Chapter 89 - Ready Or Not

They prepared for landing and were ready to deplane as soon as the door was open.  Jon has a car ready and gave the kids strict instructions, although they already know what they needed to do if 

there were reporters or photographers there.  

Finding out when they were going to land was as easy as putting the planes tail number into a website and it would give filed flight plans.  So they were ready.

As they were landing, Jon leaned over Beth's seat as she held Jon Spencer and admitted to her, "Babe, I don't think I'm ready for this."

"Honey, there is no way we can really be ready for it, we just need to look like we are."  She reaches back and grabs his arm, "Maybe we can get home before they know we're here?"

"Wishful thinking."

"I'm hopeful."

"We need to figure this out.  What the hell are we going to do?"  Beth can hear the concern in his voice and she can see the stress of it in his eyes, 

"We are going to walk off this plane, go to our home and get on with our life.  When WE are ready to deal with Dorothea and Brian, then that's when we will do it,...UNTIL then, we aren't going to let them into our lives.  Together, they have taken so much from us and we aren't giving them anymore."  Jon can hear how serious she really is and he likes what she's saying.  He can only cross his fingers and hope that she's right.

"I want to know why Brian has resurfaced and how he and Dorothea met.  To me, that's more than suspicious."

"We'll get all of those answers, Jon.  In time."

Jon is still leaning over the back of her seat when Vicky reminds him to put his seat belt on and prepare for landing.  He followed her directions, even though he was her boss.

The plan to land in New Jersey was a good one, until they taxi'd to the gate and got off the plane.  The airport isn't very big, but it was filled with local and national news crews along with several photographers.  It was just like a synchronized dance, they managed to get through the airport and to the car with the help of Pete.  Once they were in the car, Jesse asked his dad, "When is this going to be over dad?  I am so sick of being hidden and hurrying.  Haven't we had enough?"

Pete reaches over and taps Jesse on the leg, "Jesse James, now is not the time.  You know this stuff happens and we need to do the best that we can."

Beth heard what they were talking about and jumped in, "Jess, we will get through this and it will be over soon."  She winks at him and then looks at the other kids, "I am sorry that it seems that we go through one crisis just to fall into another - but when I think about it, there really isn't anything else that could happen."

"Yeah, right." Jesse jests, with a slight eye roll.

"Well, we made it through a car accident, a scandal, two assaults, the loss of the babies and then the murder trial for Melissa.  With Brian coming back to life, what's left?"

Everyone looked at Beth slightly in shock, shocked by the words that just fell out of her mouth.  To Jon, is was like she was keeping score of some kind, even though he knows that that is not the case.

  "We have been through alot, and it all hasn't been bad.  We need to focus on the great stuff and try to keep the sad and scary stuff in the back of our minds."  Jon tells his family that's sitting behind him.  "If they are waiting for us at our house, once we get out of this car, I don't want anyone to even whisper a word.  Try to get away from them, without looking at them."

"Dad, we know."  Stephanie chimes in.  "I'll take Rowan.  Pete, can you grab Jon Spencer?"

Pete nods her head.  "Jake and Romeo, you stay close to me and I'll get you in the house."  She tells her charges, the boys that she has been with since their birth.  Lupetta, or Pete as we know her started out as a nanny and quickly grew into family.  It was nothing for her to take all of the Bongiovi children away for a day.  Jon, Matt's and Tony's kids often had play dates and it was because of Pete.

The ride out to the house was quick, they landed early enough that traffic on 35 wasn't too bad yet.  As they pulled onto the dead end street, that really only had one house on it, the street was lined with local news vans and international gossip column reporters.  Jon could see NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox vans and that upset him.  He has relationships with all of them and he feels a little betrayed.  Opening the window between them and the driver, Jon tells the chauffeur to drive around the back of the house.  There should be no one back there since it's fenced off and totally off limits. 

They all managed to make their way into the house without incident.  Once the doors were closed, Jon enabled the alarm as Beth walked through the house making sire that all windows were covered.  There would be no pictures taken until they are ready, and that won't be for a while.  Once their privacy is intact, the family somehow converges in the family room.  Rowan and Jon Spencer were thrilled to be home and with their own stuff.  Everyone was relieved to be home, they just hated what they had to come home to.

"Well, we all can't live in here.  Why don;'t you kids,"  on looks at the older 4, "unpack your bags and get your stuff put away."

