Chapter 84: The Real Father

☆☆☆ I made a new group for this fanfiction about Jon and Ashley. Everyone is welcome to join. I will post the story here first.

"Why are you out here by yourself? Why didn't you wake me up and tell me you couldn't sleep?"

"I've had a lot on my mind and I just didn't want to bother you. With your voice problems, Dorothea, and the baby. You have enough to worry about already!"

"Come on Ashley what is it? Tell me!" John snapped and started getting frustrated and a little pissed off. "I'm your damn boyfriend and I feel like you are keeping shit from me!"

"Don't yell at me John! I hate when you yell at me!"

 She screamed at him and turned back toward the ocean grabbing her head.

"I'm sorry Ash! I didn't mean to yell! I swear! Is it another headache?" He asked concerned and grabbed her and turned her back around to him. 

"Yeah, but I'll be okay." She replied as her pain intensified.

He took her hand in his. "Come on let's go back to the apartment." He started walking and gently tugging her along. "You said you had something to tell me. Will you just please tell me?" He asked trying to find out what it was.

"John it's just, I know how disappointed you are about Dorothea being pregnant with your baby. And I." John cut her off a little rudely.

"Wait a minute!" He waved his hands in the air gesturing wildly. "I knew that's what this was about! I can't possibly apologize anymore than I already have to you!" 

"But John!" She tried to interrupt him. 

"No! Damn it Ashley! We can't get past this if you don't even try! Dot's having my kid and there's nothing I can do about that! That's why you were acting weird at Richie's yesterday too! You're just going to have to get over it! I'm having a hard enough time trying to except that I'm going to be a father myself! I don't need to rehash this shit over and over with you everyday!"

Ashley was crushed. His revelation caught her off guard and speechless. She did her best not to show it and let her tears begin to flow. Choking back her hurt and disappointment. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make things worse for you."  She quickly turned away to dab at the tears in the corner of her eyes with the side of her hands, without him noticing.

"Look that's not what I meant! I'm sorry, you couldn't possibly make anything worse. I'm just so damn frustrated with all this shit! I didn't mean to take it out on you. We will figure everything out. Let's not let her come between us. She would just love that!"

Ashley continued to walk to the apartment with no reply. Her mind was a whirl of jumbled thoughts.

John knew he had hurt her feelings and he sure didn't mean to. "I'm sorry Ash. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It just makes me so mad that Dot still  has so much control over my damn life. I really thought I was done with her. I don't want her to come between us. He stopped walking and looked into her eyes, hoping she would say something. "Do you hate me?" He gave her a sweet little grin that made her heart flutter.

"No. I couldn't ever hate you John, but I do have to leave now to go get ready for work."

"Aww I just feel like you're still mad at me. Is there anything else you wanted to say to  me? I swear I won't yell at you. He continued. "You can tell me anything."

"No there's nothing else." She gathered up  some of her clothes laying on the floor and grabbed her purse.

"You're riding out with Stacey to the farm tonight right?"

"Oh yeah! It's Halloween today, I totally forgot." She replied with very little emotion.

"Yeah so come on out there as soon as you can. Okay? And don't forget to be wearing something sexy."

"Okay John, bye." She walked over to the door.

"Wait what about a kiss?" He leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips. "I'll walk you out."

"No it's okay. I'm in a hurry. I'll see you tonight." She had to get away from him. She didn't think she could hold in her emotions for one more second.

"Okay." He knew she was still a little upset so he figured it was just best to let her go.

Ashley walked out the door and shut it. She leaned up against it as uncontrollable tears streamed down her face.

Brent walked outside from next door and saw her standing there. "Are you okay?" He asked concerned for her.

"Yeah I'm fine." She hurried down to her car  and cranked it up and drove over to her Dad's house. As soon as she entered Ricky was sitting on the couch.

"Where were you?" He grumbled looking up from the tv.

Ashley tried to look away to hide her face. "I was over at John's." She fumbled with the clothes in her hands.

Ricky stood up. "What's wrong Ash? I can tell you've been crying!"

"Nothing Ricky! Don't worry about it! I'm fine!"

"Well you don't look fine! Did that little punk do something to you?" He asked getting a little angry.

"John? No! Of course not! Just stay out of it Ricky! You don't have to worry about me!"

"Well I guess I can worry about you. I'm your brother and I reckon that gives me the right to!"

"Well I can handle all my own business! I am grown so I reckon I don't need you sticking your nose in it!"

"If I find out he hurt you, I'll hurt him!"

"No he didn't hurt me! John wouldn't ever do that!"

"I've got to go get ready for work. Where is Dad?" She asked standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"He went in to work to see if he even still has a job. He hasn't come back yet."

"Okay." She hurried up the stairs to her room to get ready. She walked over to her makeup table.

She touched up her makep and ran her brush through her hair.


She got dressed and was looking under the bed  for one of her favorite shoes when the telephone rang twice. Ricky called up to her. "It's Stace for you!"

