Chapter 43

Brianna slept deeply. Ever since her midnight conversation with Jon by the river a week ago, the tension was mostly gone and her inner clock had settled so that she felt like a human again instead of a vampire. Best of all, she was sleeping well again. She was so deeply asleep, she didn't hear her bedroom door open or the footsteps approach the bed. Even the weight of a small body dipping the bed didn't awaken her.

"Bianna? You wake?" A hand reached out to pat her cheek. "Bianna?"

"Hmm?" She frowned at the disturbance.

"You wake?"

She cracked open an eye and struggled to see in the dim pre-dawn light. "Jakey? What are you doing up?"

"Him chasing me!"

"Who's chasing you?"

"Rexy! Him think I got de bone, but Dexter tooked it!" He paused to think. "And Dum Dum no have no gum gum."

It took Brianna a minute to process his words....and figure out what they meant. Rexy? Dexter? Dum Dum? Oh! The movie! "Did you have a nightmare that the dinosaur from the movie was chasing you?"

"Yeah." He nodded forlornly.

"Do you want to stay in here with me?"

"Uh huh." He nodded again, his expression turning hopeful. "You save me?"

"Mmmmhmmm. And tomorrow we'll get Jebediah and Octavius to stand guard. Okay?"

Jake thought about that for a moment. "Okay. Dat work."

Chuckling, Brianna lifted the blankets and helped him get settled beside her.

Jon found them snuggled together a few hours later when he peeked in the open door. Smiling, he closed the door quietly, ignoring the pang of.....something...that stabbed him briefly. He refused to call it jealousy.

They were all gathered around the lunch table later that day when Brianna noticed Jesse was rearranging his food more than eating it. Catching Jon's eye, she inclined her head in the boy's direction.

Jon studied his oldest son for a moment. "Jess? Something bothering you?"

Jesse shot a glance at first his mother, then Brianna before answering his father. "Can you take me to football camp?" He watched the adults' faces, looking for any sign of disapproval, but only saw smiles. Brianna winked and nodded encouragingly.

"Sure." Jon agreed. A nudge from his wife told him he was supposed to say something more, but he didn't know what. He glanced at Brianna only to find an expectant expression there too. What the fuck do they want me to say? Looking back at his son, he noticed Jesse was still pushing his food around. Jon cast around for something to say. "Have you been practicing? I mean....do you want to throw the ball around for awhile this afternoon to keep in shape?" The approving looks from the women told him he'd done well. Seeing his son's face light up confirmed it.

"Really? Do you have time?"

To Jon's credit, he didn't check his schedule, just went with what he wanted to do. "Yes."

Jesse looked at Brianna for confirmation. 

She smiled. "Really, Jess, he's free." Ever since learning of Dorothea's illness, the organization had closed ranks and hunkered down to look after whatever needed to be done, limiting the times they disturbed Jon, especially when he was home. They kept Brianna in the loop, but only called on her when they absolutely had to have something from Jon.

Brianna and Stephanie cleaned up, then joined Dorothea and the little ones in the living room. Dot was watching Jon and Jesse through the window. Hearing them, she turned. "Let's go sit outside."

Stephanie helped Jake and Romeo take a few toys out while Brianna helped Dorothea with her oxygen tank. After watching her mother sink into a chair, breathing heavily and shivering, even in the warmth of the late June sunshine, Stephanie stood abruptly and started towards the swings. "Come on Jakey, I'll push you on the swings for awhile."

"Okay!" Jake jumped up from where he was running his train over the patio stones and ran after his sister.

Dorothea watched them go, a heavy sigh lifting her chest. She glanced at Brianna who reached out to squeeze her hand sympathetically. "She's having a rough time."

"Is she talking to you about it?" Brianna asked.

"Yes, sometimes." Dorothea continued to watch her daughter. "When you guys are on the road, I often wake up from a nap - or during the night and find her sitting beside my bed. Like she's watching over me in case I need something." She paused and her voice lowered to the point Brianna had to strain to hear her. "Or afraid I'll go if she's not watching."

