“Bro, please tell me you aren’t going to slave away in the kitchen the whole time we’re here,” Doctor Johnson pleaded as he walked into the kitchen and found his brother busy away at cooking dinner with Peyton at his side helping. “Cause we didn’t come here just for your cooking.”
“I’m not slaving away,” Brandon insisted. “I love cooking, you know that.”
“Yes, I know, but just don’t feel like you have to okay? We can all cook for ourselves here if you don’t feel like it.” Brandon snorted.
“If I left it up to you, you would be eating hamburger helper every single night…or a bowl of cereal. So don’t give me that bullshit big brother. Your talent is in the hospital, it’s never been in the kitchen.”
“I can eat hamburger helper and a bowl of cereal sometimes, it won’t kill me” Doctor Johnson promised after rolling his eyes some.
“Well not under my care,” Brandon insisted. Doctor Johnson shook his head feeling slightly bad about how much the roles have been reversed between the two of them. Ever since he threw himself head first into his job the moment he got it, simply because it kept him busy and therefore he didn’t have to think about painful things. Until Annabelle entered his life of course…and then his comfortable world was turned upside down forcing him to feel everything and deal with it. And suddenly the need to bury himself in the hospital life doesn’t seem so important anymore. He loves being a doctor, he always will…but now that Annabelle has given him a reason a live, he feels like he can slow down some – just a little bit and enjoy life again. Doctor Johnson walked up beside Brandon and gently squeezed his shoulder.
“What are you making that smells so delicious anyway, huh?”
“Barbeque ribs, Rice-a-Roni, baked carrots, and potato wedges.”
“Sounds really good, as always” Doctor Johnson praised.
“I can’t take credit for the rice though. Peyton is doing that part for me.”
“I think that I’m going to join a cooking class, so that one of these days I can prepare an entire meal for you and completely blow you away with amazement” Doctor Johnson informed. Brandon chuckled.
“Where would you find the time?”
“Okay, so maybe I will have to take lessons from you. But still, one of these days I’m cooking for you little brother.” Brandon smirked and reached over and patted his brother in the back.
“In the meantime, why don’t you go tell your girlfriend and Julie that dinner is almost ready?”
“Okie dokie,” Doctor Johnson replied. “But then I’m coming in here and setting the table afterwards. I’m gonna do something around here,” he insisted and then walked out of the kitchen. He was just about to head up the stairs where he left his Annabelle at when suddenly he heard a familiar song being sung out on the front porch. He stopped short and glanced toward the screen door that Brandon likes to keep open, simply because its something their mother loved to do and the familiarity of it is comforting.
Angels guard your bed,
Darling one, tonight.
Hover round your pretty head,
Till the morning light,
Softly, twilight shadows fall,
As you close your eyes;
Sleep until birdie’s call,
Wakes you at sunrise.
Oh, angels guard your little bed,
Darling one tonight,
Hover 'round your pretty head,
'Til the morning light.
Julie’s beautiful little voice could be heard and Doctor Johnson tensed slightly at hearing that familiar song. His mom used to sing it to Kayline all the time when trying to get her to sleep. When he could find the strength the move, Doctor Johnson crossed the living room to the screen door and he peered outside to see Julie sitting on the porch cradling her favorite doll in her arms. The doll was bundled up in a little blanket and she’d been singing to her. He watched her silently play with her doll for a few moments, and then opened the door and walked out.
“Hey sweetheart.” Julie looked up at him and smiled some as she watched him sit down in the rocking chair and gazed at her in wonder.
“Hi.”
“I heard you singing…you have a really pretty voice. Where did you learn that song?” he asked casually. Julie shrugged her shoulders.
“I think it was in my dream last night.”
“What was your dream about?”
“I don’t remember. I just remember…someone singing.” Doctor Johnson gazed at her in silence for a long moment as he pondered her words, and then he finally spoke up.
“Dinner is almost done honey…why don’t you go on in and wash up? I bet you are hungry after that long drive.”
“Kay,” Julie replied and she got to her feet with her doll and she went on over to him, leaned up on her tiptoes, and much to his surprise, she kissed him softly on the cheek.
