A/N: I know it's been a while but my job doesn't lend to as much free time as I'd like to write. I've had some time off this week and managed to punch out a couple of chapters. I'll post the next one tomorrow probably.

Hope you enjoy :)

"I can't believe how quickly this week has gone," Elaine commented as John drove into the airport grounds. "I know it was an unexpected visit for the pair of you, not to mention it didn't start well-"

"Elaine, it continued in the same way, what with Alanna's escapades," Bob said loud enough Randy would hear in the front.

"I got it dad, you don't agree, I've got news for you, I don't agree either," Randy said shaking his head. John reached a hand over to lay on Randy's thigh, trying to give him comfort as he had all week.

Elaine was right, the week hadn't started well, but with many tense discussions, and some out right arguing, Randy and Bob had come to an understanding. However, with the events with Alanna occurring early that morning, the atmosphere in the house morphed from one situation to the next. Randy was on the defensive with his dad the majority of the week, and Alanna was sulking at being grounded by her dad.

Both Elaine and John were trying to keep the peace between the three and were often caught in the middle when someone started venting their frustrations. The one thing that came out of the week was John had learnt few tricks in the kitchen from Elaine. Small tasks, but he could now boil an egg and could at least help with pancakes. Randy was the first to taste everything he attempted and gave him tips if he was trying it again.

John quietly cursed Randy when he'd tried the pancakes, John's fingers had ended up with syrup on, and Randy took hold of his hand and sucked the syrup from the digits. It hadn't been long after that John excused himself from the room.

By the time the day was over and everyone was heading to bed, John was exhausted and sank into a deep slumber with Randy's arms encircling him. Some nights, after Orton tempers flared, John would head upstairs to find Randy tossing and turning on the bed unable to switch off and relax. Those nights, John would pull Randy to him and let him rest his head on his chest, the sound of John's heartbeat soothing him.

"John, would you mind helping Bob with the cases," Elaine said as they exited the car. "I want to have a quiet word with Randy."

"I think that's wise," John said nodding and heading to the back of the car.

Elaine made her way around the car and onto the sidewalk, heading straight to Randy as he fetched them a trolley to use.

"Randy, son, let's go get a drink together," she instructed him.

"Mom I'm getting a trolley for the cases," Randy said.

"I got it," John said taking it from him. "Go get a drink with your mom."

Randy sighed but followed alongside him mom, he insisted on buying the drinks and sent his mom to get a table so she could rest. She'd barely taken the time to do so the whole week she'd been in Florida.

As he waited in line and glanced over to his mother, he shook his head chuckling as he saw her wiping down the table with a wet wipe. He'd never change his mom; she'd always want things just so.

He took the drinks to the table about five minutes later, and as soon he set them down he was checking the time, they were early but he didn't want his folks to be rushing, he was also concerned about John being stuck with his dad.

"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or are you going to make me drag it out of you?" Elaine questioned as soon as he was sitting.

"I don't want you to be late for check in and then have to rush for the flight," Randy answered dodging her question.

"Drag it out it is," Elaine mumbled. "While I know that thought will be praying on your mind, along with John being alone with your father, I also know there is something else troubling you. No doubt regarding a teenage granddaughter of mine."

"If you know, would you care to tell me how to fix it... for good," Randy said adding a sachet of sweet n low to his coffee. "It's been one thing after another with her since she arrived. We have patches of good times, usually when something major happens that we all pull together."

"Including while you and John separated?" Elaine asked.

Randy's head shot up, he hadn't told her about that. If they spoke during that time it was on his cell phone, and even John had gone along with it and lied to her taken messages while he was at the gym or buying the groceries.

"I hate that you think I'm an idiot. I'm your mom, not a simpleton," Elaine scolded him.

"Mom-"

"Let me speak, I could tell something was wrong even if you weren't telling me. When I spoke to you once, you mentioned you were on your way to the bank after meeting Cody. I already had my suspicions and I rang John who said you were going to the gym and then buying groceries."

"I'm sorry, we should have told you, but neither of us wanted to worry you or Carol, we went through a rough spot, not communicating properly put we couldn't live without one another," Randy said shrugging as though it was nothing.

"So what's going on with Alanna?"

