Chapter 13
"Adrienne, baby, I know you are pissed at me right now but can I talk to you?" asked Steve as he stood outside his sister's bedroom door.
He was vaguely aware that she had said something about going out that night but did not recall where.
For a moment there was silence and he feared she was going to be so pissed at him that she was just going to say no and be done with it which to be honest, perhaps he deserved. But he knew that was going to change when he told her the news. Or maybe not, he thought to himself as she opened the door.
His sister looked pretty as a picture in a peach summer dress, with her hair and makeup done. She was clearly ready to set her cares aside for the evening.
Summer was not far off now for Salem. Soon it was going to be July 4th and the holiday. And it was clear she was ready for it.
"You look good."
"What do you want Steve?" she was in no mood to mess about.
"Its jack… he is coming home, I just got the call."
"That's – that's incredible," she said as a smile burst on to her face, her tone utterly different to how it had been just a second before.
She realised she wanted to take his hand and celebrate this with him. It was so long since all of them had been together and that was something worth celebrating. But she was angry with him and she had to remember that.
"When is he going to be here?" She asked with a little more formality hating the way his lips went up into a smile at her curt tone.
Somehow he had always known how to read what she was really thinking and feeling.
"In about ten minutes."
"Ten minutes? Jack is going to be here in about ten minutes?"
And just like that any thought of Lucas Horton which she might have had in her mind went clear out of her head.
She did like him. Enormously. But just then the idea the brother she had missed desperately was coming home seemed more important than anything else in the world. And so it was.
X x x
Jack signed in relief as he walked up to the Kiriakis mansion.
There was something about being in Salem which made him feel he was home, no matter where in the town he was.
But he was going to be home as here was where his siblings were.
The three of them may not have grown up side by side, but the bonds which they had formed in adult hood bound them just as tight to one another.
He had missed them.
Not quite as much as Jen and the kids, but there was still an ache in his heart for them – especially his little sister. It had been years since he saw Adrienne … and he had worried for her. It was not the first time she had lost a brother without him really being dead and he was sure that had to affect a person.
As for him and Steve, at last he felt they were close now, the way brothers should be.
There were always going to be walls between them. He was the one who had put them there and Steve Johnson had never once in his life been entirely forgiving to those who hurt those he loved. Yet the past could be forgotten if not forgiven. It could be tucked away in a box, with the lid firmly shut down…
He had been about to ring the doorbell, vaguely wondering if Henderson was still working there when the door flew open.
It was not the butler who opened it though.
It was his sister. She had been expecting him.
His first thought was she had to be on her way out with Justin. She was not quite dressed for a night in but as soon as he looked at her face he knew she was not going to be going anywhere too far away from him that night.
"It is you!" she sighed, almost as if this was beyond belief. Already it was apparent that the sight was a lot for her to take in. She had tears on her face and as the two of them embraced he could feel her trembling. Through his own damp eyes he could see his big brother, standing behind his sister with a grin on his face.
In that moment he remembered what it felt like to think you had lost a beloved sibling forever. To think that you were never going to get them back, to say all the things which had been left unsaid.
His heart broke for her. She had been through this too many times.
"I am so sorry," he sighed. "I am so sorry."
By rights she should hate him for doing this to her again…. but she had never loved him more. He knew that. He could feel it.
"Welcome back, Jack," Steve grinned.
He did not get a chance to reply however, as Adrienne cut in.
"Are you ok?"
Jack nodded. "A bit of jet lag is the worst thing that is wrong with me. I have had our brother looking out for me after all."
"I wish he had been doing the same for me. I wish he had told me you were alive."
"Hey, do not blame Steve for that, he was just following orders. Remember, I could have picked up the phone too… so don't put this all on him."
Adrienne felt a mixture of responses to that on the tip of her tongue but none of them seemed to be able to form so she said nothing. She just nodded.
She heard what he was saying at least.
But right then all that could matter to her was the fact he was alive.
"You are looking good." He smiled.
"This ol' thing… I just threw it on."
Jack laughed. "Of course you did."
Even as he pulled away he could feel how reluctant she was to let him go.
But he had to greet Steve.
"Kim said Kayla was doing better."
"Yeah… she… she is better than she was. Not quite out the woods yet but getting there."
"That's great." He said glad to hear she was on the mend. "And the kids?" he suddenly aware that they were having the same conversation they had had not longer before on the phone. Still, Jack thought it was worth it just in case he could read something on his brother's face which he could not hear in his voice.
"Well, you could ask us about that," said a cheeky voice from the top of the stair case. Joey may have grown taller in the time which they had been apart, but Jack recognised his nephew in an instant. A wide smile appeared on his face.
Stephanie was not far behind.
X x x
That night it did not take long for Steph to get the measure of the relationship between the three Johnson siblings.
It was clear that her Uncle Jack adored her dad, the way a young boy did superman.
So did her Aunt Adrienne. She was mad but the way she looked at her brothers together said the sun was shining for her. Just for her.
