Chapter Eight

He glanced down at the note to check the villa number again, 3042. Well fuck no wonder Richie had managed to get his paws on his daughter, they were fucking villa neighbors. Cursing again he took a sharp right and stomped his way along the small cobblestone drive to the front door. He took a deep breath before rapping sharply on the aged wooden door.

"Fuck, be home CC, be home," he muttered as his eyes closed. Jerking his eyes opened he frowned at the visions of Richie and his daughter doing all sorts of things that had swam through his mind and made him slightly ill. His baby girl, the one he never got to know. Fuck this was insane.

Cc had just sat down with a nice cup of Columbia. She had learned to appreciate the small things in life as her time ran out, and good coffee was one of them. Her mind wandered to Frankie and hoped she had found something interesting to do for the afternoon. As she took a sip of the smooth coffee a sharp knock brought her back to life. She stood up wondering who it was and moved to the door, her heart racing into her throat when she opened the door and came face to face with her blue eyed past.
"Jon," she said sounding surprised.

His eyes swept over her and he couldn't stop the sharp inhale as he took her in. Goddamned she was beautiful. It didn't look like she'd aged a day. "CC, we have a problem."

She felt his blue eyes roam over her and meet her own again. "I know Jon, it doesn’t have to be your problem if you don’t want it to be," she said softly knowing he was here as he'd read her letter. God he looked amazing for his age, his face was still so handsome and strong just like all those years ago.

He shook his head, weariness shining in his gaze. "That's not the problem. I mean hell, fuck yeah it is, I wanna know why you ran off, why you didn't tell me. God dammit CC she was mine too." His eyes closed as he fought for his famous composure. "I searched for you both for years did you know that?"

He took another deep breath and continued, "Look, can I come in? I really don't want to discuss this on your porch."

CC nodded standing aside and letting him in. "There's fresh coffee in the pot, if you still like your coffee the way you used to" she said as she pointed towards it.

"Jon I know you looked for us, I moved when I knew you were getting close to us, dammit I am so sorry but honestly your life was just taking off and things fell into place for you didn't they, this would have just stuffed things up," she said quietly.


Jon nearly growled as his eyes flashed with anger. A baby never stuff's things up. Things might have been a little tight, or stressful, but we could have handled it. Dammit CC you cheated me of all these years. Why? Did you hate me that much?"

He turned and moved to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, wishing that it was stronger stuff. HE could use a drink right about now. He took a sip and sighed as the caffeine shot through his overly taxed system. "I just don't get it CC."

CC saw his obvious rage and felt saddened at him thinking she hated him "No, I didn't hate you Jon, I did it thinking at the time it was the best thing, I did it because I loved you damn it, it was the hardest thing I ever did leaving you behind and now seeing you so happy and its not with me" she finished looking out to the sea not wanting to meet his gaze.

He walked over to her and reached out to cup her chin. Lifting her face he studied her as the what might have beens swirled in his crystal gaze. "I wish we could roll back time, but we can't. "

He sighed softly, as his need to reconnect warred with his problems. "She's a beautiful girl CC. I just wish you had brought her up with a few...." He faded off, that was so not the way to start a conversation.

"No we can't" she said as she looked away and then back at him when he began his next sentence. "A few what Jon? Morals? How dare you even insinuate she doesn't have any?" CC found her own temper rising, how dare he.


Jon groaned, realizing how the sentence sounded. "I didn't mean that CC.. honest." He shook his head, "She’s so fucking innocent, blinded by.. well.. she’s so fucking innocent, she’s gonna get hurt."

CC eyed him "What the hell are you talking about Jon?" Completely lost at what ever he was rambling on about.

"God, I saw her today, I did," he started pacing his words tumbling out over each other, "I got your note and it shocked me, stunned me, I didn't know what to do. I finally thought I'd go talk to Rich, remember him? Yeah Rich, My BEST FRIEND, and god dammit he had a girl with him, he..." Jon looked up at CC, horror in his gaze, "HE HAD HER with him."