“Don’t worry Stevie, be happy” She insisted, another very familiar phrase to him and she turned and skipped on into the house. Steve raised his eyebrow.
“Kayline…what’s your plan?” he asked the empty porch quietly. “What are you up to?” he sat there in silence for a couple of moments, and then he got up and walked inside. He went on upstairs next where he found Annabelle lying across their bed resting her eyes. He lightly crawled onto the bed behind her, enveloped her in his arms and he rested his cheek gently against hers, causing her to open her eyes and smile slightly. He grinned back and leaned down over her further before lightly grazing his lips over hers.
“Dinner is almost ready, you should probably wake up now.”
“Kay,” Annabelle replied softly and she sat up causing him to do the same and he cupped her face in his hand before kissing her once more and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I’ll meet you down there, k? I’m gonna do something really quick.”
“You okay?” Annabelle asked curiously, noticing the change in his eyes and she lightly caressed his cheek.
“Mhm, I’m fine” Doctor Johnson promised.
“Okay…” she replied skeptically and he cradled her face in both of his hands before bringing his lips down onto hers for such a passionate kiss that it was all she could do just to melt and kiss him back. He playfully pushed her so she was lying back against their pillows with him hovering over her and she squeaked in surprise before smiling against his lips and he slid his fingers through her hair sensually. When they pulled apart he smiled at her lovingly.
“I love you, I adore you, and you’re the most special woman in my life Annabelle Reese. You make me feel alive again. You do know that right?”
“I do now,” Annabelle answered softly after staring up at him in silence for a couple of seconds and her eyes watered up with emotion at his very true words. She brought her arms around his neck and cradled the back of his neck in both of her hands as he ducked his head down and rubbed his nose lightly over hers.
“Please don’t cry baby, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I can’t help it,” Annabelle sniffled some. “You have this tendency to grab hold of my emotions and say exactly the right thing at the right time and after what I went through with Dennis, I never thought I would ever be happy again. I’m just still trying to figure out if this is real, or one very vivid coma. You are too perfect.”
“Oh I am hardly perfect,” Doctor Johnson insisted gently. “I make my share of mistakes just like any other man out there and I’m sure you will be a witness to a lot of them. I’m only human after all…but loving you, being loved by you and being held by you sure does make me feel as powerful as Superman sometimes. No other woman has made me feel that way.” Annabelle closed her eyes comfortably as the two of them lie there together in each other’s arms and he placed delicate kisses on her closed eyelids. After a long moment, he spoke up. “Anyway, you go on down and I will meet you there, kay?”
“Mhm,” Annabelle answered and after sharing another brief kiss, she rolled out of bed and walked out of the room. Doctor Johnson got to his feet too, and he got out his laptop. He opened it up, turned it on, and went to google. He sat there quietly thinking about what it is exactly that he needs to type, and then put in 'Guardian Angels’ upon remembering Julie’s singing. He scanned through the list of options when the page loaded, and then clicked on one. It took him to an article on about.com with the title:
Do You Have a Guardian Angel?
Can you call upon them at will?
By Stephen Wagner
Intrigued by the title, Doctor Johnson began to silently read through it.
What Are Guardian Angels?
Guardian Angels are thought to be spiritual beings that are "assigned" to assist people here on Earth in various ways. Whether there is one angel per person, one angel for several person or several angels for one person is open to question. But whether you believe in them or not, or whether you want one or not, believers insist that you do have a guardian angel.
What is their assignment? According to "Encounters of the Angelic Kind" at Future365 (now defunct), "they intercept at many junctures in our lives and help wherever they can to make our lives run smoothly. Sometimes this is by inspiring a thought to spur us into action, at others it is to lend us super-human strength, such as in the case of a woman being able to lift a car long enough to free her trapped child. Or we hear of a runaway truck, with an unconscious driver at the wheel, inexplicably swerving sharply at the last moment to avoid a bus stop queue of people. In fact, there are many instances, which are often put down to luck, coincidence or even a miracle, but which have the touch of a hand of light behind it."
So why don't angels come to a person's aid every time it's asked for? Sometimes, the article contends, "angels must stand back, whilst giving loving support only, as we work things out for ourselves - these are the times when we feel alone, the dark before dawn.”
