Hi everyone! I'm sorry I've been MIA and I've probably lost a lot of you because I've been so terrible with updating. The only excuse I've had is that I've had a lot going on and I really do feel terrible about keeping you guys waiting. That said, I really do hope that you enjoy this chapter and as I always say please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter Ten

Three Weeks Later

Johanna smiled as she watched Sarah chase after Adam who had swooped in and stole the book from her hands before taking off down the tiny pebble covered beach. However, Sarah was hot on his heels and Johanna had a feeling that pretty soon Adam was going to let Sarah catch up fully and tackle him to the ground. Meredith had been with them at the beach, but she'd left about an hour earlier because she had an afternoon/evening shift at the diner that day. Max and Cam were nearby, however, they were in their wolf forms and keeping watch just within the trees. Their vampire 'friend' hadn't shown his face the last three weeks, which was a big relief to Johanna, but JJ and the wolves refused to let their guards down and they'd maintain the scheduled patrols/guard duty of Johanna. JJ and his dad were certain the vampire wasn't conceding and they wouldn't relax fully until he was in pieces and set on fire, which Johanna learned was the only way a vampire could be truly destroyed.

Her eyes left the laughing couple when JJ suddenly flopped down on the blanket she sat on with a heavy sigh before he rested his head in her lap and looked up at her with a small smile on his lips. Johanna laughed quietly before she put aside her own book and rested her left hand on his bare chest, which made her palm tingle, while her right laced through his short hair and massaged his scalp. He made a noise that she couldn't describe before he closed his hands and brought his right hand to cover her left on his chest.

"I thought I wouldn't see you until I went back to your parents place with the Sarah and Adam for dinner tonight," she said and he grinned as he opened his eyes.

"I got off shift at the shop a little earlier than planned," he said and Johanna scoffed a laugh.

"Which means you were driving your dad crazy at the shop so he told you to pound sand," she said and he chuckled, the deepness of his laugh vibrating his chest under her hand. She already knew him well because he had indeed been getting on his father's nerves, which had led to his dad telling him to call it a day and to get his ass in gear for tomorrow because they had a lot of work at the shop that week.

"That may be true," he said and she playfully rolled her eyes as she shook her head and laughed softly under her breath, her fingers continuing to massage his scalp. JJ sighed once more as he looked up at Johanna's smiling face.

The sun had made a rare appearance that day and was shining down on them, warming their skin and creating a halo of light around Johanna's head from the angle he was laying. He knew her hair wasn't just simply brown; his sharp eyes could make out the various colors in her hair in limited light. However, as the sun bounced off of her hair he noticed dark gold and even amber in her hair, which she had worn loose that day but she had it gathered over her right shoulder and she practically glowed with how happy she looked. JJ was slightly taken back by it because she was breathtakingly beautiful in that moment and a far cry from the lonely and withdrawn girl she had been only a month before.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her hand stilling in his hair, and JJ blinked before he furrowed his brow.

"Looking at you like what?" he asked and he saw a blush work its way across her cheeks and down her neck.

"You're looking at me like you're amazed by something and I'm not sure what," she said softly and JJ let go of her hand before he sat up slightly, her hands falling away from him completely as he moved. He turned to face her, his left arm going across her legs to rest on the blanket beside the outside of her right thigh as he leaned over her. He heard her heart skip in her chest as he leaned in so their faces were close and their eyes locked together.

"You're beautiful in the sunlight," he said and her blush remained as she gave him a small smile.

"There you go with those compliments again," she said and he smiled.

"You deserve every one of them," he said and Johanna shook her head slightly before she leaned into him and placed a soft kiss on his left cheek. However, as she started to pull away JJ was quick to raise his right hand to her face to hold her in place before he pressed his lips to hers. Johanna sighed into JJ's kiss before she kissed him back, her hands rising to rest on either side of his neck while his right hand left her face before his arm wrapped around her back and pulled her chest to his.

"JJ," she whispered as she pulled back enough to break the kiss but their lips were still dangerously close. "I need to tell you something."

"Now?" he asked as he pulled his head back a bit and Johanna laughed softly.

