Water Ch. 183 - Sex, no drugs and Rock & Roll

 

Everyone is seated on the plane with safety belts fastened.  They all are settled in for the long flight back home.  The boys have hand held video games and Stephanie is listening to her Ipod.  Jon looks at his children and can't help but smile - even though he just boarded a plane with the worst 'scandal' of his career waiting for him on the ground.  Jon and Beth are across the aisle from the kids. 

 

Beth can't think of anything other than what she had just seen as they boarded.  She recalls the picture in her mind and then remembers the night in Salt Lake City.  The sex was fantastic on his massage table, now someone had to go and ruin it for her.  She rests her head on Jon's shoulder and sighs.  He turns to her and kisses the top of her head.  "Talk to no one about it, make no comment and we'll deal with it when we get home.  There isn't anything we can do now, so please don't stress about it."

 

"Stress about it, how can I not?  My naked, our naked bodies are all over the cover of a Greek newspaper, I can only imagine the nightmare back home.  Your parents.......oh my God Jon, how does this happen?"  she reaches over and takes his hand.  He squeezes hers to let her know that he understands and to reassure her that he would take care of it.

 

"I understand that you're upset, as I am, but if we react to it wrong, it will just make it worse.  At this point, we are two people that made love and some dumb ass recorded it.  If we make it anymore than that, it will feed the frenzy."  he kisses her head again and again, "And I'm sure that everyone back home has learned of it in one way or another.  Even my parents."

 

"That was between us.  Who would do that to you, to us?" she asks, wishing that he had an answer. 

 

"I don't know babe.  We need to see the tape if we plan to figure that out.  But, for now - let's forget about it.  We have a long night ahead of us and dwelling on it will make us crazy."

 

She looks at him and smiles a crooked smile, "Thanks.  You always make things seem better, even if they're not.  I am just disgusted over this and I fear that your family has seen it or heard about it."

 

"Babe........." he firmly says, letting her know to let it go.  At least for now. 

 

The two of them sit there in silence, but inside they both are screaming.  Jon can't believe that after all these years of playing it safe and being a good boy, that all has ended on a massage table in Salt Lake City.  He prided himself on the fact that he's never been in the tabloids and has never been burdened by a scandal. The band as a hole has been pretty boring, from a gossip stand point and it sickens him that it's all riding on this tape.  A  tape he hasn't seen, a tape he doesn't want to see.  He knows that it will be dealt with, and with a swiftness as this doesn't need to be put in the face of his children and no one needs to bother his family over it.  I had sex, it was taped.  Big deal. is his true thought on the whole thing, but he is well aware that he can't dismiss it and hope it just goes away.  Someone, and he will find out who, recorded them without their knowledge or consent and he will not tolerate it.  He's determined that it had to be someone that knew they were going to be there.  That someone had to have access to his dressing room and very few people had that.  His dressing room was a place many begged and hoped to go, but very few were allowed.  His dressing room was his calm before the show and his peace after the show.  He has the same furniture shipped from location to location, because it's his comfort.  The same pictures hang on the black curtain walls, at every show.  He has the same pictures hanging in his quick change area, show after show; year after year.  Jon was a creature of habit, and almost everyone knew that.  So the person that hid the camera knew at least part of his routine.

 

Beth is silent in her seat, but she keeps a motherly eye on the kids; paying special attention to Romeo.  She knows that Pete is right there, but Beth can't help herself.  She has a bond with that little boy and there are not words to describe how she felt about him.  Since she lost Spencer and Rowan, her bond with Romeo has grown and she loves every minute that they spend together.  And now, here she has another issue that she has to deal with and it could interfere with time that they could have available to spend with the kids - and that pissed her off.  Again, more drama and stuff that was out of their control; yet they had to deal with the backlash.  She knows that there are things that she needs to deal with in the public eye, but can they please just have one problem or one issue that they can deal with privately.  They handled the press when the twins died, simply by ignoring them.  She doesn't think it's going to work this time now.  She turns her head to look out the window and thinks to herself, One day he'll retire and we can live the boring life.

 

They are in the air and on their way to the states.  They had a great vacation and now they both wish that they could go back.  They wish they could push rewind, or cover the tab on the cassette tape and record over what they just walked through at the airport.  They know hell waits for them when they land.

 

Jon had the pilot work it out so that they could go in through a private terminal and by pass all the press that they walked passed.  They walked a hallway that had tinted glass.  They could see the press, but the press couldn't see them.  The car was there waiting for them when they landed.  All inside and the Bongiovi clan was on their way to New Jersey - safely to the grounds of the Navesink River home. 