Seeing that there is a page two with a link titled How to Contact Your Guardian Angel, Doctor Johnson clicked on it and began reading that. He scanned through it until he came to the actual part that tells you how to contact them:
How To Contact Your Guardian Angel
Robert Graham, in his article "Angel Talk: Are You Listening", suggests that we all have guardian angels that are willing to communicate with us, but that most of the time we are just too busy to listen. If we are attentive, he says, and are willing to remain open to this communication, we can receive subtle messages that can help us in our daily lives.
"If you want a clear and concise message from your angel," Graham says, "you must ask a direct question. Your angel will always answer your questions. You must ask your question out loud. Clear, concise questions will get you clear, concise answers. Answers will always be tangible and explicit, something you can put your hands on. The answers I've gotten I could pick up and examine. Asking a frivolous question will get you a silly answer. The universe will match your level of sincerity."
Angels are always willing to help us, according to Doreen Virtue in her article "Calling All Angels" on beliefnet, but we have to be willing to accept the assistance since we have free will. "To ask for angelic assistance, you needn't conduct a formal invocation ceremony," Virtue says. The methods she suggests are likely to be much more familiar and comfortable to most people, including:
- writing a letter to your guardian angel - spelling out your problem and your need
- visualizing - "see" protective angels around you in your mind's eye
- call them mentally - think your plea to the angels
- speak aloud - state your case verbally
"Connect with Your Angel" suggests yet another method: meditation. "Make yourself comfortable, sitting or lying down. Be aware of your breathing... Let your body become limp and relaxed. Empty your mind; create space, just as though the whole of the universe was there, inside you. Now just be. No doing. Only being. Communicate to your angel that you wish to connect with her/him. Wait in peace. Be aware of what happens. It may not seem much at first. Be patient. Subtle changes will occur. You may see light, colors or form. You may be aware of a presence. You may feel tingling sensations. You may feel emotion. You will feel love."
Doctor Johnson arched his eyebrow as he sat there silently pondering over what he just read. Okay, so maybe his sister isn’t Julie’s imaginary friend after all. What if she is her guardian angel? It’s a possibility. He’s never really believed in this kind of stuff before until the moment Annabelle entered his life. The moment she awoke from that coma with Kayline’s name being the first thing she said, and her even going as far as admitting that she’s seen and spoken to her…well, he’s pretty much decided that anything is possible. But then that leaves him with a few questions…why Julie? Why is she Julie’s guardian angel and not his instead? And why was she with Annabelle in her coma?
She is obviously on a mission of some sort and he’s beginning to understand that whatever that mission is, it involves Annabelle and Julie. Maybe she chose Julie…because when she died she was Julie’s age and she still very much looks like she is even though if she were alive today, she would almost be considered an adult. Maybe, she chose Julie because she is a child and children have that special innocence about them that makes them an automatic believer of everything magic and therefore she would automatically accept Kayline in her life as if she’s always belonged in it no questions asked.
And she knows about his huge soft spot for Julie because not only is she such a very sweet little girl and easy to love, but she also reminds him of Kayline in every single way and therefore she brings joy back into his life. Maybe she really is there for him, but she just chose to act through Julie because she knew that would be the best way to get through to him. But why is she doing this? What does she want? Not that he isn’t thrilled to know that his sister is near and watching over him, because that does bring huge comfort to him but he knows she isn’t around just to sit on the sidelines and watch him live his life. She is up to something he can feel it.
“Steve?” Peyton called up the stairs ten minutes later. “Dinner is done,” She added.
“Coming,” Doctor Johnson replied. He closed his laptop, got up, and hurried on downstairs deciding he would just have to trust his sister, whatever it is she has up her sleeve. When he entered the kitchen, he walked up behind Annabelle as she stood there making Julie’s plate and he slid his arm around her waist, hugged her close to him and kissed her cheek affectionately. When he saw the smile that he wanted, he grinned himself and let go before going to get a plate for himself and on his way past her he kissed the top of Julie’s head. Brandon who sat at the table beside Peyton watched his brother in curiosity. Any happier, and he has a feeling Doctor Johnson would be skipping.