Randy stared at his coffee cup for the longest time, he was conscious of the time going on, and if he started talking about the situation then he would surely make his parents late. He needed to talk to someone, and his mom would be the best bet, but maybe they could talk over the phone once she arrived back in St Louis. In the meantime, he and John could keep things ticking over until then.

In the end though, he knew he wouldn't be able to fob his mom off, he got his stubbornness from her as much as his dad.

"Can we at least walk and talk?" Randy said trying to find a way that would keep him from checking his watch every two seconds.

"No, we won't have enough time."

"Mom."

"Stop whining, you're a grown man," Elaine complained. "Now start talking."

He hung his head and sighed before looking up, "Okay, okay, on the face of it, her problems stem from John and I, she holds this grudge against us because we had an affair."

"You told me you and John didn't start out like that, that you kissed maybe two or three times," Elaine accused him.

"Mom, not you as well, please," Randy begged. "John and I DIDN'T start up like that. Everyone has been whispering to her as she's grown up, telling her lies."

"Everyone?"

"Sam, I'm guessing Sam's friends, Neil wouldn't have helped things, Sam would have told him the same lies, trying to save face," Randy said stirring his coffee so he had something to do with his hands.

"Saving face?" Elaine queried, puzzled by the comment.

"A divorce couldn't possibly be her fault if John aggressively came after me, made me gay," Randy said shaking his head. He felt himself getting worked up at having to relieve it again. The last year it is all he ever seemed to do. "It's bad enough to be left for another woman, imagine what it would be like for me to tell her I'm leaving her for another man."

"So she told Alanna a lie, a rather large lie, but do you think it's the cause of the problems?"

"No, I think it's something Alanna has fixated on as she's grown up. We always had to battle through it each time we saw her. After a while, John and I gave in, I spent a lot of one on one time with her, and we limited how much we did as a family. It helped in the short term, I'd have to make it up to John afterward, but it made life easier."

"It hasn't helped in the long term though. And may I say, neither did moving to Florida," Elaine said.

"Don't start ragging on John," Randy told her sternly. "That was my idea. John was travelling back and forth so much that I made the suggestion. We both had a huge change in our lives; I wanted us to have something together, away from the pressures of family. We needed time together as a couple."

"What about Alanna?"

"If she wasn't well, or was even the slightest bit unhappy, I was on a plane to St Louis," Randy defended himself. "I did everything I could for her as she grew up. She had everything she needed without making her spoilt."

"I'm not denying that, what I'm suggesting is that she felt like you were choosing John over her," Elaine said indicating for him to get up and they started walking toward the check in stand where they immediately saw John and Bob. "Sit down and talk to her, let her do the talking without getting het up or defensive. She needs to see and feel exactly what you've just told me, that you'll do everything you can for her. It's at that stage she will be more likely "

"And what if she says she wants me to break up with John?" Randy said quietly unable to take his eyes away from the man in question.

"Well it's only a fling with John, that won't be a problem," Elaine said seriously.

The words took a second to register with Randy and he turned his head sharply at his mom staring at her in shock, "Mom, how can you-"

"Oh relax, I was kidding. She's not going to give you an ultimatum like that; I can see she loves John. She's known him all her life," Elaine, said shaking her head at him.

She quickened her steps, went over to John and Bob, and took her passport from Bob who'd already completed the express check in.

"Didn't think to get either of us a drink?" John said indicating Bob and himself.

"Dad can get one after they've gone through security and you can get one at home," Randy shrugged shoving an arm across John's shoulders.

They spent the next five minutes saying goodbye to Randy's parents making promises to have the entire family together over the summer. Elaine made a point that it shouldn't just be once a year that it happens.

Randy stood waiting to see his parents through the security gate, then turned to John and wrapped his arms around John's waist, kissing him gently on the lips, breaking into laughter as John tried to take it further.

"Something funny, mister?" John said pulling back from the embrace.

"Yeah, we're in the airport, can't get hot and bothered here," Randy said taking John's hand and leading him toward the exit. "However, we are back to having the house to ourselves. Imagine what we could be getting up to when we get back there."

"I like your thinking," John said stopping Randy and kissing him again. "I'll drive; I want to get there before Alanna gets home."

Randy grabbed John around the waist from behind, ignoring the looks they were receiving from onlookers, and was about to reply when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Mm, honey, got a new toy to play with it?" John chuckled looking back at Randy.

"I don't need toys, I've got what you want," Randy said accepting the phone call as he spoke.

