Happily Never After Could Happen to Us

Maddie

The first think I did when I got to Hollywood was found a place to stay. I found a old apartment building that luckily had some vacancies. The place was old rundown and looked completely gross, but it was cheap. I got myself a room threw my duffle back itno it and turned back around.

The second thing I did was find a bar to drown all my thoughts of Kegan and T.J and my beautiful kids. I figured I'd give Kegnan's remedy a try. Drowning memories seemed like a pretty decent thing to do in hollywood, well that an gambling. I walked down the street looking for a bar, and I found one exactly one block from my apartment. I walked into the place and took a seat at the bar. It was dimly lit, and what I guessed was as local kid was up on the stage playing guitar. I watched him for a moment. His blond hair and his tanned skin made me wonder what kind of life lead him to this bar, or if he was just a kid trying to make it into the music business.

I heard a cough behind me, and that was the first time I laid eyes on him. Not a boy, or a guy, no, he was a man. I could tell by the look in his chocolate eyes that he was a good man just trying to earn a living in this town of broken dreams. "Aren't you a little young to be in here," he asked with a smirk on his face. Oh that smirk reminded me so much of Kegan. I could feel the tears swell in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"Probably, but then again, they didn't say I was young when they sold me off to some insane people," I answered in a dull tone.

"Johnny Walker," he said simply.

"Red," I answered. He smiled and shook his head.

"No, my name is Johnny Walker. I've never told anyone my name and had them tag on the Red before," he said in an amused tone.

"Yeah, you've probably never just said your name without saying 'my name is' either."

"Probably not, but who's counting."

"What can I get in here," I asked as I looked into his chocolate eyes. His sandy blond hair seemed so different from the boys that I was used to, and it was a nice change.

"How about a coke," he asked.

"How about you spill something in it on accident to help me forget my past ever existed?"

"How about I don't and we say I did," he answered with a grin. I simply nodded my head as he popped open one of those classic glass bottle cokes.

"So, what's so bad about your past?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I sighed.

"Try me."

"It's a long story," I warned him. His beautiful eyes bore into my as he flipped some of his shaggy hair out of his face.

"I've got all night."

That night, my first night in a strange new city, I told a strange man my entire life story. I told Johnny Walker about my abusive parents, how they sold me off to some vampire, and how that vampire was goigng to give me to his best friend, a wereworlf, until he fell in love with me. Johnny was sweet about it. He nodded in all the right places, and he seemed to believe me. He had once told me that he knew a couple of vampires. He said, 'the nightlife attracts the deadliest of them.' I didn't mind what came after me because I was having a real conversation with someone who listened.

I went back to the same bar, which I had yet to learn the name of, every night for the next sixteen years. The name probably had something to do with being heartbroken. At first I didn't drink alcohol because Johnny wouldn't give me any, but when I turned twenty one he broke down and gave me a splash of our drink, Johnny Walker Red. It was the first drink we talked about, and the first drink he had shared with me.

Slowly, I started to develop feelings for the six foot, one inched, blond haired, dark eyed bartender that actually listened to me. I told him everything, except that I had two kids. I had also learned a lot about him.

Johnny Walker was four years older than me, and I'm closing in on thirty three. He had never been married, and his longest relationship was two years. He had always dreemed of being a bartender ever since he saw his dad in action when he was thirteen years old. He told me that he knew I came with a lot of baggage, but he really liked me. And tonight was our first date.

He took me to a night club on the other side of town. I didn't bother with the name because he was too busy trying to grab my hand, but he seemed nervous. I couldn't help but laugh at him as we walked into the place. Instead of helping him out with the whole hand thing, I grabbed him around the waist and kissed his cheek. He smiled wildly as he tried to cover his blush. I just laughed harder. He found a table in the corner that was quiet enough for us to talk, but if we wanted we could still hear the music that was playing. A waitress came up to us and asked what our drink orders were. Johnny of course said 'two Johnny Walker Reds' and smiled. She was obviouly flirting with him, and he was definitely giving her the brush off. That happened on T.J's first date with me. I sighed as I put my hands on the table.

"What's wrong, Maddie," he asked in a worried tone.

"Nothing, it's just this whole date thing reminds me of some stuff I was trying so hard to forget," I answered as I stared into his beautiful eyes.

"You never told me their names," he stated as he grabbed my hand off the table and started to play with my fingers.

"You wouldn't want to know," I answered as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation he was send up my arm.

"Yes I do," he half pleaded as he kissed my pointer finger.

"Why do you want to talk about them while you're making my arm tingle," I laughed as he gave me the puppy dong face.

