A/N: The lyrics to the song used in this part are from Said the people by Dinosaur Jr. (I know I've been using lyrics to songs a lot but I'm very music oriented and there will be a lot of music in this fic and I know this song was Skins itself but I thought the song fit with Naomi and JJ's conversation about their father's) another fair warning: things are going to get a whole lot worse for our characters before they get better.

Chapter Thirteen: Fathers (Naomi's POV)

Naomi had no idea where she had gone after she had left the party with a very drunk JJ nor did she care. She figured she had stumbled around Bristol and had gotten even more drunk or high at a number of local pubs before she came home and passed out on the couch. Naomi had wished that her drunken self could have made it to the bed at least when an aching pain in her back had awoken her up that morning … her angry looking mom had only been an added bonus.

"Naomi, where were you?" Gina Campbell tapped her foot impatiently waiting for her daughters' answer.

"Huh?" Naomi said trying to stall the impending yelling match as long as she could. Maybe if her mother knew how bad her hangover was she would wait to rip her a new one. Maybe.

"Oh, don't try that with me, Naomi Campbell! Where were you? You didn't come home till seven o' clock in the morning!"

"What time is it now?" another distraction.

"Nearly three o' clock!"

"Mum, I was at a party with Cook, Freddie, and JJ. " Naomi needed coffee and now! She also needed her mother to stop shouting.

"Not in till seven o' clock in the morning you weren't! Where you go after?" Naomi groaned at that. She couldn't do this now not when her head felt like someone was having a very violent party in it.

"Mum, Please. Can we drop the inquisition until I've had at least eight cups of coffee?" Naomi pleaded shielding her eyes from the light.

Gina Campbell considered it and nodded her head "Fine! This isn't over young lady! I want answers!" Gina turned angrily away from her daughter and headed into the kitchen.

Yeah, I know you do. Naomi thought bitterly but so do I, Mum. So do I.

Naomi groaned in pain as she pushed herself off the couch and sat back down, hanging her head on the arm rest. This was probably the worst hangover Naomi had ever had; she was surprised that she hadn't dropped dead from alcohol poisoning or a drug overdose from all illegal and legal substances she had consumed last night after her fight with Emily.

Naomi wished she had though with the hell she was going through right now, Naomi began to become uncomfortable on the couch and had to force herself to get up and make her way toward the kitchen but Naomi knew it was a lost cause when she nearly doubled over into a heap on the floor.

"Naomi!" Gina shouted with concern, dropping the pot of coffee on the living room table to bend down to help Naomi back on the couch. Naomi slumped back on the couch unable to hold herself up.

"I maybe mad at you right now but that doesn't mean I want you to kill yourself." had been Gina's weak attempt to make light of the situation but it was useless, Naomi felt like dying.

"Mum…" Naomi couldn't even speak without feeling her head was about to cave in.

"Don't talk. Just drink something, Honey?" Gina said shoving a cup of coffee in Naomi's face. Naomi really had tried to drink it but she just couldn't keep it down and ended up having to run to the bathroom to puke her brains out.

After Naomi had gotten done puking and the feeling of someone eating her stomach from the inside out had subsided, Gina had forced Naomi to drink some water to shallow some aspirin and then helped her up the stairs and into her bed and with a kiss on the forehead from her mother, Naomi passed out again.

Naomi didn't wake up again until what seemed to be in the afternoon if Gina's bathrobe was anything to come by as she came clumsily down the stairs.

"Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty." Gina said with a sip of her tea and grabbed the remote to turn down the volume.

Naomi only grunted in response and dropped herself back on the couch.

"Hi, Mum." While Naomi didn't feel like she was going to die anymore, she still felt like someone was kicking her in the head. "What time is it?"

"4:15." Naomi nodded.

"On Sunday" Naomi was a little shocked by that. She had been so fucked up that she had passed out for nearly a day and a half! Naomi could remember a haze of moments where she had gotten up to go to the bathroom, to vomit, or to have Gina push something down her throat but she hadn't thought that had gone on for the nearly the last forty-eight hours.

"What was it?" Gina had said softly and it caused Naomi to give her mother a confused look. What was she saying?

"Naomi, nobody gets that wasted if they aren't running from something. So what is it?" Naomi understood now and immediately felt uncomfortable. She didn't want to have this conversation with her mother.

Almost as if Gina could sense her daughter's unwillingness to talk, she said, "Okay, I get it. I know you don't wanna have this talk with your mum and that's fine but you need to talk to someone, sweetheart." Gina got off the couch and headed off to the kitchen to refill her mug.

