They all piled out when they reached the arena. "I'm gonna watch, and maybe get some of this stuff studied," he said, indicating the books, then grinned. "Don't tell them I'm here."
"Word," Donnie grinned, and they went in. Jon stayed in the seats as the other two ran down to join the rehearsal, already in progress.
The rehearsal took two hours, and Jon completely enjoyed it. His books sat in the chair next to him, forgotten. He sang along, remembering how it had felt to be up there, and a tiny spark of hope told him that maybe again... He shook his head. Even if he hadn't raped JJ, he had been on drugs. He pushed the thoughts from his head and watched. He found himself remembering some of the steps so he could teach them, then he laughed. It would take him a week just to learn the things. They finished, and he started down through the seats, packing his backpack as he went.
Jordan stood on the stage, talking to someone about the lights as the others left the stage. He still felt like something was missing in the group, and JJ hadn't been doing too well lately either. They both needed a pick up. He turned to another of the light people and caught sight of someone moving towards the stage. He squinted, trying to see past the lights. The figure looked familiar, though Jordan couldn't quite put a name to it, so he just watched. Some of the lights went down as the person reached the wall that separated the floor and the seats, then it clicked.
"Jonathan!!" he yelled, and jumped from the stage to race across the floor. They met where the older Knight had jumped from the seats, and Jordan threw his arms around his brother's neck and hugged him. Jon hugged him back fiercely, grinning. "Where have you been?" Jordan demanded, pulling his brother back to the stage.
"Here, in Golden, actually." Jon laughed. "I'm glad to see you." They climbed onto the stage, and Jordan stopped, released his brother, and just looked at him, shaking his head. "What?" Jon asked self consciously.
"You look great," he grinned. "And you're different, somehow. What did you do this summer?"
"I worked trail crew at Golden Gate State Park. You guys did a great album. I was impressed," Jon grinned.
"Yeah, it was okay," Jordan shrugged, his dark eyes sparkling. "We missed you." He began pulling Jon further, to the backstage area. "Why did you disappear?"
"I couldn't see why you'd want to... Jordan, I was addicted to Dexamyl, and I thought I'd raped JJ. Wouldn't you disappear?" he asked. "Besides which, I was furious with you, Sam, and Danny." He paused, thinking. "I was just really screwed up. I'm not even sure either of them want to talk to me anymore."
Jordan laughed. "That sounds like you." He pulled Jon faster, and Jon laughed as he increased his pace. He'd forgotten Jordan's enthusiastic energy and enjoyed it as they left the building and approached the buses where everyone was boarding. He caught sight of JJ as she started onto a bus, wrenched his arm from Jordan's grip with a muttered "Excuse me", and ran to catch her, dropping his pack on the way. He grabbed her arm just before she disappeared onto the bus.
"JJ, can I talk to you?" he asked as she turned and met his eyes. Emotions chased the original shock across her face, and she tried to pull her arm from his grip. "Please," he said softly.
"You'd better talk to Sam first," she said faintly.
"Where is she?" he asked, reluctantly letting her go. She pointed up the stairs and moved towards him to get out of his way. He wanted to just hold her, but knew he'd really hurt her in not speaking to anyone. He would have to earn their trust again, he thought as he stepped onto the bus.
Sam sat on the couch along the side of the bus, reading. "Hi, Sam," he said, pausing just inside the door. She looked up at him, startled.
"Danny didn't hit you," she observed after a moment of silence. He shifted, wishing the whole thing had never happened.
"No," he said, "but it seems I deserved it. I'm sorry, Sam. If there was something I could do, I would." She went back to her book, and he took a deep breath. He had to say something to make it right, something to let her know that he really was sorry. He couldn't think of anything for a moment. "Do you want to hit me?" he asked then. "You have the right." She looked up, even more startled, and her dark brown eyes met his hazel ones, then she smiled.
"Tempting, but no," she quoted. He relaxed slightly, and Sam realized what it must be like for him.
"Sure? Because I still have to talk to JJ, and when I get off the bus the chance is gone until sometime next summer." He shifted again, wondering what he could say to make it clear how he felt.
She stood up. "Why next summer?" she asked, and set the book down where she had been sitting.
"I'm gonna finish the school year, then maybe move back to Dorchester. Then I'll see what happens. At any rate, it'll be that long until you see me again." He paused. "Unless I can convince Peter to let you stay for the concert tonight," he mused, turning to go off the bus. His stomach took a dive. She didn't seem to want to listen.
"A concert?" Sam asked. He turned back to look at her.
"Yeah. Show choir. I'd like you guys to see it, if you want."
She didn't remember him being that hesitant, and it bothered her. She gave up the charade and threw her arms around his neck to hug him. "You're forgiven," she grinned. "Just don't do it again."
"I ain't planning on it," he laughed, more relieved than he would have thought. "And next time I get suspicious, I'll ask someone." He hugged her back, feeling he only had to face JJ and build up two years of lost trust. That's gonna be hard, he thought.
"Go see JJ," Sam ordered, letting him go. He nodded and bounded off the bus, nearly hitting Peter as he reached the ground.
