Johnny pulled into Joanne's driveway and shut off the Rover, hopping down and making his way up to the house. The screen door was open, and Johnny could hear Joanne calling out to the kids, the frustration evident in her voice.

He tentatively opened the door and stepped inside. "Jo?"

Joanne appeared from down the hall, looking utterly exasperated. "Johnny, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. I don't know how this week got away from me."

"I don't mind." Johnny assured her. "Got plenty of free time these days, you know?"

Joanne gave him a sympathetic look. "Indeed. I'm sorry you and Vanessa didn't work out. She's a lovely woman."

"It's okay." Johnny told her. "No hard feelings."

Joanne nodded. "Chris? Are you ready? Uncle Johnny's here."

"Be right there." Chris called back.

Chris soon appeared in his football uniform with his bag slung over his shoulder. Joanne lightly smoothed back his bangs. "Now, Jenny and I will be along as soon as we can. We'll see you at the game."

Chris nodded, and he and Johnny headed out the door toward the Rover. Johnny opened up the back, and Chris tossed his bag in before they climbed in.

Soon they were on the road, and Johnny pushed in a tape, the sounds filling the Rover. "Sounds like things are a little nuts at home." He threw out casually.

Chris shrugged. "I guess."

As usual, Chris wasn't just going to start talking. "Everything okay?" Johnny asked.

Chris sighed, sounding almost like Roy used to. "Yeah. Mom started school when we did. She's kinda busy."

"Oh, right." Johnny answered with a nod.

"And Alan's still around, too."

"Huh." Johnny wasn't surprised but was still a little bothered. "Speaking of, he coming to the game?"

"Don't know." Chris answered. "Don't really care if he does."

"Don't you like him?" Johnny asked. "Jenny seems to."

"He's okay." Chris responded with a frown. "I mean, he tries to act like he's my dad. But he's not. And I don't want another dad."

Johnny heard the catch in Chris's voice but chose not to say anything. If the kid wanted to talk, Johnny was just going to let him.

Chris took a deep breath and let it out, staring straight through the windshield. "I want my dad."

That hit Johnny hard, and he found himself swallowing hard to keep the emotion at bay. He remembered how he had felt at Chris's age, by then living with his aunt, his parents long gone, how badly he had wanted a father like all the other boys seemed to have.

Johnny drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the music, racking his brain for something to say that might help Chris feel better and coming up with nothing.

"He doesn't understand me." Chris suddenly spoke again. "He doesn't really know me. I mean, he's nothing like Dad. I don't get why Mom and Jenny like him so much."

"Well, let's be fair. Jenny likes everybody." Johnny pointed out.

Chris rolled his eyes. "She's so dumb sometimes."

"She's not dumb." Johnny told him. "You two are just different. Not sure you two could be any different if you tried."

"Yeah." Chris agreed. "I just…I wish everything was different. Like it was before."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Johnny replied. "I miss your dad an awful lot. Still think about him sometimes."

"You do?" Chris seemed surprised.

"Sure." Johnny told him as he pulled into the parking lot at the field. "He wasn't just my work partner. He was my best friend."

Chris glanced down, his expression sober. "Can I tell you something? Promise you won't get mad."

"You can tell me anything." Johnny assured him. "I won't get mad. Promise."

Chris took another deep breath and exhaled, still looking down. "Sometimes I wish you had died instead of him."

That did hurt, but Johnny understood. After a long moment, he nodded. "Believe me, there's plenty of times I've thought the same thing. If I could have traded my life for your dad's, I'd have done it in a heartbeat."

Chris looked over with an alarmed expression. "I don't want you to die."

"I mean, I don't wanna die, either." Johnny couldn't help the short laugh that came out. "Gonna do my best not to. All I mean is that I get it. That's all."

Chris nodded, seeming to understand. "Guess I should get to the field. Coach gets kinda mad when we're late."

"Well, we don't want that." Johnny told him, somewhat relieved that the moment had passed.

They climbed down, and Johnny opened up the back of the Rover so that Chris could pull out his bag, and he awkwardly slung it over his shoulder. As soon as Johnny closed up the Rover, Chris threw his arms around him.