"Just tell her I'm on my way out! I'll call her later from work!" She checked out her hair once more in the mirror and gave it one last spray of aqua net. She grabbed her keys  and out the door she went.

Pulling up at the Fastlane she found herself in a deep dark mood sitting in her car not wanting to go inside yet. "What am I gonna do?" She thought to herself as she exited he car several minutes later.

Bret pulled up on his motorcycle and parked beside her.

 "Damn you look down in the dumps today. What's going on?" He asked as he jumped off his bike. He seemed all cheery and up beat, looking at her with big smile.

"Nothing. What are you so happy about?" She asked almost jealous of his carefree smile and attitude.

"Oh I don't know? Me and Lacey have been getting along really good and I'm really starting to think she's the one." He grinned.

"Really? Ashley asked with a questioning glance. "I thought you were  taking things slow with her? And what happened to you not like her stripping?"

"Oh I don't, but she's been hinting around that she wants some type of commitment from me and she will give up working at that club."

"Lord don't get your hopes up Bret. She makes great money there. She's not going to give it up that easy. I don't care what kind of commitment you make to her!" She ran her hands through her hair, not liking the sound of this at all.

"Well what if I give her this?" He pulled a little ring box out of his pocket and opened it up to show it to her.

Ashley eyes got huge and her blood started to boil. "You asshole!" She yelled looking at the ring.

"What? What's your problem?" Bret asked all confused.

"That ring! That's the very same princess cut ring I told you I wanted if we ever got married!"

"Oh God Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't even know what a princess cut was. The jeweler picked it out for me. I did't know what to get her!"

She pulled her sunglasses off as tears started streaming down her face.

"Wait a minute. This ain't about no damn ring. What's going on?"

"I told you, it's nothing! Just leave me alone!" She screamed covering her face with her hands.

"Come on Ash. I'm sorry." He gently grabbed her shoulder as she sobbed. "I know something's wrong. Let's go back to my office." He put his arm behind her lightly  nudging her toward the front door of the Fast Lane.

 She followed him wiping her eyes as she walked through the door. Bret greeted a couple of servers and a bartender and they headed to the back.

He opened the door and turned on the light. Ashley sat down on the couch, wiping her eyes with a tissue she grabbed off his desk. "Here drink some champagne to calm you down." He picked up a bottle out of the fridge and started pouring.

"No thanks I am fine." She replied quickly. Looking at the bottle wishing she could gulp  the glorious contents down by the gallon.

"Okay, I know this is more than about me and Lacey. What did Bongiovi do this time? You know you can't hide anything from me, so spill it already." He softly spoke as he sat down next to her on the couch.

"God Bret I don't know how this happened! When John finds out, he's going to break things off with me!"

"What is it Ash? You didn't cheat on him? Did you?" He asked shaking his head.

"God no! If course not! But that would be easier to explain to him, than this. My period is month late!"

"Oh damn baby! You let Bongiovi get you  pregnant!" Bret exclaimed not believing his ears and downing the whole glass of champagne in one gulp.

"No I didn't let it happen! I'm on the pill! It must have not worked! I took it every single day! I have to go to the doctor Monday to find out for sure." She answered nervously. Not really wanting to know the answer.

"Why would you think he would break up with you, if you're pregnant with his kid?" He knows you ain't sleeping around on him."

"I know how he feels about Dorothea's baby. He feels trapped and he blames her! He even told me he didn't want any kids! If I'm pregnant, I don't know what I'm gonna do." She uttered with the anguish she was feeling showing on her face and tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh God Ash." He grabbed her and pulled her over to him and hugged her tight. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

She pulled back. "You can't promise me that Bret. John's not ready for a kid. And this is going to make him even more miserable than he already is."

"Just wait until you know for sure. Maybe it's something else messing your cycle up. Just let the doctor check you out.  But if you need anything. I'm here for you. I know you are scared Ash. Let me be there for you."

"Thank you Bret. You always know how to make me feel better. Lacey is a very lucky girl."

"You know I'll always be here for you. Things will work out. You'll see."

"Well let me get to work before Harold fires me!" She announced picking up her band booking schedule.

"You had a couple of messages. Mike wrote them on that yellow pad there by the phone. Some new band named Blue Diamond the contact's name is Rachel and Scandal and Patti is who you need to talk to book them."

"Okay, I'll call them." She picked up the phone and called Rachel first. She booked them for the first Saturday night next month. She finished the call and dialed Patti. "Can I speak to Patti?"

"Yeah hold on."

"Hello."

"Patti, hi this is Ashley returning your call from the Fast Lane.  I'm booking bands for the next month, we are pretty open, so when do y'all want to play at the club? We have the next three Friday nights open.

"Two weeks from Friday would be good for us." Patti replied quickly.

"Okay thanks. I have Scandal down for then."

"Thanks Ashley. So everything is going alright with you?"

"Yeah.........I'm doing okay." Ashley answered, very surprised she asked about her.

"So you and Johnny are still together then?"

"Yeah.....we are. Ashley wondered why she seemed to be fishing for information about her relationship with John.