"Yes. I need to tell you before I get caught up in you and forget," she said and he grinned as he tightened his hold on her and kept her pressed to his chest. "My parents want you to come to dinner tomorrow night and . . . Jon's going to be there with Piper, his girlfriend." JJ's grin slipped away as he looked at her and he saw her worry her slightly swollen lower lip out of nervousness.

In the three weeks since they'd officially been a couple JJ had had dinner at Johanna's house twice, but her brother hadn't been there. JJ had yet to cross paths with Johanna's twin, but he knew that the boy continued to either ignore Johanna or send sharp and intentionally hurtful words her way when their parents weren't around. Johanna said it didn't bother her because she knew that he was wrong, but JJ knew that that wasn't completely true. Sure, she was more confident in herself and trusted the relationship she had with JJ, but that didn't mean the biting insults thrown at her by her brother, her own flesh and blood, didn't hurt.

"I can tell them you're busy," she said after releasing her lip from her teeth. "I can say that things are pretty busy at the shop and you have to work or something."

"Do you not want me there?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and Johanna's eyes widened before she shook her head and threw her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body all the more closer to his.

"Of course I want you there, but with Jon . . . Piper and Jon are not going to say anything around my parents. However, the two of them will when my parents aren't. I can handle him and Piper, but you . . . I know you won't," she said.

"Oh, I can handle your brother just fine and I'm sure Piper won't be an issue," JJ said, a slight growl to his voice. "It's about time I have a talk with him anyway."

"JJ," Johanna said softly, "he's all bite and nothing he says bothers me anymore because I know it's not true."

"I can tell when you're lying to me, Jo," JJ said and Johanna's pale pink cheeks flushed a darker shade of pink as she looked at him. "You're heart skips," he said before he sighed heavily and rested his forehead against hers. "I know the things he says to you still bother you and he shouldn't even say them to you in the first place. He's your brother. Sarah may get on my nerves sometimes, but I'd never even think of saying some of the stuff he says to you. I won't let him get away with it anymore."

"Okay, but don't lose your temper," she said. "I don't think my mom would like it if you turned into a giant wolf in the middle of the living room." Johanna didn't want to think of the serious nature of the possible confrontation between JJ and Jon, so, she was trying to make light of it.

"I'll do my best," he said, a soft smile tugging on the corners of his lips and Johanna smiled back at him before JJ kissed her.

"You two are worse than Adam and I when we became official," Sarah said, breaking the two apart, and JJ scoffed as he pulled and turned Johanna so she was comfortably tucked against him.

"Hardly," JJ said and Sarah smiled as she and Adam almost mirrored the sitting position of JJ and Johanna. Apparently, Sarah no longer wanted to kill Adam for swiping her book and taking off with it. The quartet sat and talked for a little while longer before they decided to head to Sarah's early to help Aurora prepare dinner since she had three shape shifters to feed that night.

"Do Max and Cam know we're leaving?" Johanna asked as she and JJ walked a bit behind Sarah and Adam as they headed for Adam's car and Johanna's mother's car, which Johanna had driven to the beach that morning. JJ nodded as he wrapped his arm around Johanna's upper back and she easily tucked into his side as they walked.

"They've already headed home," JJ said.

"Good," she said softly and they arrived at the cars.

"See you guys soon!" Sarah said before she climbed in the passenger seat of Adam's car and Johanna smiled at her friend before she waved at Sarah, who waved back as Adam backed up and drove through the small gravel lot and turned onto the two lane road. JJ had yet to let Johanna go as they stood at the front of her mother's car and she looked up at him curiously.

"Is something wrong?" she asked and JJ sighed softly before he tugged on her waist and pulled her so she was standing in front of him. Surprised by the sudden movement Johanna gasped quietly, her hands rising to JJ's bare chest to steady herself while both of JJ's arms wrapped around her and his hands clasped together in the middle of her back.

"No, I just wanted a moment with you," he said and Johanna chuckled.

"You had several moments on the beach before Sarah and Adam sat with us," she said, but JJ just shook his head before he leaned down and caught her lips in a soft kiss.

"Not enough," he whispered and Johanna smiled before he took her lips in another kiss, pulling her closer and lifting her from the ground in the process. Johanna let out a small noise of surprise against his lips as her hands left his chest and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders/neck.

