Water Ch. 147 - Hurt Me, Heal Me

 



Laying there with the mother of his expected babies, he can't help but look at her naked body.  She's laying there totally relaxed, with her hand resting on Jon's  hand, as he rubs her belly.  He tells her, "Your baby bump is growing pretty fast. You get sexier everyday."  

She lifts her head and looks, "Wow, it looks bigger from this angle." Laughing she confesses with, "I need new work clothes, my slacks and skirts are getting tight."

"We'll get you whatever you need. As soon as all of this is over. Promise." He repositions himself so that he can kiss her belly and say hello to his babies. She takes her hand and rubs the part of his back that she can reach, and she loves the feeling of his skin on her hand.

Clearing her throat, "Jon, why is the vineyard in my name?"

He sits up and looks at her. "How did you hear about that?"

"Dorothea told me. She found out from that investigator that she hired."

"That stupid bitch.  That's your wedding present.  Damn her." He's pissed, again Dorothea has ruined something for Jon.

Beth gives him a silly look and says, "Honey, it's okay.  Thank you for doing that. I love that vineyard. We should take the kids out there. Maybe stop and see Richie?" 

"We can do that, maybe at their first school break? They love going to California." he tells her, thinking he would like to see Richie.  He misses his brother, from another mother.

 

"Let's plan a long weekend.  We should do it before Dot comes home, though."

 

"Why before she comes home?" he questions, not even sure of her motive.

 

Beth scoots up a little and leans on the headboard.  Jon rests his head on her thigh and is looking up at her, "Well, I want them here for when she does get out.  I'm sure she's missed them.  And I know that they miss her."

 

"Yeah, you're probably right.  Should we go this weekend?" 

 

"If we get the all clear, yeah - this weekend will work.  It's a long one and the last one before school starts." Beth shakes her head "Yeah, let's do that."

 

"Okay, I'll make arrangements in the morning.  We fly out for a couple of days, see Richie and Ava and then check on the vineyard."

 

Beth smiles, she's going home for a couple of days.  She missed California,

 

Jon lays down next to her, with his folded pillow under his chest.  He loves to just look at her, he loved the way she moved her mouth when she talked.  He could watch her do nothing, for hours.

 

"Jon?'

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Can we talk about Dorothea?"

 

"What for?"

 

Beth finally divulges, "The kids want to see her, and I think that they should."  And she holds her breath. 

 

"When did they tell you this?"

 

"Stephanie mentioned it on the way out here.  I know that being here makes them miss her even more.  She is their mother."

 

Jon thinks for a minute, foot tapping on the mattress.  Beth can see that he is really mulling this one over, he might actually take them to see her. 

 

"Ok, when we head into the city, we can stop and I'll take them in for a few minutes.  And I'm only doing it because Stephanie asked." 

 

Beth is happy about that, and she feels the need to thank him.  he found her thank you to be odd, but knows it just the way that Beth is.  She is always helping the helpless and the underdog.  She hates to see an injustice being done to anyone or anything.

 

They both lay down and Jon turns off the bedside light.  There is enough moonlight shining that they are still able to see one another.  Face to face, Jon can't help himself.  He leans in and kisses her, over an over.  When he's finally finished making out with her, he admits, "I can't help but love you more everyday.  Every day you amaze me with your kindness and your ability to forgive.  I know the danger when forgiveness fades away."

 

"I'm really not all that Jon.  I just try to help people whenever I can.  And it's easier if you treat people the way that you want to be treated."

 

"I know, I seem to get taken advantage of over and over though.  And it's hard for me to tell who really needs help.  That's part of why I have the Soul Foundation.  I let others pick who needs my help."  He rolls onto his back and keeps his hand on her thigh. 

 

Looking at his profile, she can't help the urge to touch his face.  She loves every inch of that man and he has to know it.  "What are we going to do?  Am I selfish for wanting you divorced and married to me?"

 

He shakes his head no.

 

"Are you sure?  I feel bad having these thoughts, but I want my man to be my husband.  I want the babies to be born to married parents.  That has to sound selfish."  she mumbles to him.

 

Turning his head to look at her, he says, "You want all that I want.  For us to be together and it to be legal.  We'll get there.  It's just going to take some more time."  he tries to assure her.

 

"I know."  She lays there, tracing the outline of his face with her eyes, and she remembers, "What are you going to get your mother for her birthday?"

 

"Shit, I forgot.  Thanks for reminding me.  It completely slipped my mind."  He pats her on the leg.  "I love the detail oriented part of you.  You remember everything.  It's like I have my own walking day planner."

 

Beth hits him on the shoulder, "Smartass.  Make sure that you call her."

 

As he yawns, he says, "I will, will you remind me in the morning." and he laughs at her.  The yawn was her cue to take her place.  She slid in next to him, threw on leg over him and laid her head on his chest.  She ran her fingers through his chest hair until she fell asleep and he rubbed her shoulder with the tips of his fingers until he fell asleep. 

 

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After the Bongiovi family had breakfast, they all decided that they wanted to go to the beach.  Jon and the Captain talked it over, and since the beach area is at a dead end road, the Captain thought that it would be okay, if they weren't there too long.  He was confident that he could keep them all safe and be un-noticed if he sat up closer to the road.  He could see all of them, and anyone coming up and down the beach.  No one would be able to get passed him, off the street side because he would direct them to the other access area down the road.

