Chapter 6

"You look like you dropped a dollar and found a cent," Steve said as he caught up with Bo. He had run a little way down the road when he saw the forlorn figure of Bo Brady up ahead of him.

Bo smiled grimly. He guessed that just about covered it – but at the same time not really.

"How is Kay?" he asked.

Steve shrugged. "You know Kayla… she is putting a brave face on it as much as she can but it is clear she is in pain."

The fact made him sick… but he was going to do all he could to ease it. "Did you come in…" he trailed off.

"What? To see my sister last night?" Bo smiled, he later realised, bitterly at the memory. Steve had got to hold the love of his life all night long. He, on the other hand, had had to watch another man kiss wife and daughter goodbye for the day that morning. He pushed those thoughts down. They were unfair and cruel. Kayla and Steve deserved to be happy. And she needed him…. "Yeah, seemed as if you had it covered."

Steve smiled sheepishly.

"So I take it you are on your way to see your dad?"

"Looks that way. Are you going to Kiriakis' mansion too?"

"I am," Steve said with a smile. "Stephanie has been staying there since she arrived and Adrienne has been watching out for the little dude there too."

Bo wished he was in Steve's position then suddenly - going to the mansion to be reunited with those he loved the very most. But at the very least he was going to get to see his dad and get a shower – no doubt a good meal too.

And some sleep. He was not sure when the last time he slept was… so may be after everything he already felt he had lost since they had come home… he should just be grateful for what he could get.

X x x

"I do not want to go to school."

"Buddy, I know you don't… but there is nothing you can do here. And it might help you take your mind off… things."

"Off momma, you mean. Yeah, it is not going to happen," said Joey as he slumped down on the sofa.

Honestly, Stephanie had no idea how she was meant to get him off to school, she thought as she ran a hand through her hair. She had told her aunt she had it covered so Adrienne could have a lie in… but she did not seem to being doing a good job. If she had been about more than she was sure she would have felt as if she had a bit more of a mandate to tell him what to do but as it was, for the past few years, it had just been him and their mom. She was all he had had. Stephanie knew Joey was not going to be cool with her playing the big sister card now.

"I know your freaking out. And I know all this is scary."

"I am not scared," he scowled up at her in an expression which reminded her of their dad.

"Aren't you? I am," she shrugged as she sat down by his side. "I am. I am scared I am never going to hear our mom's voice again. I am scared she is never going to hear us again. I am scared that she is scared and can't communicate or tell us what she needs. I am scared I won't be strong enough for her."

Joey just nodded. That was all she needed to know… all of these things scared him too. All of them.

He just hadn't wanted to say it.

"The best thing we can do for her is to show her that while she is fighting this thing, we can keep ourselves on the straight and narrow." She added as she mussed his hair a little.

The fact the twelve year old didn't pull away immediately told her he wasn't feeling right.

"Your sister is right, honey. There is nothing more than you can do but keep going to school and keep a smile on your face when you see mama," Adrienne said from the door where she stood holding a coffee.

"I thought you were having a lie in today," Steph sighed. She was sorry to see her up so early. She had done so much, for all of them lately, that she deserved the break.

"You know me, dolly girl. Up with the sun."

Stephanie did not know if that was a lie or a cover for the fact she couldn't sleep with everything going on. But she could take a good guess. Out of respect for their aunt, she let it slide.

Steph ran another hand through her brother's hair.

"Where is Uncle Justin?"

Adrienne shook her head as she took a sip of the coffee she had been holding. She was running off the stuff lately. "He had to go out to an early meeting. But I am sure he is going to be back later. So… school today, young man?" she asked her nephew.

Joey scowled before conceding.

"School."

She nodded approvingly before giving with a wink. "You're doing the right thing."

"Well… can I have a lift? I don't want to be late…" he shrugged.

Adrienne didn't suppose after all their persuading that she could seriously deny him a ride.

"Of course. I'll met you at the door, I'll just grab my keys."

Joey nodded, grabbed his bag and dutifully kissed his big sister on the cheek.

"Love you, bugs," she said as he made for the hall way.

"Love you too."

Stephanie sighed at the three mumbled words. Normally getting him to admit that was like getting blood out of a stone. It was a testament to how he was feeling right then that he had actually admitted it. And she had no idea how to make him feel better.

Meanwhile, Joey could hear voices as soon as he left the small parlour room which he and Stephanie seemed to have commended of late so that the Kiriakis's still had their living room.

Henderson's voice particularly –

"It is so good to see you again, Master Brady. I will get your –"

But then Joey zoned out through hope alone. He knew Master Brady could be Brady Black but ever since he had arrived the butler had insisted on addressing him as 'young Master Johnson' (which was weird) so Brady had to be in this case, the last name.

And it sounded as if it had been a while since he had seen 'Master Brady'. Brady Black and baby Tate had been hanging out all of last night.

Joey rushed round the corner to get a better look. Relief rushed through him as he saw he had been right to hope… he dropped his bag, rushed past the butler straight towards his papa.

"Joey!" he heard his dad sighed as he took him in his arms and gave him a hug like only his dad ever did. His mum gave pretty good hugs as well but when he had his dad's arms about him, he felt as if nothing too much could go wrong.

His dad had left to save the world… and now he had come home to save their family.

"How you doing, little dude? You ok?" he heard his dad ask over and over but his lip was going to wobble and tears would spill out if he answered.

He had cried enough since the car accident.

"Papa!"

He did not have long enough on his own with his dad before Stephanie joined the hug, but she needed this too he knew. They both did. And she put her arm round him as well, replacing the one which his dad put round his sister.