"JJ," Johanna said with a soft laugh after she tore her lips away from his. "We should get going to your parents' place. Sarah and Adam are already going to beat us there."

"All right, all right," he said heavily, but he had yet to put her down or move from where they stood. Johanna laughed once more and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.

"Are you going to put me down?" she asked and JJ grinned before he kissed her chastely once again and slowly lowered her to the ground and reluctantly let her go as he broke their kiss. "That still weirds me out a little when you do that," she admitted as she looked up at him and adjusted the hem of her shirt.

"When I lift you?" he asked and she nodded, which made him grin. "Why?"

"You know why," she said, cheeks flushed, as she reached out and gently pushed against his stomach with her left hand. She felt his muscles tense under her touch and before she pulled her hand away JJ took her hand, lacing the fingers of his right hand with her left.

"You're not too heavy, not for me, and I like lifting you," JJ said as he shuffled his feet so that there was practically no air between their bodies. "It makes it much easier to kiss you and I love the feeling of your body flush against mine like that," he whispered, his left hand rising to cup the right side of her face. Johanna sighed softly as she leaned into his touch, a small smile on her lips as she looked up at him, and JJ couldn't stop the words from coming even if he had wanted to. "I love you, Johanna," he said and her eyes widened slightly as she gasped quietly while his right hand found her waist and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her in place because he for some reason he feared she would step away from him.

"You do?" she asked quietly and JJ nodded his head, his eyes holding hers.

"Yeah, I do," he said before he kissed her forehead, his thumb brushing across her cheek. "You don't have to say it back if you're not ready," he said when he pulled his lips from her skin his eyes finding hers once again. "I know you care about me and that's enough." It was then that JJ noticed the tears in Johanna's eyes and concern filled him. "What's wrong?" he asked and Johanna shook her head as she raised her right hand and pried his hand off her face before she placed a kiss on his palm and then moved their now joined hands to rest above her chest.

"Nothing's wrong, JJ, I promise," she said. "It's just . . . I never thought I would ever hear someone other than my parents say that to me and while I knew you . . . it's still a bit of a surprise to hear."

"Well, prepare to hear it often because now that I've said it I'll likely say it often," he said with a grin and Johanna laughed softly before she rose up on her toes, her body leaning into his, and with his grin still in place JJ closed the distance and kissed her. Johanna's cell phone started ringing at that moment and the couple pulled apart with quiet chuckles before she let go of his hand and pulled the ringing device out of her pocket.

"It's Sarah," Johanna said and JJ rolled his eyes.

"Put it on speaker," JJ said and Johanna nodded before she hit the necessary screen buttons to answer the phone.

"Hey Sarah," Johanna said.

"Adam and I have been at the house for about twenty minutes now and all of us, including the folks, are starting to wonder what in the world is taking the two of you so long," Sarah said, her tone filled with restrained laughter.

"We were talking, Sarah, and lost track of time," JJ said.

"Oh I believe you were talking," Sarah said with a laugh, "just not with your words."

"Sarah!" Johanna said, her face flaming while JJ grinned and kissed her temple and Sarah's laughter echoed over the phone.

"Get your asses here," Sarah said and Johanna huffed.

"We're on our way," JJ said with a chuckle and Johanna looked up at him.

"See you soon!" Sarah sang before the call ended and the screen of Johanna's phone went blank.

"She's never going to let up on teasing us is she?" Johanna asked as she tucked her phone in her pocket. JJ smiled and raised his hand to tuck Johanna's hair behind her ear.

"She may loosen up after our second kid," JJ said and Johanna blushed but smiled as her stomach twisted anxiously with an odd excitement at the thought of having a family with JJ, "but that's a big maybe." She laughed softly and nodded her head knowing that JJ was right. He kissed her temple one more time before he sighed softly and let her go. Without a word the two of them climbed into Johanna's mother's car, Johanna behind the wheel, before the two of them made their way to JJ's parents' house.

Johanna's nerves were on edge as she helped her mother prepare dinner the following night. The table was already set and the food was close to being done. JJ had texted her about twenty minutes ago to tell her he was on her way and she knew that he would be there any minute. Jon and Piper were down in the basement supposedly watching TV and Johanna's father was upstairs changing out of his suit and into more comfortable clothes as he had only just gotten home from work.

