As Ellie and Jimmy were sitting and talking, Jon finally stomped in all upset when he found his wife and his first born. They both looked at each other then back at Jon when Ellie asked him a question that was sure to make him blow.
“Sweetheart what did Richie want?” she asked him smiling.
“How the Hell did you know that was Richie!” he busted out.
“Dad Romeo answered the phone. It took less than five seconds for that info to get around the house.” Jimmy told him.
Jon just gave Jimmy the stink eye because he knew that it was true. With the number of people in this house, trying to keep anything from anyone was like a joke.
“Should have known.” Jon said as he took a chair next to Ellie.
“So are you going to tell us or what Honey?” she asked again.
“Fine he wanted to come over and visit with you. He saw the news and wanted to know if what he saw was true and if so could he come here and see you.” He puffed.
“And what did you tell him as if I don’t know.” She asked him inquisitively.
“What do you think, NO!” he said to them squarely.
Ellie turned to her son and shook her head because she didn’t know what to do. Yes she was angry with Richie when everything went down when he left the band the first time and Jon sunk back into that hole again. But when they were inducted in to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame things had looked better for the two of them. So a few years had gone by and when Bon Jovi had let out another record and didn’t ask Richie to be on that and not on the tour Richie had gotten a little offended and jealous that he wasn’t a part of it. It had just gotten worse when the next album came out after that and still Jon hadn’t asked him again and that was the last straw apparently for him. This time the jabs at them were really bad and Jon couldn’t take it. Words were said that couldn’t be taken back. So before they knew it years and years had gone by and still neither one would be the first to see who would be picking up that phone to make amends. The two of them were the most stubborn jackasses she ever knew.
“Jon calm the hell down please before you give yourself a stroke or something worse. Did he leave a phone number?" she asked him calmly.
“No he did NOT! Besides you are not calling him. He’ll only upset you. James talk some sense into your Mother. I’m going to get something strong to drink.” He told them as he got up and left the room.
Both looking at each other Ellie asked her son, “Jimmy do me a favor and see if you can get me Richie’s number ok?”
“Mom, Dad will have a fit. Are you sure you want me to do this?” he asked her unsure.
“Yes I need to know what he wants. I’m pretty sure I know Sweetie it’s kind of written in the sand isn’t it? He needs closure. So do we. It’s time and you’re Father especially needs it and him. And what’s he going to do? Scream at me? I don’t think so because I’m not telling him where I got it.” She winked at him.
“Yeah like he won’t know.” He mumbled.
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A few days had gone by and Jon’s attitude still hadn’t changed any. This was giving Ellie a huge headache not to mention a huge pain in her ass. The kids had to go back to their jobs but would be back in a few weeks but were on speed dial just in case anything should happen. Ellie was glad they weren’t there when their father was in one of his moods. And this gave Jimmy a chance to do what he had to do for his Mom in peace and away from his Dad.
Ellie was sitting in the den relaxing when Jon poked his head in. She could feel eyes on her so when she looked up he was waving his handkerchief in surrender.
Laughing she asked him, “What are you doing silly?”
“Just making sure that I can come in and not have anything thrown at me.” He laughed back.
“I haven’t done that in years and you know it.” She feign a hurt face.
“Don’t give me that hurt look Baby. I know you missed on purpose.” He smiled.
Smiling back, “Yes I did I couldn’t let anything happen to that gorgeous face of yours. All those Bon Jovi fans would kill me now.” She giggled.
“Not if they knew what I put you thru they wouldn’t of. I am sorry for that. If I could change those things I would you know that right?” he told her solemnly.
She looked at him straight in the eye and gestured for him to come to her. He pulled up a chair next to her as close as he could get it seeing that he couldn’t kneel on the floor anymore, getting up was a bitch with his knees.
“Sweetheart that’s all in the past ok. What’s done is done. All I care about is now. We survived all that and that’s all that counts. Yeah it wasn’t easy being married to a Rock and Roller and one of the hottest ones at that. And there were times I didn’t think we were going to make it. And not to get all corny and stuff but if we didn’t really love each other we wouldn’t be here now would we?” she told him with tears in her eyes.
