Unbelievable Pt. 08

"Johnny, do you know you're more open with that man than you are with your own parents?" Janus asked, as they walked through the jail's parking lot to her SUV.

"I know."

"You know how hurtful that is?" Janus inquired; she wasn't trying to pick a fight. She just wanted to make him see that it wasn't right.

"And?" Johnny retorted coldly.

"Johnny," bring him to a stop, "remember what we talked about out on the porch," Janus said, in a stern, loving voice. "You need them as much as they need you."

"Could have fooled me," Johnny mumbled.

"Johnny," closing the distance between them, "this anger you have here," lightly patting his heart, "does not make you the man I fell in love with. I understand, and I get it. But they are trying to be understanding to you and what you and Julia went through. I know the anger is hard to let go off. I still have my own at my ex-husband, it will eat you up inside if you let it fester. I don't want that not when we'll have another person to guide," Janus said, in a loving light. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Johnny uttered in a sigh.

"So how about next time you have something important you share it with your parents, hmm?" Janus spoke, seeing the muscles in his jaw clenching. "All I'm asking is to give them the chance."

"You're asking a lot," Johnny said, in a monotone voice.

"I know, but raising a baby is going to be hard work and given your condition we're going to need the help. I just want you and your parents to be on good terms for the baby," Janus replied, taking his hands into hers.

"Alright," Johnny grumbled. "I still don't like it," he pouted.

"I know, and you won't for some time. Yet a parent, a good one at least, puts the needs of their child before their own selves. Or that's what I read in my parenting book," Janus said, with a smile, trying to lift up his mood. "Maybe you'll want to read it with me?" she asked, with hope. She couldn't help but feel the corners of her lips lifting at his nod. "Now. How about we go have lunch?"

"Sure," Johnny agreed, feeling the tips of her fingers playing with his hair as he pulled her close.

"Haven't you already made every man here jealous?" Janus asked, with a knowing smirk.

"No harm in rubbing it in," Johnny said, matching her smirk.

"I wonder who's calling," Janus uttered aloud before braking their embrace to dig out her phone. "Hello? Oh, hey, Katherine, sorry didn't recognize your number."

"Yeah, sorry about that, calling on my company line. I was just wondering how Johnny was doing?"

"Oh, he's doing okay. A little touch and go there for about a minute but Johnny calmed himself down," Janus said, relating the events that brought them to the city's jailhouse.

"Oh, and how's Jared doing?" Janus could hear the hurt in Katherine's voice when John didn't tell her they would be going to see Jared that day.

"Fine, I think. We didn't talk much about his time in jail," Janus spoke as she and John walked to her SUV.

"What did the three of you talk about?"

"I'll let Johnny tell you that, Katherine?"

"Yes?"

"Have you had lunch today?" Janus asked, feeling John's eyes bore into her.

"No, haven't had the time to go out and pick something up."

"Then you text me your address and we'll all go have lunch," Janus said, with a warm smile.

"You really want me..."

"Of course, I do! You are Johnny's mom, and our baby's grandmother, it'd be wrong not to invite you," Janus stated as she walked around the front of her vehicle.

"Okay, I'll be ready."

"Katherine," hearing the little sniffle over the line, "you know Johnny loves you right?" Janus whispered as the sound of John's passenger door closed behind her.

"I know, but sometimes it's hard to see it."

"Totally understandable, he does show it in his own way. Give him time Katherine, took me two years of nagging for him to open up to me. When he did..."

"But he's open to you! Not me! And I'm his mother?!" Janus' heart went out to Katherine as she broke down crying.

"Katherine, calm down, I know Johnny's openness is important to you and Brandan. Yet he isn't going to if you push him into it. You have to let him come to you when he thinks it's time," Janus said, from her own years of trying to break through that shell of his. "You have to remember: he still blames you for Julia's death. So it might take more time than you think it will."

"I know," Katherine said, sadly. "I just want..."

"I would too if he was my son. Yet you know that may never happen," Janus said, trying not to break the woman's heart.

"Promise me that you'll take care of my boy."

"I swear, I'll do my best," Janus said, in a comforting voice.

