Chapter 33

The Thanksgiving football match ended up being a family event much to the chagrin of Jack Deveraux…

What was meant to be a chance for him to bond with his boy turned into a chance for every man in his family to bond with their boys too.

The truth was he did not mind Steve and Joey coming along that much. His brother and he had not had a lot of time together since he had moved in with Kayla. It would help keep a silence between him and JJ from getting to long.

But if he was honest with himself then he knew he could have done without Justin and Sonny tagging along.

Or at least Justin. It was unfair to place his nephew into that category because of his father. But he knew he and Steve were never going to see that – that man – as a friend for a long time to come.

The way he had treated their sister prevented it.

Nevertheless, the six of the climbed into Justin's car together and they were not even on the freeway before the three boys – though Steve thought with a sad smile, neither of his nephews could right be described as boys any more – were deep in debate over who would win the day.

X x x

Part of Stephanie had wanted to bridge the gap which had seemed to have occurred between the Johnson men and the Johnson women that day and go to the game. But at the same time the one thing which she did not want to be doing was getting in a car and going to a football game on thanksgiving weekend.

That just did not work for her. And so she had decided to stay back with the other ladies and keep her Aunt Adrienne company. That was the main reason she was sure that they were staying home. Because at any given moment she was going to go pop and the new baby Johnson was going to come into the world.

Given that she had been such a surprise when she had been announced, Abi had to admit she was proud to be her aunt's niece. The way that Adrienne had just put her shoulders back and got on with what she could not and apparently did not want to change…

It was something to admire that was for sure.

Stephanie and Kayla had brought the chocolate. Her mother had made the popcorn.

And then together all of them settled down to watch It's A Wonderful Life.

And it really was.

X x x

Stephanie wondered how long it was going to take to get used to the fact she did not have to sign to her mother any more. She had just been about to ask her if she wanted another drink when she remembered it really was as simple that then. All she had to do was say the words.

"I hope the boys are all going to get along at the game," said Jen as she lazily picked up a chocolate from the tin.

She did think it was a good idea they had all gone but she also knew the way that Steve and Jack felt about Adrienne's husband after everything he had done to her.

But a bit of bonding time for them all before the little miss turned up might be good for them too, she thought to herself. It was not as if Justin was not going to be around for the long hall. He was, If he was serious about Adrienne.

"I am sure they are going to be fine, mom. I can't see dad starting any fights."

Jen nodded, but wondered if Justin and Steve were such a good mix. It would hardly be out of character…

Still she was not going to say anything in front of Kayla. The thought had to be in her head and if it was not then she was not going to be the one to put it there. She was sure her sister in law did not need it.

And it was not as if Justin and Steve were young men any more. They were out with their sons and they were going to be behaving themselves.

Or that was the plan any way.

Suddenly Jen was caught by the way that Adrienne shifted where she had been sitting.

And she was not the only one. Steph and Abi were also looking at her as was Kayla.

She and Kayla were both moms. They had both been in labour.

They knew what it was like.

"Honey are you ok?" said Jen as she looked at her.

"Yes – yes, nothing is wrong." She said as she sat a little straighter.

Kayla looked at the phone, wondering if they should call Justin and the others to come back.

Having her hearing back had been wonderful but if there was one thing in the world which was frustrating her it was that for some reason she still had not recovered her speech.

Steve had threatened the night before that if it did not come back soon then he was going to plot another surprise wedding.

Kayla had not been sure if he was joking or not – she hoped not – but part of her knew at the same time she should not need to go out on a yacht to hear him declare her love for her to be emotionally ready to talk once more. She had the most wonderful family in the world and she had them all round her just then. And they were pulling for her…

So why that was not enough she wasn't sure. It made her feel ungrateful.

"Are you sure?"

"You guys are being worse than Jack and Steve would be if they were there."

Somehow Jen doubted that as her eyes met with Kayla's.

The five of them went back to watching the film but Kayla could not help but be distracted by her sister in law.

Adrienne was not far off her due date but it was still a little early for the baby to be coming. Not that it was going to harm it if it did come right then.

She wished she could talk to her so that she was going to be able to talk in her into going to the hospital.

Still, after the third toilet break which Adrienne had and the others had paused the dvd it did not seem as if it was going to be necessary. When she returned she was not looking as sure as she had been when she had left the room and she was a little red faced.

"Please let me call the boys back from the game. You know Justin is going to want to be here for this," Jen pointed out.

If the truth was known Jen was no fonder of her brother in law right then than the two Johnson's brothers were. But she was able to cover it a little better they were and she knew deep down that Adrienne was devoted to him.

If he was not here to share this moment with her – Well, it was going to be a loss to them both.

This was a moment when they were really going to be together and Justin was going to be able to prove himself to his wife.

That he was there for her and he was going to support her no matter what.