"You know Johnny is a hard guy to figure out. I mean he'll steal your heart in an instant and if you're not careful he'll tear it to pieces. Be careful Ashley. I wish someone would have warned me how hard it is to have a real relationship with him. I'm sorry I'm rambling. Thanks for the gig."

"Okay......you're welcome." Ashley hung up all confused. Wondering what the heck she was talking about. She grabbed an order form and walked out to the bar to check inventory and reorder low stock. The bartender helped her order everything they needed.

"Thanks so much for your help Mike. I'll get this order in right away."

She was finishing up the form when she heard the door open, but she didn't look up.

"Hey Johnny." Mike greeted him as he wiped down the bar.

Ashley's heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to look up and swallowed hard as he looked so gorgeous standing there seeming to stare right through her soul.

"Hey baby." John walked over to her.

"Hey John. What are you doing here?"

I'm meeting Jack.  He called bugging my ass to get over here. They are practicing and he wants me to see his new guitar. And I wanted to see your beautiful face of course." He started to grin.


"Okay well I'm finishing this order." She tried to finish writing and the ink in the pen was dried up. "Damn it!" She mumbled as she scribbled on the form trying to get the ink to flow.

"You okay babe?" John asked noticing how flustered she looked.

"Yeah I left my good pen out in my car let me go get it." She walked outside with him following her.

As they approached her car John noticed a yellow piece of paper tucked under her windshield wiper blade. "What's that on your car?" He pointed to the windshield.

"I don't know." She reached in and grabbed her pen that was laying on the seat and then took the paper off her car and began reading it to herself.

"You are so damn beautiful. That smile, those eyes, that perfect body. You star in my dreams every night. He's not good enough for you. You should be mine.

"What is it baby?" John noticed her questioning look as she glanced all around the parking lot to see who could have left it.

"This couldn't be for me." She stared at John as he read the note.

"Uh oh baby sounds like you have a secret admirer or somebody just messing with you. He grinned.

"John you didn't do this? Did you?" She questioned.

"No it wasn't me. I swear." He chuckled. "But don't worry about it baby. It's nothing."

"It's just kind of creepy. That somebody's watching me and I don't know who it is."

"Well don't worry. It's just probably some damn shy guy that's got the hots for you. But you're all mine so he'll just have to get in line." He grabbed her and pulled her in for quick kiss on the lips.

She broke loose. "Come on John, let's go back inside. I need to finish ordering for the bar."

"Okay after you." He walked behind her watching her hips sway back and forth as she moved toward the door. "Damn baby no wonder he noticed you. That ass of yours is lethal." He chuckled.

"Oh John stop! It's not funny! I don't want to get notes from strangers!" She looked around the parking lot again.

"Don't worry babe." He put his arm around her. "I'm here. Nobody's going to mess with you."

She walked into the club with him.

Dot had been waiting on tables all morning at the diner and her feet were killing her. She looked up and saw a familiar face plop down in her section. "Oh damn! What in the hell is he doing here?" She wondered to herself as she hurried over to find out.

She walked up to the table in with an unmistakable angry look on her face. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you I didn't want to see you back here!"

"I just came by for a bite to eat, you're looking fine Dot. Being knocked up suits you. He glanced at her growing baby bump.  He reached his hand out to touch her stomach and she slapped it away.

"Don't touch me!" She huffed as she laid down a menu in front of him.

"So just when is this little bundle of joy due?" He looked up into her eyes and two sets of brown eyes locked as he wanted his burning question about the ever growing baby answered.

"What is your concern all of a sudden with my and Johnny's baby?"

"Well I don't know a whole lot about pregnancy, but I do know how long it takes for a bun to be in the oven. And you look a little more pregnant to me than you are letting on to old Johnny." His cold dark eyes continued to stare right into hers.

"What in the hell are you trying to say? This child is mine and Johnny's and I don't appreciate you coming in here trying to start shit with me about it!" She snapped back at him. Wishing he would just leave and wondering how in the hell she ever slept with him.

"I'm just saying I think you know good and well that Johnny ain't this kid's daddy! I think you know for a fact that this is my damn kid!"

"Look you need to go! I don't need all this stress! It's bad for the baby!"

"Just how dumb do you think I am Dot? Did you think I wouldn't notice? We slept together and all of a sudden your pregnant? Well maybe I need to go find my good buddy Johnny and see how he feels about the fact that that damn kid your pregnant with just might be mine!"


Dot's nerves were shot. She knew if he talked to Johnny the jig would be up and he would figure out he wasn't really the baby's father.

"Look I'm begging you! Please don't say a word to Johnny! You don't want this baby Alec! You're not ready to be a father to any child!"

"You are trying to use my child to coax Johnny back! That's pathetic Dot! Even for you!"

"Oh make no mistake Johnny will come back to me! We're meant to be together!" She got a little louder as people began to stare at them.

"You're not using my damn kid! I'm telling Johnny the truth about the baby! He needs to know who the real father is. Hell he'll be relieved!"