Chapter 36: The Good the Bad and the Naked
March 13, 2009
Ashley sat curled on the couch in the living room with her feet tucked underneath her. She flipped a page of the book she was reading and continued reading. John, who was sitting on the couch with her stood up and stretched.
"I'm gonna go take a shower" he told her.
"Ok goodnight" was her reply.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving to take his shower. Things had been much better for them as of late. John seemed to understand where she stood on the whole relationship thing and he didn't bring it up anymore. The kids were happy to be back in the place they had become so used to. Both Phinnigan and Faith had been miserable at the apartment and would cry for their daddy all the time. Dean seemed a little more chipper too. He wouldn't admit it but he liked sharing a room with Phinnigan. The way he saw it Phinnigan was like his little brother and even though he annoyed him to no end all the time he still loved the toddler. She yawned, she was getting tired and as soon as she finished the chapter she was reading she was going to go to bed. She closed her eyes and tried her best to stretch out her muscles. As if by some sort of magic she felt a pair of large muscular hands began massaging her shoulders. She moaned a little bit in enjoyment and kept her eyes closed. Then she felt a pair of soft lips touch the exposed area of her collar bone. She wasn't sure why John was doing this to her but she wasn't about to stop him. Even though her mind was screaming at her to stop this thing before it got any more complicated.
His hands left her shoulders and roamed down to the neckline of her shirt. They rested there for a moment before diving into the unknown. She wore no bra which left him with all the access her wanted to her ample breasts. He ran the pads of his thumbs over her nipples and smirked as they hardened. He could hear her moans of pleasure and wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make love to her.
"You like that huh baby?" he whispered in her ear.
Her eyes shot open on alarm. "R … Randy" she stuttered.
Ashley shot straight up in her bed. It had all been a dream. She was sweating and breathing heavily. She could feel her body trembling almost as if she had had a nightmare. SCREW THAT what she just had was the worst kind of nightmare possible. She ran to her bathroom and gagged a little as she kneeled against the white porcelain toilet. Nothing would come up though. She splashed some water on her face and brushed her teeth. John, who had been heading past her room to get to his own peered into the dark room.
"Ashley are you ok?" he asked softly.
"Yeah" she replied making her way back to her bed.
John took a moment to check on Faith. He walked over to her crib which was located towards the far wall of the room. She had managed to kick the covers off of herself in her sleep. Her thumb was in her mouth as she lay sprawled out. She was sleeping on her side with her arms spread over her head. He smiled before bending down to kiss his daughter's cheek. Her eyelids fluttered a little but she never woke up. He left the crib and had a seat on the bed. Ashley was now sitting against the headboard with her knees up to her chest.
"You sure you are ok?" he asked concern written all over his blue eyes.
"Yeah I just had a bad dream" she replied. He could almost hear the fear in her voice. He had no idea what she had dreamt about but whatever it was scared the hell out of her.
"You wanna talk about it?" he asked.
"Not really" she said pulling the covers back over her body. She shivered a little as the felt the now cold sheets touch her body. She was wearing a white spaghetti strapped tank top and short plaid pajama shorts.
"Do you want me to lay with you for a little while?" he offered.
Although her rational mind told her to say no she nodded despite herself. He pulled the covers down and climbed into bed next to her. She offered him one of her pillows and in return he put an arm around her. She snuggled up closer to him and closed her eyes. He closed his eyes as well and soon enough they were both asleep.
John was still there the next morning when Ashley woke up to give Faith her breakfast. She smiled and kissed his cheek before getting up to feed her daughter who was angrily wailing at her to get up.
"Ok Missy Faith I'm awake" she took the baby into her arms and rocked her a little.
Faith calmed down the moment she realized she wasn't being ignored and put her fist into her mouth. She chewed on it until it was covered with drool. Ashley grimaced a little when she saw the drool covered fist. Ashley and the baby left the room and ventured towards the kitchen. Ashley was surprised to find Johnny Fabulous already awake.
"What are you doing up so early?" she asked quickly removing the mug of steaming hot coffee out of his hands.
"No caffeine" she reprimanded him.