She had a feeling the two of them could do with a new foundation off which they were going to be able to spring board into raising this wonderful new life which Adrienne looked as if she ready to bring into the world.

"I think it is time to all for an ambulance before the boys."

She did not know why she had resisted at first. The minute she had felt things were on the move they should have been on there way to university hospital.

She knew that.

But now she had also had to come up against the fact she was afraid.

It had been years since she had been mother to a new born. All the same thoughts which were in her head then were the ones she had had the day she had found out she was pregnant.

What if she did not have the stamina to do the nights feeds anymore? What if she was not able to meet the needs of the baby?

But then that was her job wasn't it? From the moment this little girl came in to the world she had to be her mother above all things.

As the panicked thoughts raced about her head, she found she was only able to stop and breathe when she felt a hand on hers.

It was Kayla.

And she looked as calm as she ever did.

She may not have been a midwife by trade but she was a doctor and Adrienne knew from the look in her eye that she knew what she was doing.

She led her to the couch while Jen rushed to the phone to ring for the ambulance to come for her.

Stephanie was on the phone.

And Abby did not look as if she knew what to do but she was very excited for the arrival of the baby.

She did know that much…

X x x

The football game for the younger Johnson men was going well.

Joey, JJ and Sonny walked into the bleachers in a line so the three of them were sitting together with young master Deveraux in the middle.

Sonny had a horrible feeling form the look on the face of his Uncle Jack that it was not meant to have gone that way but there was no way he was going to be able to make a scene about that without makings things awkward and Sonny also got the feeling that that was the last thing which his uncle wanted to do. And so he was squished in the middle of the older generation with the tough job of keeping the peace between Justin and Steve.

This was not how it was meant to be.

Suddenly Justin wished he was at home with Victor.

Anything was better than waiting for the moment the brothers of his beloved finally decided he had lived long enough and no longer needed to breathe.

Though to be fair he did not blame them for feeling that way. If he had heard of any other man treating Adrienne the way he had then he knew he was going to want their guts for garters and with good reason.

He knew everything was going to change when the baby came along for he was going to be able to care for both wife and mother and the two of them were going to be able to see how much he really did care for them.

That was going to change everything around. But he knew till that moment he just had to focus on the game and try as hard as he could not piss either one of them off any more than he already had.

"How is Kayla doing?" he asked Steve.

It seemed as if it was a safe question for Justin knew that Steve favourite topic was the love of his life.

"She is doing well."

It was a short answer and it gave him nothing more than he needed to know.

Justin could not help but think that was classic Steve as well.

It was not as if he had ever been very good at given stuff away and been open. That was a problem which all three of the Johnson's siblings had.

Justin wondered vaguely if that was a result of nature or nurture. Nature at a guess he thought as he recalled how far the three of them had been raised from each other…

And Jo had never had any problem showing her emotion.

"You must be looking forward to spending Christmas with her and the kids."

"Yes."

Now he was the one who was wishing he was down the other end of the bleachers with the kids.

At least they looked as if they were having a good time or trying to.

His son got out his phone and was no doubt texting his husband.

He wondered if Sonny was wishing he had stayed home as well.

That was when his own phone begun to vibrate.

No matter who it was he knew he was going to be forever grateful to them, even if it was some insurance company trying to get him some compensation for an accident which had not had.

Anything to get him away from the sparkling company of his brothers in maw he thought to himself.

And when he thought anything that day he meant it.

But when he looked at his phone he saw it was nothing so random as that.

It was Jen.

"Hello."

Another reason he did not want to be there at the game that day was because if there was a Johnson that he did want to be with then it was the one he had married time and time again.

He had not done that out of duty but out of love.

He did not think he could tell anyone in all seriousness that he and Adrienne had had an easy relationship for he knew they had not.

But when all was said and done, what the two of them did keep doing was coming back stronger than before and he loved that about them.

More than anything he loved it about her.

That she was willing to keep letting him try to get it right when he had got it so wrong it the past, he thought to himself.

"Hi Justin, I think maybe you should get back here to my house pronto – or to the hospital, anyway."

He felt his stomach drop.

Adrienne should have a little more time yet but –

"Is she?" he did not need to expand the question any more than that.

For the first time since the six of them had been at the game he felt his brothers in law look at him with something other than hatred.

"Yeah."

Sonny he knew was already trying to get information about what was going on out of him even though he was yet to get off of the phone. He wondered right then why people did that – why when they could see they were not done with the conversation.

But then it did not matter.

All that mattered was his Adrienne and the baby and the fact the two of them were ok.

Nothing was more important than that and nothing was ever going to be.

Nothing.

"We are on our way home." he said as he hung up the phone. "Boys, I hate to cut the game short but Adrienne is in labour."

There was not a single voice of decent.

They had to get back to Salem and they had to do it right then.