Johnny was startled, but responded likewise, rubbing him between his shoulders. The kid was growing like a weed, now nearly up to Johnny's shoulder.

All too soon Chris let go, turning and heading toward the field, leaving Johnny alone with his thoughts. He pulled his cigarette pack out and shook one out, lighting it up and taking a deep drag before blowing it out.

The whole conversation brought to mind that first session he'd had with that shrink Chet had recommended. Johnny had been reluctant to start talking at first, but before he knew it, he was telling the guy all about Roy's death, how he still thought about what he would have done differently.

"What would happen if you allowed yourself to grieve?" the shrink had asked.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny had immediately responded, explaining how mired in grief he'd been for months after, the dreams that wouldn't let him rest.

He hadn't mentioned how close he'd gotten to Joanne in that time. That felt like too much to get into.

But they had talked some about how Johnny had been handling Roy's death. That had carried over into the next session, and the next, until Johnny finally came to realize that he hadn't been handling this very well at all, that there was an awful lot he hadn't faced.

Not that he felt any more ready now, but now that the pain was more muted, maybe he could start wrestling that particular demon. And maybe he could finally get a handle on how he truly felt about Joanne.

He huffed irritably to himself as he finished the cigarette and tossed it to the ground, crushing it underfoot before picking up the butt and tucking it in his pack. It wasn't as if it would do him any good to figure out his feelings. Likely Joanne and Alan would continue their relationship, and Johnny would just have to deal with it.

Before long he recognized Joanne's car pulling into the lot, and she pulled into the spot next to his. Jenny hopped out immediately and hugged him tightly. "Uncle Johnny!"

"Hey, you." Johnny gave her a quick hug back, spotting Joanne. "Jo, you need a hand?"

"Oh, always." Joanne sighed. "I really appreciate you bringing Chris earlier. I would have been ready, but…oh, you know."

Johnny didn't, but he shrugged in response. "Here, let me grab that cooler."

They were soon on their way to the bleachers, finding a spot as Jenny saw one of her friends and climbed down to sit with her. Joanne let out a soft laugh that ended in a sigh. "Almost like old times, isn't it?"

"Almost." Johnny answered, a little pang of something going through him.

Joanne responded with a warm smile, placing her hand over his, and he was startled to find it sparked that same feeling that it used to. He couldn't help wondering if it did the same for her.

He chided himself for the thought. Of course it didn't. That would be ridiculous.

Wouldn't it?

Johnny shoved the thought aside as the teams took the field and the game started. He was soon caught up in the game, cheering and yelling right along with Joanne at nearly every play.

Finally, it was halftime, and Joanne opened up the cooler as Chris found them in the stands. He was already dirty from head to toe, evoking a sigh from Joanne. "Chris, you're an absolute mess."

Chris merely smiled slightly, almost seeming pleased with himself. "Yeah, I know."

"You guys are looking good out there." Johnny told him. "Playing real tough."

"Uncle Johnny, did you play football?" Jenny asked.

"Uh…nope." Johnny answered as Joanne laughed softly. "I ran track. Tried to play baseball and basketball but I wasn't that good at it."

"Dad played football." Chris told him. "Only in high school, though."

Johnny turned to Joanne. "Is that right?"

"He did." Joanne nodded. "I think he would have played college football if he'd been recruited. But he wasn't, so he went into the Army instead."

"Huh."

"Do you think Alan played football?" Jenny asked Joanne.

Chris scoffed. "No. He played baseball. That's how he got to college."

All eyes turned toward Chris. He merely shrugged. "He told me one time when we were playing catch."

"Oh." Joanne seemed surprised, then somewhat pleased. "I didn't know you two talked that much."

"We don't." Chris answered so bluntly that Johnny nearly choked on his sandwich, managing to cover it with a brief cough.

It wasn't long before halftime was over, and Chris started back the way he came, leaving with a brief wave. Jenny soon returned to where her friend was sitting, leaving Johnny and Joanne alone again.

Joanne let out a huff of frustration. "I just don't know what to do with him."

"Who, Chris?"