"Please, Ted no doubt says the same to you. What's up? I'm making plans," he said into the phone as he placed kisses on John's neck as they fumbled out of the airport, hearing comments from those walking by.

"We just dropped my folks off at the airport. You're there right now?"

John's shoulders slumped as he heard the words and they adjusted their hold on one another and simply held hands as they headed to the car, knowing without saying a further word between the two that their fun was on hold for at least the remainder of the day.

"Okay, we'll be there in half hour, help yourself to food if you haven't yet," Randy said ending the phone call.

"You okay, honey?" John said as he watched Randy push his food around on the plate.

"I was expecting Al home so I could talk to her," Randy said shrugging. "Guess I worked myself up thinking about how to start it off, then she goes to her friends."

Randy continued to push the food around his plate for five minutes before giving up and taking their plates into the kitchen to wash up. John followed and took Randy's plate back, covering it so he could eat it later. It was the second meal Randy had missed after stewing over the situation and he was determined to make sure he ate something by the end of the day.

"Hey, I'm home," Alanna called from the door. "You've eaten?"

"You said you were round Ava's," Randy said confused.

"Dad, I only went there to pick up my school books, I left them there the other night," Alanna said exasperated.

"Well you could have said in your message, it only said you were round your friends," Randy said pulling out the leftover food.

"It works out, he didn't actually eat anything, just pushed it round his plate," John said giving Randy a stern look.

"Is he ill?" Alanna asked as Randy headed out to the patio and slumped into a seat.

"No, just has something on his mind," John said taking the plates of food from the microwave. "Come on, you two can eat together."

Alanna followed John out to the patio and took a seat opposite her dad and started eating the food. She saw John whisper something to her dad as he placed a soothing hand on his neck. Her dad shook his head in response and John whispered in his ear again.

She wouldn't begrudge them their privacy, she just hoped nothing serious was happening between them again, or that she had caused any agro, she'd already done enough of that over the last eight months.

John left them to it and went inside, keeping himself busy in the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Alanna asked as her dad started pushing his food around the plate. "Are you coming down with something?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart, just off my food the last couple of days," Randy said. "Maybe I'm missing your grandma's food. Are you alright, honestly?"

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug.

"So why did you get drunk?" Randy asked, a little sharper than he planned.

"We thought it would be fun to have a few drinks, I guess I can't hold my liquor," she answered with a shrug before sinking into her seat and starting to push her own food around the plate.

"What were you drinking?"

"Different drinks from her mom's stash. Wine, I think some brandy, Vodka," she said shrugging again.

"Al, this is why I wanted you to try it with us first, you shouldn't mix drinks," Randy said shaking his head, sitting up straight in his chair. "Do you realise you could have made yourself seriously ill? As it was I wanted to take you to the hospital but your grandma said you'd be okay when you started throwing up."

"Dad you already lectured me," Alanna said letting her fork fall to her plate.

"Al, you don't seem too concerned about it, I worry every time you go out after school, especially when you mention Ava," Randy said.

"It happened, get over it."

"I've been thinking on it more and more, and I can't help but wonder if you're not happy here and that's why these things have happened. You made a spur of the moment decision to come here and of course I was going to say yes, but I wonder if you would prefer to be back in St Louis."

"What? No, I want to be here, I enjoy living here with you and John," Alanna said getting upset.

"Al, please don't think you have to lie, I understand you've never been comfortable with our relationship and you would prefer me to be with your mom or another woman-"

"No, that's not true, you're both better suited to those that you're with now," Alanna said getting emotional. "You and John are perfectly suited; I wish I could have a relationship like what you have with John. And Neil is good for mom, maybe I don't like him as much as I should, but he's a creep."

"Al, that's your mom's husband," Randy scolded.

"He is though, and he's perfect for mom, she gets a new family," she cried. "She was as happy for me to be moving here as you seemed at first."

"I am happy you're here, with me. You have no idea how happy that made me," Randy said. "John was laughing at me I was so giddy. However, in the long term you're better off in St Louis. You seemed happier when we were there at Christmas, when you were spending time with your friends."

"No, I wasn't, I was happiest when I was with you, John and seeing my grandparents, Uncle Nate, Aunt Becky," Alanna said, her tears flowing. "And I love being here, I have friends, you, John, and I love it when Cody and Ted come round, especially seeing how they're together now. Please, I don't want to lose that."