In that moment, Naomi remembered something Effy's had said last night and asked her mother, "Did dad's cheating make you feel free, Mum?" Naomi had expected her mother to respond angrily, to start crying, or just simply ignore her but instead Gina Campbell shocked Naomi with "Naomi, your dad stopped being there emotionally a long time ago, really being here," Gina paused briefly before going on "He stopped loving us and it was only a matter of time before he left anyway, it was just fucked up the way he did it." Gina headed off to the kitchen before she turned back to her daughter and said, "It does give me some freedom knowing he's miserable that he can't be with the women he loves, who just happens to be a married woman who still loves her husband," Gina couldn't look at her daughter when she said, "I've forgiven Anthea Stonem a long time ago and you should too."

"I sleep with Freddie the year you had been diagnosed with cancer," Her mother gave her a confused look and Naomi added, "and somehow Emily found out." Gina's face lit up in realization at what her daughter was saying and with a sad smile, Gina disappeared into the kitchen.

After her mother left, Naomi sat there in stunned silence but she understood in that instant that Gina was right, she needed someone to talk to about her problems other than her mother: Cook wouldn't do because he only understood so much about matters of the heart, Freddie was the reason for her problems plus he would just listen and sympathize with her and she wasn't in the mood for that. Naomi needed someone who understood where she was coming from, not only someone who would kick her ass if she had been wrong in way she had handled her situation with Emily but also Someone who could understand the things she had been through.

Naomi knew her answer before she had even headed out the door: She was going to JJ's.

The walk to JJ's from Naomi's had been short and she was grateful for that, she didn't need to stew in her feelings any long than she already had (Or stumble around anymore.) but the reason the walk to JJ's house had been so short was because just like Naomi, JJ lived in the one of the poor sectors of Bristol. The Jones' were actually more middle upper class and could afford a place much like the town houses the Fitches lived in near Roundview and the only reason they didn't was because Barbra Jones was the cheapest bitch Naomi had ever met when it came to JJ's well being; the cunt could spend nearly a thousand dollars on a hairdryer but she couldn't afford to let JJ live in a decent part of town. Naomi was glad that she had at least one loving parent, and sad that JJ had none.

Naomi stalled in the driveway of the house because even though Barbra and JJ Jones lived in a shitty part of Bristol, they still had the most manicured lawn and house in the area and it made Naomi nervous. Naomi kicked around the rocks in the Jones' driveway a little more before heading over to the blue door with a firm knock:

First knock: Nobody answered.

Second knock: Naomi grew irritated by JJ not answering (Plus she could barely stand up anymore.)

And by the third or fourth knock: Naomi picked the lock on the damn door!

Even if JJ wasn't home, it was nice to get away from her house for awhile and Naomi desperately needed to sit down. Naomi knew JJ wouldn't care if he saw Naomi lounging on his bed when he got home.

Once Naomi got inside, she wasn't surprised by the expensive gadgets just lying around the living room or by the designer furniture that filled it either but she was surprised by how everything seemed to look like it had never been touched by a single soul. Was JJ not allowed to touch anything? Naomi briefly wondered before it dawned on her that these expensive items weren't just spotless; they looked like they were on display. Like they were putting on some kind of a show.

It was then that Naomi understood and with a click of her tongue, she decided it wasn't her place to pry and to just let it be (But that didn't stop Naomi from touching a few things before she headed up the stairs.)

Once Naomi made up the stair, she was soon issued the ordeal of finding out which room was what. There seemed to be about six of them with no rhyme or purpose; just like in the living room only meant for display but for what? Naomi thought angrily who the fuck is going to be impressed by a million and one rooms?

Soon Naomi heard a thud coming from the room on the far right and panicked I thought no one was here? Almost on instinct Naomi tired to duck in one of the display rooms but they all appeared to be locked.

Oh, that's great! Have a damn abundance of 'look at me' rooms but lock them all! Naomi thought with a roll of her eyes that made real sense!

It was then that another thud sounded that made Naomi realize that maybe somebody was trying to rob the place and instead of trying to open door now, Naomi made a grab for any blunt object she could find: which ended up being a lamp. And with a heavy sigh she advanced.

There were a few more thuds and than a loud crash that made Naomi jump out of her skin before whoever it was that dared rob her mates house had decided it was time to come out:

Tired of stealing other people's shit, huh? Naomi thought with malice, she was becoming angrier and angrier at unfairness of it all. The unfairness that life was dishing out to her… and her friends.

There came a few more erratic movements and Naomi briefly thought of what JJ's face would be when he saw how much of a mess the intruder had made of his room and with one last heavy breath, Naomi ran up to the open door and began to whack the shit out of the supposed robber; Over and over again; taking all her anger out about everything from Emily, her father, to even herself.

Naomi couldn't stop herself, she felt like beating the shit out of someone. It wasn't until a piercing, "Oww!" sounded that Naomi stopped and took a look at who it was, it took Naomi's still drug and alcohol induced brain a few minutes to realize it wasn't an intruder on the floor, it was JJ!

