Chapter Nineteen

She'd been gone nearly a week and he was pretty damn sure when he got back home she wouldn't be there, or at the worst would have changed all the codes. She hadn't taken any of it well. Knowing he had cheated all along their marriage was one thing, but being confronted with a child of his that SHE hadn't borne to him had been a final straw.

His gaze turned outwards to the sunset that was painting the ocean in hues of fire and gold and sighed. She didn't wanna get that Frankie was conceived during one of those off times in their relationship, nor would she get why Jon wanted to stay, or maybe she did. He pulled no punches about explaining his feelings about losing CC.

He thought he'd done a good job at explaining CC's illness, her need for Frankie to have a family when she was gone, but Dot was having none of it. She'd finally thrown the ultimatum of come home or else. He'd chosen the or else, he HAD too, he couldn’t abandon a kid of his, even an adult one.

Honestly it was a cluster-fuck that even his talent and charisma couldn’t get him out of. HE could only pray that maybe one day Dot would understand.

~~~

CC sat there watching the ocean spiraling onto the shore, the time had nearly come to an end and it was time to go back home and face the real world. She'd had a great holiday with Frankie and it was just time to let her be a young woman again and not have to worry about doctors and medicines and jobs and things, so the purpose of it was fulfilled as well as spending some time with her alone when she hadn't been tied up with Richie. She smiled at how besotted they were and she was glad that Frankie had someone to take her mind off things.

Her thoughts traveled to Jon and why had he stayed behind when Dorothea had left the island, he'd stayed with them and been around them in the last few days, she hadn't bothered to ask how it went as she assumed not so good. She also panicked that he may have given up everything for her as that was unrealistic in her state. Ah yes her illness, she was growing weaker by the day but she was covering up well to those around her so that they could worry about their own things. She knew time was running out but she took in the good grace that her daughter now at least knew her father and that she had someone else she could lean on, in Richie.

~~~~~

She sighed softly and turned over, her sleepy gaze taking in the warm body next to her. She reached over to trace his nose along his cheek to his lips. He was so wonderful, had treated her like a princess. The entire vacation had become one long moment of laughter and love. She hated for it to end.

She knew the day was upon her, that she had to go back to reality, back home to a job and bills and doctor's visits. How was he gonna fit into all of that with his life of traveling and his tour that was gearing up in the next few weeks?

God she didn't want to lose him, but how the hell was she gonna hang on to him with all of that? She closed her eyes and forced back the tears. Snuggling tighter into his warmth her eyes closed as she tried to push the thoughts of the future away. There was no future without him, but from where she stood she feared that's all she was gonna have, a future without. Sighing softly she dozed back off and prayed the clock would stop and that they could remain this way forever.

~~~

Well fuck, where did the last week go? Richie wondered to himself as he lay there with Cesca tightly against his chest. He didn't want to let her go back to the life that she had come from, he knew that the next few weeks would be hard for her, and CC didn't have that much longer to live. He hated to think of her all the way over in California alone without him to be there for her. They had a sold out tour coming up in a few weeks so things would be hard but he swore to himself that he would try to keep in touch and see her and fly her anywhere.

He glanced down at her feeling heartsick. She was amazing, she had injected life into him that he thought he'd lost forever through his divorce and Father's death, she was insatiable, sexy, funny, vibrant, caring, feisty and hot blooded. She had done what no other woman had for him ever in that complete package; the age thing just didn't seem to matter to them. His heart already felt the void that she would leave once they got on separate planes home and he didn't want to come at all.

He glanced at the clock knowing that they just had today, tonight and that was it, but he was determined to make sure that it was the best night of her life he could give her.

"Princess?" he softly said stirring her and placing a kiss on her ever soft supple lips.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly as she put a smile on her lips. "Morning Richie."

Her head tilted as she took in that face she'd come to love. Sighing softly she reached up again to trace his lips, "I guess today's it huh?" She tried to hide the shadows of sadness wanting to scream as she smiled and continued her feather light brushes along his skin.




He smiled down at her taking in her gorgeous blue eyes he'd come to lose himself in so often in the last week. "Why so sad baby?" he asked as he pressed his lips to her fingers.

She shook her head and tried to play it off, "I woke up and you were still asleep."

"You should have woke me? is there anything I can do to put a smile on that beautiful face of yours?" he asked tracing his finger down her cheek.

She shook her head, "No.. not really... I'm ok honey really." She sighed, "I mean you cant make it yesterday, you cant rewind time.. Today is .. well today.. and we go home tomorrow. Things are over ya know? Its back to ...." her voice faded off as she buried her head into his neck.

Richie sighed "I know I cant change that baby, but I betcha I have one thing that might make things better?" he said with a small mischievous grin.

"What's that Rich?" She tried to keep her voice from cracking, tried to keep it nice and easy, even called him by his name instead of Prince. All things to force her to relate to the present as it now was.

He stroked "You know when I was a little boy and I had bad times, you know what always cheered me up?" he asked her innocently.

She shook her head slightly then looked up at him again. "No, what?"

"Well mom always used to tell me that the best thing was to beat the blues......." he trailed off and smiled again his brown eyes dancing.