"Yes, Chris." Joanne's voice held a note of exasperation. "Alan's trying so hard with him, but it's just…I don't know. I suppose I'm hoping for too much."

Johnny took a deep breath and exhaled. The last thing he wanted was to be too helpful, but he knew it was the right thing to do despite his own feelings. "Listen, you've gotta let them figure that out, you know? Alan's not Roy, no one's gonna be. Chris doesn't need another dad."

If Joanne's expression was any indication, Johnny's words had hit a sore spot. "Jo, I don't mean that they can't get along eventually. It's just not gonna be the same. That's all."

Joanne didn't answer at first, but after a long moment, she nodded. "I suppose some of it is my own fault. Maybe going back to school wasn't such a good idea after all."

"What are you talking about?" Johnny immediately responded. "Listen, someone as smart as you should be in school. Besides, it's what you've always wanted to do, right?"

"Well, maybe not always, but for a long time." Joanne admitted. "Maybe I just should have waited until the children were older."

Something was clearly going on, but Johnny wasn't sure how to approach it. "It was gonna be hard no matter when you started. And if anyone can do this, it's you."

Joanne finally smiled at that, taking his hand in both of hers. "You've always been such a good friend to me, Johnny."

"And I always will be." Johnny told her. "No matter what. And hey, if you need some extra help, let me know. Anything I can do."

Joanne patted the back of his hand and pulled back, and they both focused their attention on the game. It was a rough and rowdy one, though Chris's team came out on the losing end of it. They packed up what was left of the cooler and made their way out of the stands to meet up with Chris.

He was talking to the coach as they approached, and he left him with a nod before coming to meet them. "Hi."

Joanne immediately brushed back a bit of his hair. "Hi. You did great."

"I guess." Chris shrugged. "Coach wants to try me at a different position. Says he's still trying to figure out where I fit. Maybe it means I'm not that good."

"Pretty sure that's not true." Johnny rushed to assure him. "It's not like he's trying to kick you off the team, right?"

Chris gave him a baleful look. "Maybe he's trying to make me quit. Other boys have."

"You're not other boys." Johnny told him. "You'll figure out where you fit. Just gonna take a little time, that's all."

"Season's almost half over." Chris argued.

Johnny let out a short sigh, fresh out of reassurances. "Yeah, it seems a little rough right now. Don't let it get to you."

They all made their way to their respective vehicles, and Chris briefly glanced at the Rover. "Mom, can I ride back with Uncle Johnny?"

Joanne looked puzzled but nodded. "Of course. We'll meet you back at the house."

"I wanna ride with Uncle Johnny, too!" Jenny cried out excitedly.

Chris looked as if he was about to object, so Johnny decided to head her off. "You know, I think me and Chris have some stuff to talk about. Guy stuff."

Jenny huffed and rolled her eyes. "That sounds boring."

Johnny managed to contain his laugh when he spotted Joanne's appalled expression. "Well, I'm sure you and your mom have some girl stuff to talk about that'd be boring to us. So I'd say we're probably even."

Jenny seemed to consider that. "I guess. Okay, I'll ride back with Mom. Bye, Uncle Johnny."

She gave him a quick hug, and Johnny returned it. "See you soon."

Joanne reached out and quickly squeezed Johnny's hand, her expression seeming to indicate relief at the whole situation, and they were soon in their respective vehicles on their way back to the house.

It was only when they were back on the road that Chris spoke up again. "Uncle Johnny, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything." Johnny told him casually. "You know that."

"You and Mom like each other, right?"

Johnny paused for a long moment before answering. "Your mom and I are friends, yeah. Have been for a long time."

Chris fell silent before speaking again. "I kinda liked it when you were around all the time. You know, right after Dad died."

Johnny tried to keep the panicky feeling to himself. He and Joanne had tried to be as discreet as possible for just this reason. They hadn't wanted the kids to get the wrong idea. "Well…you know, your mom needed a lot of help then. Your dad did an awful lot. But, you know, we've all kinda gotten used to your dad not being here, and your mom doesn't need my help as much. Besides, she's got Alan. She doesn't need me hanging around. That'd be kinda silly, right?"

"I guess."