Looking lovingly at her, “No Baby we wouldn’t be. All I ever knew was that you were the one for me. My one and only.” He told her kissing her hand.
As they were talking the phone rang. “Damn I can let it go to voice mail.” Jon told her.
“No it may be one of the kids. Could you please see who it is?” she asked him curious.
“Sure Babe.” He told her getting up and went to the phone. He saw the number and it was a New York number. Answering it, “Hello?...Yes this is he. ...” he went on as Ellie listened and she knew it wasn’t someone they knew right off. Jon also seemed a little put out by the call. It seemed that he was telling the caller that whatever it was he couldn’t do what they wanted because of family matters and to contact the Foundation as they now have full responsibility of it. They seemed to be stressing the point that they wanted him there so the conversation was getting a little heated at least on Jon’s part but he told them again to either contact the Foundation or his lawyer. Then he hung up the phone. When he turned around he saw the look on his wife’s face.
“Hey Babe. I betcha want to know what that was all about huh?” he asked her trying to grin what just happened away.
“Yeah that would be nice” she said smiling.
“Well that was the Board of Director Dave Watson of the JBJ Soul Foundation and he wanted me to make an appearance at several up and coming events in the coming months. He wants me in to have some meetings about these because they are going to be very important to the foundation.” He started to explain to her.
“Why don’t you hear him out?” she wanted to know.
“You’re kidding right? We have some very important doctor’s appointments coming up and I need to be there. No let me rephrase that. I AM going to be there got that. Nothing is going to stop me ok? Erik Winters can take my place. You are the most important thing in my life right now Babe.” he told her with all the emotion she could see in his face.
“Ok I know better to argue with you when you get like this, and I would do the same thing if things were reversed. Have I told you how much I love you today?” she asked him lovingly.
“No I don’t believe you have.” He told her as he sauntered over to her and bent down, took her face in his hands and kissed her like they did when they were teenagers.
As she thought the kiss lasted about that long from sixteen til now she came back up breathless and thought her life flashed in front of her. That she would keep to herself.
“Wow what got into you?” she wanted to know.
“Just the way you were sitting there you reminded me why I fell in love with you in the first place. That look you would give me, I can’t explain it Babe but sometimes I couldn’t understand why you were with me. You were always telling me why I was with you. You just never got it. Well now I get it. I knew you weren’t into me because of the fame and money so what was it? Everybody told me how good looking I was but you saw beyond that. Yeah I got on my high horse at times especially when you weren’t with me and I paid that price but I thank the Lord you never left me. And I don’t want you to leave me now. Please Baby don’t leave me.” He told her as he broke down.
Ellie didn’t expect this. He finally broke down as he was holding it in all these months. He collapsed in front of her as he sat on the floor and put his head on her lap. All she could do was run her hands thru his hair and down his back. “Just let it out Sweetheart just let it out.” she whispered to him as she kissed the top of his head. “I Love You more than anything you know this.” As she started to sob now.
They knew that one day they would part this earth, Jon just wanted to be the one to go first. I believe all men want to go first. They sat there for the longest time just letting it out. She knew he couldn’t go much longer holding all this in. Finally what seemed like a life time everything calmed down and they just sat there holding each other.
Jon eventually looked up to his wife never fearing that she wasn’t the most beautiful and generous woman that he ever knew or wanted.
“Sweetheart do you feel any better?” she asked him concerned only because he didn’t usually let anyone see him like this. The only other times was when he lost his parents and that was a different grieving process as this is his wife.
“Yeah somewhat. Sorry I fell apart like that. It just hit me like a ton of bricks.” He told her while he wiped his eyes.
“Jon never apologize for having feelings you know that. Plus you needed to get that out. You’ve been holding that in for so long and trying to be everyone’s support system. Who’s being your support system Sweetheart?” she asked him knowing all too well he’s taking on too much.
“I can handle it.” He told her as he started to get up but she wouldn’t let him. “Hey!” he whined.
“I’m not finished talking with you about this.” She told him annoyed.
“Baby you’re never finished. I have some things to do so I need to get up plus I think my legs are a sleep. So if you don’t mind?” he said sarcastically.