X x x

Jen put the phone down and went straight back to the living room.

Though she knew Adrienne had an ordeal ahead of her she could not stop herself from smiling.

The idea that she was going to be an aunt again within the next few hours thrilled her.

It thrilled all of them…

But when she got back in to the living room she found she was surprised by how fast things had moved on.

"I do not know what to do," Jen said as she panicked.

She did not know why the ambulance was yet to come and nor did she knew why Adrienne was coming so fast.

She turned to Abby at first and she saw was doing about as well as she was when it came to keeping calm. Then she turned to see Kayla and Stephanie were doing a little better than they were. In fact it did not appear as if there was a hair out of place.

The doctor and her daughter had got a clear head and at last Jen realized she did not have to lead. All she had to do was what Kayla told her.

So she was soon off to get a towel.

"It is going to be ok, Aunt Adrienne. Mom knows what to do and we are not going to leave you." Stephanie said as she awaited her mother's next instruction.

Kayla may not have been trained in midwifery but she knew enough of the basics to get them through it if they had too.

Which it was looking as if she was going to have too.

Jen did not know a lot but she did know that Adrienne was coming on fast – a lot faster than she had when she had been in labour with Jack Junior and Abigail.

Kayla was pulling a towel under Adrienne as Jen wondered where on earth the ambulance was.

"Mom says that you have to breathe now."

Stephanie said as she translated for Kayla and Adrienne.

"But I feel as if I need to push now." Adrienne cried as the pressure which she felt was being pushed down.

"Mom says not yet," Stephanie said as she stroked back her aunt's forehead.

"But I need too."

"Adrienne, I do not want you to do that, please not yet."

It was the only voice in the room which could have stunned her into obeying.

As soon as Kayla had spoken Stephanie's eyes had filled up with tears. It had been a long few months in which she had nothing more than hope to hear her mother's voice.

"Kayla…" Adrienne grinned the pain of her own labour forgotten for just a moment.

To voice of her sister in law… Adrienne's mind flashed to her elder brother. He should have been here in this room when that had happened.

"I do not want you to think about me right now, I want you to focus on my niece. It does look as if she is ready to make her entrance in to the world."

They took each other's hands.

"Now please listen to me so that we may bring her in to the world safely."

Adrienne nodded. That was all she wanted.

Except… Justin…

X x x

"Can we have driven that any slower?" growled Justin as the six game go-ers got out of the car.

"Not if we wanted to still be alive when we got here," Steve said as he got out of the car. And then together the six of them ran into the old Horton house where Tom and Alice had lived and raised their family. Before they had so much as opened the door they could all hear the cry of a new born from inside.

Jack felt his heart swell. Steve and Justin didn't stop as he did but moved quicker.

Justin crossed to Adrienne as soon as she was in his eye sight and he wished he had been there to help bring the baby in to the world. He knew it was not going to be long until he was in tears.

But what mattered was that the child had arrived safely and it did look like she had, snuggling into her mother's arms as she was.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Adrienne asked as he crouched down by his side.

It was all he could do to nod.

"Yes – yes she is!" he said as he kissed the forehead of the mother and then the baby. "I am so, so proud of you," he murmured as Sonny came to join them, more thrilled than he was rightly able to say that he got to share this moment with his mother and father.

He was always going to remember the day his baby sister came in to the world.

She had chosen her moment well he thought as he looked round the room to see the child was surrounded by her maternal family. And knowing them – knowing the changes which had taken place in them of late, she was always going to have them.

Adrienne rocked back and forth enhanced before looking back at her sister in law.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it."

She felt as if her child was a miracle. But she was not the only miracle to have occurred in their family that day.

Kayla looked at her knowing, swallowing, felt Stephanie squeeze her hand and beam.

"Nor can I."

That was the second big shock of the day over for the men – but at that moment she could only see two of them. Joey looked as if all his Christmases and all of his wildest dreams had come true all at once. He was rooted to the spot where he had been standing for just a moment.

"Mom!" he then said as he rushed in to her arms, careless of the duty she had just performed.

His eyes shined. "Say something else."

"Oh I love you baby." They were the only words she wanted to say to him. What she had missed saying to him the most.

Steve watched his kids with their mother as Steph ruffled her brother's hair and the one thought in his head this was even better than on the yacht. Last time he had got to hear his sweetness say her wedding vows to him true, but hearing her tell their son she loved him… it was like a dream.

Knowing that Joe needed this and knowing how much he needed this moment, Steve was careful not to interrupt it, but at long last Kayla's eyes feel on him and shone with all the love he adored seeing there.

She kissed Joe on the forehead, squeezed him one more time and then buried herself in Steve's arms. He was the husband of her heart.

Tears trickled down his face as he repeated one phrased again and again. "I love you, sweetness. Oh God, you can talk, I love you!"

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