Johnny let the silence fall between them, considering what he'd told Joanne earlier. "Listen, your mom and Alan might be together a long time. They might even get married."

"Married?" Chris wrinkled his nose.

Johnny couldn't help laughing at that. "You never know, it might happen. So, hey, maybe he won't be your dad, but you can learn to get along with him, right?"

"Yeah." Chris nodded.

"And I'm still gonna be around." Johnny reminded him. "You guys are my family. If you need me, you can get a hold of me, okay? Doesn't matter what it's for."

Chris smiled slightly at that. "Okay."

"Okay." Johnny echoed. "Good deal."

Soon Johnny pulled into the driveway, shutting off the Rover and climbing down to open the back so Chris could grab his bag. "Thanks, Uncle Johnny."

"Hey, yeah." Johnny answered. "Anytime."

Chris started up the walk, and the screen door opened. Joanne stepped outside, waving to Johnny. He could already hear Joanne telling Chris to leave his cleats outside as they went inside, and at that point Johnny decided to leave.

It had been a good day, and Johnny was reasonably content to leave things as they were. Things would just have to work themselves out, one way or another, and he would have to accept it.

That was that.

# # #

"Jenny, Chris, would you two please set the table?" Joanne asked, working on finishing the spaghetti while checking on the garlic bread in the oven. "Alan's going to be here any minute."

Both of them grumbled, but otherwise got right to work. "Mom, where do you want your school stuff?" Chris asked.

"Oh, please put it on the desk." Joanne replied as the phone rang. "For heaven's sake. Hello, DeSoto residence."

"Joanne." Alan's warm voice was on the other end.

"Hello, Alan." Joanne answered. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm going to have to cancel this evening." Alan indeed did sound sorry, and Joanne felt bad for him. "I thought I was going to be able to get away, but this case has me absolutely tied in knots."

"Oh, please don't worry about it." Joanne assured him. "We can come pick up Michelle if she'd still like to join us."

There was a long pause at the other end of the line. "I'm afraid she is otherwise occupied. I appreciate your offer, that's very kind of you."

"Of course." Joanne replied. "Well, perhaps when you get out from under that case, we'll try this again."

"Certainly." Alan agreed. "That is, if you're not busy with your schoolwork."

Joanne didn't like the way he put that. "I'm sure we'll find a time. Try not to work too hard tonight."

"I'll do my best." Alan told her. "Good night, my dear."

"Good night."

With that, Joanne hung up the phone with a sigh. Stoker Spaghetti made enough to feed a small army, and even if Alan and Michelle were to come over, there would have almost been more leftovers than she knew what to do with.

Well, there was nothing to be done about it now. She pulled the garlic bread out of the oven and drained off the spaghetti before adding it to the sauce, stirring with a bit more force than was probably necessary.

"Mom?" Jenny's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Table's all set."

"Thank you." Joanne told her. "I hate to ask, but could you put away two of them? I'm afraid Alan and Michelle won't be coming after all."

"Oh." Jenny's face fell briefly, but she recovered with a quick nod before leaving the kitchen, returning with two sets of tableware. "Mom?"

"Yes, Jenny." Joanne answered in an exasperated tone she didn't intend.

Jenny frowned briefly as she set the dishes on the counter. "Why don't we invite Uncle Johnny over? He'll eat a ton of Stoker Spaghetti."

"Oh, I'm sure he's busy." Joanne replied. "And besides, it's a bit late to invite him, don't you think?"

"Why?" Jenny asked.

To be quite honest, Joanne couldn't come up with a good reason. "Okay, I'll give him a call."

"Yay!" Jenny raced out of the room. "Chris, guess what? Uncle Johnny's coming over!"

"I haven't even called him yet!" Joanne called out, to no avail. She dialed Johnny's number and waited while it rang.

"Hello?" Johnny answered, sounding very much as if Joanne had awakened him.

"Johnny?" Joanne hated how she sounded. "It's Joanne."

"What's wrong?" Johnny's tone immediately changed.

"Nothing's wrong." Joanne couldn't help laughing a little. "I know it's a little late, but I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner. I made Stoker Spaghetti and well, you know it makes a ton—"

"All you had to say was Stoker Spaghetti." Johnny cut her off. "I'll be right over. See you in a few."