 

Jon played in the water with the little guys, Jesse went off on a shore board and Stephanie hung out on the beach with Beth.  The girls sat there and talked about the babies, Dorothea, going out West and school starting next week.

 

"This has been a long and crazy summer, I'm ready to go back to school.  Maybe life will be a little more normal then."  Stephanie confides in Beth. 

 

Beth, knowing exactly how Stephanie is feeling, reaches out and pats her hand, as if to tell her, 'I know what you mean.' 

 

"Beth, are you and my dad okay?"

 

"What do you mean, Steph?"

 

"Are you still planning on getting married?" she asks Beth, in a meek voice - almost like she doesn't want anyone to hear her.

 

"Yes, Stephanie - we do. Is there something you want to talk about?"  Beth tries to comfort what seemed like a confused girl.

 

"I just don't want you and dad to break up, because of my mom."

 

"Sweety, that will not happen.  Your dad and I are fine.  Our concern, that applies to your mother, is that she gets better and can handle us being together when she gets home."

 

"She should be fine, unless she uses this as a vacation."  There is definite tone in Stephanie's voice.  Beth hears that Steph is pissed at her mother and thinks that this was a ploy to get her dad away from Beth.

 

"She's being given the tools that she needs to deal with stressful situations.  I think she will be fine.  If anything helped her see what she has done, it was your 'talk' with her when we were there."

 

"I don't understand my mom, and I really don't think that I want to. What I want to know is, did she really think that would get my dad back?  They don't love each other anymore, why would she want him back?"

 

"I can't answer for her Stephanie, but when people are hurt they react before they think.  And your mom's reaction to her hurt was what she did.  It doesn't make it right.  She may have thought that if she seemed unstable or depressed, your dad might go home."  Beth was walking that fine line and wasn't liking the other side, but she wasn't leaving Stephanie hanging. 

 

"My dad will never go back home." 

 

"Does that bother you Steph?"  Beth sits on her towel so that she is facing Stephanie.  She wants Stephanie to know that she is the most important thing to her at this moment and everything thing that she says has merit.  Beth needs Stephanie to know that she is there for her, regardless what she has to say or how she feels.

 

Stephanie is watching her dad play in the water with her little brothers, and she tells Beth, "My dad is happy.  That's all I care about.  For a while, I didn't even like my dad.  He was so distant and always seemed moody.  That was before he met you."

 

"He does look pretty happy, doesn't he?"  They both are watching Jon play with Jake and Romeo.  Romeo is having the time of his life, belly crawling in the shallow water.  Jake likes to walk through the water and kick it.  Jesse is sailing back and forth on the shore board - they all are relaxed and enjoying the day.

 

"Beth, are you okay?"  Stephanie asks her, quite unexpected.

 

"I am Stephanie, I'm better than okay.  I'm here with all of you and we are having a great day, I am way better than okay.  Why do you ask?" Beth smiles at Stephanie.

 

"You are always so happy and smiling, I know you can't be happy all the time.  And I only hear dad ask YOU if you're okay."  She explains her reason and it warms Beth's heart.  Beth knows that she's accepted by Stephanie, and she thought Stephanie would be the toughest one to 'win over.'

 

Just then Jon walks up  with the wee ones and says to the girls, "How are you doing ladies?"  Bending over, he kissed the both of them, with a smile on his face.

 

Stephanie blurts out with a chuckle, "See what I mean?"  And that makes Beth laugh.

 

"What's so funny?" Jon asks, sitting next to Beth on her towel.  Romeo climbs between his dad and Beth and cuddles with Beth.  Holding the little one to her, she tells Jon, "Girl talk."

 

"Glad I missed it.  Who's hungry?"  Jon replies, he's going to run to the house and grab some lunch.  He knows that Romeo is hungry, because he's starting to whine.

 

Stephanie tells her dad that she is a little bit, and picks up Jake and kisses on him.  Jake doesn't like it, so he tries to get away.  Jon takes him from Stephanie after he gets up, and tells the girls, "I'll be back in a bit.  I'm going to grab some snacks" looking at Beth, "Can I get you anything?"

 

Shaking her head, she says "Nope, I'm good."  And Jon walks off with Jake on his shoulder.  Romeo is laying on Beth's towel, digging in the dirt.  Flinging it all over. 

 

They all have a little picnic lunch on the beach, with very few passersby.  Their day was magnificent and everyone was tired when they walked back to the house.  It was only a block from the shore, but the kids belly ached because they were so tired. 

 

When they got back to the house and the kids were cleaned up, Beth scooped everyone ice cream.  The Captain joined them for ice cream.  Once the kids finished their ice cream, they all left the table and headed for the TV room.  Jon and Beth sat at the table with the Captain. 

 

"Well, did we miss anything?" Jon asks the Captain.

 

He laughs, "No today was very uneventful.  Nothing suspicious at all."  Shifting in his chair, "I did get a call from NYPD and they traced the New York call."  And he locks eye contact with Jon.

 

"They found out who it was"  Beth asks with an excitement, like a girl at a Bon Jovi concert.  She's thinking, 'Yay, we can go home!'  "Who was it?"

 

The Captain, still looking at Jon shifts his eyes to make eye contact with Beth, simply says, "It was Dorothea."

 

Beth's jaw drops.