Awareness dawned for Brianna. "Is that why you don't want us to set up a bedroom for you downstairs?" They'd discussed it again a few days ago, but Dorothea wasn't having any of it.

"Partly. I want to be near them as long as I can." She considered. "I may change my mind later, but for now I want to stay upstairs." And limit the places where their worst memories of me will be in this house.

Twenty minutes later the gate buzzed. Dorothea sighed. "Wonder who that is? I'm not really up for visitors today."

Brianna stood. "I'll take care of it."

Reaching the front door, she opened it, revealing David on the other side. "Hi Beautiful."

"Lemma! What's up? Haven't you seen enough of us? It's only been a week, you can't be going through withdrawal already."

"I can never see enough of you, Beautiful. Jon, not so much." His grin faded. "I wanted to check on Dot and see how you all were holding up."

"She's doing okay." She patted his arm. "Come on out back. Jon and Jesse are tossing around the football."

At first glance, it was a happy, family scene that would have made Norman Rockwell proud - if you overlooked the forced smiles and laughter of the football players, the strained face of the big sister pushing the swing....and the oxygen tank sitting next to the mother on the patio, the hose snaking up her side to drape over her ears and under her nose.

David sighed. Why do bad things happen to so many good people? It was a question for the ages, with no sign of an answer coming any time soon. "How do you stand it?"

"What?" Brianna asked. They were standing in the living room. She had been about to open the door, but stopped at his question.

"Watching her deteriorate........watching them try to cope."

"It's not all pain and tears. There've been some happy times." She looked out at the family. "Today's a good day."

"You're a hell of a woman, Brianna. Not many would stick around through all this, let alone help out." He slid an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

She shrugged. "No one should go through something like this alone."

Opening the door, they walked out and joined Dorothea at the table.

"Do you want me to take him upstairs?" Brianna gestured to the sleeping Romeo on Dorothea's lap.

"Not just yet." Dot answered. "David, to what do we owe the pleasure?" None of them could say for sure whether she was being sincere....or sarcastic.

"Just wanted to check in on you. See how you're doing." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and murmur in her ear. "And how your plan's working out."

She smiled. "Just like I expected."

"You really think it's going to work?"

"Absolutely. The seeds have been sown. Just needs a little careful tending."

David snorted softly and took a seat between the two women.

"Unca Wemma!" At the sight of his 'uncle', Jake jumped off the swing and ran to greet him, Stephanie following more slowly.

"Hi buddy!" David picked up the toddler, hugged him and set him on his lap. "Hey Steph."

"Hi." She looked at her mother. "Need anything?"

"No thanks Sweetie, I'm good."

Jon watched Brianna and David walk out of the house, his arm around her shoulders and something in his gut growled. Catching the ball Jesse threw at him, he started for the patio. "Hey man. What's up?"

"I missed the sight of your ugly mug, and didn't have anything better to do, so I thought I'd come visit. Besides, you've got all the beautiful women over here."

"Ha ha." Jon snorted. As they chatted he got more and more uncomfortable seeing David flirting with Brianna. Every touch, every smile, every shared laugh, set the acid churning in his stomach.....quickly followed by waves of guilt.

Dorothea watched him, a ghost of a smile curving her lips.

Noticing that Jake was nodding off, Brianna stood. "Come on Jakey. Nap time." Getting the nod from Dorothea, she took Romeo with her. Returning downstairs, she noted Jesse's down turned mouth and his hands constantly turning the football.

She took the ball from him. "Go long."

Jesse grinned, jumped up from his chair and ran well out into the yard. His father and uncle might look skeptical, but he'd seen her throw before. The perfect spiral that hit him square in the numbers didn't surprise him.

The same couldn't be said for Jon and David.  "Holy shit Beautiful! Where'd you learn to throw like that?"

"Brothers." She answered over her shoulder as she walked towards Jesse.

The two men turned to look at each other, then, as one, jumped up and rushed to join the two on the lawn.

Dorothea watched them with satisfaction. "See Steph, it'll be alright. It'll be different, but it'll be alright. You'll all be alright."

Stephanie still wasn't convinced, but maybe the future wasn't quite as bleak as she'd been afraid of.