"Decaf" he replied taking his morning addiction back from her.
She went over to the counter where he had left the canister of coffee grounds sure enough they were decaffeinated. She shook her head in defeat.
"You have won this round old man"
Placing Faith in her swing she got everything ready to make her daughter's breakfast. She pulled two jars of baby food out of the cabinet before turning to the infant.
"Faith do you want bananas or sweet potatoes with your cereal this morning?" she asked the baby in a silly voice. She just laughed and grunted a little in response.
"You know when my kids were little we never talked to them like they were idiots" Johnny Fabo added his two cents into the conversation.
"Yeah well look how your kids turned out" she replied "chasing each other around with chainsaws and sledge hammers while their father watched wrestling upstairs … thank god Carol had some order in that house"
"Hey two of my boys are cops so obviously we did something right" he defended himself.
"What about the other three?" Ashley asked placing her hands on her hips.
"Like I said two of my sons are cops"
Ashley grinned at the elder Cena. It was too easy to get him worked up and with his heart in its weakened state she knew she should really leave him alone but sometimes it wasn't that simple.
"Anyways Faith we are going with the bananas this morning why you ask well because that's what I would choose if I were you"
"Faith tell your mother that you have your own mind and maybe you don't like bananas"
"Faith tell your grandfather that if he doesn't stop talking right now your mommy is going to put him in a home" she sweetly threatened the older man.
"I am far too young to be put into a home and because you are not related it won't work"
"So I'll get John drunk and marry him and then throw your ass in a home and then divorce him"
"Who's getting drunk and married?" A sleepy Randy asked walking into the kitchen. He was shirtless as he always was early in the morning which had never bothered Ashley in the past but today it did he body stiffened uncomfortably. The smile she had previously worn was now gone as memories of last night's nightmare re-entered her mind.
"No one" she replied a little too fast for her own liking.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah I'm fine" she lied. She found herself staring at Randy's broad chest a little longer than necessary.
"See something you like Ash?" Randy asked smirking.
"Eww" she shook her head in disgust.
"Damn Ash am I that horrible looking?" Randy asked a little offended.
"No Rans you are just like my brother so thinking about you in any way that might even be the littlest bit sexual can reduce me to physically vomiting"
"Umm … ok I guess"
Johnny Fabo watched the two young people interact. He could tell Ashley was hiding something from the third generation superstar. He grinned to himself while trying to figure out what it could have been.
"Mornin guys" a still half asleep John carried Phinnigan into the room. He put the pajama clad boy down on the floor and he made a b-line straight to his mother hugging her leg.
"Phinny honey I have to feed Faith" she told the toddler.
"No, mommy hold me" he whined.
"You want to feed the baby?" she asked John.
"Of course I'll feed my little princess" John cooed to the infant. Faith squealed and kicked her feet excitedly as John came over to her holding a bottle and a bowl filled with baby cereal and bananas.
"Mr. Phinnigan explain to me why daddy or Uncle Randy or Grandpa couldn't have held you?" Ashley asked the toddler.
"I want mommy" he stated placing his head on her shoulder.
"Can't argue with that logic" she retorted rubbing her still tired little boy's back.
After breakfast Becky called and asked Ashley if she would attend her first doctor's appointment because Connor couldn't get off of work in time. Reluctantly she agreed figuring she could get to know the young woman carrying her future niece or nephew a little better. After the appointment was all over she was so glad she had went. They got to see the first ultrasound and they could even hear the baby's heartbeat. Although Ashley was really excited for her brother and the mother of his child it was bittersweet because she knew that she would never be able to hear her own child's heartbeat as it grew inside her. But she sucked up her sadness and promised to treat the young woman to any kind of ice cream she wanted.
Becky decided on a strawberry frappe while Ashley stuck with the traditional vanilla soft serve with rainbow jimmies.
"Becky can I tell you something?" Ashley asked "something that should remain a secret"
"Sure" Becky replied taking a sip of her frappe.
"Well I kinda had a dream last night …" Ashley trailed off not really knowing how to tell Becky about her dream.