"Al, I've made up my mind," Randy said unable to look her in the eye. He wasn't exactly following his mom's advice. He'd already made up his mind what he was going to do and forced it on her rather than listen to what she wanted, or let her even speak. "You can finish the school year out here in Florida and we can move over the summer, see if we can get you back in the same school as your friends in St Louis."

"Whatever, like you care about me," she said kicking her chair back and running into the house in tears.

"Ally, wait," John called as she ran passed him in the kitchen. When she didn't stop and he walked out to the patio finding Randy holding his head in his hands and the tears brimming in his eyes, John sat in the next chair and took one of Randy's hands in his own. "Didn't go as planned, huh?"

"Do you think the house will be ready by the summer?"

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yeah. We never had these problems when she lived in St Louis."

"Okay," John said, kissing the knuckles on Randy's hand. "Anything for you and Ally. I'll make some phone calls."

Alanna's stomach was growling when she crept quietly from her bedroom, her eyes still stained red from the crying.

John had paid her a visit but she couldn't stop crying long enough to speak to him. She knew if she didn't tell them the real reason she wanted to live with them that they were ship her off back to her mom.

She edged closer to the office when she heard John talking. She didn't want to get too close in case her dad was in there with him, but as she grew close, she could tell John was on the phone.

"Can you send me the documents by priority mail as soon you receive them so we can sign them and not hold things up. I need to be able to get some interior decorators in to touch it up a bit," John said. "No, it'll just be the bare essentials; we'll fix the rest up."

"It isn't that much, couple of little bits to fit our needs, Randy needs to make the kitchen his, the bedroom, Ally's room, she's a teenager after all," he chuckled at something the other person said. "Okay, that's brilliant, thanks."

John hung up the phone and kicked the spare chair out indicating for Ally to sit down.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," she said sitting down holding her stomach.

"I saved your food. Though I'm not sure what it will be liked being warmed up for a second time, we might be better off getting you something else to eat."

"We?" Alanna said raising an eyebrow. "More like me."

"Hey, I can do basic things now, I can boil you an egg," John laughed with her. "I can even be supervised while cooking pancakes."

"Supervised?"

"You're grandma wouldn't let me loose alone after she heard Randy had to chuck his frying pan out," John said pulling a face.

"Where's dad?"

"He went to the gym to let off steam," John said turning serious. "He's not very happy with himself."

"You mean with me."

"No, I mean with himself. Your grandma gave him some advice and he had plans to follow that advice, instead, he turned into your grandpa and made up his own mind and now, we're moving back to St Louis," John said, indicating the phone and paperwork he had in front of him.

"Why are you moving back?"

"Long distance relationships are troublesome," John said cringing at the thought. "I remember when I retired from the business. Your dad was going to stop at the same time, but I convinced him he still had some give in his body."

"You didn't like being here by yourself?"

"I hated it. I went with him to begin with, but it was hard to be at the shows without taking part," John shrugged as he explained. "After I stopped going with him, he lasted three and a half months. Stephanie practically packed his bags, told him she couldn't bear to see him moping around backstage."

"What were you doing when you here alone?"

"I found things to keep me busy, but I felt like I had two lives, one when your dad was here and one when he was away, I didn't want that, I wanted to share everything I was doing. I must have rung him anywhere up to ten times a day," he reminisced, smiling at the memory. "Fell asleep on him a couple of times as well."

Alanna sat listening to John reminisce for a while. She loved listening to them share their memories from their relationship. She really did wish she could have something as strong as theirs. She knew it may not happen for a while but that didn't worry her. As long as she could one day have that same feeling John got when he spoke of his love.

"Ally, you know your dad will do anything for you, right?" John said bringing her out of her thoughts. "He might me taking you back to St Louis, but he isn't about to leave you there, we're going with you and setting up house there. He didn't move here because he didn't want you. He moved here because of me, even though I told him not to."

She couldn't think of anything to say, her dad had shown his love for John so many times over, but she never felt like she received the same. She didn't deny that he loved her, she was his daughter after all, but it always felt like she was causing problems.

Maybe she could tell John why she wanted to move here, sure they knew her birthday had been ruined by her mom and Neil, and they saw with their own eyes how bad things were when they went back at Christmas and Sam forgot when she was arriving, but they didn't know just what she was thinking on so many occasions, she was keeping it locked up.

