behave, when we've finished the family room, we'll let you sit on the sofa."

"Can I at least have my laptop; I want to check my emails."

"We've all agreed you're not getting near your laptop until you're back at work. We can't trust you not to try running the tour from here."

"I second that," Cody said as he appeared in her doorway.

"Third," they heard Ted call from down the hallway.

"Naturally I fourth it," John said following Cody into the room as he carried Alanna. "What about you Al, are you going to be the fifth?"

"Yep," Alanna smiled and nodded in John's arms.

Randy went over to John and Alanna, and put his arms around John's waist, resting his chin on John's shoulder.

"Fine, if the whole families saying so I guess I don't have a choice," Emma said giving in to everyone. "Can I at least have something to keep myself occupied? I had a TV at the hospital."

"Em, I have been unpacking boxes with Randy all morning, I have yet to find a TV, do you even own one?" Cody asked without hint of humor.

Emma looked away a little sheepishly before letting a smirk spread across her face.

"I don't, I watch everything…"

"On your laptop," all three men said in unison.

Alanna started giggling at the men and reached for her dad. Randy instinctively let go of John and took his daughter into his arms.

"Cody, you're in charge of Em. I'm taking these two for lunch and then going on the hunt for a TV."

As Randy and John sat in the car on the way back from the shop, Randy watched John discreetly to make sure he was okay. They still hadn't talked about the previous night and it worried him that something was wrong with John.

"Do you have to keep watching me?" John asked rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

"Sorry, I was just…" Randy stopped himself. He didn't want to press John, he figured it was better to let him talk in his own time. As much as he was concerned he didn't want to cause an argument.

"Just what?" John asked.

Randy took a deep breath as he looked intensely at John.

"Last night; I was hoping you'd talk to me about what was going on," Randy explained, trying not to look away.

John focused on the road again as the light turned green. He didn't say anything for a couple of minutes and Randy ended up looking out the window at the passing traffic.

"Why do you think something was going on?" John asked. "Do you not believe me when I said I couldn't sleep?"

"Johnny, it's not that. I just…"

"Just what?" John asked again, his voice rising in anger that he caused Alanna to stir in the child seat in the back.

"Keep your voice down," Randy bit back at John "You were just out of sorts last night. I was worried, Johnny."

The two fell back into silence as they travelled the short distance back to Emma's house. Randy became more concerned for John since he was getting angry over his partner worrying. It wasn't like John, in fact Randy knew John preferred to think that people cared enough to be worried.

As they pulled into the street Emma lived on John pulled the car onto the driveway, not attempting to move. Randy sat there as well, hoping John was going to open up. John shifted in his seat and locked eyes with Randy as he reached over, running his fingers across Randy's hand but not interlocking them.

Just as Randy thought John was going to open up to him, John's cellphone started ringing. He pulled the phone out from his pocket. John stared at the screen for a moment before hitting the ignore button.

"Come on, we should get inside," John said tapping Randy's leg as though they were just shooting the breeze talking about sports.

"Joh-"

Before he could even finish his boyfriend's name, John was out the car and opening the boot to retrieve the TV they'd purchased for Emma. Reluctantly, Randy slipped out the car, retrieved Alanna, who was starting to wake, from her car seat and followed John into the house.

As the day went on, Randy didn't raise the issue anymore. If John didn't want to talk about it, then fine, they wouldn't talk about it. They continued unpacking boxes and John was back to moving the heavier items around as they still wouldn't let Randy.

Randy sat down on the sofa in the family room and silently indicated for Cody to join him as the young man brought everyone a coffee.

"Want to see what got John and I started last week?" Randy asked quietly.

Cody looked at him a little puzzled but nodded anyway.

"Johnny, Em said she wanted that cabinet over in the far corner," Randy said indicating the corner to his right.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

Randy nodded as he took a sip from his coffee cup.

"Grab that end Ted," John said automatically believing Randy.

"Yeah, sure."

The shirts that both men wore, strained against their muscles as they lifted the heavy unit and carefully moved it across the room.

Randy glanced at Cody who was staring intently at Ted's biceps. He smirked a little as he himself took in the sight of his own lover who was taking the bulk of the weight.

"See if you'd shown me this last week, I wouldn't have got mad," Cody said.

"Shown you what?" Ted asked as he took his coffee from Cody.

"Like the display, Babe?" John asked as he perched himself on the arm of the sofa.

"Last week was better," Randy said running his hand along John's thigh. "It was a solo performance."

John leant in and kissed Randy lightly on the lips, pulling back before either could take it further.

"Where's Al?" John asked when he turned to where she had been sat on the floor drawing to find her gone.

"Boo," Alanna shouted as she jumped up and pounced against John.

"Right there," Randy said without even the slightest bit of concern.

"Did you know?" John asked as he pulled Alanna onto his lap.

"Of course," Randy said chuckling at his daughter's behavior.

Once everything was set up in the main room, Ted and Cody helped Emma downstairs so she could seat and eat dinner with them.

Since Ted and Cody were all set up in Tampa, they'd brought food with them and John offered to cook.

Once the food was ready, they sat around the dining table and discussed how long Emma was due to be off work and where she'd need to go for check-ups and who would be able to take her.

They worked out a schedule between John, Ted and Cody with Randy as back up since he was living in St Louis and unable to get down to Florida as often as he would like.

After tea, Randy set up Emma's new TV so she could watch a movie as they continued to unpack her belongings. Randy sat next to Emma on the sofa as he ran the set-up on the TV. Just as they finished programming in her channels, John's cellphone sounded once again.

Randy went over to John who was staring at his phone yet again.

"You know," he said wrapping his arms around John. "That's the fifth time your phone's rung since we went out earlier. Do you think maybe you need to speak to them?"

"Maybe I don't want to," John said quietly, gripping Randy's arms, holding so tightly he was going to bruise Randy.

Randy pried John off his arms and took him by the hand leading him through the kitchen to the pool area.

"What's going on?" he asked gently as he pulled John onto a lounger by the pool.

"Liz and I had an argument before we went to bed last night; I couldn't sleep so I went over to my boyfriend's place where I knew I'd be okay."

"What did you and Liz argue about?" Randy asked.

"It doesn't matter," John said shaking his head.

"Okay, when you left last night did you tell her you were going, leave a note for her?" Randy pressed.

"No, but I think she woke up as I was leaving," John said not making eye contact with Randy.

Randy wrapped his arms around John and held him as close as he could; he wanted John to know he would always be there for him, even when he was having problems with his wife. He'd do anything for the man.

"What about when you went to get the truck this morning?"

"I already had the keys," John said. "I just got in and drove off."

"You're going to have to talk to her Johnny; you can't leave it like this."

As if on cue, John's cell started ringing once more. He looked at it and then at Randy as though looking for permission to ignore the call once more.

"I'll leave you to it," Randy said, kissing John gently on the head as he got up from his seat.

John looked at him as pitiful as he did the previous night and it broke Randy's heart that he had to walk away and not be there for him during the phone call but he knew John needed his privacy with Liz.

"Hey Lizzy," John said downbeat as he answered the phone. "No, I've been helping Emma set up her house. Yes, Randy's been here, so has Ted and Cody, we're all helping. Don't talk like that. I didn't choose him over you… yes but… Lizzy, please… this has nothing to do with Ra… I can't do this over the phone, Liz… fine I'll be there in half hour or so… that's just how long it takes to get home… Liz I told you I'm not doing this on the phone."

John stormed across the patio and into the kitchen where Randy sat waiting.

"I hope you're happy," John spat, grabbing his keys and leaving the house, slamming the door on his way through.

7