Water Ch 189 - Scratched A Picture of a Heart on a Bullet

 

Standing in the garage, Jon and Beth kiss each other goodbye.  She hugs him as he tells her, "Don't stop at the end of the driveway.  Roll out and just go right.  Come up around the block.  If you stop, they won't let you out without surrounding the car and yelling at you for a few minutes." referring to the paparazzi that still at the end of the driveway; hoping for a comment, a look or even a gesture from anyone within the Bon Jovi camp.

 

"I know babe, this isn't my first rodeo."  her hands move from his back to the edge of his jeans.  Sticking her finger just in the waistband, she reminds him, "Don't forget to call me when you're done with Rick.  I'm dying to know what info he has."

 

Taking her face, in his hands he kisses her lips; softly and says, "I promise, as soon as I know something I will call you.  Be careful and we'll meet back here."

 

One last kiss goodbye and they get into their cars and leave.  Beth laughs at the panic on the faces of the photographers at the end of the driveway.  Two cars are leaving, which one do they follow?  She can see them all talking and yelling.  Jon pulls out before Beth and creeps down the road as he watches her pull out of the driveway without incident.  The paparazzi were so caught off guard that they couldn't take any action.  Jon and Beth entered the garage through the house, so when the garage door opened - they scattered like bugs in a light. 

 

Jon heads north into the city and Beth just needs to take a little trip to Holmdel.  Jon's parents lived close during the spring and summer months, but lived far away (Florida) during autumn and winter.  Beth enjoyed the drive to Holmdel.  She noticed many houses for sale along the way, and even a few parcels of land.  She just wasn't sure if she wanted to live that close to his parents.  Pulling up the long asphalt driveway, she could feel herself getting excited.  She was anxious and worried, she missed the kids and couldn't wait to see Romeo and his little smile.  When she called Carol this morning, she mentioned that Romeo had a low grade fever and she had given him Motrin. Beth is hoping that the little guy was okay.  They had just returned from two weeks over seas, it's hard to tell what anyone of them could have picked up along the way.  Carol assured her that the other kids were fine, and that Romeo's fever was mild.  Beth has never had to deal with a sick child.  She has no idea how to treat a fever.  Is it feed a fever, starve a cold?  She's freaking herself out now.

 

Beth walks to the door and rings the bell.  She can hear kids running on the hard marble floors in the entryway.  The door is whipped open and she is faced with Jacob, yelling "Shotgun!" 

 

"Shotgun?" Beth questions.

 

"I call shotgun, Beth.  That means I get to sit in the front seat." he turns around and heads to where his brothers and sister are.  Beth is right behind him.

 

"Beth, Jake can't ride in the front seat, he's too little." Jesse informs her.  "I get the front seat."

 

Beth is caught in the middle of a sibling dispute and quickly learned not to pick sides.  She knows that Jake and Romeo are too small to sit in the front, so it was between Jesse and Stephanie.  Stephanie was laying on the couch paying no attention to what the boys were arguing over.  She didn't car.  The argument over the front seat has taken more time than the ride home will be.  She just wants to go home.  They have been home for a couple of days, and haven't been 'home' yet.  She wanted her bed, her things and her dad.  She wanted to go home. 

 

Beth looks around for Carol and John.  She can see through the pass through that they are at the dining room table.  She excused herself from the kids' argument and went into the dining room.

 

"Hello dear." Dad says.

 

"Sit down, I'll get you a cup of coffee." Carol tells her, and Beth has learned that when Mrs. B tells you to sit and she will 'get you something' - she is to sit and let Mrs. B fret over her.  Jon tells her that it's her way to be involved and feel like she has a purpose.  Jon told Beth one time that he robbed his mom of being a caretaker.  He had made it big, so fast that he was able to provide his parents with everything that they wanted and needed, which included housekeepers and cooks.  Mrs B let her golden years pass by, worrying about her rock star son.  She never got to help him pay his rent if he was late.  She never had the opportunity to loan him money or buy him groceries.  She never got to pay an electric bill for him, or to help him on a parental level - because he had provided it all of that to them.  Beth understood that, because even to this day, Beth feels like sometimes the staff robs her of opportunity.

 

Mrs. B brought Beth a fresh cup of coffee.  "Thank you.  How is Romy doing?"

 

Mrs. B knew that she shouldn't have told Beth about the fever, she should have told Jon because she can see that Beth is really worried about it.  "He's fine dear.  Don't worry, it's a mild fever.  He had some medicine, he will be fine."

 

Dad sits at the head of the table and just chuckles.  He sees two very strong minded independent women on the verge of taking care of a sick boy.  The one had experience that only life can provide and the other is clueless with the heart full of good intentions. 

 

"What do you think is causing his fever?  Should we take him to the doctor?" Beth is scared, she doesn't know about this stuff.  Hand her a million dollars and she'll make you three million, but she has no idea on how to make a sick child well.

 

Mrs. B gives her a little chuckle and says, "It could be anything from a belly ache to being overly tired.  You guys just got back from Europe and he's been with Pete till this morning, he's probably just a little home sick."

 

"I don't know alot about kids, but I do know that homesickness doesn't cause a fever." Beth jokes with her. 

