‹ Prequel: Just Go With It
Sequel: I Could Never Pretend ›
Status: Completed
Nothing Is Ever Simple
Pizza Anyone?
JOHNNY
As Johnny left the spare room he exhaled loudly. This New Year had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. He returned downstairs and grabbed a beer before joining his daughter.
“She’s pretty huh dad?” Madison grinned, taking Johnny by surprise.
“Who? Oh…Amelia?” he stuttered a little, taken aback by his daughter’s bluntness. “Well yeah she is.” He laughed the question off, busying himself with his drink. He didn’t catch Madison rolling her eyes.
“How come she’s staying with us?” Madison continued. “I don’t mind. I like her. I just wondered why she’s not with her family.”
“You ask a lot of questions don’t you squirt?” Johnny shook his head laughing, ruffling her hair. “Amelia’s staying with us for a while because her husband is an idiot.”
“Bam?” Madison queried. Johnny nodded.
She shook her head dramatically and cuddled Brandon. Johnny smiled as he watched his daughter and Amelia’s son. His mind wandered to wondering what Bam was doing and thinking right now. Did he realise how much he had upset Amelia or just how much he had to lose? From the moment Johnny had met Amelia it had been clear how much she loved filming and she was damn well good at it. She got on well with all of the guys and the thought of Bam taking that away from her was enough to make Johnny mad. Still, there would always be a place for Amelia in the Jackass family.
Johnny kicked off his converse and rested his feet on the table, earning an annoyed look from his daughter. Ignoring her protests he tried to take his mind off the woman sleeping in his spare room, but it was difficult. He had lost interest in the film they were watching and Madison passed Brandon into his arms while she went to make herself a drink. Johnny looked at the giggling toddler on his lap who seemed content in his company despite Johnny never having spent any time with him before. It had been years since Johnny had been around babies. Madison was a teenager now and sometimes this realisation kept him awake at night. She would always be his little girl.
As Brandon laughed and jabbered at him, Johnny wondered if he should let Bam or April know where Amelia really was. All it would take was a phone call to her mom for them to realise that she was not in England. He dismissed any idea of interfering, not wanting to make things any more difficult for her. She obviously hadn’t wanted them to know that she was here, but why? Johnny sighed to himself, receiving an amused look from Brandon. There he was, trying to get on with his life and now she had turned up out of the blue and totally unaware of how painful it was for him to be around her.
Several hours later Amelia appeared at the living room door looking more relaxed and rested. Her hair was damp from the shower and her face was bare of any makeup. It struck Johnny that he had never seen her like this before. She looked more beautiful than ever and he struggled to ignore these feelings.
Amelia caught him staring and looked self conscious but she joined him and Madison on the sofa, thanking them for watching Brandon while she was asleep. Johnny tried to return the toddler to his mother but Brandon would not budge. He was sleepy and obviously quite comfortable where he was in Johnny’s arms. Amelia’s eyes twinkled as she watched the struggle.
“I think he prefers you.” She laughed, sticking her tongue out at Brandon who closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into Johnny’s arms.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Johnny joked, causing Madison to groan. She had heard that line far too many times and now that Amelia was literally in between them her father could not retaliate.
Johnny pretended to ignore Madison and stole a glance at Amelia who seemed absorbed in the film they were no longer watching. Amelia caught him looking at her and flashed him a smile. The fire that had been missing from her eyes recently was back and it took him by surprise.
“Want a picture Knoxville?” she laughed, teasing him.
“I already have one.” He winked back at her and she and Madison giggled.
“Oh you want to start this?” she replied, turning to face him and pulling her best fighting pose.
“I think you already started it.” He smirked and turned back to the TV.
“I’ll get you when Brandon’s in bed. You better sleep with one eye open.” She warned, also turning back to TV. “Speaking of which, I’m going to put him down now. He’s never slept in a bed before so this will be exciting for him. “
Johnny passed the sleeping infant over to his mother and watched as she carried him out of the room. Brandon had grown a lot since the last time Johnny had seen him and he appeared even bigger in Amelia’s small arms.