"Okay. No tingling arms while you talk." He put my hand back on the table as he stared at me.

"Kegan and T.J," I answered reluctantly.

"Was that so hard," he asked as he hastily grabbed my hand.

"What was her name," I asked quietly. He didn't like to talk about his relationship, and I usually didn't ask, but I was too curious and he had drug information out of me.

"Samantha," he answered sadly.

"Could I tell you something personal, that I have never told you before," I asked. My gut was telling me not to tell him, but my heart wanted to see his reaction.

"Of course," he answered as he rubbed my hand gently.

"I was pregnant," I stated bluntly.

"So what happened, you lost the baby?"

"No, of course not! I had twins; I had Kegan's twins."

"How long before you met me," he asked as he dropped my hand.

"I had been out of the hospital for maybe a full day." I knew I shouldn't have told him.

"Tell me about them," he asked softly as he gently turned my chin towards his face.

"A girl, named Autumn Rose, and a boy, named Leonardo Vincent. T.J nick named her Rosie, and Kegan wouldn't give up Leo. But I was willing to do anything for Rosie."

"How old are they?"

"How long have I known you?"

"It'll be sixteen years in two weeks."

"They'll be sixteen next week."

"You should go see them," he said softly.

"I can't," I whispered.

"Why not?"

"They hate me," I answered as his lips got closer to mine.

"They must have gotten their brains from their father then because no one could hate you," he whispered as he gently pressed his lips to mine.

This kiss was like nothing I felt before. I felt Kegan's electricity along with T.J's chills. It felt so good and somehow so wrong. At that moment I thought, 'if this is wrong I really don't want to be right.' I also thought about his words. I should go see my kids. T.J didn't have rights to Rosie. Kegan had probably tracked her down and killed both of my kids by now though.

His lips parted from my for a moment and I opened my eyes only to see his eyes. "Will you come with me," I asked.

"Go where," he retorted as he planted little kissed on my cheek.

"Come with me to see my kids on their birthday?"

"Are you sure?"

"I couldn't be more positive of anything in my life."

"We're going to see your kid," he laughed as he pecked my lips. We looked down to see that the waitress had left our drinks and began laughing. This night was perfect.

I got home around one a.m from dinner with Johnny. He seemed to perfect, and I kept waiting for something to be wrong with him, but there was nothing. He was a complete gentleman. he was nothing like Kegan or T.J, and I loved that about him. I picked up my cell phone and looked through my text messages. I had one from Lydia, she had gotten a new cell phone.

'We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow on 7th avenue at the starbucks,[/i' I texted her before going to bed to dream of my new love.

The Next Day

I sat in the Starbucks that I had told Lydia to meet me in. She hadn't shown up, and I had been there for about two hours. I shook my head as I left a tip on the table and stood up. I was gathering my things to leave when the bell over the door chimed. I glanced up to see a brunett walk into the caffee. She waved at me and I stared at her for a moment.

"God, you haven't changed at all," I said happily as I hugged my old friend.

"You have," she laughed as she looked at me. I definitely wasn't seventeen anymore that's for sure.

"Yeah, well what I wanted to talk to you about is important so I appreciate you coming all this way," I said seriously.

"You were drinking last night," she grinned her mischevous grin. "Who is he?"

"I want to see my kids," I stated bluntly. Her eyes went wide, and she bore her fangs.

"You want to take her from T.J don't you," she hissed.

"No. I don't intend to even tell them who I am. I just want to see them. I want to see how they've grown. Plus, Johnny wants to meet them," I answered. She glanced down at the table were my hands were. I tried to move them before she got a good look, but no, I was too late.

"Maddie, no! You can't come back with your new fiancee. Do you know what that would do to T.J and Kegan," she stated angrily.

"I won't wear it and I'll make him swear, just please Lid. Let me see my children," I pleaded as the tears swelled in my eyes.

"When," she asked.

"On their birthday."

"No, sorry but no," she stated as she started to get up.

"Why," I hissed at her.

"Because Kegan is going to introduce Rosie to Leo then. Rosie has never seen either of her parents except a picture of you at T.J's birthday party with Zona. I will not let that girl be put through hell," she explained.

"I'll do anything Lid. I'll, um, kill something. Please," I begged in the middle of Starbucks.

"Let me talk to Kegan about it. I have to go, and besides, Rosie is going to be pissed that I had to ditch her again," she said mostly to herself.

"Make them understand," I pleaded as she left the shop. I realized for the first time at that moment, that I would probably never see my children ever again. Well, I wouldn't see them if I didn't take matters into my own hands.