Chapter 18
Looking at shocked features of the one and only Joey Fatone, her heart began to beat so rapidly, it felt as though it would beat right out of her chest. She didn't know what to do. How could she possibly explain the past two years away to him? And usually, where you see one, one of the other guys was close behind.
"Wha.....how?...Vi...." He was so confused. Shaking his head, Joey tried to get his thoughts straight, but it did no good. Everything was such a jumbled mess.
Looking away from the old familiar brown eyes, Violet turned to the old man behind the counter, slowly inching her way backwards toward the door. "Uh, George, I have to go. I promise to bring Blaire in here tomorrow to see you."
"Alright, be safe, Jasmine." The old man waved at her as she gave him one last smile before dashing out the door.
Dropping everything he was carrying where he stood, Joey bolted out the door after her.
"Violet!" He called after the woman who was practically running down the street. Finally, catching up to her, Joey put his hand on her shoulder, attempting to stop her. Luckily it worked. She immediately spun around. "What do you want?"
"I want to know why, if you've been alive all this, why haven't you come home? Why did you let us all believe you were dead? Why did you let a part of all of us die?"
"I had no choice!" She screamed at the emotional man, becoming even more emotional herself. She had shut herself off from her past life. Why did it have to come back? Especially now. Things were finally starting to go right for her again. "Don't you think I wanted to go home? Two years, Joey. It's been two freakin' years! I couldn't just up and decide one day that I would go back to LA and just show up at one of your doorsteps saying ˜surprise! I'm alive!"
"So why did you have the doctor pronounce you dead at the hospital? Why weren't we allowed to see you? why, why, WHY?!"
"That wasn't my decision! Like I said, I had no choice with what happened to me and what you were all told."
"Then whose was it?" Looking around her, Violet decided she didn't want to make more of a scene on the street than they already were.
"Look, Joey, I promise I'll tell you everything. Just not right now. Not here. Besides, I have to go pick Blaire up from the babysitters."
"Oh, and what's this? You have a baby? What, did you just come here and fuck the first guy that came along and get knocked up so maybe that little void in your life would be filled?"
"No. I was knocked up, as you say, before all this shit happened!" She screamed at him, immediately regretting it. Her hand flew to her mouth as she closed her eyes. "I did not just say that."
Joey was just as stunned as she was. This Blaire, she was JC's? Or quite possibly Justin's? This just opened up a whole new can of drama.
"I have to go, Joey. I promise, I'll come back later so we can talk. Where are you staying?"
"There." Joey pointed to the hotel on the other side of the street. "With Danni."
"Danni? She's here?"
"How do you think I found out about you being here?"
"Oh." Was all she could say. Apparently she hadn't done a good enough job hiding herself at the Cafe.
"Room 314. We'll be expecting you so you better show. Or else I'm gonna go right back in that mart and get some information out of your friend George there."
"Don't worry. I'll show. We have a lot to talk about."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Alright, I'll see you later." She said before turning and walking away down the street.
How was she going to handle all of this? She certainly didn't know. Hopefully
she would by the time she had to see both Joey and Danni again. Violet had a
lot of explaining to do, she knew that. And she owed it, not just to them, but
to herself. She had been running from them for too long, not anymore. Ben was
dead, she had nothing to be afraid of anymore. Well, except for when it came
time to tell the father of Blaire everything that was going on.
~*~
"Joey, will you stop pacing please? You're making me nauscious!" Danni
complained, rubbing her forehead.
"I'm sorry, D. I'm just getting sick of waiting."
"What are you waiting for? Will you just tell me before you drive me insane because you're driving yourself insane?"
"I can't tell you. But I promise, you'll be happy when the time comes."
Joey said absent-mindedly while looking out the window for the millionth time
that hour.
~*~
Walking down the hallway that seemed to last forever, Violet felt the nerves
wracking her body again. Sure she had seen Joey earlier that day, but she hadn't
seen or talking to Danni. Plus too, this was going to be the first time either
of them saw Blaire. "I wonder if they'll know we were ever here if I just
turn and run back home." Violet said to the toddler who shook her head
and made a very disapproving noise at her mother. "I know, sweetie. I know."
Violet sighed before raising her fist and knocking on the door. "here we
go, Blaire. Welcome to my past." And with that, the door was swung open.
