‹ Prequel: Second Chances
Status: On hiatus

Only Time Will Tell

Val

Zacky and Jimmy couldn't help but exchange slightly confused looks as they carefully watched Brian, who casually sipped his beer before picking up his cue to take his next shot. To say that they had been surprised Brian had even suggested finding a bar for the evening was a slight understatement. They had arrived in Myrtle Beach late that afternoon, and were staying overnight as they didn't have a show until the following evening. The mood on the bus had been somewhat subdued after phone calls had been made regarding what Leana and Gena had overheard the night before, and yet, Brian seemed surprisingly calm.

And now they found themselves in Murphy's Law Bar, shooting some pool and enjoying a few beers, all at the insistance of the man they had believed would want to spend some time alone, or at least be showing some kind of emotion akin to anger instead of the serene exterior he was currently displaying.

"Will you quit looking at each other trying to work out what's going on? If I didn't know you better I'd say you were checking each other out with all the sly little glances that are passing between you," Brian joked with a smirk as he potted a ball.

"But that's just it Gates, we can't work out what's going on here," Zacky stated with a sigh.

Brian took a quick glance around him before leaning back over the pool table.

"Well given the half empty beer bottles, pool cue in my hand and the somewhat raucous group of sports fans enjoying the game over on the big screen, I'd hazard a guess at midweek bible study," he answered, a satisfied smile gracing his lips as another ball met with it's required destination.

"Brian, quit being an asshole," Jimmy snapped. "You're just way too fucking calm, and it's mildly disturbing to say the least. Did you not hear what Leana and Gena had to say?" he questioned with a frown.

"Oh I heard it, I heard it loud and clear, " Brian answered, taking another mouthful of beer. "Funniest fucking thing I've heard all week," he added with a grin.

Eyes closed in slight frustration, Zacky pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to fathom out just where Brian was coming from with this.

"Funny? You find the idea of Michelle announcing to some random chick in a club bathroom that she is going to get back what's rightfully hers funny?" he quizzed, sounding utterly confused. 

"Yes I do. Your shot Jimmy," Brian stated casually stepping away from the table. 

Jimmy faltered in rising from where he sat as he studied Brian, and found himself wondering if his friend had completely lost his mind. Neither he nor Janey seemed even remotely bothered by this turn of events, and Jimmy couldn't help but feel that they were setting themselves up for a fall, that the situation was going to get a lot uglier than either of them believed it would.

"So does this mean that you find her telling people that you can't keep your dick in your pants amusing too?" Jimmy asked, finally finding his way to the table and eyeing up his shot.

"Highly amusing, especially when it comes from the woman who had issues with keeping her panties any higher than ankle level during the last six months of our relationship."

Jimmy hesitated briefly, allowing Brian's words to sink in, knowing that his friend did raise a valid point.

"Can't argue with that one," he admitted, cursing under his breath as the ball rattled in the pocket, only to remain on the table. "It does make you wonder why her and that Kris dude broke up," he added.

Zacky watched on as Brian nodded in agreement with Jimmy's comment, still feeling a little perplexed about the whole matter. 

"And you're both still perfectly happy for her to tag along next week?" he asked, not quite sure if either of them had begun to think about the possible scenarios that may ensue.

"Who's happy with what?" Matt piped in, he and Johnny both returning from where they had been watching some of the football on the big screen.

"Gates and your cousin being okay with your delight of a future sister in law joining us next week," Zacky scoffed. 

Matt took a seat next to Zack and shrugged.

"It's a difficult one I know dude, but if they both start kicking up a fuss, especially Janey, it makes it look as though they think Michelle might actually be able to tempt him," he mused. 

"Which has about as much chance of happening as Seward growing a few extra inches," Brian quipped with a smirk, earning a scowl from Johnny as he headed off to the bar. 

Potting the final ball, Brian turned to where Zack and Matt sat.

"Which one of you girls is next for an ass kicking?" he asked with a grin.

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

Settling herself on the couch, Janey sighed with relief. It had been a somewhat stressful couple of days, and she was finally glad to be home alone. The hysteria that seemed to surround her friends over the Michelle situation had only begun to stress Janey out simply because they wouldn't let go of the fact that neither she or Brian were panicking as they were. Janey had hoped to escape it all after she had finished work that afternoon, only to find Leana and Lacey waiting for her wanting to talk about it some more. After three hours of listening to them waffle on about how they didn't know if they were going to be able to deal with Michelle being there next week, Janey had eventually managed to escape, using dinner with her mother as an excuse. It hadn't been a complete lie. Janey did have to visit Madeline, but simply to collect Pinkly, who had taken a dislike to being left on her own during the day.

After a relaxing bath, and ready for bed, Janey wanted nothing more than to indulge herself in the peace and harmony of her own home. Armed with a carton of fruit smoothie, some of Madeline's homemade fruit salad and her well thumbed copy of Hunter S Thompson's The Rum Diary, Janey finally felt the stresses and strains of the day ebbing away. With Pinkly curled up beside her, and the harmonious sounds of the string quartet tribute to Avenged Sevenfold gently floating from the several speakers Brian had had strategically placed around the lounge, Janey knew that there was only one thing that would make the evening completely perfect, and that was having Brian there with her. 

