Love at First Fright

**Rayna's P.O.V**

We all sat around the table enjoying our drinks watching the boys dig through their candy. Every so often Eric would run over to Joey asking him to open a piece of candy or Corey would ask them to throw him a peanut butter cup.
After I finished my beer I got up and headed upstairs to the bathroom leaving everyone in the living room and kitchen. As I walked out of the bathroom still in my gown I could hear my cell phone going off somewhere in the room. I really needed to keep that thing in sight more often.

I found it under a pair of Joey's jeans on the floor...why it was there is a mystery. I looked at the caller i.d and was surprised by the fact it was an unknown number.
I sat on the bed and answered the phone wondering who was calling me at almost mid-night on Halloween.

"Hello?"
"Rayna? Rayna Draith?"

"Umm that's my maiden name but yeah."
"Maiden name? You’re married?"

"Yes. Who is this?"
"I can't believe you’re married and I wasn't told. I should have been the first to know."

"Who is this?"

"I can't believe you don't even recognize your own mother's voice."

"Mother....My mother deserted me after my father died. I haven't heard from her since I was 14."

"I know Rayna. I feel horrible about that. I was in a bad place but I just recently got a phone call from your friend Kat and she said you were gone and you haven't heard from her in about 4 years."

"Yeah so?"
"What happened?"

"Look I haven't heard from you in nearby 10 or more years I don't even consider you my mother anymore."

"Rayna...Why are you treating me like this?"

"Beth! Listen to yourself. Dad died and you didn't talk. I took care of myself. I woke up one morning and you were gone!"

"I was in a bad place."
"And I wasn't? I lost my father!"

I stared at the floor thinking about what I was telling her. I couldn't consider this woman my mother not by far. Hell I considered Joey's mom more like a mother than her.

"Look Beth, I don't know why you called and I really don't know how you got my number. Just do me a favor and lose it."

I hung up on my mom for the first and last time. As I held the dead phone in my hands I wondered why she had called. I never really asked her. To be honest I didn't care. I threw the phone on the bed and left the room wiping my eyes as I felt the warm tears trickle down my face.

"Ray, you ok?"

I looked up to see everyone at the table staring at me as I walked into the kitchen.
"Yeah sorry."

I sat down next to Joey and looked down at the table as Corey continued some story about Joey and Sid before a show. I jumped a little when I felt Joey's hand on my knee and him tell me that Corey and Steph were leaving.

After Corey, Steph and Griffin were gone Wednesday carried Eric to his room and Joey took my hand leading me to our room.
As Joey wiped off the black face paint around his eyes and I washed out the black temporary hair dye I began to think of when the questions would start. As I leaned back I looked over to see Joey sitting on the counter watching me.

"What?"
"What happened when you were up here earlier?"

"My mother called me."
"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I hung up on her before I could get an answer."

"Babe..."

He hopped down and wrapped his arms around my waist as I felt more warm tears run down my face.
"She abandoned me. I had to live with Chris's family."

I laid my head on his shoulder as he slowly stroked my still wet hair. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. We stood there for a good fifteen minutes before he slowly pulled away and pushed a strand of my hair away.

I wiped my eyes and went into the bedroom to slip on my pajamas. As I pulled on my tank top I noticed Joey leaning over to pick up my cell phone. He looked at the screen and shook his head before putting it on the dresser and getting into the bed.

"It's just weird she would call after all these years."

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as he leaned on his side watching me.
"I know but we'll see what happens."

I crawled under the black satin comforter as Joey wrapped his hands around my waist pulling me close to me for comfort. He kissed my shoulder and laid his head on the pillow. It didn't take long before I could hear his soft breathing telling me he was already asleep.
As I closed my eyes to fall asleep I jerked up when I heard Eric screaming from down the hall.

"Oh my God Eric!"

I pulled back the blankets as Joey got up also both of us running out of the room down the hall to Eric's room past Wednesday who was coming out of his room half asleep.
Joey quickly opened the door and sighed when he saw Eric sitting straight up in his bed with tears streaming down his face. He kneeled down next to his bed as Eric threw himself into Joey's chest not able to tell him what was wrong yet thought his deep sobs.

Wednesday groaned and said he was going to bed as he shuffled back to his room followed by Roadie who usually slept in Eric's room now.

Joey picked up Eric's still sobbing body and slowly walked back to our room as I followed. When Eric finally calmed down he told us he had a bad dream about a bad man or something. As soon as we reassured him there was no bad man he laid down on our bed and fell right asleep.

With Eric between us wrapping his fingers through Joey's hair as he slept I knew this was the reason I lived. He was my everything. Both of them were.

Never a dull moment with these two.