"Excuse me," Jon mumbled, trying to get past him, but Peter grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?" he asked. Jon stared at him, surprised. 'He said 'where are you going', not 'what are you doing here',' he thought, trying to figure out what was going on.
"What?" he asked, his mouth running before he'd managed to formulate his thoughts completely.
"Where are you going?" Peter seemed to be exaggerating his patience, but his dark eyes twinkled with humor. It wasn't every day he got to throw one of them off like that.
"To find JJ. I'm running short on time," Jon answered. "I'm sorry I'm holding you up. Give me five minutes or so, and I'll get outa your way."
"Hang on," Peter laughed. "You aren't getting away that quick. I want to know what you're doing, and when you're planning on joining us again, now that we've found you."
"Huh?" Jon asked, startled. He didn't know what was going on anymore. He glanced at Jordan, who held his bag and grinned at him. When he turned back to Peter, the manager was smiling widely, evidently enjoying the shock Jon felt.
"You are still a part of this group, as far as everyone here is concerned. You had some rest, recovered from everything. Are you ready to start work again?"
Jon stared in disbelief. "You want me back?" he asked. Peter nodded, and he collected his spinning thoughts. "Okay. I'm registered for next semester, and you don't want me back now anyway, because I'd just get confused and get the fellas confused." He paused, smiling, thinking through the summer. "I can join you at the end of the tour and have a crash course in the choreography."
Peter nodded. "Good. You didn't lose any of your brain. Your mother sent the records to Maurice, from the hospital and the rehab center. As far as he's concerned, you're clean. You get another chance, because everyone deserves one. Now, go set my bassist straight so she can play again," he said, letting Jon go. Jon nodded his thanks and walked over to where JJ stood against the bus.
"Hi," he smiled shyly. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. He wanted to hold her, but didn't know how she felt until she hugged him.
"Why didn't I hear from you?" she demanded. He took a deep breath and tilted her head up to look at him.
"When I woke up that morning, I was in a lot of pain and couldn't think real straight. When I saw my room, my first thought was to get outa there before I did something worse. And I didn't think you wanted to talk to me after I'd raped you. I'm sorry." He brushed the hair from her face.
"No one ever told you?" she asked, incredulous.
He blushed slightly, ashamed of the whole situation. "I just handled it badly; I didn't ask. I was too scared that what I'd seen had been true." He grimaced. "In that case I'd rather have wondered forever than know that had really happened."
She looked at him. "I'm sorry it was so hard on you."
He suddenly grinned. "None of that; I'm supposed to be apologizing. That's why they dragged me here before my final."
"Dragged?"
"Well, not really," he told her. "I wanted to see you again, and apologize to you, and to Jordan, and Sam." He bent down and kissed her.
"Hey, Jon! Your five minutes are up!" Peter called. Jon checked his watch.
"Hmm. I've gotta final in half an hour, that I haven't studied for yet. See if you can get Peter to stay for my concert, ask Sam for details. See ya later." He kissed her again and was gone, grabbing his bag from Jordan as he went past.
"Where's he going?" Jordan asked.
"Final. Peter, he'd like us to stay for his concert tonight, even you," JJ teased. "Can we?" Sam came off the bus then, and joined them.
"What kind of concert?" Peter asked.
"Choir," Sam said.
"Where?"
"At the Music Conservatory. I can find out the time and the exact place," Sam said.
"Do that. Then we'll decide whether or not we'll stay," Peter sighed. He knew very well they would be staying. Sam bounced into the building as the others came off the bus, curious.
"What's up?" Danny asked.
"Sam just went in to see when Jon's concert is tonight," Jordan said, his brown eyes sparkling. "We might be going."
"Concert?" Donnie asked. "Hold it. If this is anything like my sister's concerts at the end of the year, there'll be a lot of people there. It could be suicide."
"So we'll go in disguise," Joe shrugged. His blue eyes gleamed excitedly as he watched for Sam to return. She did then, slightly out of breath.
"It's at seven thirty at the Mathis Concert Hall," she announced, "and I got directions."
"I'll tell the others to go ahead, and keep two buses here. I'll be crowded," he warned them, but no one seemed to hear him.
Sam sat next to JJ as they settled into the bus. "how are you feeling?" she asked.
"He looked good, didn't he," JJ answered, looking at her friend. "A lot better. He's gotten back all the weight he lost." Her hands twisted in her lap.
Sam took her hands, stilling them. "He looked good," she allowed. "How are you feeling?"
JJ looked down. "I... don't know. I've been trying not to feel, afraid I'd never see him again, and I didn't know what I had done to make him run away. I thought if it came to that he should have just fired me. I wouldn't have minded that."
"But you didn't do anything."
"I didn't know that," she said softly. "And then there was the drug thing..." She sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know." Then she smiled. "At least now I'll have a chance to find out." Her hands trembled, then she started to cry, tears running silently down her face. Sam slipped an arm around her shoulders and just held her.
After a minute, she took a deep breath. "Better?" Sam asked.
JJ nodded. "Much better," she smiled. "Excuse me a minute." She moved to the back to clean her face. When she returned, everyone had boarded the bus and were talking excitedly. She sat by Jordan and just watched, smiling as their conversation turned to disguises.
Go on to Next Chapter | Grounds for Vengeance
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