"JJ, you scared the shit out of me!" Naomi huffed, dropping the (broken) lamp.

"I scared the shit out of you! You're the one who barged into my house and decided to beat the shit out of me!" JJ's face was cut in a few places from the light bulb but it was nothing serious, Thank god! Naomi finally let herself breath normally I was really whacking the shit out of him Naomi couldn't help be a little impressed that he had token that like a man without trying to hit her once.

"I didn't think you were home! I thought someone was robbing your house!" Naomi exclaimed.

JJ gave her an angry questioning look before saying, "So, you just come in?!" JJ yelled.

"Stop yelling! I have a headache!" All this yelling was doing nothing for her hangover or her anger.

"Sorry." JJ said apologetically as he tried to stand up without cutting himself on the broken glass.

Naomi sighed before offering to help JJ, "Come on, let me help you up." JJ waved her off, but it soon became apparent that he was still suffering from a hangover as well and that he wasn't going to get up without doing major damage to his hands, finally having no choice but to allow Naomi to help him up.

"So, what are you doing here anyway?" JJ asked once Naomi had gotten him off the floor.

"I wanted to see a friend, is that so bad?" Naomi wasn't looking JJ in the face; she was too busy looking at the shards of glass that were on the carpet. Just like the shards of my broken heart.

JJ gave her a skeptical look before raising his eyebrow, "Naomi, you've only been to my house once and that was in the backyard." JJ said in an odd tone, JJ knew something was up.

"I wanted to talk." Naomi said softly not in the mood to beat around the bush. JJ gave Naomi an understanding nod of the head and lead her to his room, Naomi followed JJ as he went back inside and Naomi had been right about one thing he had been making a mess in here. There was clothes thrown all over the place from faded shirts to hole-ridden underwear, there was also a large collection of airplane models and half-finished car models laying askew on his desk in the far corner of his room.

"About what?" JJ asked as he sat himself back down in his desk chair.

I been starin', I been starin' into space
Always tired, not a smile, such a waste

Naomi didn't answer his question and instead picked up what looked like 1970 Chevy Camaro model car that had been painted half blue and half white, the next one she picked up was a 1950 Chevrolet El Camino that he had painted entirely black with a gold trim, but the one that really caught Naomi's eye wasn't a model car at all: it had been some kind of WWII Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe model airplane and looked larger than life to Naomi. The airplane's paint was faded from its originally weird array of colors that looked like it had been painted by a small child, the color scheme made no sense to Naomi and she didn't try to but it's odd abundance of colors wasn't what had stood out about the airplane; it was what had been painted on its side with gold letters and a heart signed under the letters: Father and son flying team! JJ and Richard 4 ever!

"I didn't know you made model airplanes." Naomi said, picking up the airplane with gentle hands.

"I don't." JJ took the airplane out of Naomi's hands and sat it back in its spot on the night table next to JJ's bed.

"Who made that then?" JJ didn't answer. He just went back to sitting at his desk and painting his model car. Naomi moved away from JJ and sat on his queen sized bed.

Naomi and JJ sat in silence; with her lying on his bed and with him painting what looked like 1975 GTO Mustang an odd Orange and Red color, this seemed to go on for an eternity before JJ said softly, "My father and I made it when I was little." Naomi didn't need him to clarify what he meant: he was talking about the airplane.

I don't wanna, I don't wanna know
I can't tell you, I just have to go

JJ laughed lightly before he added, "I remember the day he brought it home. My mum had been on him about coming home drunk by saying that he was being a bad father and to make it up to me, he searched for something for us to do together," JJ rubbed his forehead, smearing red paint on himself before continuing "Our favorite thing we used to love to do together was make model airplanes and sometimes model cars," he held up the one in his hand "so he spent the next the month looking for the perfect airplane."

"JJ, you don't have to tell me this." Truthfully, Naomi didn't know if she wanted to know. Naomi had always suspected something…. And she feared what the answer might be.

"I have to tell someone." JJ didn't look at her when he said it; he was staring at the airplane next to the bed, "Anyway, he said it took him an entire month to find the perfect plane. The entire time he said the one's he saw looked either too fancy or that we had already built it but," JJ pointed to the airplane, "when he saw this one, He said there had been nothing really special about it nor was it one of the cool expensive one's we usually would build but despite that…" Naomi could feel JJ about to burst into tears but he didn't, "He said… despite that the main reason he bought it had been because it reminded him of me: small but it packed a powerful force that he didn't quite know, he said it may be nothing special on the outside, quite like he and I but it was special on the inside and that was what mattered." JJ paused a bit before saying, "It took us three days to build it; the days and nights we spent on it were the best memories I have my father. The only good ones really since he killed himself three weeks later." JJ laughed bitterly and said, "I was seven."

