Chapter Fifty Four

She wandered from room to room, her hand lightly brushing over walls or doors as she remembered. Her entire life had been spent inside these walls. For as long as she could remember her bedroom was exactly 3 paces to the right from Mom.

Summer days spent running the beach while mom grilled for the neighboring kids, baking in the afternoon when classes were out, stilted dates and fractured proms had all been lived through in these walls. So much was passing into non existence, this one last thing was almost more than she could bear.

Mom was dying, things were getting closer every day, even packing her up to go to New York had taken so much out of her, but the hospital there could help a little, hell to be honest, just being around Jon was giving her reason to hang in there. Jon made her laugh and it was like the cancer didn't exist. If she was gonna love him for any reason it would be taht more than anything else.

She glanced at her watch, a soft sigh escaping her. Jon and Mom had flown on to New York the day before, the last of the boxes had been packed on teh truck, and Richie had finally had to take Ava home. He'd be here soon, and she'd walk out those doors for the final time, into an uncertain future, a life without mom, and yet, a future that held one certain thing. Jon.


Jon? well he was in her future too, there was no longer any way around it. He'd firmly established himself somehow as a parental type, one she chafed against and fought with more than not, but a presence to not be ignored. The only other thing that she took with her from this place, other than memory, was teh relationship she'd found with Richie. and that above all other things was what she could look forward too.

Richie had settled in Ava at home and had a long conversation with Heather and everything seemed settled again, He sighed as he arrived back at the house where he was meeting Frankie.

He knew that this would be tough on Frankie but he vowed to support his princess, CC was growing weaker, it was only a matter of time, and he knew that time was going to be the hardest in his girl's life and he vowed to be there as much as possible.

As he walked back into the empty house he saw Frankie standing there looking out the window deep in thought. God she was beautiful. He crept up behind him as she didn’t hear him come in and snaked his arms around her waist. "Hey beautiful" he whispered.
She squealed and turned wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I’m so glad your back."

"Me too" his face burying in her curly hair. "You ok Ces?" he asked knowing that this had to be hard on her.

She pressed closer to him and thought of lying for all of two seconds. "Not really. Spent my whole life here ya know?"

"And you would only be human love thinking like that, but you know this is a new chapter, we close a door and somewhere, someone opens a window" he chuckled.

She managed a laugh, "Yeah but did the window HAVE to be to HIS apartment?? " she glanced up into Richie's eyes. "I mean no independence at all anymore. I can just see staying out all night around him. Even though I'm nearly twenty five I can hear him, "You're not gonna do like I did. what's he think I am twelve?"

Richie laughed "It wont be that way forever, I cant lie and tell you he wont be all protective as I know he will be, but he'll learn in time and least I am here now, so he trusts me with you finally I think so that’s something right?"

She shook her head, "well that is the one bonus to things. He's finally getting the point about what we feel isn’t some brief thing, at least as far as I'm concerned." she glanced up at him as she laid it on the line, and in some odd way offered him an out if needed.

Richie saw her offer, he stood in front of her and held her hands in his and bent down on one knee and looked into her soft blue eyes. "Frankie Benson, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked.

She blinked once and looked down into his earnest brown eyes. "You don't have to ask me that Richie."

"I wouldn’t ask if it I didn’t mean it Princess, honestly, I wouldn’t" he said as he stroked her hand. "In all my life I have never found someone that makes me want to be so free and have so much fun, you make me wanna be a better man Ces" honestly shone from his heart.

"How can ya be free if you get .." She shook her head, "You don’t need to marry me, Id stay with ya regardless."

"I want to marry you, and because I WANT to, no other reason Ces, none"

She started to giggle, a gentle giggle that grew into a huge laugh. "You wanna be his son in law???"


Richie's eyes widened "Oh shit!" he exclaimed starting to laugh, it had never occurred to him that is how it would work till right now. He stood up "I take it back, I take it back nooo way" he teased joking.

She arched a brow and grinned, "You could call him dad."

Richie shook his head "The day I call Kidd Dad, is the day.... oh my god, no way, the guys would never let that one go, ever" he conjured up all the Davidisms in his head.

She nodded, "So you see there’s all sorts of wrinkles to marrying me Richie."

He smiled but pulled her close "All that aside believe it or not, I still want to, I really do, but you just think on it Princess, but know I mean it"

She, pulled him closer "I’d love too Richie, as a roommate I gotta admit to preferring you over Jon. Your hella lot more fun."

"I can do a lot of things Jon can't ya know, oh god I did not just go there," he chuckled as he pulled her in tightly.

She winced, "I don’t wanna know."

"No you don't princess" he said as he pulled her in close and softly brushed his lips across hers a mischievous smile breaking out on his face.

She sighed into the kiss as her hands wrapped around his neck, her lips pressing against his gently. "Mmm I do love your kisses. "

His hands roamed down her sides to her short jeans she was wearing and slowly unbuckled them sliding them down her legs as he fell to his knees, reaching from behind her he steered her into him bringing her precious bundle towards his hungry mouth. His tongue laced lightly over the mound as his hands gripped her ass.

She gasped as her knees nearly buckled, "Fuck I love how ya do that too."

He started slowly walking on his knees leaning her back to the wall pressing her lightly against it to brace her, his hands roamed up the tight halter neck she had on, finding room to slide his hands up her top his fingers grasped her bare flesh until he found her soft cups, rubbing his thumbs gently over her pert nipples. his tongue delve back into the fire, finding her aching bud as he licked and nibbled gently