The moment Janus pulled up to the curb in front of John's mother's work. She noted how John jumped out, held the door open for Katherine, who had the biggest smile on her lips at the sight of her son doing that for her. Insisting that Katherine take his seat up front while he got in the back.

"You look... lovely Janus, did you two stop by the house to change?" Katherine asked, buckling up.

"No... wore this to the jailhouse," Janus said, making sure it was safe before pulling away from the curb.

"Johnny, did you let her wear this... arousing dress to the jail?!" Katherine asked, peering around her seat.

"It was a special day," Johnny stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh?! Why was today special?" Her heart leapt in her chest when her son was looking right at her and not through her like he normally would have when she asked personal questions of him.

"Had to ask Jared something that only he could give permission for," Johnny said, plainly.

"Ask him what?" Katherine asked, knuckles were turning white due to the death grip she hand on her seat trying to pull it out of her stubborn son.

"If he would allow us to name the baby, Julia Sophia Masters," Johnny said, seeing dozens of emotions playing along his mother's eyes.

"Is that her..." Reaching out to her son when he nodded that it was indeed Julia's first and middle name, "oh baby, I wish you would have told me, I would have loved to have been there," feeing her body heat as John's hand slipped into hers, "so what did Jared say?" Katherine asked, hoping it was good news.

"That if the baby is a girl, he's okay with us naming her that," Johnny said, letting his mother in just a little bit. While it was true he could have waited until next month when Janus went in for her checkup and learn the sex of their child to ask Jared, yet he wanted Jared's permission long before then to ease his mind.

"I'm glad he agreed to it," Katherine said, sweetly. Her thumb brushed lightly along the back of John's fingers as she held his hand. "Johnny?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we talk more about this later tonight?" Katherine asked, eager to be in his life no matter how limited it was.

"Okay."

"Thank you sweetheart," Katherine spoke softly, squeezing his hand before turning back around in her seat.

"Johnny, how does K&W sound for lunch?" Janus asked, peering back at him in the rear view mirror.

"Sounds good," Johnny uttered, looking down at his stomach when it rumbled in agreement.

"You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Janus asked, peering over at Katherine as they sat at a red light who shook her head that she didn't.

"Johnny, come walk me to the door," Katherine said, once they had returned from their lunch. "Thank you for lunch, Janus. We have to do this again," she said, with a friendly smile.

"You're quite welcomed Katherine, although I wonder how your husband and other sons are going to take the news that Johnny's hanging out with two hot women?" Janus uttered with a coy smile.

"We'll just let their imaginations wander on that one," Katherine retorted with a humorous mirth. "Thank you, Johnny," she said, in a warm, caring voice as her hand slid into her son's as he helped her out of the SUV. Waving to Janus once the car door was closed before heading towards the entrance of her office. "Johnny, I know there are things in your life you don't trust me or your father to know. I know you have your reasons, reasons I can't fault you on. Yet please just let us in just a tiny bit, that's all I'm asking for, for now. It hurts me here," her fingertips lightly pressed on the area over her heart, "to know you trust Janus and Jared more than you do us. Again, something you have your reasons for not trusting us. I can't blame you for that, yet I don't know what to do when my own son, the child I carried to term, doesn't talk to me about the things on his mind," Katherine said, noting how John was listening intently as those green eyes of his centered on her. "I know I'm asking a lot of you right now, and I don't want to force you into anything. But can't you see how much it hurts me?" she asked, with quivering eyes.

"And what do you want me to do? Forget everything?!" Johnny asked, trying to keep his voice down.

"No honey," shaking her head, "I'm not asking you to forget anything. Just that when something as big as going to the jail just to ask Jared his permission, that you include me as well," Katherine said sweetly, longing to take him into her arms and just hold her son tightly to her bosom. However, given that they were standing in front of her place of work she couldn't do what she really wanted to do -- namely to kiss those sweet lips of his. "I don't like being left out of your life. It feels like you're pulling away from me, and it hurts me so much!" she stated, trying to hold back her tears.

"I see," Johnny mused, glancing out of the corner of his left eye. Noting how Janus was nodding along silently telling him to give them a chance. While he did like that she cared about him, yet he would like it if Janus wouldn't try to mend the distance between him and his parents. Nonetheless, maybe there was some truth to her words, honestly, John didn't rightly know rather or not that his mother's words could be believed. Not when he had his own trouble with dealing with what his own insane brain constantly bombarded his mind with.