Now he pissed her off. “You know Jon how the hell can you be so sweet one minute and a jackass the next um?” she wanted to know.
Getting up and brushing himself off he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry Babe, I really am. This is killing me. I don’t want to start crying again ok? If we start talking about this again I will. The only time that we have been apart was when your parents took you away from me and my Mom lied to us and kept us apart for those six years. And now I’m going to lose you forever.” He told her as it broke his heart.
“Jonny it won’t be forever I promise you. We’ll have eternity I truly believe that. Because if I didn’t I couldn’t get thru this.” She smiled at him lovingly.
“And I wouldn’t get thru this if it wasn’t for you. I don’t know how you do it Babe.” He said as he bent down and kissed her as his life depended on it.
When they parted she told him, “Wow I love it when you do that. Sweetie if it wasn’t for my family I don’t think I could. I love you all so very much and because of you I can get thru this. Just do me one favor and just be there for each other. Jon just make sure the kids don’t separate like me and my siblings did please.” She asked him.
“I’ll make sure Babe.”
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In another state someone was getting things in order. “Dad they don’t want you there so why are you going?” Ava asked him.
“Because I have a right to say goodbye to an old friend that’s why. Plus HE doesn’t have a right to keep me away from her.” He said as he was packing his suitcase. “Ava have you seen my glasses?” he asked as he was pulling out drawers now looking for them.
“Yeah they’re on your head.” She laughed.
Reaching up and pulling them down to look at them he just laughed also. “I’m so nervous about going I guess.”
“You should be. Uncle Jon is going to have a fit. Stef said he is still pissed.” She re-laid this info to her father.
“Again I don’t care and I can take care of Jon. Believe me he hasn’t changed in over sixty years the stubborn jackass.” Richie told his daughter as he went into the bathroom to get his supplies.
“Yeah well I remember the stories Mom used to tell me of you two going at it and Uncle Jon would always win because he was the boss. Or as she put it the fucker who ran the show or Tantrum Baby.” Ava told her Dad grimacing.
“Well I can tell you a few things about your mother. Look Honey I was Jon’s right hand man and my job was to try and keep him as calm as possible and do as much as I could for him. Look Jon is a good man he really is. He will also go the end of the earth for his people. In fact he nearly killed himself during the Slippery tour for everyone because he cared to much. Your mother was jealous of our relationship because I would just drop everything and go off and tour for like sixteen months at a time. She would just bitch and bitch about it and then say we both were cheating it was getting really out of hand. Then she filed for divorce and the guys had to tell me because THEY heard it on the news. They didn’t want me to hear it that way so Jon took me aside and told me. And they thought I spiraled out of control. I’m so sorry you had to go thru everything that you did. Between me and your mother those years must have been horrible for you Baby.” He told her and went over to her and hugged the hell out of her.
“Daddy I can’t breathe.” She told him giggling.
“Sorry Baby I just feel like I have to make up for all those years I fucked up.” He told her smiling sadly.
“Daddy you know it’s ok and that it was so long ago all right? I love you. But I just don’t want you to get hurt anymore. I’ve always known you’ve loved Auntie Ellie. That’s why Mom hated her she could see it too. So isn’t that why Uncle Jon hit you that time and you guys never seen each other again?” Ava wanted to know.
Looking at her with heartbroken eyes he told her, “Yeah Ellie has always known how I’ve felt about her but she’s kept quite about it. Only thing is she has never felt the same way about me. She’s only loved me as a friend and if that’s all I could have then that was fine by me. But one day someone told Jon a.k.a. your Mom that I was deeply in love with her. At first Jon didn’t believe her but she recorded one of our telephone conversations that we had. Ellie was upset that Jon had fooled around again and needed to talk and well we got to talking and it came out so she used it to get back at the two of us. Jon went ballistic and hit me square in the jaw. There’s more but that’s the jist of it and he’s never forgave me for it." he explained to Ava.
“Oh Daddy I’m so sorry that Mom did that to you. I know Mom had a lot of problems and I’m also sorry she didn’t deal with them correctly. I tried to help her but she just wouldn’t listen to anyone.” Ava told her Father dishearten.
