Only Time Will Tell

Sitting behind the reception desk, Janey found herself wondering if it would be too early to call Brian. In theory, she knew he would never complain whatever hour she called him at. It was just already knowing that she had two pieces of news for him, one that he wasn't going to relish that caused her to hesitate making the call. Janey should have realised the moment she was called into McKinley's office that she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. Yet she had breezed in there, all smiles, only to exit a few minutes later feeling a little pissed off and her otherwise good mood completely deflated.

"Honey, just go make the call, delaying it will not make it any easier," Rhonda advised as she took her seat behind the desk next to Janey. 

With a halfhearted smile and a nod, Janey rose slowly from her chair and began the slow walk along the corridor to the locker room. 

Sitting on one of the chairs that occupied the room, Janey stared at the phone she held in her hand. Flipping it open, she pressed speed dial and waited with a slight sense of trepidation for her husband to answer.

"Hey baby," Brian greeted cheerily, telling Janey that she hadn't woken him. "I wasn't expecting you to call til later, everything okay?"

Janey inwardly groaned at Brian's words.

"Well, all depends how you look at it. I have some news, some you'll like, some you may not be so glad to receive," she stated, trying to keep a sense of calm about her.

"Oookaaaay..." Brian answered, sounding a little unsure. "Hit me with the bad stuff first."

"I'm not going to be able to fly out for Thanksgiving now. Taylor was meant to be doing her week with Beth then, but apparently has some kind of crisis going on and has taken leave..so McKinley has swapped us round...I now have to do my week then, and take my vacation another time."

"Hang on, wasn't it because of Taylor that you ended up working all kinds of dumb hours last Thanksgiving, and that's why McKinley agreed that you could have the week off this time round?" Brian questioned, sounding a lot calmer than Janey had anticipated.

"Yeah, I'm not thrilled by it B, but I guess I really have no room to complain, McKinley has been pretty understanding when it comes to us over the last couple of months."

"I guess," Brian sighed, sounding more saddened than angry by the news. "I'm just really gonna miss you, especially seeings as all the girls will be flying out to join us next week. So what's the other news?"

Janey felt a smile begin to slowly etch itself on her face as she thought about the call she had received earlier.

"The clinic called, and they have scheduled us in for an appointment two days after you get back off tour."

"Seriously?" Brian exclaimed, sounding more upbeat. "Already? Baby, that's fantastic! That makes everything seem all the more realistic now...oh man, I can't wait for that!"

Janey laughed at her husband's enthusiasm as he listened to her explain everything the call had entailed. After the night when he had finally admitted his fears to Janey, Brian seemed to have conquered them, Janey's positivity and reassurances that she wasn't going anywhere and that they really were going to be okay seeming to give Brian a new sense of purpose. 

"Just one thing though," Brian began. "That's not the day they're gonna expect me to ....well, you know."

Janey giggled, knowing exactly what Brian was getting at.

"No B, it's simply an introductory appointment, where we'll discuss the process, talk about their anonymity policy etc. The other part won't come until later," Janey explained.

"Well that's a relief, cos I was thinking that after two days of being home, I may be a little drained...so to speak."

"Brian!"

"Hey, if you're not able to come out next week, then I've got another week to make up for...and believe me, you will be paying the price Mrs. Haner," Brian told her, Janey not needing to see his face to know that smirk was there as he spoke.

"I do not need to be hearing that!" Matt yelled from somewhere on the bus.

"Quit listening in then asshole!" Jimmy threw back at him.

"Are you still going out with Mikki and Leana tonight?" he asked, ignoring his friends.

Janey sighed a little. Ever since the night at Jimmy's, when she had discovered just how some of her friends felt about the decisions she and Brian had made, Janey hadn't seen Val, Lacey or Gena, in spite of numerous efforts to contact them. Janey was unsure whether it was embarrassment on their part, or if they were ignoring her because the men in their life had stood by Janey and Brian over what had been said. Janey wondered if maybe it was a blessing she was unable to fly out with them all for Thanksgiving. An awkward atmosphere on the bus was the last thing any of them needed. 

"Yeah I am. I tried calling Val again last night, but nothing. I've tried, it's down to them now," Janey stated quietly.

"Well maybe I can talk to them next week, figure out what's going on with them all," Brian offered. "In the mean time, you go out and have fun tonight, forget about them. I'll call you about six. I love you baby girl."

A resounding chorus of "awwww" drifted down the phone.

"Shut the fuck up assholes!" Brian hissed.

"And I love you B," Janey replied, laughing softly. "I better go before they start looking for me."

With a final goodbye, Janey ended the call and headed back for work.

********************

Sitting in the spacious lounge of Matt and Val's home, Leana waited patiently for Val to finish the conversation she was having with her sister on the phone. Leana tried to block out whatever was being said, not at all interested in what was going on in Michelle's life. She had seen her around from time to time since the night Brian had thrown her out, but not a single word had passed between them. Leana was there in a vain hope of getting Val to see some form of sense and stop ignoring Janey's calls. As much as Leana had been angered by the views of her friends, she didn't wish for the dynamic of the group to fall apart. Val had known Janey the longest out of all of them, and Leana prayed that maybe she may have a slim chance of getting through to her. 

Leaning forward in her seat slightly, Leana gently rubbed the ears of Bella, who lay sleeping by her feet, not looking up as Val re-entered the lounge, phone still glued to her ear.

"Shelly, I really don't know what to say, I'm sorry that it's happened so close to the holidays, I really am."

Leana endeavoured to ignore the conversation further, but something alerted her to feeling that maybe it was something she should actually take notice of.

"Look, if you really don't want to be at home, then maybe you should fly out with us, spend some time on the road. No, apparently she has to work, so Matt was saying a little earlier."

Leana slowly looked over at Val, very aware that the look of horror she undoubtedly wore was not easy to disguise. She couldn't be serious? There was no way she had just done that was there?

"Okay, well I'll see if I can sort out something for the flight we're on, but if not, I'll get you booked on the next available one. Okay sweetie, I'll call you later."

Val glanced nervously at Leana as she ended the conversation.

"Did you just invite your sister to join us all for Thanksgiving?" Leana questioned, disbelief and a slight hint of disgust to her tone.

Val perched uneasily on the edge of the couch.

"Lea, she and Kris have just broken up, what was I supposed to do? I can't bear the thought of her alone during the holidays."

"Send her home to mommy and daddy, tell her you're sorry and that you'll be there for her, but do not invite her to spend time on the road with us....it's a disaster waiting to happen Valary!" Leana cried. 

"Look, I don't like what she did to Brian anymore than you do, and I most definitely didn't enjoy finding out that she was the reason Janey and Brian ended all those years ago, but she's family and she's pretty upset right now," Val retorted.

"Some might say what goes around comes around, Val. Michelle cheated on Brian for six months with that man, it was a relationship born out of lust and a complete disregard for the feelings of others. And whilst in many respects it worked out well, because let's face it, Brian's happier now than he has ever been, that doesn't change the fact that she hurt him."

Val gazed down at the floor, her cheeks reddening with shame.

"I came here today to try and see if we could work out this mess that you've got going on with Janey. However, now you've pulled this little stunt, I don't know what to think. I don't know what Janey's ever done to you Val...or Lacey and Gena for that matter, but I seriously suggest that you take some time out to think about what you're doing..before it's too late."

Standing from where she sat, Leana made to leave, taking one final glance back at Val, wondering just how she was going to explain this one to Janey.