"Can you at least think on it for me?" Katherine asked softly, lightly running her right hand down the length of John's left arm.

"I will, don't get your hopes up though," Johnny said, plainly.

"As long as I know you'll think about it, I can be happy with that," bring her son into a hug before she went back to work, "you two be safe going home, okay?" Katherine whispered in a motherly voice after placing a kiss on her son's forehead who nodded that they would be. "I'll see you at home," she said, in a loving light as her thumbs brushed along John's cheeks.

******

Brandan's ears perked at the sound of laughter emanating from his back yard once he walked through the front door of his home after a long day of work. Setting his briefcase down next to the wall, arching an eyebrow when he noted the backs of his older children standing out on the porch.

"Bill, Ray, what's going on?" Brandan asked, in a fatherly voice once he stepped outside.

"We're watching them dance," Ruth said, causing Brandan to look over at her.

"Dance?" Brandan asked, perplexed by what she meant. Then he heard the music, why he didn't hear it before he couldn't say.

"Johnny's dancing with Annie and Janus," Ray said, pointing towards them.

"Is he?!" Brandan asked, excitedly. Wondering if his youngest son was in one of his better moods. Granted those days were growing in number as the days went by now that John had told them the truth about what had happened to him in Raven Dale. How it warmed his heart to see that smile on John's lips as he lead Janus around the yard once he had stepped into the gap his other sons had made. His green eyes flickered down noting how none of them had shoes on.

"Dad?" Bill uttered wondering what his father planned on doing as he took off his dress shoes and stuffed his dress socks in them.

"What? A little dancing sounds nice don't you think?" Brandan asked, with a smile on his lips. Laying down his suit jacket on the railing, his toes wiggled in the grass once he stepped off the final step.

"Daddy!" Annie exclaimed at the sight of her father.

"May I have his dance?" Brandan asked, holding out his hand to his daughter.

"Certainly," Annie accepted with blushing cheeks. Her blue-green eyes followed Ray as he walked with a purpose towards John.

"Mind if I cut in li'l brother?" Ray asked, lightly tapping John's shoulder. Who looked at Janus who was wearing a seductive smile as she gazed at John before winking at him.

Turning his head when he felt a tapping on his shoulder. "My partner is indisposed at the moment, I find myself in need of a man that knows how to shake his hips," Wanda said, beaming that thousand watt smile of hers at John. Smirking at him when she moved his hand to her ass while she herself pressed her body against his. Her hazel eyes stared dreamily at John as he led her around their backyard like a pro. Thanking John for the dance once the song ended, placing a light kiss on his lips before Ruth took her spot.

"I want to thank you Johnny," Ruth uttered feeling the breeze tugging at her skirt as Johnny slow danced with her.

"Huh?"

"Bill's skills as a dancer has grown considerably thanks to you," Ruth stated with a warm smile. "You don't know how much that means to me, that when the day comes I can dance with my husband without the worry of him crushing my toes." Her skin heated at the sound of John's chuckle. "It's not often we hear you laugh Johnny. It's very nice to hear, I hope that someday this evil that's been inflicted upon you is sent back to the depths from once it spawned," Ruth said, in a caring voice.

"That's odd to hear coming from..."

"I know, I can't apologize enough for what I said. But it's true, I do hope that you'll be free from that evil someday. After all, I think you got two great people looking out for you," Ruth said, directing his gaze towards Annie and Janus. Shooting Bill a glare when Janus for the third time had to raise his hand back to her hip. While Janus might not put up a fuss when she or Wanda kissed or touched John, she didn't want John to get upset when his brother's don't listen to what Janus was silently telling them. Ruth knew the way Janus acted around John, that only told her one thing, that she was his, and his alone. A smile lifted the corners of her lips when she noted Katherine standing on the porch in awe as they all danced without a care. "Thank you for the dance, Johnny. But I think someone else needs you," Ruth stated after she gotten her own kiss in. "She's missed you greatly," she whispered before taking Brandan up on his offer for a dance.