As it turned out, her Uncle Jack was no more forth coming with details over the missions he had been on than her father was. Whenever the two brothers were quizzed they kept an eye on the other in order to keep their story straight. But none of them really wanted to talk about that stuff about the past. What matter was the going forward.
Of course, Jack had no idea what that was going too entailed until he spoke with Jen and the kids. He liked to think he was going to be back living with them soon but there were no guarantees.
"You can always move in with me for a while," Steve offered.
It was not as if he was going to be staying at Kayla's forever.
Joey shifted at his dad's side.
Subconsciously, Steve wrapped an around tighter round his son.
"Or you can stay here. It is going to be quiet once these three have gone," Adrienne admitted.
"Surely you and Justin are looking forward to a little peace and quiet from the rabble." Jack teased as the Johnsons loudly protested the label.
"Yeah," Adrienne murmured with a thin lipped smile in Jacks direction.
Even before then, he then knew there was something very much up with his sister's marriage. Just the way she had been that night… Then it was confirmed.
"So where is Dimples tonight?" Steve asked.
Now that he thought about it, he was suddenly very aware that he had barely seen his brother in law. And he had certainly not seen him be very attentive to his wife.
"Out," she tried to reply breezily.
It did not work.
Stephanie knew the one thing they – and especially her aunt – needed right then was a change of subject. And she was more help her out there.
"Who is in favour of ordering a pizza for dinner?"
"I'm starving!" Joey nodded.
Adrienne had been about to concur when her phone buzzed.
Where are you? Lucas x
She did not know why it was she could not bring herself to reply.
X x x
Adrienne was the one who made the call to Jen the next morning.
It was a relatively short conversation.
Adrienne said her brother was home at last to which Jen replied she was on her way.
Calling to the kids, she gave them both the news. In Abby she saw the same nervous excitement she herself felt. This was not going to be like the last time when they had wasted so much time in punishing Jack. She was not going to be pushing him away.
No matter if had had been dead or not… What mattered was he had made sure his daughter had not been.
Ever since that day, Jack had once more been the ultimate hero in the eyes of his daughter and of his wife. They couldn't wait to have him back.
His son however did not feel likewise.
JJ had been at war within himself since he had heard what his mom and sister had labelled as the 'good news'. On the one hand, the little boy in him was over joyed to have his father back and yelled out that the rest of him that he should be that happy.
This was all he had ever wanted.
He had his dad back.
Only he did not, as the man and dad he had loved would never have been capable of something as disgusting and violent as rape.
But now he knew he was – and the dad he had admired and hero worshipped had not even existed.
And so he did not feel he could go to him as his mother and sister did. He did not know how to feel and he was not going to make a liar of himself. Not any more than he already had, he thought mournfully as Paige entered his thoughts for just a moment.
He could not see his dad until he knew how he felt. And how he was meant to do that he was not sure…
"But this is our dad – and he is alive." Abby stated… normally they were as close as could be…. But this time JJ was painfully aware they were not even close to being on the same page.
Not even nearly.
Jen looked at him with something that looked a lot like pity which made him angry. JJ turned away. He did not want to fight about this – not with either of them.
"Come on," he hear her say gently to his sister. They had to go. As his mother got to the door however she turned back.
"Take all the time you need honey."
X x x
"How did you sleep?"
"Like a baby," said Jack as he sat down by his sister.
"Liar," Adrienne smirked knowingly.
He did not deny it.
It was ten thirty. He had been in Salem for just over half a day and the time in which he had not spent with his family had all been spent thinking about those members of his family he had not yet been reunited with.
Namely his wife and kids.
He had barely been able to sleep at all, if the truth was known, for thinking of them.
But even then he could see there was a kind of normality returning to his life.
As they had been eating breakfast Steve had been getting his son ready to go off to school. Steph had been checking her work emails. Adrienne had explained she was going to have to go in to the restaurant that afternoon…
It was all so normal.
A kind of normal he had not had for a long time. One which he had wanted a lot.
He just hoped he was going to get a chance to have it again. Because if not… then he did not know what he was going to do.
It was that fear that paralyzed him when the doorbell at last rang.
Because what if he wasn't going to get another chance? He was sure he would rather live in a fantasy than open a door up to a world where he did not get to live with Jen and the kids.
"Jack honey," Adrienne encouraged as the two of them looked towards the foyer.
He did not wish to be such a coward, but there was nothing else he could do.
He just shook his head.
However, just because he was completely immobile, it did not mean that the world was going to stop moving or turning.
"I'll get the door then, shall I?" Steve asked as he came down the stars.
Whether or not Jack wanted him to do that however, Steve never gave him a chance to say. He just opened the door wide to the two Deveraux women.
"Hey!" he said as the two of them walked in nervously, given, each of them a kiss on the check.
"Hey Steve… we got a call from Adrienne."
"Yeah, I know. Go straight through, they are in the living room."
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