"Johanna, sweetheart, why are you so fidgety tonight?" Elise asked and Johanna looked away from the salad she was preparing an at her mother.

"I . . . I'm just excited to see JJ," Johanna said and Elise chuckled quietly and shook her head.

"You saw him yesterday at Sarah's didn't you?" she asked and Johanna smiled softly as she blushed.

"I did, but . . .," Johanna said, trailing off since she didn't know what else to say but she didn't have to say anything more since Elise smiled at her.

"But you still can't wait to see him," Elise said and Johanna nodded. "I know exactly how you feel, sweetheart. It was the same way for me when I first started dating your father. Truthfully, it still is sometimes."

"What still is what?" David asked as he entered the kitchen and Elise and Johanna looked at him. He'd changed into jeans and a t-shirt with a flannel over it, which was common wear for her father despite his executive position at the hospital, and smiled between the two of them.

"My excitement at seeing you, even after only a few hours apart," Elise said with a gentle smile that made David grin before he walked over to her and placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head.

"It goes both ways," he said softly and Elise smiled up at him before she turned into him. "I'm guessing that was brought up in conversation because you're excited to see that boyfriend of yours," David said with a grin and Johanna blushed as she tucked her loose hair behind her ears but nodded all the same. Just then the doorbell echoed throughout the house and David and Elise laughed while Johanna's posture stiffened and she looked towards the door that led to the hall/foyer.

"Well, just don't stand there, sweetheart, go and let the boy in," Elise said and Johanna smiled at her mother before she quickly left the kitchen and walked down the hall to the front door. She opened the door and her smile widened as JJ was revealed, a wide smile on his own face. Without a word, JJ crossed the threshold and put his left hand on her upper waist before he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers in a soft kiss.

"Evening," he said when he pulled back and Johanna laughed softly before she let go of the door, letting it close before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. JJ was quick to return her hug and after a beat she pulled away from him, took his hand into hers, and pulled him down the hallway towards the kitchen. "Hi Elise, David," JJ said once the pair entered the kitchen and the older couple smiled at him.

"Hello JJ," Elise said warmly.

"It's good to see you again, JJ," David said with a slight nod of his head. He had taken over finishing up the salad for Johanna.

"You as well," JJ said, his hand squeezing Johanna's. She looked up at him just as the sound of a door opening met her ears. Johanna's eyes moved to the door that led to the basement only to see Jon and a giggling Piper enter the kitchen. JJ's hand tightened on Johanna's before he gently tugged her a little closer to him when Jon's and Piper's eyes landed on them.

"Oh, Jon, Piper, I don't think either of you have met Johanna's boyfriend yet. This is JJ Black," Elise said and Jon glanced at his mother before he looked at JJ with assessing eyes. Johanna could feel how tense JJ was as he stared back at Jon but when she looked up at him she saw a placating smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you both," JJ said. "Johanna's told me all about you." Jon's eyes widened slightly before his eyes darted to Johanna and then looked back at JJ.

"Wish I could say the same," Jon said dryly.

"Why don't the four of you go in the living room and chat for a bit while David and I finish up dinner," Elise said, slightly oblivious to the tension that was between the two boys. David, however, picked up on it and looked between the two boys before his eyes found Johanna's. Johanna gave her father a nervous and slightly sad smile, which made David frown before the two couples left the kitchen. "David?" Elise asked and he looked at his wife. "Is something wrong?"

"No," David said mentally shaking his head. "Everything's fine, sweetie. Let's just finish this up. I'm starving." Elise smiled at him and nodded her head. However, David's thoughts were on the worry he had seen in Johanna's eyes as she looked at him and he had no clue why he had seen it there.

"So, how much is she paying you?" Piper asked with a light laugh as she sank onto the loveseat in the living room with Jon, who grinned at the question, his hand resting on Piper's knee.

"What?" JJ asked with a furrowed brow, his iron grip still on Johanna's hand as they remained standing.

"She asked how much is my sister paying you to act like her boyfriend," Jon said and Johanna heard JJ growl very softly.