"OoOoOhhhhhhh was it a sex dream" Becky giggled showing at once how young she still was.
Ashley face turned a bright crimson this was not how she wanted this conversation to go.
"So what everyone has sex dreams … one time I had one about Batista, you see we went to go see Scooby Doo 3 and well let's just say he really knows how to use his tongue. But the thing is I hate Batista so I really don't know why I would be having a sex dream about him but I do know if Scooby Doo 3 ever comes out I am not seeing it"
"Ok Becky too much personal information I wish it was someone simple like Batista him I could handle"
"Well who was it … wait it wasn't Connor was it" the young girl asked concerned that her future child's aunt might be some sort of incestuous pervert.
"Umm … hell fucking no" was Ashley's reply.
"That's a relief" she said taking another sip of her drink.
"It was Randy" Becky spit out what was in her mouth in surprise.
Ashley wiped the little hints of frappe of her face with mild disgust.
"Sorry about that" Becky remarked earnestly "I just didn't expect you to say Randy"
"Believe me I didn't expect to have the dream and I still feel nauseous about it"
"How come you are telling me this instead of Stephanie I mean she is your best friend?" Becky asked.
"I figured since you are carrying my future niece or nephew maybe we should be closer" Ashley told her.
Becky nodded touched that she trusted her that much.
"Besides Steph tells Paul everything and even thought I love him he has a huge ass mouth and then Randy would find out and then he would never let me live it down"
"Well I'm getting hot what say we go back to your place and watch TV" Becky suggested.
"Whatever the pregnant woman wants"
The drive back to John's house was pleasantly silent. Each woman was thinking about their own things that they had going on at the moment. As soon as Becky got inside the house she headed straight for the living room and plopped down on the couch. Taking off her shoes. She grabbed the remote that until then was resting on the arm of the couch.
"Oh Camp Rock!" she exclaimed focusing her attention on the television screen.
"What the hell are you watching?" Ashley asked walking into the living room a few minutes later.
"Camp Rock"
"Isn't that that Disney Channel movie that came out last year" Ashley asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes but it has Joe Jonas in it" Becky replied "he's soooooo hot"
"Isn't he like 12?" Ashley asked.
"No, his birthday is August 15th, 1989 which makes him 20 only which is the same age I am" Becky hissed at her.
"Besides are you telling me you don't have a celebrity crush" Becky added.
"Johnny Depp" Ashley commented her eyes getting all dreamy for a moment. She had a seat John's recliner and watched the movie with Becky. After the movie was over Becky looked over to Ashley who actually had tears in her eyes.
"Are you crying?" Becky asked already knowing the answer.
"It's was so beautiful … Peggy finally crawled out from Tess' s shadow and sang that amazing song and then she won the trophy and the chance to sing with Shane and Shane forgave Mitchie and she finally sang her song and Shane realized she was his mystery girl all along … oh my god I'll be ok" Ashley practically was sobbing by now.
"Ok I'm officially afraid to bring this baby into the world" Becky remarked.
"Well it's a little too late for that kiddo" Ashley replied before getting up to grab a tissue from the bathroom.
She returned a few seconds later finally calmed down but it was easy to see she had been crying. John and Randy returned home with Fabo and the kids just a minute later. John met the girls in the living room and looked at Ashley's red puffy eyes.
"Is everything alright?" he asked concerned once again.
"Yeah everything is fine" Becky gave him a smile "just a little female bonding going on"
"Should I be scared?" he asked.
"Very much so" Becky said.
"Note taken, now if you ladies are hungry me and Randy brought home some dinner"
"Sweet food" Becky got up from the couch and went to find food.
"Are you sure you are ok first you were sick last night and now you look as if you have been crying. What's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing I swear we were just watching a movie that made me a little misty eyed"
"Are you sure that's all it is?"
"You have my word"
And yet he still didn't believe her. But for right now he would let it go even if he didn't want to.
"Come on let's get some food before everyone else eats it" she grabbed his hand and they walked into the dining room.
A/N: This chapter goes out to my two best reviewers Dominique and Tiffany who both inspired me in different ways to write this chapter. You guys rock!