chapter 11

Alex had the boys in the car and was pulling into the studio parking lot to pick up Stephanie when she noticed a black BMW parked near the building. The tinted windows kept her from seeing anyone inside. Jake nudged Jessie and pointed to the car. Jessie shook his head and motioned his brother to be quiet. Alex looked for a place to park. Checking her watched she sighed.

"Jessie, can you run in and get Steph?" Alex couldn't believe that there wasn't a place to park. damn! 

She had less than an hour to get the kids back, showered and ready for their father to get home for dinner. Damn Matthew for keeping her, she had turned down his advances each time she picked up the boys. This time the enticement was tickets to a Mets game. Why can't this man take no for an answer she thought. Hell she would have to risk a ticket and double park. What was taking him so long?

Jessie stood inside the door and motioned for his sister.

"Steph, Come on."

what he really wanted was a better look at the car parked beside the building. Could it be his mother's car? Finally as Stephanie broke away from some of her friends he approached her with his concerns.

"hey, do you remember what mom's tag was on her Beamer?" He asked as she got closer.

Stephanie looked confused at first until Jessie told hr about the black Beamer parked by the building.

"Yeah, dad got it for her, one of those vanity plates." She told him as started to walk past him. "Why?"

"Do you remember what it said?" he asked grabbing her arm to keep her close.

"It was something like I kick butt, but it was spelled funny like 'eyekikbut'." She reached for the doorknob behind him.

Jessie stopped her from opening the door.

"I think mom is parked by the building watching us." He told her. Stunned she just looked at him. Mixed emotions crossed her face. "I want a better look at the back of that car. Is there a back door to this place?"

Stephanie shook her head. Grabbing his arm she stopped him from going further into the room.

"I don't care Jess! She left us, why do you care?" She said as she pulled him toward the door. "Let's go! daddy should be home by the time we get there."

Jessie just looked at her. Wasn't this the same sister that took off by herself to New York City to ask their mother why she left
them?

"Don't you want to know Steph? Isn't that why you went to the townhouse?" he stood there shaking his head. "Well I want to know!"

he turned and got almost to the back of the studio when Stephanie's soft voice stopped him. 

"What if it isn't her?" She could feel that cold feeling coming into her heart again. "What if you get your hopes up only to find out it isn't hear car, just one that looks like hers?"

She saw the confused look come over his face. Everything Miss Alex had said felt right.

"Like Miss Alex said, when she is ready, She will contact us. I have to believe that Jessie." She took his arm and walked him back up to the front. "Then we might be ready to hear her out."

They both stopped seeing Miss Alex and their brothers waiting at the front door. Quickly coming up with a reason for not coming to the car Stephanie covered for her brother.

"Sorry Miss Alex, Jessie had to use the bathroom." Jessie knocked her hand off his arm and under his breath murmured thanks.

Alex shook her head and followed the kids back out to the car. They were going to be cutting it close, but keeping her fingers crossed and her car a tiny bit over the speed limit , she should make it home in time. Alex didn't notice that the older Bon Jovi childern kept looking behind them, searching the traffic for the black BMW. But it wasn't there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
they made it home, thankfully ticket less, she got the kids cleaned up. She had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the kids yelling that their dad was pulling up to the gate. Hell, her hair was still wet. She had no choice but to let it go. 

Dressing quickly she was dashing down the hall when she about collided with Hattie.

"Have you seen Meo's shoes?" Hattie asked.

Alex turned and headed back the way Hattie had just come. Dropping down on her knees she slipped under Romeo's bed.

That was where Jon found them all. Romeo was sitting on the bed, one shoe on one shoe off. Hattie was in the closet throwing shoes out the door., Stephanie was in the toy box, Jessie was looking behind the bookcase and Jake was looking under the dresser. Alex, with her ass hanging out from under the bed, felt Romeo start to bounce.

"Meo! Stop bouncing!" Your on my head Kiddo!" Came Alex's muffled voice from under the bed.

Jon laid his finger to his lips to keep Romeo from calling out his name.

Seeing the missing shoe on the bed, Jon went over and picked the boy and the shoe up. Putting it on his son he whispered into his son's ear. 

"Should we tell them we found it? Hummm?" 

Romeo Laughed.

Chapter 10

Jon and the band were due to land at four in the afternoon and then go through customs they should be home around 7 PM.

Alex had to pick up Romeo at 2 PM and meet the kids as they got off the bus. She had to take the boys to baseball practice and then Stephanie to modeling class. If she was very lucky she would miss running into the boy's coach. Matthew Davis had been hitting on her since she had started with the bon Jovi's. Keeping her fingers crossed she should have time to charge before making the return trip at 6 PM. She used to think her mom was super woman handling all this plus making dinner for her and her father. Thank God for Hattie! She and Hattie had been airing out the master suite for Jon's homecoming. She dropped her keys in a bowl by the door and headed upstairs, passing Hattie in the hall.