"Johnny," her voice was light on the air, "what started all this?" Katherine asked, her eyes running over her family and future family members when John stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well," rubbing the back of his head, "Annie, Janus, and I were dancing out here, the rest just seemed to join in," Johnny said, trying to put his mistrust behind him like Janus and Annie had asked him to do. His eyes glanced down noting how his mother was slipping out of her flats.

"Would you mind if I..." Her heart leapt to her throat when John held out his hand to her waiting for her to take it. Feeling her cheeks heat as the pads of her fingers slid along the palm of his hand. "Thank you, baby," Katherine sighed happily into John's ear once he had pulled her close. "I know you've had a lot on your plate lately, with Janus moving in, the three of you getting ready to move out, the baby," resting her right cheek on her son's shoulder as they slow danced, "it's just felt like you cutting me out entirely," she said, feeling her body swaying with the music and how her son was leading her.

"You know you are my mother, right?"

"I know, I can't help how I feel, baby," Katherine said, snuggling closer. Feeling her core heating as she pressed her 32Ds into John's chest.

"And it's not like I'm moving across the country," Johnny stated knowing that was once his plan before he came to the realization that he would never be on his own. His mental illness and the seizures he now had had put a stop to his dream.

"It's good that you aren't," Katherine replied hugging her son tighter. It has been days since she's been this close to her son, and she was going to milk it for all it's worth. "I and I know your father would miss you very much if you did." A smirk rose the corner of his lips at the shocked look in his mother's eyes when he had sent her into a little spin before dipping her slightly.

"J-John," Katherine stammered in shock as her other sons along with Annie whistled at the move. "You should be more careful with an old woman."

"One: you aren't old. Two: methinks you protest too much," Johnny said, his green eyes glanced down to his mother's hardened nipples.

"I can't help that," feeling her face burning, "I am after all dancing with my baby boy," Katherine said, in a warm, loving, motherly tone. Biting her lip when Brandan cut in, it always made her feel so wanted when he would butt in with whomever she was dancing with at the time in their youths.

"I can't be the only one that dances with my girl," Brandan spoke repeating the words he had used in his youth back when they both were teenagers.

And so, the air of the backyard was filled with musical notes, the sounds of laughter and cheers. Bodies moving to the beat of the music. Grass blades flying through the air as songs grew quicker. Before long twilight began to set and fireflies began their own mating dance.

"Johnny, mind come helping me make dinner?" Katherine asked, her eyes falling on her son as Janus and Annie sandwiched him in.

"Okay," Johnny answered.

"You come back and keep your sister company when you're done," Annie whispered lustfully into John's ear.

Janus licked her lip when John looked back after she had squeezed his ass. A light flared in the depths of her eyes, a light of knowing that John was trying, trying because she had asked him to. Ever since the day she had shown up on his door step to tell him that she was carrying his child. She had seen how much John had changed since the day they parted at the lake. While the chances might have been too subtle to outsiders that didn't know John. She, however, could see it all and knew how much he has grown since then. Janus just hoped and prayed that nothing would set John back.

"Fetch a bowl from that cabinet, a large one." Katherine said, pointing to it once they entered the kitchen. She had always thought John would be with him, while she was sad that dream wasn't going to happen, she was happy that her son was moving forward. Trying to live his life while also trying to put the horrors behind him, even if that didn't include her. Would she miss her son? Extremely. Yet she could see how John has been since Janus moved in. If her son was happy then she was going to do everything in her power to help him succeed. "You're going to be on your own soon, you might want to learn how to cook for yourself, Annie, Janus, and the baby," Katherine said, noticing how John was listening intently. "Meatloaf is a good meal to learn for feeding a large group," she spoke, lightly running her hand down her son's arm. Sighing in her mind knowing this might be all John might be willing to give her. Still, she could take solace in the fact she wasn't losing her son.

"Will you teach me how you make your stew?"

John's voice snapped Katherine out of her melancholy wandering thoughts bringing her gaze up along John's back. Watching how the muscles of his back danced as he reached for the old porcelain bowl her great-grandmother had given her when she had started out in life. "Of course, honey. But it takes a long time to make," Katherine said, with a loving smile.