“Oh dad, you so fancy her!” Madison grinned at Johnny, making him blush.
“Don’t be silly Mads.” He shook his head. “She’s my friend.”
“Whatever.” Madison sighed, getting up to put another film on.
Amelia returned a few minutes later looking even more refreshed and content. Johnny was happy to see her feeling better than earlier and ignoring the looks he was getting from Madison he stood up and tackled Amelia as she reached the middle of the room.
As he started tickling her, Amelia screamed and collapsed in his arms, laughing hysterically. “Get off me Knoxville!” she yelled, wriggling around but he did not let go. Eventually they fell in a tangled heap on the floor, gasping for breath and laughing. Madison was sitting on the sofa, watching the scene in front of her with an amused look on her face.
Johnny managed to stand up and offered his arm to pull Amelia to her feet. “You’re gonna pay for that.” She smiled, brushing herself down and taking a seat next to Madison, examining the bruises on her knees.
“I’m sure I will.” He smiled back, making his way towards the door. “I’m starving. Pizza anyone?”
Amelia and Madison nodded their heads from the sofa in appreciation.
Several hours and even more pizzas later, Madison had taken herself off to bed. Johnny and Amelia were sitting side by side on the sofa, still wide awake and sharing a bottle of wine. Despite whatever words remained unspoken between the two of them, Johnny felt content and he thought that Amelia did too. She was laughing at the TV and sipping her wine with a smile on her face. He wondered what had miraculously brightened her mood. He wanted to ask her about the email, after all that was the reason he was supposed to be visiting her in the New Year. He wondered if that would go ahead as planned or if Amelia’s impromptu visit to LA marked a big change.
Amelia had been quiet for a while and Johnny looked over, realising that she had fallen asleep leaning against him. He was too comfortable and content to move or wake her up so he gently slipped an arm around her and stroked her hair as he continued to watch whatever was on the TV. It was not long before he too dropped off and the next morning Madison would find them in the very same position.
As Johnny left the spare room he exhaled loudly. This New Year had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. He returned downstairs and grabbed a beer before joining his daughter.
“She’s pretty huh dad?” Madison grinned, taking Johnny by surprise.
“Who? Oh…Amelia?” he stuttered a little, taken aback by his daughter’s bluntness. “Well yeah she is.” He laughed the question off, busying himself with his drink. He didn’t catch Madison rolling her eyes.
“How come she’s staying with us?” Madison continued. “I don’t mind. I like her. I just wondered why she’s not with her family.”
“You ask a lot of questions don’t you squirt?” Johnny shook his head laughing, ruffling her hair. “Amelia’s staying with us for a while because her husband is an idiot.”
“Bam?” Madison queried. Johnny nodded.
She shook her head dramatically and cuddled Brandon. Johnny smiled as he watched his daughter and Amelia’s son. His mind wandered to wondering what Bam was doing and thinking right now. Did he realise how much he had upset Amelia or just how much he had to lose? From the moment Johnny had met Amelia it had been clear how much she loved filming and she was damn well good at it. She got on well with all of the guys and the thought of Bam taking that away from her was enough to make Johnny mad. Still, there would always be a place for Amelia in the Jackass family.
Johnny kicked off his converse and rested his feet on the table, earning an annoyed look from his daughter. Ignoring her protests he tried to take his mind off the woman sleeping in his spare room, but it was difficult. He had lost interest in the film they were watching and Madison passed Brandon into his arms while she went to make herself a drink. Johnny looked at the giggling toddler on his lap who seemed content in his company despite Johnny never having spent any time with him before. It had been years since Johnny had been around babies. Madison was a teenager now and sometimes this realisation kept him awake at night. She would always be his little girl.