Can you tell me, can you tell me what went wrong
Guess I shoulda seen it comin' all along

Naomi was stunned, she had always suspected that JJ's father had killed himself but…"Who found him?" Naomi asked before she could stop herself but she had a feeling…

"I had." JJ was still staring at the airplane. "Blow out the back of his head. My mum didn't even bat an eye, she just called 911 and went into her bedroom and I was left to explain what happen." JJ scoffed, "a seven year old left to explain why his father fucking killed himself, can you believe that?"

Save me, save me
Save me, save me

Could Naomi believe that? Yeah, she guessed she could. Anything was possible with Barbra Jones but it didn't make Naomi want to rip the bitches' eyes out any less powerful, it was no better than letting your daughter kept a huge secret for two years.

"My father left my mum and me when I was thirteen." Naomi had no idea why she offered that as a damn comparison; it wasn't even in the same league! But JJ turned to Naomi with understanding anyway and asked, "Why'd he leave?"

"Was having an affair with Effy's mum." Naomi turned away from JJ.

"Really?" JJ asked shocked "How that come about?"

Naomi shrugged, "My father used to work for Effy's dad and I guess he met her that way." Naomi knew how her dad met Anthea Stonem; her mother and Anthea had once been best friends before Naomi had even been born.

"Did your mom find out?" JJ asked, he got up out the desk chair and climbed into the bed.

"Nope, I did." JJ stopped moving and looked at Naomi's back, "Came home early one day and saw them fucking on the couch." Naomi flinched at the memory, she had been excited to show her dad about the grade she had gotten in some class she had taken and had skipped last period to catch him before he went off to work.

Of all the people, of all the people to let me down
Of all the people, of all the people, why now

"Wow." JJ looked more than shocked now; he looked dumbfounded, "So, you told your mother, right?" he asked pulling the covers over his body. Naomi wished she had, "No, he made me promise not to. He kept saying he was going to end it." Naomi left out the fact that her dad had threatened to tell her mother that she had skipped school if she told. Naomi soon followed JJ's lead and pulled the covers over herself.

Bring me something, bring me something I can use
Well here's one thing, but it's not the one I choose

"I'm guessing he didn't keep it?" JJ asked.

Naomi scoffed, "Hell, No. Went over her house the next day but it wasn't like I could do anything I was only thirteen." Naomi had also made a promise to her dad not to say anything and even though he had disappointed her, she was about to do the same.

I can't help it, hope you show up soon
I can't help it, I'm countin' on you

"Naomi, we can always do something." Naomi supposed JJ was right but that didn't stop her from saying, "Could you stop your dad, JJ?" Naomi immediately cursed herself for saying it that was totally different! Naomi felt like banging her head against the headboard my father cheated, he didn't off himself!

JJ didn't look hurt by her comment; in fact he looked like he thought about the same thing all the time, "I wish I knew." JJ looked at Naomi, "What happened next? How'd your mum find out?"

"He told her." Naomi signed, "Two years later, he told her he was in love with another woman and left." What Naomi didn't tell JJ was that her father had blamed it all on Naomi. He felt that if Naomi had just told her mother, he would have been free to leave a long time ago and what Naomi also didn't tell him was that a part of herself believed it.

Gotta fight it, I gotta be strong

"I lost my virginity to Katie last night and didn't even remember it." JJ said abruptly after a few hours of silence. Naomi had almost fallen asleep. "So, was that what you and Katie had fought about?" Naomi remembered Katie punching him; she also remembered that had been when the drinking went from fun to drowning their sorrows.

"No." JJ said and left it at that.

"I sleep with Freddie a year ago." Naomi felt since they were sharing, they may as well share everything.

JJ gave her a knowing look, "and I'm guessing Emily knew." Naomi nodded her head, turning on her back to stare up at the ceiling.

"How that come about?" JJ asked puzzled, he was having a hard time picturing Naomi sleeping with man especially Freddie of all people.

Naomi shrugged, that answer was simple, "My mum had found out she had cancer. I went over to Freddie and one thing lead to another and after a lot of tears and booze I sleep with him."

"How come you never told me and Cook?" JJ looked a little hurt that she had never told him but she had proposed Freddie that she never would tell JJ and Cook.

"I think you know why I never told Cook," Cook would think that meant he had a shot at sleep with her, "and I never told you because at the time we weren't friends and after we did become friends, I had forgotten all about it until Emily brought it up." Naomi hadn't forgotten about it, she had just pushed on the back burner, never to be thought of again.

"Naomi, are we going to be like our fathers?" JJ asked, it was an odd question to ask since Naomi was a girl and she couldn't picture JJ killing himself but at the same time it made a world of sense: Were they going to kept hurting the people they loved?

"I hope not." Naomi signed. She really hoped not.

Gotta be something, can't let it drag on and on