~*~*~*~*~
“I can’t believe you actually asked Wiley to baby sit me,” Scott complained when Kori walked into Spencer’s room to check on her son after getting back from her conversation with AJ. “Of all the people you could ask, you chose Wiley?”
“I knew Wi wouldn’t be biased and/or lenient toward you.” Scott scowled.
“Spencer is my son though and I don’t appreciate other people telling me what I can or cannot do with him.”
“Where were you trying to take him?” Kori wanted to know and she crossed her arms over her chest and arched her eyebrow at him.
“Out for ice cream,” Scott snapped. “When was taking our son out for ice cream ever a crime?”
“Just out for ice cream? Across the street out for ice cream?”
“No, out of the country for ice cream,” Scott answered sarcastically. Kori frowned.
“Well, if that’s the case, I don’t know why he wouldn’t let you go.” Scott snorted.
“Isn’t that obvious? You gave him control over me and he used it.”
“Well, you have your fair share of devious ways in this ridiculous battle you two are in over me, don’t you?” Kori snapped.
“But telling me I can’t go out with my son? A) He needs to leave Spencer out of our issues because he is just an innocent child and doesn’t need to be caught in the middle of it and B) he is MY son and if I want to take him across the street, I will.”
“Oh aren’t you quite the hypocrite.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Kori looked over at the children who were all sitting in a circle playing Candyland. Dakota, Sarah, and Spencer were playing, and little Laila was sitting there watching them. She noticed however, that Spencer was quietly listening to them.
“Spencer honey why don’t you take your game downstairs?”
“No. I don’t want to” Spencer insisted and he looked back down at his green gingerbread man guy.
“Okay, my bad I shouldn’t have asked you. I won’t make that mistake again. Spencer take your game and your friends downstairs right now, please.” Spencer scowled at her and then looked at Sarah and Dakota who sat there quietly watching him sympathetically. They all three grabbed up their game after putting all of their pieces on top of the board and they got to their feet and began taking it downstairs. Laila followed them closely, wanting more then ever to be apart of the big kids group. Once downstairs, Spencer led the way to a booth and as he walked past Wiley, he cast him an angry glare.
“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked cautiously. Spencer looked away from him stubbornly, making his statement very clear: I am not talking to you.
“Answer my question Kor. What is that supposed to mean?” Scott demanded when the kids were gone and the door was shut behind them.
“You know perfectly well what I mean. Weren’t you the one who used our son the other day to lure me into going to a movie with the two of you?”
“That was an innocent act, its nothing like the situation now!” Scott insisted defensively.
“Oh no?” Kori challenged. Scott stared at her for a long moment.
“The point is, he is MY son not his so I would appreciate it if he didn’t undermined me like that.”
“I didn’t ask him to do that,” Kori insisted. “That wasn’t my intention and I apologize.” It was Scott’s turn to raise an eyebrow then as he looked at her curiously. “I just simply told him that if you were planning on leaving with our son you weren’t allowed to do so without telling him where and when you would be back whether you are wearing an ankle bracelet or not. I did not give him permission to take advantage of that and I will be sure to talk to him about it.”
“Fine,” Scott replied while calming down some. “As long as you do that…” Kori reached out and placed a gentle hand to his shoulder.
“If you still want to take him out for ice cream, go on ahead and do so.”
“Would you like to come with us?” Scott asked gently. “No tricks this time, the decision is all yours. I won’t send Spencer after you this time, promise.”
“Well that’s very sweet of you for leaving the decision up to me,” Kori told him in playful sarcasm and Scott chuckled. “But I need to stay here. I want to spend sometime with Izzy. It’s my first night back and I haven’t even spent more then five minutes with her.”
“Fair enough,” Scott replied and Kori couldn’t help but smile at him a little. This is the first time he hasn’t tried to pressure her into spending time with him.
“Thanks for being understanding,” She praised, and she reached out and gently touched his cheek in an affectionate gesture. Scott closed his eyes comfortably and leaned his cheek into her hand. Its been so long since she’s touched him he almost wants to cry. After a long moment she turned and walked out of the room and Scott followed suit. Once downstairs Scott went over to Nick who is currently sitting in one of the booths with Ashley in his lap. She has her back to him and is lying back comfortably against this chest with the back of her head rested against his shoulder. Bella however, is sitting in her vibrating chair, which was placed on top of the table next to them.