And for the first time it seemed possible things might just be ok.

"Little sweetness, are you ok? I am so, so sorry it took me so long to get here. But I am not going anywhere ok? Ok?" Steve asked until he had got a nod out of both of them. He pushed a kiss to both their foreheads. "God, I missed you guys so much. I missed you."

Joey allowed a tear to trickle down his face when he heard his dad's voice break a little.

This moment had been a long time coming.

X x x

Bo smiled sadly at the sight of his niece and nephew and knew beyond any doubt they had done the right thing when they had come home. They were very much needed here.

That much was clear.

Adrienne was pretty hot on Stephanie's heals at getting to the scene of the reunion but she hung back. Knowing her, she was probably itching to cuddle her big brother herself… but nothing was more important than the kids at the moment.

She set the keys down on the side board, knowing beyond a doubt all her and Stephanie's good work that morning was undone. Nothing and no one would get Joey to school. Besides, even if he wanted to go, she had a feeling her brother needed the kids with him that day.

He had probably needed the kids with him for a long time.

"Hey baby," he addressed her as he finally tore his eyes off his actual babies.

"Good to see you, big brother," she responded.

"Get in here."

She needed no more encouragement as she came in on the hug. The two kid's put their arms about her as her brother kissed her cheek.

"Do you know what? I do not think I have ever been so glad to see you," she said as they kissed each other on the cheek.

"I missed you. I missed you all." He admitted, as he kissed the two kids in his arms on their foreheads again.

He had been away from home far too long…

X x x

Bo could not help but feel a twinge of guilt as he admitted the truth to himself. He was jealous.

He had gone home to see his girls and he had found another man doing all that he should be. And Steve got home and then kids ran straight into his arms.

But… that was how the cookie crumbled.

And in spite of the selfish part of himself, he was pleased for them too. His niece and his newphew were still pretty young and they had been to hell and back the last few days. How could anyone begrudge them a little time with their dad?

And it was not as if there was no one in the world who was happy to see him. He knew that as his father came in to view. No doubt attracted by all the commotion, Victor had exited the living room in search of the disturbance.

The look on his face said that he could not be happier with what he had found.

"Bo…" his father beamed.

"It's good to see you," he grinned.

Crossing the room, Victor wrapped his arms about his child.

And that was how Maggie came across the returnees, in the arms of those who loved them most.

Ten minutes passed in which Bo and Steve dumped their bags, were assigned rooms in the mansion and then bundled in to the living room for coffee, tea and best of all food.

Steve sat in the middle of the sofa, a mug of coffee steaming in his hand, his daughter by his side and his son leaning into him. Having wrapped an arm about Joey, Steve found it was hard to shake his baby boy off, not that he wanted too.

In spite of the limits which he had been under with the ISA, he had tried as best he could to keep in contact with his son. In the few chats they had been able to have, he had come to think of his son on the cusp on man hood.

He had sounded so grown up.

But now that he was back he saw the reality. Joey was just a child.

And he had needed his papa long before his mother had been injured.

Somehow, as he looked across the room to where his sister was seated in one of the arm chairs, he knew he was not going to be going anywhere for a long time to come.

As for Bo, once he had got his caffeine fix he had followed his father in to the office.

The two of them had a lot of catching up to do.

"You know it got to the point there where so much as a smoke signal would have been very much appreciated." Victor said as he sat down.

Bo could not stop a smile appearing on his face. He had been back just a number of minutes and his dad was the same old Victor. It was nice to see some things had not changed.

"I am so sorry I did not get in contact and – and I know I should have, but you know how the ISA is… I –"

"Went off and forgot you so much as had a family, I know. That must was clear."

Bo shook his head. "None of you were out of my thoughts."

"And you can be damn sure you were never out of ours. Bo, we were scared sick."

"I know you were. I cannot even imagine being on the other end of that. I am sorry. I am – I'm so sorry."

The silence alone would have killed him.

"You better be. You do not know how many times over the past three years I had my little granddaughter begging me to tell her when her daddy was coming home."

The look on Bo's face was one of such intense pain that Victor knew as soon as he said it that it had been a low blow on his part.

"I am sorry. I should not have said that."

But to his surprise his son simply shook his head. "You were the one who was here comforting Ciara and spending time with her. I think you have every right to speak to me like that."

The two of them were just going to have to stay split on that one, thought Victor.

"How is she?" it was with a very small voice his son asked him that question Victor noted, almost as if he believed he did not deserve a response.

"Funny. Cheeky. Confident. She is a beautiful little girl, growing up beautifully. Hope has done a wonderful job."

"I have no doubt that she is a credit to her. That certainly sounds like my little girl." He said with a sad smile.

"Listen, Bo, I do not want to wreck your first day at home. But I am your father and I do not want you to go in blind –"

"What's his name?"

The way that Bo looked at Victor told him all he had too.

But Bo thought he would fill him in as much as he could any way. "I went to the house this morning. I wanted to see Ciara before she went to school and to hold… my wife…. I didn't get what I wanted and they didn't see me. A man came out the house with them. He got to hug Hope before he went off to work. And he got to kiss my daughter goodbye."

Victor nodded as he considered what he had been told. "Aidan. His name is Aidan. He is a lawyer and it has been going on about eighteen months."

They had seemed comfortable so it was no surprise to learn it had been going on for quite some time.

"Have you met him?"

"Of course I have. I was never going to let him near Ciara without meeting him." Victor said.

"Do you like him?"

"Bo… what sort of question is that…"

Bo shrugged. Suddenly he just felt, very, very weary.

He looked up at him. His father looked at him with genuine sympathy.

And that was worse than anything else.

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