 

Dad jumps in here and jabs at Ma, "It could be the blueberry pancakes he at this morning?"

 

"He didn't eat."

 

"At all, or just the pancakes?" Beth asked.

 

Stephanie had heard the conversation that her grandparents were having with Beth.  Jumping up off of the couch, she walked into the dining area and told her grandma, "Romy had some fruit and toast, grandma.  Not much, but he did eat."

 

"Thank you honey.  He must have had that when I was making my bed and getting dressed for the day." grandma said.

 

Beth asks Stephanie, "Are you guys ready to go?  We need to meet your dad back at the house soon."

 

"Where is my dad?"

 

Beth didn't want to tell her, but she wasn't going to lie and say that she didn't know, so she told her, "He's meeting with a business associate in the city.  It shouldn't take too long."

 

"Yeah, we're ready.  I'll get the boys together then we can go," Stephanie takes on responsibility like she were an adult and that impressed everyone that knew her. 

 

"Thanks Steph."  Beth takes a moment and has a few sips of her coffee. 

 

Dad looks to his wife and suggests that she send the Motrin with Beth, so they didn't have to stop and buy some.  Carol agreed and got it together for Beth, explaining that she can alternate the Motrin with the Tylenol, every four hours.  Beth jotted that down on her day planner and told her, "Thanks, Ma.  This is a little scary for me."

 

"Well, you call me if you have any questions, anytime."

 

Beth gets up and hugs her and dad goodbye and the Bongiovi children are on their way home - finally.  They were gone over two weeks and are ready for their life to be back to normal.

 

When the kids finally got home, they were happy to see their dog, they were happy to see Maria and they were happy to have their own things and their own toys.  Home is where the heart is and they loved being home, with their dad.

 

Beth gives them guidance on taking care of their things from the trip.  Dirty clothes in the laundry room.  Beach shoes and summer shoes go into the storage area........little things that they can handle before they all go veg out in the TV room and do nothing. They have school tomorrow and are not looking forward to it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Shaking the hand of the man that has become a good friend over the many years that he's been employed by Jon, Rick tells him, sit down.  Jon takes a seat across the desk from his friend and asks, "Is it bad?"

 

"Define bad."

 

"Am I going to kill the person that recorded that?  Am I going to kill the person that was behind the curtain wall?" Jon asks, matter of fact like.  "There will be consequences for this, in one way or another."

 

Rick pulls out a file and opens it, pulling out a picture.  He hands it to Jon, "Can you recognize the boot?"

 

Jon looks at it, looks at it again and says, "I don't think so.  Who is it?"

 

"Well, based on what I was finding from security footage throughout the arena, it's Richie."

 

Jon sees red.  "Are you kidding me?  Richie was back there watching us?  I'm gonna kill him."

 

Rick jumps in and says, "He was there for about 5 seconds.  It looked like he walked in and seen what you were doing and left.  Richie isn't the bad guy here, Jon.  He didn't make the tape."

 

"Who did?'

 

"First things first - Beth and Richie had a private conversation when you were out of the room.  Sounds like they had a night together, and from the information that I was able to obtain from Richie and others, it was a fling."

 

"WHAT?"  Jon jumps up and starts to pace.  "What did you find out?  I am going to kill him!"

 

"They have had some moments together, months ago and even recently.  I heard that she was at a poker game at his house.  I talked to everyone that was there, with the exception of Beth and all stories match up." he pauses and lets Jon absorb what he had just heard.  His head is spinning and his gut is rolling. 

 

"When did it start?" he demands an answer.  He has to know.

 

Rick gives him all of the information that he had gathered, including who had taped them; and most of it was verified as well as it could be.  It seems that Richie is in love with Beth and she may have feelings that reciprocate his feelings." 

"My best fucking friend and the woman I plan to marry.  How could I have been so blind, so stupid?"  he punches the wall.  "Thanks Rick.  Send me a bill."  And he leaves Rick's office.  He walks around the city for a while and cools down enough to get in his car and drive home.  The ride took forever, and Jon thinks it's because he wants to be home, but he knows when he gets there, his life will change forever.  In one way or another.

 

He parks in the driveway, flipping off the paparazzi and walks into the house.  Beth hears the door open and greets Jon in the foyer.  "Hi honey, how did it go?"

 

"We need to talk, and now.  Where are the kids?"

 

"Watching television, why?"

 

"Do you want to go for a walk or go upstairs?"

 

"Will you tell me what's going on?" she pleads.

 

"Outside or upstairs?"

 

"Romeo has a fever so I'd like to stay close - how about your office?"

 

Jon walks towards his office, passing the family room, "Stephanie, please keep an eye on your brothers, Beth and I will be in my office."

 

"Okay dad." She smiles at him. She missed her dad.  The boys were so into their television program to care that dad was home. 

 

Jon and Beth get into his office and sit down.  He's behind the desk and she's across the desk.  "Please tell me what's going on?"

 

He has tears in his eyes and flat out asks her, "Were the twins even mine?  Was I their dad, Beth?"  He lowers his head.

 

Her jaw drops open and she doesn't know what to say to that.