Almost as soon as they hung up, Joanne turned to see both children in the doorway. "Yes, Uncle Johnny's coming over. One of you can set another place for him."

"I told you, Chris." Jenny told Chris as she grabbed the dishes from the counter. "Mom, he didn't believe me."

"That's because you lie all the time." Chris responded.

Joanne cut up the garlic bread and placed it in a basket lined with a dish towel. "Chris, please put this on the table."

Chris did as he was told, and Joanne brought the pot of spaghetti out to the table. Soon, she heard the screen door open. "Hey, hope I'm not too late."

"Uncle Johnny!" Jenny raced to meet him, throwing her arms around him. "Alan and Michelle couldn't make it, so I asked Mom if she could invite you."

"Jenny, honestly." Joanne could feel her face heating up.

Johnny merely looked amused, if a little puzzled. "I don't mind pinch-hitting."

"What does that mean?" Jenny asked.

"It means he's happy to accept the invitation." Joanne told her as she crossed over to guide her toward the table. "I'm sorry about that. You know how she is."

"Jo, it's okay." Johnny assured her, that amused expression never leaving his face. "Hadn't figured out what I was doing for dinner yet, anyway."

They were soon arranged around the table, dishing up and digging in, talking and laughing, and it struck Joanne just how much she missed these evenings. As much as she enjoyed Alan's company, things always felt a bit formal, though they were certainly quieter and calmer.

This felt more normal, somehow, and Joanne didn't quite know how to feel about that.

No, this was silly. There was no sense in trying to recapture what once was. That was then, back when both she and Johnny were hurting so badly in the wake of Roy's death, both of them trying to find some comfort and stability in the chaos.

They had both come through that time in their own way, though she was sorry that things hadn't worked out with him and Vanessa. She had liked her immensely, and it seemed that Johnny had, too.

She couldn't help wondering what had really happened between them.

"…well, you see, I was just trying to help." Johnny was explaining. "So, I called your mom and gave her the recipe. Turns out I just made her madder."

Jenny's eyes went wide. "And then what happened?"

"Well, your mom and dad worked it out." Johnny told her, his eyes flicking over to meet hers. "Turns out it had nothing to do with spaghetti."

"Right." Joanne nodded. "But it was very good spaghetti, so I've been making it ever since."

Jenny looked confused. "I don't get it."

"Boring grown-up stuff." Johnny answered casually, resting his arm on the back of the chair next to him. "Point is, you should never interfere in someone else's argument. It just comes back to bite you, then everyone's mad at you."

"An excellent lesson to learn." Joanne agreed.

Finally, they finished dinner, and after clearing the table, the children went into the living room to watch TV. The sound of the CHiPs theme song blared through the house.

"Turn that down." Joanne called out as she started toward the kitchen.

"Hey, you want a hand?" Johnny offered.

"If you don't mind." Joanne answered carefully.

"'Course not." Johnny followed Joanne into the kitchen and started a sink of soapy water while Joanne started to put away leftovers.

"I can send some of this home with you." She offered.

"You know I won't turn that down." Johnny responded with a short laugh. "I'll take as much as you wanna give me."

Joanne packed several containers and stacked them in the refrigerator. "Just remind me before you go home."

"Will do." Johnny was already washing, placing items in the rinse sink when Joanne joined him.

"So, uh, everything okay with you and Alan?" Johnny asked.

"I suppose." Joanne answered. "He's been handling this difficult divorce case and he's all tied up on it tonight. Since I started school and he started that case, it's been a bit of a challenge to see each other."

"I'll bet." Johnny agreed.

Joanne wiped dishes dry and put them away as Johnny washed, unsure if she wanted to say anything more. "Johnny, be honest with me. If your girlfriend was going to school, would you encourage her?"

Johnny looked surprised at the question. "Yeah, of course. It's a hell of a thing you're doing, Jo. I couldn't do it. Why?"

"Oh, I don't know." Joanne sighed. "No reason, I suppose."

