A/N: Well, after much struggling with Writer's Block (and procrastination issues) I finally have the next chapter finished! I'd like to say thank you to iNvIsIbLe GiRl 12, who helped me out with this chapter.

Chapter Title: lyric from Brick by Boring Brick, by Paramore

Disclaimer: I do NOT own American Idiot. However, Gloria and Christian are my characters.

Naomi sat on the park bench watching Gloria and Christian run around the park happily. She had volunteered to take the two out while Johnny was at work. She saw Christina walking back over holding two cups of steaming coffee in her hands.

"Thanks," Naomi told her, taking one of the cups from her hands.

"No problem," Christina said, sitting down on the park bench. She took a sip of the coffee, sending a warm feeling through her that felt good compared to the cold autumn day. She, too, looked over at Gloria and Christian. "Those two are adorable," she commented. Naomi laughed.

"Aren't they?" she said. "So, you thinking about having one of your own?" she asked, giving a playful nudge of the elbow to her companion, who laughed.

"Well, I've always wanted kids," she said. "And I think I'll have a good opportunity to start soon." She held her left hand out to reveal a sparkling diamond ring on her finger.

"Oh my gosh," Naomi gasped, grabbing her hand to examine the ring. "When did that happen?"

"Yesterday," Christina told her, grinning wildly. "You're the first person I've told, so try to keep it hush-hush. Tunny is gonna tell the guys tomorrow when he sees them."

"That's great news, Chris. I'm really happy for you," Naomi told her.

"Thanks," she said, still grinning. "So, what about you? Do you think you and Johnny might get back together?"

"I don't know," Naomi said, after a moment's hesitation. Christina could tell that something was troubling her.

"What's wrong?" Christina asked her. Naomi shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said, trying to brush it off.

"Come on, you know you can tell me," Christina insisted. Naomi looked over at the woman sitting next to her. She had only known her for a few weeks, but they had connected, and Naomi felt she could trust her. She let out a sigh.

"It's just," she started, taking another deep breath before going on. "I've considered what would happen if we got back together, and . . . what would happen if we broke up." Christina nodded, understanding what she meant.

"You don't want to end up like Will and Heather," she said. Naomi laughed lightly.

"Basically. I mean, I don't know if we'd be as, well, extreme as Will and Heather, but we still wouldn't get along, and that would be really hard on Gloria, you know. Right now, things are going good, but that would all change if we split again." Christina put her arm around Naomi's shoulders comfortingly.

"Well, no matter what happens, I'm sure Gloria will be fine. She has two parents who love her to death and would do anything for her, and that's what really matters."

"Thanks," Naomi said, smiling softly. Christina smiled back, and they both looked back over to Gloria and Christian.

Gloria stood at the top of the slide – her princess's tower – and watched as Christian defeated the evil dragon that was threatening her kingdom. When the dragon was finally defeated, she slid down the slide with a big smile plastered on her face.

"You saved me!" she cried happily, seeing Christian smile, a light blush coloring his cheeks. Gloria leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yuck!" he exclaimed, wiping the kiss off of his cheek. "Why'd you do that?"

" 'Cos you're my knight, and you saved me from the dragon," she said.

"So?" Christian asked, still wiping his cheek.

"So," Gloria started, "that's how a princess is a s'posed ta thank her knight."

"Can we play something else?" he asked her. Gloria just giggled and kissed his cheek again. Over on the park bench, Naomi and Christina started to laugh. Christian wiped his cheek off again. "How 'bout we play pirates or sumthin'?" Gloria giggled again.

"Okay," she told him.

Johnny unlocked the door and walked into the apartment. It had been a long day at work. He was headed to the couch when there was a knock at the door. Groaning, he walked over to answer it. In the hallway stood a woman in her early fifties with dark hair that hung down to her shoulders.

"Johnny!" she said happily, pulling him into a hug. Johnny sighed.

"Hello, Mom," he said, pulling himself out of her grasp. "I see you brought Brad," he said, referring to the man behind her in the hallway.

"Hey, there, Kiddo," the man said. Johnny didn't answer his stepfather, and instead turned to his mother.

"What are you doing over here?" he asked, making an effort to hide his displeasure at seeing her.

"Well, I haven't heard from you in a few months, I was starting to get worried. And I heard I have a granddaughter," she informed him, walking into the apartment, and looking around like she expected Gloria to pop out from behind the couch. "So where is she?"

"She's at the park with her mother," Johnny informed her. She nodded her head.

"How long have you known about her?" his mother asked.

"About a month," he said, sitting down at the kitchen counter, knowing there was no point trying to get rid of her. She wouldn't listen anyways.

"Well, why didn't you say something?" She looked hurt. "Don't you think I have the right to know if I'm a grandmother?" Johnny sighed.

"I'm sorry. I've been spending the time getting to know my daughter. I didn't think to call and tell you," he told her. And it was true; he hadn't thought to call her. But he had a feeling that even if he had, he wouldn't have called her anyways. He saw her make her way over to the fridge and examine the drawing hanging there.

"What's her name?" she asked him.

"Gloria." She smiled.

"That's a pretty name." She looked up at him. "Brad and I are planning to have a big dinner this Thanksgiving. I think you three should come over. You know – you, Gloria, and, uh-"

"Naomi," he offered. She smiled again.

"Naomi. That's a pretty name, too. Yes, the three of you should come over. We can have a nice family Thanksgiving dinner."

"I'll talk to Naomi about it," he said. For a moment he felt guilty for not calling her, but then he remembered the reason he didn't in the first place . . .

"Son, I hate to ask," she started. Yeah, but you will, anyways, Johnny thought. "But, are you . . . sure that she's yours?" Johnny was stunned. He wasn't sure how to respond to that question. He had never doubted for a second that Gloria was his daughter, even before Naomi told him. He just . . . knew.

"Yes, I'm sure," he told her with absolute confidence.

"Oh, good," she said. "So you did have a paternity test done."

"No, I didn't," he said. Her face instantly became etched with worry and doubt.

"What do you mean, you didn't?" she asked incredulously. "Johnny, how do you know this woman isn't trying to trick you? I mean, she just pops out of nowhere with a daughter you magically had without knowing about it, and you're stupid enough to just believe her?"

"It's not like she came and found me. I found her," Johnny said. She laughed.

"Oh right," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "She just happened to move to the town you've lived in your entire life. There's nothing strange about that. Nothing strange at all."

"God, you're always so cynical, you know that?" he said, very aggravated now. "Nothing good can ever happen without there being some ulterior motive behind it."

"I'm just trying to look after you," she said, with an almost convincing look of concern in her eyes.

"You don't have to look after me anymore, Mom. I'm a big boy now. I can look after myself."

"Well obviously you can't! If you're going to be naïve enough to believe some tramp who comes traipsing up to you with her bastard daughter in tow!"

"What did you just say?" Johnny asked, visibly angry, and past all hope of trying to hide it.

"Claudia . . . ," Brad began, walking over to his wife.

"I think you should leave," Johnny said to her.

"Johnny, I-" she began.

"Please, just . . . go," he said. She nodded her head sadly and headed for the door, Brad following behind her. She turned to look back at him when she reached the door.

"I'm sorry," she told him. Johnny didn't say anything, just waited for them to leave and shut the door. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and headed to the couch.

A/N: Ooh, drama . . .

Reviews, please!