"Mr. Jon called on his cell; they had to land in Boston." She followed Alex into her room. "Problems in Kennedy - the Pope flew in and Secret Service closed the airspace for several hours."

Alex threw open her closet door and looked for something to wear. 

"Does that mean they will be here sooner? I mean if they can go through customs in Boston, won't that be faster than Kennedy?" 


She pulled out a floral blouse off a hanger and thew it on over her tank top. walking over to her dresser she grabbed her brush and tired to make her hair look decent.

"He said they were stuck on the tarmac and would be here when they got released." Hattie laughed, "He wanted to be home for dinner. I told him we would hold it for him.

Alex checked her watch and laughed. You would think meeting Jon for the first time she would be more nervous. She would be, if she had time to worry about all that.

"I have to get the boys and then Steph, then we'll be home." 


She gave herself a spritz of her Code Blue bottle, fanning the air till it dissipated. She and Hattie headed back downstairs. Grabbing her keys from the bowl she turned to Hattie.

"All they've talked about after school was their dad coming home."

Hattie smiled, "Stephanie will be off restrictions too. That is all she talked about this morning."

Alex laughed. Stephanie had asked her for her cell phone in the car earlier and Alex had told her she had to wait until she saw her dad.

"Got to run or we won't be home when he gets here." She headed to her car and went for the kids.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Jon kept checking with the pilot to see when they would be cleared to take off. Richie came up and got Jon to sit down and relax.

"I want to be home for dinner." he groused.

looking out the window for the twentieth time Jon leaned his head on the window. Richie called the flight attendant over for more wine.

"The guy said the pope was heading for the airport and once he got into the air we could leave." Richie could see that Jon was not happy with the delay.

Jon started to get up and Richie chuckled. 

"Your going to get him to throw you off the plane If you keep bothering him."

He handed Jon a glass of Zin. 

Sipping his wine Jon got lost in his thoughts. Going home had a whole new meaning not that Dorothea was gone. It was still hard to believe his wife of over seventeen years had left him. Since receiving the divorce papers he had found out she had closed her Dojo and as his lawyer said vanished off the face of the earth. He figured she would close her Dojo, seeing as how it was one of the gift he had given her for an anniversary. 

If he believed her sisters, she was just not ready to face him or the kids. She was tired of all the "Rock Star LIfe" as she had called it. Wanting to have a husband that had a nine to five job, who would be there for her and she didn't have to share with ten hundred thousand other women.

Richie looked over at Jon, who had that far away lost look in his eyes. He had seen that look the closer they had gotten to the States. His friend seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders lately. They had been through a lot and lately they had gotten closer, more like brothers than just friends. He had seen what Dorothea's leaving had done to him. It had torn him up, being so far away from his kids, not being there when they needed him the most. Hell being a rock star was not all that it was cracked up to be at times.

The flight attendant came down and tapped Richie on the shoulder. Looking up he smiled at her as she nodded her head at him. Richie smiled even wider. 

"Thanks darlin, you saved a life today."

Jon looked over at Richie, not sure he heard him right.

"We're going him Kidd!" Richie said as he patted Jon's arm good naturedly.

Jon downed his wine and handed the glass back to the attendant.

"About fucking time Rich, About fucking time." Jon laughed for the first times since they left England.

Flipping open the cell phone he still had clutched in his hand since his last call home, he punched the button for home.

"Mr. Jon that better be you telling me my roast isn't going to be dried out." Hattie laughed as she answered the phone.

"Hattie, We're heading for the runway now. Your pot roast has never been dry in all the years you've worked for me!" Jon chuckled.

Hattie laughed just hearing him laugh. 

I'm sorry

I know this is hard to read and I apologize,  have tried to find a white background with black type but right now it's impossible.  I will keep trying please bare with me.

Alice Faye

Chapter 9

They were just about to finish their daily discussion on the children. She wasn't sure if she should tell him....taking a deep breath she knew he had the right to know about his children.

"Can i speak honestly to you, Mr. Bon Jovi?" She waited for him to answer her, thinking to herself that she could very well lose her job over this.

"I told you to call me Jon, Alexis, and I Hope you are always honest when it concerns my kids." He was standing at the soundboard, a bluetooth in his ear, while Richie was going thought his solo for the show that night.

Alex could hear the sultry sounding guitar over the phone and not sure if he could hear her, she spoke a little louder.

"After you and Stephanie talked the other night, I went in to check on her and she was crying."

Taking the bluetooth out of her ear, Jon laughed a little. She really wants me to hear what she has to say he thought. Putting the hands-free device back in, he left the soundboard and went out into the arena so he could hear without her yelling.