"Finally! I started thinking you wimped out on me here."
"Of course not, Joe. I can't run forever, can I?"
"No." Joey stared into Violet's eyes for a few seconds before turning his attention to the little child in her arms, who seems to be getting restless. "Well hello there. You must be Blaire."
Shaking her head and making a few noise, the baby reached out for Joey, who happily took her in his arms. "Wow, she's never done that before." Violet said, a little shocked. Usually Blaire was so shy and afraid of new people.
"Well she just knows a good catch when she sees it. Huh, Blaire?"
"Joey, who the hell is it?" Violet heard someone yell from inside. She recognized that voice to be Danni's.
"Oh! Come in, come in." Joey said to Violet as he took the child over to Danni.
"A little cutie and one hot momma." Joey said as he brought Blaire over to Danni.
"Aww, hi cutie." Danni said, grabbing the little girl's hand.
"This is Blaire." Joey said, and Danni's head jerked up to look at Joey.
"Blaire? Then she's..." Before she could finish the sentence, Violet's voice interrupted her.
"My baby?"
Her head whipping in the direction of the voice, Danni's eyes practically bulged out of her head. "Violet?" She whispered, afraid if she spoke any louder her old friend would disappear.
"Hi, D." Before Violet could say anything else, Danni had run over to her and enveloped her in a big, tight hug.
"I knew it. I knew you were alive all this time. But he wouldn't believe me." Danni was on the verge of tears, and Violet actually had tears running down her face. She had always hated crying in front of people, but she just didn't care. It had been too long. "God, Vi, I missed you so much. We all have." Danni said, releasing Violet from the hug.
"I've missed everyone too. But you should know that I couldn't..."
"You don't have to explain anything to me."
Violet looked at her in shock. "I don't?"
"No. I understand how the witness protection program works, which was the only reasonable explanation for how everything had taken place. Besides, You had told me a long time ago that the FBI had wanted to put you in it when Ben had escaped, but you wouldn't let them. So then they told you if he found you, you would be put in it then. So you see, it all made perfect sense. It was a closed casket and we couldn't see you at the hospital, it all fit together. And then I saw you last week at that little restaurant you work at, which is definitely not your club, but hey, it's quiet which I know is always a plus sometimes for you. But if I'm wrong here, which I don't think I am, please correct me. The only thing that really needs an explanation would be your little girl over there."
Both Joey and Violet stared at Danni, mouth agape. Now, if only everyone else would be this open minded when they find out she's been alive all this time.
It took a moment for everything to sink in before Violet actually got her thoughts together and was able to speak again.
"No, you got it right down to a T. But, I don't know what kind of explanation you want from me for Blaire." Violet said, confusion clouding her dark eyes.
"Well, basically I want to know who the father is. Unless you had sex right after being put here, which in your condition, I don't think was possible, then that means she's either Justin's or JC's."
Looking away from Danni, Violet looked over at her child, who was playing with Joey on the floor. "Vi, you do know who the father is, don't you?"
Looking back up to Danni with tears in her eyes, she spoke. Her voice soft and shaky. "I wish I did." Her gaze fixated back on her daughter, giggling and rolling on the floor. A smile made it to Violet's face, but never fully made it to her eyes. "When I became conscious and was able to understand again, the doctor told me the extent of my injuries. And then said, don't worry. The baby's fine. The excessive amount of blood loss fortunately didn't affect your pregnancy. Never before that one moment did I actually wish Ben had killed me. Because then I wouldn't have had to raise her by myself, and two great men would not be out there somewhere, unaware of the fact that they might have a baby girl. All I want is to know who her father is. But I obviously couldn't get a paternity test done. Some women say it's their intuition, they just know by looking at their babies who the daddy is. But I look at her, and I don't just see one of them, but both. I see JC's hair, Justin's eyes, and both of their lips. I just don't know."
Wrapping her arms protectively around Violet, Danni tried soothing her the best she could. "what am I going to do?"
"You're coming home with us." Joey said, still playing with Blaire.
"Joey, I can't. My life is here now."
"No, your life is back in LA with everyone who loves you. With your baby's father. That is where you belong. You worked for that life, and I know you wish more than anything that you could have it back."
The look on Violet's face proved Joey to be right. Raising his arms, he said, "Well here's your chance."