“Sweetie it wasn’t your job to take care of her. You were just a kid and then in your early twenties when she started to really start to lose it. We all tried to help her but just sometimes things don’t always work out. I should have never of taken her in because then the shit wouldn’t have hit the fan. I mean I’ve seen Jon mad before but nothing ever happened between us, then Ellie brought up the fact that he cheated on her and she needed to talk to a friend and well that sent him over the edge. I think if I didn’t leave the band maybe he wouldn’t have been so pissed at me.” Richie said as he knew that he had screwed up.
“Well Stef and Jesse said he felt that you had abandon him and the guys but mostly him because you were more like a brother to him. That you and he did everything together from your early twenties til what you were fifty Dad?” she wanted to know.
“Yeah I think it was something like that. I was so fucked up then, trying to make everyone happy but myself. And to be truthful I did fuck up by leaving the band. I never should have left. I should have just asked Jon for some time off. I really made an ass out of myself.” He said sadly looking at his daughter.
“Well those years were hard on me too. I didn’t know if I could talk to Stef and Jesse until one day Aunt Ellie called me out of the blue. She said that Stef was wondering the same thing and didn’t know what to do. So she told me that she would just take it upon herself and fix it. She told me that they weren’t angry with me and to be truthful really not with you or Uncle Jon. That things just got out of hand and that between the press and those stupid fan websites things just got out of control, you know pitting you and Uncle Jon and Phil against each other.” She really did feel bad about that and Richie could see that she did.
“Oh I know and what everyone should have known and I thought they did was when I went into rehab that first time Phil came aboard was that I recommended him to the guys. Yeah those fan sites can really start things they shouldn’t. Pitting us against each other. Do they NOT know what Band of Brothers mean.” He chuckled. “I mean they say they are true blue fans but come on and now this shit. Jon and I hate each other but for the wrong reasons. It’s just so stupid so I need to fix this before, you know I can’t let Ellie go before this is all fixed.” He explained to Ava as he went over to hug her.
“Daddy you need to do what you need to so go. But just make sure they don’t blame you for everything ok? And no fighting I mean that. You and Uncle Jon are to old to fist fight now.” She scolded her father.
“Ok, ok I’ll try but I can’t vouch for him. It’s his Italian temper. It’s gotten us in trouble more times than I can count.” He really laughed this time as he remember those times.
Just as they had gotten downstairs the car had pulled up for him to take him to the airport. He kissed his daughter and left. He wasn’t fooling himself, he knew that when he got there he wasn’t going to be welcomed with opened arms. But he knew he had to do this and to see Ellie before she passed. He had a lot to say to her and a lot to say to his best friend and partner who he hasn’t seen in years because of a disagreement that got out of control because of his ex-wife and her hatred for someone he thought was the sweetest and kindest person he ever knew.
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It was early evening and Ellie wasn’t hungry which was driving Jon crazy. She needed to eat to keep her strength up. She was also waiting on a phone call from her eldest because he had promise to get Richie’s number for her and he still hadn’t gotten it for her and she was getting antsy now. Why hadn’t he called her. Did Jimmy forget to call or look it up for her? Did Jon get to him? All this was going thru her head when Jon walked into the den.
“Hey Babe Maria made you a plate so please try and eat a little ok?” he asked her with a look of concern on his face.
Sighing, “Sure just put it on the tray.” She told him tiredly. “Have you heard from any of the kids?” she asked him nonchalantly.
“Um no not since you last talked to them the day before yesterday Babe why?” he wanted to know.
“No reason. Just being a Mom and missing my babies that’s all.” She told him as she pursed her lips.
“I know Babe I miss them too.” He told her right back as he bent down and kissed the top of her head.
Just then the front door bell rang.
“Who the hell could that be?” Ellie asked him surprised.
“Better yet other than the kids who the hell knows the codes to the gates?” Jon wanted to know. “Stay here as I go see who the hell is at the door this time at night.” He said as he went down to the front door.
Getting to the door he took a deep breath and opened it and to his surprise he saw the one person he thought he wouldn’t see probably in til another life time.
“What the hell do you want Richie.” He vomited out.
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