Okay, Alex, this is better now. I can hear you and you won't have to yell. You say she was crying?" he leaned against a support and fished in his shirt pocket for a cigarette, thinking he should really cut down. He kept patting his pocket until he found his lighter.

Inside the Bon Jovi home, Alex walked to the window overlooking the back yard where the boys were throwing a football around. She smiled when she saw Stephanie sitting under a tree out near the river reading her book.

"Yeah, she thinks you hate her, that she really let you down." Closing her eyes she leaned onto the window remembering how the young girl had cried.

Jon sighed to himself, hating being her when he really should be home. What the hell was he going to do? Damn Dorothea for turning her back on the kids this way. Her problems were with him not them.

"Oh God..." his voice filled with anguish. Looking out at the grounds around the arena he laid his head on the glass pane. "How can she think I hate her?" His eyes close with the pain he felt.

Alex could hear the anguish in his voice. "I told her you didn't hate her, that you were scared." Alex turned from the window. "I think you should talk to her" she told Jon as she headed out of the house to the lawn where Steph was sitting.

Jon waited; she was right, he did need to clear this up. Alex walked up to where Stephanie was sitting and waited for her to look up.

"Steph, it's your dad." She handed her the phone then turned and went over to where the boys were playing. "Can i join in the game?" She asked the boys, giving Stephanie and Jon time to talk.

Stephanie took a deep breath. "Daddy, I'm not supposed to be on the phone," She said with a little laugh. Jon chuckled a little too, easing some of the strain.

"I want you to know that I was really scared the night I heard you went to the townhouse alone." he tried to keep his voice calm. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you Steph." He slowly started to walk around the arena near the windows. he wanted her to understand that he would always love her.

"I am so sorry, daddy, but I missed mom so much and I wanted to know why she left us." Stephanie was trying not to cry. "Why didn't she wait until you got home?" Jon heard the harsh question and shook his head to himself.

"Honey if I knew that, I could try to understand myself." he went to light another cigarette but the pack was empty.Damn! I really need to quit these things! "Maybe one day we can ask her together."

He saw Richie walking toward him. "Honey, Uncle Mookie is waiting on me to head back to the hotel to rest before the show tonight." 

He motioned for Richie to give him five minutes and then he waited to see him acknowledge the request. Richie gave him the thumbs up and turned back into the main stage area.

"You know I love my baby girl and I will always worry about you while I am not at Home." He told her as he too started walking back into the stage area. It was quieter now and they could both hear with out raising their voices.

"Yeah Daddy, but you yelled at me! Hey wait a minute! I'm not a baby anymore, I'm going to be 16 soon!" She laughed hearing her father laugh.

"You got me there kiddo!" Jon laughed. "But you will always be my baby girl."

Stephanie looked over to where Alex and the boys were rolling around on the ground with the football. "Miss Alex said that too. her dad called her baby girl too."

Jon smiled at hearing that. He was really looking forward to meeting Alex, now more than ever. They hung up after telling each other they said I love you.

Stephanie went over to where Alex was rolling on the ground Trying to wrestle the football from Jessie. Alex noticing that Stephanie was smiling instead of crying she knew she had done the right thing. Letting Jessie have to football she got up, bushing the grass off her jeans she smiled at Stephanie.

"He called me baby girl, just like your dad called you." 

Stephanie grabbed her hands and they swung around in circles giggling. Pulling Stephanie in a tight hug, she felt that things would be better between. they shared being baby girls, even if they were the only girls in their families.

chapter 8

Alex went to check on the boys and then into Steph's room. walking in the dimly lit room she saw Steph laying on her bed starting at the ceiling crying. Her slim shoulders shaking, trying not to let the whole house know her heart was breaking.

"Honey, it will be okay." walking to her speaking softly. "he didn't yell and he didn't throw you out of the house." she lovely moved her hair off her forehead. "He'll be home before you know it and you'll be back talking on your phone and going on sleep overs."

Stephanie looked at Alex, then she abruptly sat up and threw her arms around her neck. 

"He hates me! I just know it ..." she cried harder "...I let him down!" She continued to sob onto Alex's shoulder. Alex held her close, rubbing her back. Trying to choose her words carefully Alex moved her back and looked deep into her eyes.

"He doesn't hate you Steph..." she said as she reached and wiped a stray tear from her face. "...he was so worried about you." she saw a look of disbelief come to her eyes. 

"Honey..."she tried to convince her. "...you didn't let him down, more like you scared him to death."

"Scared? Him?" she said not sure she fully understood what Alex had said. "My dad scared?"

Alex nodded. "Here you are all the way across the ocean, going into a city like New York, and he wasn't here to go with you." She wasn't sure if Stephanie understood the consequences of what she had done. 