Savouring a piece of cantaloupe, Janey couldn't stop the groan of frustration that escaped her as the unwanted interuption of the doorbell resounded in her ears. Contemplating the possibility that if she didn't answer the door, whoever it was may just take the hint and disappear, Janey remained seated, opening her book. However, with the second ring and not so subtle rapping on the hard wood, Janey let out a deep sigh, placing her bowl of fruit and book on the coffee table, Pinkly hot on her heels as she went to discover just who was disturbing her evening of solace.

"Val!" she exclaimed, unable to keep the surprise from her tone.

Val stood opposite her, looking almost afraid that Janey would slam the door in her face.

"C'mon in," Janey offered with a warm smile, stepping aside to allow her friend to enter.

"Thanks," Val murmured, returning the smile, seeming relieved that Janey was willing to speak to her.

"Can I get you a drink of something?" Janey asked, wanting to keep everything as normal as was possible.

Val shook her head, and followed behind as Janey walked back through into the lounge, sitting back in her place on the couch. Val perched somewhat awkwardly on the edge of on of the recliners, taking in her surroundings briefly. 

"I'm sorry, was I disturbing your evening?" she enquired softly.

"Well, I'm not going to deny that Pinkly and I were having a girls night in, but it's okay, it's good to see you," Janey assured her with another smile.

Her hands twisting nervously in her lap, it was becoming very apparent that Val was finding knowing just where to start difficult. Looking at Janey, her hazel eyes filled with remorse, she finally managed to speak.

"Sorry just doesn't seem enough right now," she whispered, "I've helped create an awful mess, and I don't know what to do or say to the one person I could possibly have ended up hurting the most with all of this." 

Janey sat forward a little, reaching over to place her hand over Val's.

"If you mean about inviting Michelle for Thanksgiving, and therefore giving her reason to announce that she's going to go after my husband, then yeah, maybe you have," Janey began. "However, I'm not hurt by it Val. Surprised yes, maybe even wondering just what the hell I've done to you that has made you want to be this way. The one thing you need to know though, is that both Brian and I aren't going to start yelling and screaming about it, it's happened, and if Michelle tries anything, Brian is more than ready to set her straight. Although quite how she got to thinking that you inviting her to join you guys meant she could try and win Brian back is beyond me."

With tears welling, Val let out a deep sigh.

"I think that may well be my fault too," Val admitted, her voice trembling as salty droplets slowly crept down her cheek.

"I'm sorry?" Janey asked quietly, not sure if she was going to appreciate what she was obviously going to hear.

Wiping slender fingers over her cheek in an attempt to rid them of the tears she wept, Val looked at Janey once more.

"A few weeks back, Michelle and I were having lunch and she enquired as to how things were with you and Brian. Not thinking I let slip about the whole baby business, what's been going on with you, and how you had both been looking at the various different options. Let's just say that she had a comment or two to make on the subject," she sniffed.

Almost as if missing pieces of a puzzle had finally started to fall into place, it dawned on Janey just what Val was refering to.

"Your sudden opinions on egg donation, they came from Michelle, didn't they?"

Val nodded.

"And you discussed it with Lacey and Gena..well, I know you did, they told me that much last night, and it was listening to what you had to say that put them on the same train of thought as you."

Sitting back again, Janey ran a hand through her hair. letting out a low breath. 

"And I'm going to hazard a guess that she broke up with Kris, fed you a sob story, all in the hope that she would get invited along and therefore throw herself at my husband with claims of how she's all woman and can give him the proper family he wants. Am I right?"

"Oh Janey, I'm so sorry," Val sobbed, her head in her hands, her body racked with sobs.

Kneeling in front of her, Janey enveloped Val in her arms in an effort to comfort her. A small part of her wanted to be angry, to yell at Val and let her know just how wrong she had been for even discussing anything to do with her and Brian with her sister, but Janey simply didn't have it in her. Val's remorse for the situation was clear, she regretted everything, and Janey knew that pointing out her mistakes all over again would be pointless.

"I have to stop her from going, I can't put you and Brian through this, I'd only hate myself even more than I do now," Val mumbled into Janey's shoulder. 

"No," Janey stated clearly.

Val looked up at her, clearly confused as to why Janey would still want Brian and Michelle to even be near each other.

"What do you mean no? Janey, you know what she's going to try and do!" Val cried.

"I know, and if you stop her from going, she's just going to try and find some other way to do it. We know that once Michelle sets someone in her sights, she won't let go til she gets them. She persued Brian for what...three and a half years after I left til eventually they got together. Do you really think stopping her from going next week is going to prevent whatever scheme she's got hatching right now?" 

"Oh," Val murmured, realising just what Janey was getting at. "Have you and Brian already spoken about this?" she asked suspiciously.

"We may have," Janey began with a smirk, "and let's just say he can't wait to tell her exactly how it is."

A smile finally appeared though the tears.

"I think I like that idea," Val admitted, "Which I know I shouldn't but my god my sister deserves what she gets at times."

"Just a little. Now, I was trying to be healthy," Janey stated, nodding at her fruit and smoothie, "but right now, I think I could use a beer. Care to join me?"

Val smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks. And Janey...are we okay now?"

"Yeah, we're okay," Janey assured her with a wink, almost wishing she could be there to witness the drama next week.

 
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