Chapter 55 - The Sky's A Different Blue

Dressed in the latest Vera Wang gown, looking drop dead gorgeous, Beth was ready to face the night and all of the people that she hasn't seen in a very long time.  

Family, friends and colleagues will all be out in full force because this is the first event that Jon and Beth will be at together, since the Grammy debacle so long ago.  It's the event of events and the buzz in every circle.  The who's who of everything will be there and she's ready to face it,, with Jon at her side.

Jon finds her at he make up table, putting on the finishing touches, which was just a simple lip shimmer.  She could see him coming up behind her in the mirror, and the closer they got to one another, the bigger each of their smiles got.  She looks him up and down, dressed in his black tuxedo, with his silver hair she winks at him and says, "Mr. Bon Jovi you look so debonair, so sexy."

"You, Miss Adams, look delicious."  he reaches her and slowly runs his finger tips along her shoulder, down the her back to the zipper of her gown.  Playfully, he grabs the zipper and starts to unzip it, causing Beth to stand quickly.

"Hey!" she says, stepping backwards, "It took me forever to get that zipped."

"Bullshit." he walks into her, kissing her nose.  "Baby, you look amazing, but that would look better on the floor."

She puts her arms around his neck, smiling at him she gently nibbles his chin.  "Is the car here?"

"I'm trying to seduce you and you're worried about the car?" he laughs at her, holding her close and holding her tight.  "I want you and you want to leave."

"We need to leave.  We have many people waiting for us." she toys with him, running her hand down his chest, unbuttoning the buttons on his tux jacket.  When she has them unfastened, she looks at his stomach and says, "Where is your cummerbund?"

"Have you ever seen me in one of them?"  he reaches around her and finds the small zipper again, very slowly he starts to pull it down again.  Beth doesn't stop at the buttons.  Once it's unbuttoned, she slides it off his shoulders and with his help it's off and tossed on the chair.  She then focuses her attention on his tie.  In just a matter of seconds, his tie if off and she's working on the shirt.  First button, "Are you sure you want to do that?" he looks down at her hands and then at her smile.  He can see the naughty smile that he fell in love with all those years ago, in the desert. 

"Do what?" she smirks, "Loosen this button?  Oh yeah, it looks a little tight."  her hands move to the second button.

Her dress is unzipped, hanging on just by form.  He puts his hands on her hips and tells her, "If you undo that second button, we will be late."  The second button is undone and with a gentle tug, her dress is at her ankles.  Beth stood there, like she was caught doing something wrong and her smile went from ear to ear.  She bought a new undergarment set just for this occasion and she's pleased that he has a chance to see it, before they leave and hit the charity circuit.  Jon looks her up and down, and then up and down again as he finishes unbuttoning his own shirt and kicking off his shoes.  Once his shirt is off and on the chair with his jacket and tie, he gingerly swoops her up and carries her to the bed.

Laying her down, wanting her so bad - he stands above her and takes off the rest of his clothes.  She watches ever move that he makes, paying attention to the fact that his hands were shaky.  "Why are you shaking?"

"Have you looked at you?"  He replies, tenderly kissing his way up her left leg to her belly.  "The stockings, the dress, the garters, the bra and panties.  It's almost too much for my hear to take."

With her left hand, she reaches down and latches his chin, pulling him up in her direction.  "We have a date, we shouldn't be super late."

"Better late than never."  His lips land on hers and they are hooked.  He eases his way between her legs and as soon as he's there, she wraps her legs around him and locks her feet.  His hands are all over her, and hers all over him.  They are enjoying one another, getting lost in the moments when they are interrupted by different alert tones, coming from their phones.

Her head is on his chest and she's running her fingers through his belly hair, slightly tickling him, "Do you think we should get going?"

He runs his hand up and down her back, "We should but I don't want too."

She pats his belly, "Come on."  Kissing his treasure trail, she lifts herself off the bed and puts her undergarments back into their proper position.  Jon sits up and then works his way off the bed, "Who do you think is trying to reach us?"

"I'll check."  He says to her as he watches her walk away, into the bathroom.  "It's probably Dawn or my mom."

"Probably."  Jon grabs his phone from his jacket pocket and sees who has texted him.  It was his mom, Dawn and Stephanie.  After he reads their texts, he places his phone on the dresser and meets Beth in the bathroom.  "Mom, Dawn and Steph.  We better hurry up."  He kisses her cheek, "Stephanie is probably pissed."

In the car on their way to the city, Jon asks Beth, "Are you nervous?"

Beth looks at him, "Nervous?  About what?"

"Being back in the spotlight?"

She shakes her head no, "I'm not, actually."

"No?" he's a little surprised.  He knows how much she hates being in the public eye.

"It's taking the good with the bad." she admits, "I don't think I'll ever like it, but it's part of being with you."

"I suppose."

"Are you ready?" she asks him, "We have been pretty quiet and out of the public eye.  How many fans will be lined along the red carpet when we arrive?  You know there are many unhappy ones."

He reaches over and squeezes her knee cap and smiles, "I know there are many unhappy, but I know they want me to be happy and you make me happy."

"Still."

"It's true."  he leans back and rests his head on the head rest, "Overall, they want me to be happy."

She grins and leans over, nestling her head on his shoulder, "Are you happy?"

"Very." he kisses the top of her head, "What about you?"

She pauses for a moment and thinks about his question before she answers with her head, this one required some heart thought.  "I am.  I'm very happy."

"You hesitated."

"I had to think my answer through.  I am happy, Jon.  I'm very happy."

"Are you sure?"

She looks up at him, "I'm happy.  I'm glad that we are back together and that the twins have you in their life everyday.  I miss a lot,  but it's been a fair trade."