As Brandon laughed and jabbered at him, Johnny wondered if he should let Bam or April know where Amelia really was. All it would take was a phone call to her mom for them to realise that she was not in England. He dismissed any idea of interfering, not wanting to make things any more difficult for her. She obviously hadn’t wanted them to know that she was here, but why? Johnny sighed to himself, receiving an amused look from Brandon. There he was, trying to get on with his life and now she had turned up out of the blue and totally unaware of how painful it was for him to be around her.
Several hours later Amelia appeared at the living room door looking more relaxed and rested. Her hair was damp from the shower and her face was bare of any makeup. It struck Johnny that he had never seen her like this before. She looked more beautiful than ever and he struggled to ignore these feelings.
Amelia caught him staring and looked self conscious but she joined him and Madison on the sofa, thanking them for watching Brandon while she was asleep. Johnny tried to return the toddler to his mother but Brandon would not budge. He was sleepy and obviously quite comfortable where he was in Johnny’s arms. Amelia’s eyes twinkled as she watched the struggle.
“I think he prefers you.” She laughed, sticking her tongue out at Brandon who closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into Johnny’s arms.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Johnny joked, causing Madison to groan. She had heard that line far too many times and now that Amelia was literally in between them her father could not retaliate.
Johnny pretended to ignore Madison and stole a glance at Amelia who seemed absorbed in the film they were no longer watching. Amelia caught him looking at her and flashed him a smile. The fire that had been missing from her eyes recently was back and it took him by surprise.
“Want a picture Knoxville?” she laughed, teasing him.
“I already have one.” He winked back at her and she and Madison giggled.
“Oh you want to start this?” she replied, turning to face him and pulling her best fighting pose.
“I think you already started it.” He smirked and turned back to the TV.
“I’ll get you when Brandon’s in bed. You better sleep with one eye open.” She warned, also turning back to TV. “Speaking of which, I’m going to put him down now. He’s never slept in a bed before so this will be exciting for him. “
Johnny passed the sleeping infant over to his mother and watched as she carried him out of the room. Brandon had grown a lot since the last time Johnny had seen him and he appeared even bigger in Amelia’s small arms.
“Oh dad, you so fancy her!” Madison grinned at Johnny, making him blush.
“Don’t be silly Mads.” He shook his head. “She’s my friend.”
“Whatever.” Madison sighed, getting up to put another film on.
Amelia returned a few minutes later looking even more refreshed and content. Johnny was happy to see her feeling better than earlier and ignoring the looks he was getting from Madison he stood up and tackled Amelia as she reached the middle of the room.
As he started tickling her, Amelia screamed and collapsed in his arms, laughing hysterically. “Get off me Knoxville!” she yelled, wriggling around but he did not let go. Eventually they fell in a tangled heap on the floor, gasping for breath and laughing. Madison was sitting on the sofa, watching the scene in front of her with an amused look on her face.
Johnny managed to stand up and offered his arm to pull Amelia to her feet. “You’re gonna pay for that.” She smiled, brushing herself down and taking a seat next to Madison, examining the bruises on her knees.
“I’m sure I will.” He smiled back, making his way towards the door. “I’m starving. Pizza anyone?”
Amelia and Madison nodded their heads from the sofa in appreciation.
Several hours and even more pizzas later, Madison had taken herself off to bed. Johnny and Amelia were sitting side by side on the sofa, still wide awake and sharing a bottle of wine. Despite whatever words remained unspoken between the two of them, Johnny felt content and he thought that Amelia did too. She was laughing at the TV and sipping her wine with a smile on her face. He wondered what had miraculously brightened her mood. He wanted to ask her about the email, after all that was the reason he was supposed to be visiting her in the New Year. He wondered if that would go ahead as planned or if Amelia’s impromptu visit to LA marked a big change.
Amelia had been quiet for a while and Johnny looked over, realising that she had fallen asleep leaning against him. He was too comfortable and content to move or wake her up so he gently slipped an arm around her and stroked her hair as he continued to watch whatever was on the TV. It was not long before he too dropped off and the next morning Madison would find them in the very same position.