Chapter Thirty Two

Richie felt her tremble and quiver against his body as she poured her soul out and bared it to the world. This poor young trouble woman that has had to deal with so much already, her heart breaking in his very hands, but he knew this was the way he could begin to help her heal and deal with everything she had to as she laid it all down. "Shhhh sweet darlin, it's ok baby, I’m right here for you, always" he soothed as he looked up at Jon who was coming closer.

She shook her head, the softest sniffle escaping her. "Won't ever be ok again." She stood there quietly, accepting his caring, literally feeling it as he took her burden onto his shoulders. "You've been through this, once was enough. I should just go home, you didn't ask to witness this again, once is enough for anyone."

"Now stop talking like that again and blaming yourself I won't have it ok, you gotta stop it, I am here for you and I should be here for you knowing what you will go through. I am here for you Princess, now and forever" he said whispering. "But right now I think there is someone that wants to see you" he said as he turned her to face Jon. He was standing there with a pained expression ringing through his blue eyes and tears threatening his eyes as he just nodded.

"Frankie? baby I’m so sorry" he said as he walked towards her, all he wanted to do was hug her and take away her pain, but he didn’t know how she was going to react to him being there.

She watched him come closer, watched as she saw her pain, fear and anger mimicked in his own blue gaze. Her breathing hitched as his arms went around her and he started murmuring. She stood there with her Princes strength holding her up and her Father's strength whispering through her and finally, for the final time, she cried and laid her anger down.

Jon wrapped his arms around his daughter as tightly as they could go and held onto her as she cried into his chest. "Shhh baby girl, let it all go, I’m here for you, you'll never be alone again" Jon strung together words of hope and comfort to her as she cried he shot Richie a pained gaze as Richie watched on with tears in his eyes. Finally all the angst had been broken. "I'm gonna do your best for you mom, for us" he said "I don't want her to die Frankie, I really don't" his own feelings of grief finally breaking through the surface. "I love her so much, and I will just love you more, I promise you that baby girl, I promise you" he said as the tears slid down his cheeks.

She took a deep breath and straightened before rubbing the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry bout your wife, sorry that Mom never told you, sorry I'm so stubborn and independent. I.... can't seem to help how I am, but.. you're making her last days better, and that means so much. I dunno why I was so angry with you, but.. " She sighed as she reached back, her hand searching for Richie's, "not much has kept me sane lately,and when I thought you were trying to take it away I saw red."

Jon nodded now understanding more of her relationship and why Richie meant so much to her, he hadn’t seen it before and he was a fool for that. "I just wish I had met you earlier, so we may have been able to do something more" he said sadly.

He looked at her and stroked back her curly hair that so mirrored his 1980's beloved mop. "And mostly Frankie, I am sorry that you inherited all your father's worst traits" he chuckled.

A fine brow arched slightly, "worst traits?"

"Your stubborn and independence don't come from your momma, don’t you see why we argue so much, we're too alike" he said winking at her. "But god damn you have made me prouder than any father could be the way you have dealt with all this shit, and you're still standing here, a gorgeous, fiery, independent woman, I couldn’t have hoped for more from a daughter" he beamed wiping away his own tears.

She shook her head and laughed, "Goes even deeper than that, oddly enough. brown hair and blue eyes not withstanding." She waited for the puzzled look, waited for the huh she knew would soon follow.

Jon crinkled his forehead "What do you mean baby?" he asked

She winked and the smile on her face was at the least devious and at the best full out evil. "We have the same taste in men. friends for you and......"

Jon snorted looking at Richie "She even has the Bongiovi humor, well I'll be damned" he chuckled. "I guess that now makes somewhat perfect sense that you ended up with him" he chuckled shaking his head. "Come on lets all get out of here and go grab some coffee, I don't know about you both but I need one after today" he said as he laced his arm around her waist as he pulled her close while she had Richie's hand on her othe rside as they started strolling down the beach back towards home.

As they walked, chatting softly, the photographer grinned and kept shooting pic after pic of the little Bon Jovi tete e tete. The morning papers would get an eyeful of how the Jovi's really were.