"What do you mean?"

She gives him a crooked wink and explains, "I miss the vineyard, but I have the kids.  I miss my house, but we have the new one that we're still growing in to.  I miss being the sole caregiver for the babies, but Lupetta and your mom are a God send."

"Are they doing too much?  I know mom can get a little overbearing."

"No, no - they are awesome and only doing what I let them, but they make it easy for me to indulge in the things I shouldn't indulge in."

"Like what?"

"Have you not noticed this smoking hot body?" she gestures with her hands, "I didn't buy this, baby cakes - this is many hours in the gym."

"So.  You work out." he states, "How is that indulgent?"

"It's more than that.  I started to obsess and had to back off.  Pete and your mom are always around."

He laughs at her, "What else do you indulge in?  You are always home and with one or the other in your arm."

"Jon, I have napped.  I never nap."

"Okay?"

"If Pete wasn't right there, I couldn't."

"Life is supposed to be easier, are you complaining?" he asks, puzzled.  Not sure if she's complaining or appreciating.

"I love that they are there, and I love that they help and take some of the pressure off - I just don't want them to think that I'm taking advantage, that's all."

Jon puts his arm around her and pulls her close, "My mom would do it all if you let her and so would Pete.  So stop worrying about it, okay."

"Do you think they do too much?"

He shakes his head no with a certainty, "My mom is in her glory.  When Steph and Jesse were young young, Dot was very hands on.  So much it pissed my mom off.  Then when Jake and Romeo came along, Dot loosed the umbilical cord and let my parents do more."  He smooches her cheek again, "With the twins, after losing Rowan, Spencer and McKenna, my mother is soaking all of this up.  Don't change that, she needs it."

Beth takes his hand, "I would never take them away from her now, in any capacity.  I can see what they are doing for her and I love it.  Your dad even has more of a pep in his step, at his age."

"They love that you are back, they love that we're all back together and they couldn't be happier for us."

"I know."

"Mom wants to know when we are getting married."  Beth's stomach flipped and she felt a little sick to her stomach.  Not at the thought of marrying Jon, but at the luck that she had at planning a wedding.  Her first attempt, her groom died.  Then when she started planning a wedding with Jon, their relationship went sour.

"We had the commitment ceremony."

"And then spent a long time apart, kind of voids that in her mind."

"Well....."

"Tony and Matt are happily married, she wants me happily married too.  After all, I am her favorite."

Beth sits up and pulls back a little, "But you are happy, even though we aren't married, right?"

"Completely."

"Do we have to get married?" she balks a little, but only because she's gun shy.

"I would love to marry you."  Comes out of his mouth as they pull up in front of the Met.  Beth can't help but look at him with nothing but adoration.  After all that they have been through and all the time that has passed, he still wants to marry her.  She stretches for the door handle and he stops her.

"Wait."

She looks back at him.  "What?"

He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a little blue box, the shape of a standard ring box and opens it.  "I meant to give this to you before we left the house, but you distracted me with your beauty and your grace."

Beth looks at the ring that is nestled in the velvet lined box.  It's a white gold band with several colored stones in it, "What's this?  It's absolutely gorgeous!"

Jon takes the ring from the safety of the box and slides it onto her ring finger, on her right hand, "This is a mothers ring."

"It is?" she asks, in awe.  It's the prettiest thing she has ever seen.  "I've never seen one like this."

"It's made from the original McKenna bracelet that I had.  The bigger stones, the red ones are Ruby's are for Rowan and Spencer.  The diamond is for McKenna and the Sapphires are for Jon Spencer and Brianna.  The smaller ones are Stephanie, Jesse, Jacob and Romeo."  After he explains the ring to Beth, he looks up at her and she has tears in her eyes.  He smiles, looking for approval.

Without a word, she throws her arms around his neck hugs him. 

"Do you like it?" he questions, reaching into his other breast pocket and taking out his hander kerchief for her.  She releases him, takes the hanky and dabs her eyes.

"I love it, Jon.  I love it." she leans in and kisses him.  "Thank you, babe, thank you!"  she kisses him again.

"Rose helped me design it.  It was her idea, actually."

"I love her." Beth smiles, from her heart.

"I came to her with the idea of adding her and her brothers and she wasn't sure that you would like it, but after she thought about it she came to me one night and said that you were more of a mother to them at their greatest times of need and that she would be honored to be on your mothers ring.  She says you are a mother to them."  He grabs her hand and kisses the finger that the ring is on, "It was also her idea to make her and her brothers stones smaller, to not take away from your babies."

"She's an amazing young woman."

"She's a lot like you!"

Jon opened the door and they exited the car.  They were in love and everyone that laid eyes on them could tell tonight.  Their body language was tight as they walked the red carpet, stopping for pictures.  Jon refused and waved away autograph seekers.  He wanted to into his family and friends and raise as much money as they could for the March of Dimes.  The last time that they joined forces, they raised almost 5 million dollars.  They both are hopeful that they can surpass that tonight.

The power couple entered the Met and all eyes were on them.  Greeted with a small applause, they stopped for a few more photo opportunities and started to work the room.  Beth scanned the room and easily found the perfect nanny with her perfect children.  All 6 of them.  As they walked to their table, she mumbled to Jon, "What are you playing tonight - did you even rehearse?"

"I have a few surprises up my sleeve, wait and see."  He quickly kisses her shoulder and then pulls out her chair to sit.  At the head of the table.  She looked out over the crowd and could see people talking.  She's assuming some of that is about her, about them and their reconciliation - but she didn't care.  She was right where she wanted to be and with the family that she wanted to be with.