"Dirty clothes in the laundry room, please."  Beth chirps in, "I don't want to drag it all in there."

"Are you guys hungry?" Pete asks them all before they disperse and do what they are told.  She had 4 no's and 4 yes's.  The twins, Jake and Romeo were hungry.  

Rowan stops playing with the her mom's cellphone long enough to look up at Pete and she says, "

"NUGGETS!"

Spencer hears that and says "Fench Fies."

Pete laughs, "Anyone else want a home made happy meal?"  Naturally, Romy and Jake want one.  She leaves the rest of the family and goes to make the kids something to eat. 

The kids stake care of their bags, Beth and Jon sit in the living room and just unwind.  The twins play until Pete comes and gets them to eat their late breakfast/early lunch.  Jon and Beth don't move.  They melt into the furniture and both of them are fixed on, daydreaming out the wall window looking out to the ocean.  They can hear the big kids come down, one loud stomp at a time, "Knock it off Jesse, quit being an asshole!!  They hear Stephanie yell at her brother.

"HEY!"  Jon shouts.

Both  kids, in perfect sync yell back, "WHAT?"

"Stephanie Rose, get in here."  Jon demands of his eldest, his baby girl.

"Why?  Jesse is being an asshole."

"Enough with that talk, young lady."  Jon snaps at her.

"He pushed me coming down the stairs, I almost fell dad."

"That's no reason to talk like that."

Stephanie exhausts loudly, "Are you serious dad, you talk like that all the time."

"That's not the point.  Just keep it clean in front of your brothers and sister."  Jon stands up, reaching for Beth's hand.  She takes his hand, then together they all walk into the dining area where the boys are eating.

The family sits at the table and has small conversations.  They all could feel the tension that was just outside, even the little ones.  Jon and Beth were on edge, nerves raw and very exposed but they have learned over the years that they need keep it close to the cuff and not let the kids pick up on it.  They tried to avoid talking about it, but as they sat there, Stephanie had to ask, "Are we prisoners in our own home now?"  She has a little bit of sarcasm in her voice, that irritates Beth a little bit.

"No Steph, well we are until we figure out what we're going to do."

"What do you mean do?" she sits back in her chair, tucking her feet under her butt, "What do we have to do to get out of here?"

Jesse was wondering the same thing, but he understood it, "Stephanie, we just got home."

"Yeah, Steph - tonight we'll figure out what we're going to do and how we're going to handle this."  Beth takes the opportunity to jump in, "But I would like to do it after the twins go to bed, can you wait that long?"

"Yeah." she pouts, "I guess.  I just need to get more shopping done before I go back to school."

Jon stretches his arm across the table and grabs Stephanie's hand, "Rose, I'll make sure you have everything before you go back upstate."

"Dad, that'n not what I'm after."

"Then tell me what's going on?" he leans back and winks at her, "Talk to me Steph."

"We have been together for 2 weeks dad.  I need a break." the young woman spouts back at her dad, crossing her arms feeling a little bad.  "I need to get away."

"And you think that shopping will help that?" he asks her, scanning the family that is sitting together, realizing that he never thought about what they might be going through.  Here they are, all under a self imposed house arrest for things out of there control and for some reason, this time he was getting pretty pissed off about it.  He sits there in silence and ponders what to say, what to do, all while taking into consideration the possible consequences if he acted before he thought everything through.  He knows that the kids will not be back with Dorothea until they are certain what's going on and what her and her low life friends were up to.  

"Can you go with Pete, or I can get Uncle Matt to take you."

"I don't care dad, I just need to get out and away."

"Steph, you know that the papps will be out in full force."

Stephanie exhales loudly and irritated, "Forget it.  But can you guys please figure out what you're going to do with mom and about Brian?"

There was a crash that startled all of them.  Jon Spencer had finished eating and wanted some attention.  He tosses his plate on the floor and looks up, "Ut oh."

Pete jumps, but Beth stops her, "Pete, I'll get this.  You aren't working now.  Sit down."

"I can get it Beth." Pete mouses to her, "He's finished."

"I know he's finished, but I'll take care of it.  Sit there and eat your dinner, okay."  Beth asks, with the order undertone.  "You need down time too."

The family finishes eating and separate in the house.  The kids all go to their rooms and do the things that kids do.  Beth, Rowan and Spencer go with Jon into his office, so that they, together can strategize what they were going to do about Dorothea, Brian and the connection to Dalton.