Johnny seemed to study her for a moment before he shrugged. "Well, if it helps, I'm behind you all the way. Hope I'm there to see you graduate. And you know, my offer still stands. Whatever you need, I'm still here."

"And I appreciate that." Something in Joanne warmed at Johnny's words. "I just wish Alan was so enthusiastic."

"Don't take this wrong, but I'm not sure he's enthusiastic about much of anything." Johnny told her.

"He's just very reserved, that's all." Joanne told him. "He shows it differently."

"I'll take your word for it." Johnny answered. "You know him better than I do."

Joanne had to wonder if that was true. She always got the sense that Alan was holding back something, though she wasn't quite sure what that something might be.

They talked a bit more after that as they finished cleaning up, and it struck Joanne just how much she had missed having Johnny here, how easy he was to talk to. She had to admit that she regretted not doing a better job of maintaining their friendship.

Well, she wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Hey, I should probably get going." Johnny's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"There's no hurry." Joanne told him. "Unless you've got a hot date you're not telling me about."

Johnny broke out in a full smile. "Nah, no hot date. Think I'm done with that for a while."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay." Johnny shrugged. "Won't kill me to be a solo act for a while, you know? Probably be good for me."

"Well, you're always welcome here." Joanne told him. "No matter what."

Johnny suddenly wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She responded in kind, remembering all those times he'd done this in times past, how she always felt that comfort in his arms.

Finally, he released her, lightly squeezing her hand before heading toward the refrigerator. "How many of these do you want me to leave?"

"Just leave us two." Joanne replied. "And get those containers back when you can. No hurry."

"I will." Johnny told her. "And thanks. For all of this."

"Of course." Joanne answered. "I'll see you out."

They headed back toward the living room, where both children were curled up on the couch. Jenny spotted Johnny first and propped herself up on the arm of the couch. "Uncle Johnny, do you have to go?"

"Afraid so." Johnny told her as she climbed down to give him a hug. "Gotta work tomorrow."

"Chris?" Joanne gently got his attention.

Chris waved from the couch. "Bye."

"See you around." Johnny waved back, and he started out the door, Joanne not far behind.

Joanne waited while Johnny placed the containers in the Rover and turned back toward her, taking her hand. "I've kinda missed this."

"You know what?" Joanne answered softly. "I have, too."

Johnny looked thoughtful for a long moment, his thumb stroking over the back of her hand. "Listen, I know you and Alan have…whatever it is you have, and I want it to work out for you. I do. I want what's best for you."

"Johnny…"

"Jo." Johnny cut her off. "We're family. You, me, the kids. No matter what. And I love you guys. As my family."

Joanne could feel that old, familiar emotion well up, and she pulled her hand away, moving in to hug Johnny tightly.

He didn't say a word, merely wrapped his arms around her until she was able to get herself under control again. She pulled back ever so slightly, wiping at her eye. "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"It's okay." Johnny answered quietly. "You've got a lot going on right now. If you need to talk about it…well, you know."

"And what about you?" Joanne asked.

Johnny let out a quiet laugh. "You're not gonna believe this. I'm talking to a damn shrink."

"You are." To say Joanne was surprised was an understatement.

"Yeah." Johnny nodded. "Chet actually, uh, recommended him. Good guy. It's helping. Turns out there's…well, there's a lot I needed to talk about."

He glanced up toward the house. "Anyway, guess I've kept you out here long enough. I'll see you…"

"Next time." Joanne told him. "We'll arrange it."

Johnny smiled a little at that, leaving her with a brief squeeze of her hand before rounding the front of the Rover and climbing in. Joanne could hear the music blaring as soon as he started it up, and she stepped back so he could back out. He gave her a brief wave as he did so.

She watched him until the taillights disappeared into the night, finally turning around and heading back into the house. The children were watching something else now, and she decided to get back into her homework for a while.

Finally, she got them to bed, then climbed into bed herself. As she fell asleep, her mind drifted to the feel of someone's arms around her, pulling her in close.

It wasn't Alan, as it should have been. It was Johnny's arms around her, Johnny's arms holding her close. There should have been something wrong with that, but Joanne didn't have it in her at the moment to wonder about it.

It was just another thing she'd have to deal with another time.