"John can I talk to you," she said tentatively.

"I would hope by now you know you don't need to ask," John said sitting back and relaxing. "Shoot."

"I don't want to go back to St Louis, even with you guys there," she said stating the obvious. "I love being here in Florida."

"Why don't you want to be in St Louis, you grew up there?"

"But I never fit in. Maybe as a kid, but the older I got, the more I felt distanced from my friends," she said lowering her head as though she was ashamed to admit it. "I didn't feel like I fit in with them. Sure I hung out and spent time with them, but I always felt like I was acting."

"Ally, you should know that everyone feels like that when they're growing up, you get to go home and be yourself. And school doesn't last a life time, when you finish you get to be anyone you want to be," John tried to console her.

"But when I went home, I didn't get to be myself. When I tried mom used to be on my back about not hanging with friends, or wearing makeup. I just wanted to sit at home and do my homework then relax with a good book, maybe watch a movie."

"Did you tell your mom that you didn't want to?"

"Yeah, she said it wasn't normal, that teenage girls should be into makeup, boys, and clothes and friends."

"Ally, no one can say what's normal, sure there are a few things that I'd be concerned about if you were doing, but reading a book, watching a movie, doing your homework, no parent should be trying to dissuade you from those things if they make you happy."

"Well mom does, so much so that I started doing everything she wanted me to," Alanna said wiping fresh tears from her eyes. "I always felt tired as well. When i did get time to do something I wanted to, I was too tired."

"Because you were acting all day long, everyday," John said knowingly. "And that's why you wanted to move here?"

"Yeah," she sniffled.

"Have things got better?"

"Sort of."

"Have we made you feel like you had to be someone different than who you are?"

"No. Maybe."

"Is that 'Maybe' spelt Y-E-S?" he tried to make her smile a little.

"N-O. Brad did. Ava and the girls do a lot."

"Did Brad make you do anything you didn't want to?" John asked concerned for her safety.

"What do you-? Oh, no. Definitely not. I'm not. I mean I haven-"

"Okay, okay, don't feel like you need to go into details, no parent wants to have that discussion. Even stepfathers."

"I don't think of you as a stepfather," Alanna said seriously.

"Sorry, I just," John stuttered trying to take back his words.

"John, I've always thought of you as a father," Alanna said finally smiling a little. "I may not have shown it and I'm sorry, but I have. You've always been there ever since I remember."

"Thank you, that means a lot," John said beaming with a smile. "Makes me feel even worse about some of the arguments we've all had over the last year."

"I've caused enough of them."

"Well, how about we pinkie swear to talk through our problems rather than argue," John said holding his pinkie out.

"I've been assured, it's a teenage girl thing to pinkie swear," Ally said laughing through the last of her tears.

"Well, I'm a gay man, does that mean I can get away with it?"

"No," she laughed. "But I'll go with it. As long as you promise, you'll never try to have THAT talk with me again."

"Hell, I'm leaving that for Randy, he can have the unpleasant task of having that chat," John said shivering before turning serious again. "I do want to ask you one more question, NOT about Brad, but your friends, did they make you drink the other night?"

"I'd already said no to so many things and they were getting funny with me," Alanna said turning sad again. "I felt like if I didn't they'd do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know what, but I felt like I had to," she admitted hanging her head.

"Ally, never ever let anyone tell you have to do something you don't want to," John said firmly.

She nodded her agreement before getting up from the chair and wrapping her arms around John, "I'm sorry, this has got in the way of everything. I caused so many problems."

"Hey, there's always a settling in period and nobody in this family holds a grudge against anyone," John said.

"So will you talk to dad, make him change his mind, I love being in Florida with you, and I know you'll be in St Louis, but I want to stay here," Alanna pleaded.

"Okay, I'll try, but first you have to do something," John said turning her around to face the door and the man stood in the hallway. "Talk to your dad. Please."

John stepped out of the office and held his hand out for Randy to take. It didn't take more than a second and John led him back into the office, "I'll have some food waiting for you both when you're done talking, but don't expect homemade, it's going to be either take out or ping ping food. Now sit."

"I love you," Randy said before slapping John on the ass as he left the room.

"Gross," Alanna said pulling a face before laughing.

A/N: There you go. Hope you enjoyed. Begging you all to review.