 

"Do you want me to take them home with me Jon, until you can handle this?  No one knows where I live and the kids will be shielded from it.  I will walk them in and out of school." offers his trusted nanny and great family friend.  "They have been through enough and with the divorce pending, the less they know the better."

 

"I don't know what I would do without you, Pete." and he turns to Beth.  "What do you think?  Should they go home with Pete for a day or two?"

 

"I don't like the idea, but I think it's the best option that we have.  I'm sure there are a few of those highly rated reporters outside your parents, your brothers' and even Dot's house.  If Pete's is off their radar, that might be best."

 

"Ok, the kids have plenty of clothes and things that they will need in their luggage.  They have their school books and stuff too." he takes a deep breath, "We'll drop you off on the way."  he feels a little bit of defeat, or maybe he's just tired - regardless, he wants this day done and over with so they can deal with the sex tape tomorrow.

 

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He kisses all the kids goodbye and tells them, "We'll see you in a couple of days.  Be good for Pete."  Looking at Stephanie and Romeo he adds, "Say nothing to no one at school, inside or outside.  If the teacher or any staff ask you about anything they heard in the press, say nothing - just walk away."

 

"We know dad!" Both Stephanie and Jesse said at the same time.

 

"I know, I'm sorry.  It's just the dad in me."  he hugs them and steps back so Beth can say goodbye. 

 

Pete and the kids are safe at her house in Manhattan.  Jon and Beth are on their way to NJ.  Jon's cell phone rings.  Pulling it out of his jacket pocket, he looks at it and doesn't recognize the number, so he dismisses it. 

"Why didn't you answer it?" Beth asks, shocked that he didn't answer his phone.  He always answers his phone.

"It was a number that I don't recognize and I'm really not in the mood to deal with bullshit." he explains to her, resting his head on her shoulder.  She reaches up and cups his face with the palm of her hand.  He slightly turns his head to kiss her hand.  "I love you."

She pats his face, "There, there.  It's all going to be okay."  Kissing his head she adds, "I love you too."

The two make the ride in silence, neither one really wanting to talk.  There was a big fat elephant in the car and they didn't want to draw attention to it.  So they pretended it wasn't there.

Turning on to Navesink River Rd off of Highway 35, they can see that there are news vans and camera crews lined up and down the street.  Jon is furious.  The local police department was doing what they could, but they had no way to control it.  They were notified about the possibility for a problem too late.  They couldn't get the road closed in time, so they just dealt with the traffic that needed to get up and down the street.  Jon's neighbors were outside, waiting to see what might ensue.  When one reporter seen the car coming down the street, he shouted out "Here they come!" and the frenzy started.  Reporters, camera people and photographers scurried to get as close to the gate as they could, while being aware of local trespassing laws.

"Goddamnit!" Jon blurts.

"Wow.  There are alot of people here." Beth says, very shocked at the amount of people that were waiting for them to get home.

"Pull as close to the door as you can please." Jon asks the driver.  Jon knows that the driver can get them very close to the door, so he and Beth will jump out and run right into the house.  Jon hates having to do this.  Running in and hiding was not the Jon Bon Jovi way, but he hasn't seen the video, hasn't seen all the press and he hasn't talked to anyone.  He had no choice.

The driver pulls into the driveway, after crawling through the mass of people, trying not to run over anyone.  With the car as close to the front step as he can get it, the driver puts the car in park and gets out to open the passenger rear door.  By the time he had made it around, Jon had the door open and was out reaching for Beth's hand.  Both are out and Jon unlocks the door so they can get away from all the screams and all the madness.  The driver grabbed their bags from the trunk and placed them in the house on the foyer floor and left.

Jon and Beth stood in the foyer looking at one another.  Each had the look of what now?

Beth grabs his hand and leads him to the back of the house, where all the private and family stuff took place.  The front of the house is for entertaining and guests, as well as upstairs - but the back of the house was private and very few were allowed back there.  She took him into his office, stopping at his desk.  With her hand, she motions for him to sit down in his chair.  He does as suggested, looking at her like she was a little crazy in the head.  Beth sits on his lap and his arms instantly go around her waist.  She reaches up and wiggles the mouse and his computer comes out of sleep mode.

"What are you doing?" he asks, with his lips on the back of her arm, peeking over her shoulder.

With a little wiggle of her butt, she slides in between his legs and leans back on his chest.  "We are going to watch the Jon and Beth show."  She types in Jon Bon Jovi Sex Tape and many links pop up.  She selects the top one that takes her to a gossip magazine website.  Clicking on the link, the video begins to play.