CC raised an eyebrow "Richie? Frankie was with Richie?" she asked confused for a second until small smile broke out on her face. "Well I did tell her to go and find a nice guy, she needs some downtime Jon, she's been through a lot, you know with me of late" she said.

Jon's brow quirked upwards, "You told her to go find a man old enough to be her FATHER?" FUCK he’s older than me god dammit."

CC laughed at Jon's new found dad tone "From what I recall Jon, Richie is a nice guy, he hasn’t changed since then? And yes he's a bit older then her, but hell Jon, life is too short for logistics anymore" she said quietly.

Jon snorted, "No he hasn't changed, yet he has too. He's been married, divorced, god, his dad died, he hit rehab. He’s a fucking muddle of mess CC. He doesn't need to be leading my daughter down some path strewn with his special brand of debauchery."

He nearly shivered as he pictured Stephy at that age, a sweet innocent girl. "Dammit CC, don’t you GET IT?? They were .. they were... dammit .. it was obvious they'd been...."
HE just couldn't get it out, he couldn’t say his baby girl was screwing his best friend, all he kept seeing in his brain was a innocent girl like his Stephy in the grasps of an older man, best friend or no.

CC sighed sad to hear that Richie had been through so much.
"But Jon, don't you think that he deserves some fun, maybe that's all this is, just some harmless fun, you remember what it was like at twenty four, I am sure. Richie won't hurt her, I know he wouldn't" she said remaining calm, she had to wonder if this is what he was like with his own children that she had read about.

"She's twenty four Jon, she's a woman, she's going to have sex, and I am sure there are worse people that she could with than Richie" was all she said, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

"You've seen her? What did you say to her?" CC asked concerned.

A blush colored his cheeks, "I um.. "

"Oh god what happened?" CC said sitting down not ready to hear this

Jon winced, "I told her she didn't need to be fucking a man old enough to be her father, I told her I was her father, tried to show her your note, I told her she could do better. Fuck she has my temper did you know that? She was furious."

CC closed her eyes. This was not how she had pictured this whole scenario going down and never wanted it to hurt her. "You told her what?" she spoke quietly, she knew in an instant Frankie's temperament wouldn’t have handled that at all, she hated to be told what to do - that came from her father through and through. She chuckled "Well Jon, all I can say from my memories of her adolescent years, she's your daughter, no doubt about it"

He smiled, his eyes flashing a sparkling crystal blue. "I had no doubt the moment I saw her. Man.." He slumped into the couch and put his hands over his eyes, "I was so shocked, and I let loose with both barrels, Probably hurt my best friend when he least needed it, but dammit she deserves to have a man her age, no matter what she says." He remembered her diatribe over fumbling inexperienced men and groaned. "She called me an Asshole. ME? Because I wanted to protect her. Told me she'd fuck who she pleased. CC.. dammit.. please tell me she's not just promiscuous??"

CC sat down next to him and instinctively put an arm around him. "Jon I know you would have only said what you thought was best, but you just got to understand she hasn’t had a man tell her what to do ever in her life, so hearing all this from you, instant father, had to be a shock you know?. Richie will understand your intent in the end I am sure, he'll know you like I do, that you fly off the handle and say things you regret later.

She's just giving you back your own medicine, trying to hurt you with words as its the only way she knows how," she removed her arm again and looked at him. "No Jon she is not promiscuous, not in the least, Frankie hasn’t really had that many boyfriends, and I know for one, if she's sleeping with a guy he means something to her, she doesn’t just give it to anyone" CC explained.

Jon's brain seemed to be stuck on stupid as he kept muttering, "But he's old enough to be her father dammit."

CC laughed "But isn't it better the devil we know than some idiot we have no idea where he's been or what he's like? You know Rich is a good guy, and yes he's older enough to be her father, if you'd asked me two years ago maybe I would be feeling what you are, but soon Jon, she's going to have to make decisions without me"