"Anything could have happened to you Steph. "Anything...do you understand?" Finally it seemed to sink in all the things that might have gone wrong.

she got her to lay back down and she held her hand. "One thing I want you always to remember. Anytime you get scared or even mad about your mom or school or anything. I want you to come to me. You know you and I are a lot alike." she got up and pulled the covers up and tucked her in. 

"You might be an only child..." she smiled down at her. Memories flooded in her mind of her childhood. "...but you will always be your daddy's baby girl." She laughed softly. "No matter if your going off to college or even when you get married... in your fathers eyes... you will always be that tiny baby girl they laid in his arms in the hospital."

The memories bringing a tear to her eyes as she spoke. Shivering a little she brought her mind back to the present. 

"Now get some sleep....." she headed to the door, stopping she turned back to look at the young girl. "....your week will be over before you know it."

Stephanie jumped out of bed, rushing over she threw her arms around Alex's waist 

"Thank You!" Stephanie whispered softly. Alex hugged her back. 

"Okay now, get in bed and get some sleep. You have school tomorrow." Alex put her back in bed and walked out of the room. closing the door softly she leaned back on it and sighed.
~~~~~
Over the next two days she and Steph had gotten closer. Not being able to talk on the phone didn't stop her from trying to talk Alex's ears off. They both found they shared a love for books. Steph, like Alex could read a book in a few days. 

The closer it came to time for Jon to come home, the more she replayed her talk with Steph the night she was put on restrictions. Alex had decided with the next call from Jon, she was going to discuss her thoughts.

Chapter 7

It was a quiet ride back to Red Bank on the train and in the car ride back to the house. As she pulled up to the door she turned to Stephanie. "After you go in and take your bath come see me in my room." Stephanie just nodded and headed into the house.

Hattie met her at the door. "Mr. Jon called and I had to tell him about Stephanie. He's going to call back in an hour." Alex thought now her goose was cooked. Her first call from the man himself and she had to tell him his daughters solo trip to look for her mother.

Going thought the kitchen she grabbed a soda and headed to the bathroom. Quickly taking a shower she thought over what she would tell him when he called. She would just have to tell him the truth - his daughter was having a hard time with the divorce and went by herself to look in the only place she thought her mother would be.

Drying off quickly she pulled on her dorm shirt and slippers. Going back into her room she noticed Stephanie was sitting on her bed. Going in and sitting on the foot of the bed she looked at her. "This is going to be really hard."

Stephanie nodded her head. "You want me to tell him or do you want to talk to him first?" Stephanie shook her head. "NO, please you tell him. I'm afraid he'll yell." 

Alex smiled, "Better yelling than not." Steph shook her head again. "Honey, yelling means he loves you and was just as scared as you were."

Alex smiled and reached her hand out to Stephanie. "We'll do this together," she said as Steph's hand tightened in hers. In the back of her mind all she could think was this might be the end of my job.

For a few minutes they were very quiet and Alex started to laugh. "I can't believe we are sitting here like we're waiting on the jury to come back in." Stephanie started to chuckle when they heard the phone start to ring. Stephanie closed her eyes and Alex reached out to lay her hand on her shoulder. "It's okay honey, I'm here for you and we'll get through this."

Hattie knocked on the door, "Alex? It's Mr. Jon." Alex thanked her and picked up the receiver. "this is Alexis," she said as she carried the phone back to the bed. She didn't know who was shaking more her or Steph.

"Hi Alexis, this is Jon. I wanted to find out what the hell is going on there?" Alex could hear the concern in his voice. "Well sir, Stephanie has been a little upset with all that has been going on."

Jon broke in. "A little upset? Is that all? How did she get to the townhouse?" Alex proceeded to tell Jon how Stephanie was studying at a friends house for a test. That she had dropped her off after school and then took the boys to baseball practice. She has been waiting on her to call to be picked up. that's when she found out that Stephanie was not studying, but in New York City.

Jon paced the hotel while she was giving him the information. Richie walked in while Jon was on his cell.

"Hey, have you heard from Stephie?" Just rolled his eyes and continued to nod and add a few "humms" as he listened to Alex.

Alex smiled at Stephanie. "I don't think she'll try it again." Stephanie agreed with a nod of her head. "I was wait on for your call to decide what to do about this." 

Jon shook his head even thought he knew Alex couldn't see it. "You bet your sweet ass she won't try it again!" He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I want to talk to my daughter please?" Jon waited on Stephanie to take the phone; he could hear Alex talking to her. "Your father wants to talk to you, Stephanie." Stephanie shook her head, but Alex handed her the phone saying, "you do the crime, you have to do take the punishment."

Stephanie took the phone. "Hey daddy..." Stephanie started to cry,"...I'm so sorry daddy." Alex handed her a tissue and motioned that she would wait outside the door so Steph could talk to her father. Jon too another deep calming breath. "Aw Steph..."