"Unless she's not paying you anything and this is some sort of game you're playing with her," Piper said. "I mean, we did had a bit of fun with her like that a couple of years ago; didn't we Johanna?"

"It's nothing like that," Johanna said, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the other girl who was just grinning at her.

"Face it, Johanna, he's too hot to be seriously interested in a blob like you," Piper said.

"Yeah, man, you're seriously taking one for the team to drag it out this long. I don't think I could do it. Ian barely made it through the first date before he was gagging," Jon said and he and Piper laughed. Johanna could feel JJ start to tremble so she looked up at him and she was sure that the old saying was true. If looks could kill, both Jon and Piper would be dead and buried. "He said he nearly threw up when he kissed her," Jon said and what happened next happened so fast that it took Johanna a minute to register the fact that JJ had Jon pinned against one of the walls by the throat with his feet a good foot off the ground while he held Piper against the wall with his other hand over her mouth so she couldn't yell.

"Listen to me and listen well because I'm only going to tell the two of you this once," JJ growled out, his voice deadly and quiet. "If either of you or any of your pathetic friends say or do anything to Johanna, you will have to deal with not only me but my friends who have come to think of her as family and with us you don't mess with our family. I know that's a foreign concept for you asshole, but it's how we roll," JJ said with a glare at Jon who had ceased struggling against JJ's hold and looked at him with pure fear in his eyes. "Johanna's never done anything to you and you treat her like she's scum, but that stops now and if I hear otherwise, there will be consequences. She's kept your antics a secret from your parents, but she tells me everything and trust me when I say that if she tells me any of you have said or done anything, you're going to wish it was your parents she told. Are we clear?"

"You're insane," Jon hissed but JJ grinned.

"No, I'm just in love with your sister and won't hesitate to protect her from anyone or anything, including you," JJ said and Jon's eyes flickered to Johanna who had yet to move and just looked on with wide eyes as she was too shocked to move. "So, do we have an understanding?" JJ asked and Jon returned his eyes to JJ.

"Yeah, I get it," Jon said and JJ turned his eyes to Piper who looked just as frightened as Jon.

"Neither my friends nor I would lay a hand on a girl, but I've got a sister and a cousin that could kick your ass just as thoroughly if your treatment of Johanna continues. Understand?" he asked and Piper nodded curtly since she couldn't do much more than that. JJ let both of them go then before he took a step back. Jon rubbed at his throat while Piper moved so she was at his side. However, Jon made no move to wrap an arm around her or comfort her after their fright. "You're her brother," JJ said and Jon looked up at JJ. "You should have been the one to protect her and to stand up for her. You should not be one of the people ridicule her and allow your friends to do the same."

"JJ," Johanna whispered then and JJ's shoulders relaxed as he turned to look at her. She had tears in her eyes as she held out her hand to him and he walked away from the couple and over to Johanna before he took her hand in his. He raised his free hand to the side of her face before he kissed her forehead and held her close to him. Johanna closed her eyes briefly before JJ wrapped his arm around her waist. She opened her tear stained eyes then and looked at her brother, slightly surprised to see him looking back at her.

"Are you seriously going to let him get away with that?" Piper hissed, her fear obviously gone now that JJ was a few feet away from them. Jon, however, held Johanna's gaze and for the first time in a very long time Johanna saw the old Jon, the Jon that had been her best friend until a handful of years ago, looking back at her.

"Shut up, Piper," Jon said and Piper let out an indigent noise before she scowled at him.

"You're a fucking asshole, Jon," she said and Jon sighed as he lowered his hand from his throat.

"Tell me something I don't know," Jon said as he looked at her and Piper huffed before she stormed past JJ and Johanna, stomped her way through the foyer, and out the front door, slamming it behind her as she went. Not a second later David and Elise rushed into the living room.

"What's going on? Where's Piper?" Elise asked before she gasped upon seeing Johanna in JJ's arms with tears in her eyes. "What's going on?" Elise asked once more and David looked from Johanna and JJ to settle his eyes on Jon who sighed heavily as he met his father's gaze before he looked at his sister.

"I think there's something I need to tell you guys."