“Nick I’m taking Spencer across the street to the ice cream shop, do you mind if I take Kota and Sarah too?”
“No not at all,” Nick replied feeling glad that Kori had given him his control over Spencer back again. He likes Wiley and everything, thinks he’s wonderful with Kori…and he likes Scott too. He’s really not on any sides. But he would be pissed off and hurt too if he wanted to take his girls somewhere and someone told him he couldn’t and made him feel like he has no control over his own kids. Kori simply told him that he is to make sure he tells him where he is going, she never said anything about telling him what he can and cannot do with his kid. Scott turned and headed on over to the table that the kids are all at. Spencer looked up at him upon his approach and Scott held his arms out to him. Spencer stood up and turned to face Scott and he held his arms out to him in return. Scott gathered him up and hugged him close to him possessively when he noticed that Wiley was watching him in the corner of his eye.
“Who wants ice cream?” he asked the kids playfully and all three of them – Kota, Sarah, and Laila cheered and the next thing everybody heard was a chorus of me’s. AJ went on over and gathered Laila in his arms and Scott grinned at all of them.
“Okay then, follow me” he told them and he carried Spencer out of the Diner with Sarah and Dakota trailing close behind him and AJ followed too, carrying an excited Laila. Kori on the other hand went over to Isabel and pulled her into a very long hug. Meanwhile at the ice cream shop they discovered such a long line for such a small town. After settling the kids – minus Laila at the nearby table, Scott and AJ went to stand in line. The two of them stood there in silence for a couple of moments and then AJ spoke up.
“I like you and think you’re a very good man and everything Scott, but I just need to know one thing.” Scott looked at AJ arching his eyebrow slightly.
“Yes?” he asked, feeling taken aback by AJ’s randomness.
“Are you really serious about my sister?”
“About Ashley? You know I adore her, where is this question coming from?”
“Not Ashley, I’m talking about Kori.”
“Of course I am serious about her,” Scott answered and he didn’t bother to hide his surprise that AJ is going into protective mode over Kori all of the sudden. “I’ve never been so serious about anyone in my life. I love her.”
“But you broke her heart before, what is to say you won’t do it again?” AJ demanded and he fixed a serious gaze on Scott that he knows always makes Nick shudder and falter, but to his surprise, Scott held it right back. Why it surprises him, he doesn’t know. It shouldn’t. Scott is an ex-gang member; he’s dealt with tougher fish in the sea, so someone as tame as an older brother is hardly scary to him.
“I’m not that same kid I was in the past, I’ve changed, I’ve grown up and the biggest mistake I ever made was letting her go.” AJ narrowed his eyes at him, not letting him get off that easy.
“Why did it take you five years to realize that?”
“Honestly, because I’m an idiot.”
“And with that being said, what makes you think that you deserve my sister?”
“I love her that’s what. She was the first girl that I ever fell in love with, and she is the only one I’ve been in love with since. Kori is it AJ. She is my life and I’m prepared to fight for her, even if it takes me forever.”
“How many other girls have you been with since she left?” AJ interrogated staying strong even though that last answer was pretty good.
“I don’t know…at least three, but it wasn’t really serious and all of them looked like Kori in some shape or form. I never slept with any of them, and I never even made outside of the bar or club with them because they just didn’t do her justice. I was depressed and unhappy without Kori and was holding onto anything that reminded me of her.”
“So if you missed her so damn much, then why didn’t you come looking for her?”
“And risk Sean following me here and finding her?” AJ didn’t respond to that question, realizing that he has a point. “I had her phone number though because I’m very resourceful and managed to find it. I knew in my gut that she was here so I did my research. I called her every single night just to hear her voice. I would never say a word when she said hello, I just sat there with my phone to my ear taking in the sound of her voice and listening to her breathing until she hung up. She always knew it was me though, she never felt threatened. For the whole first month she would leave the phone on her ear and fall asleep like that. Sometimes she would talk to me and Id just listen and after a month went by, she simply stopped answering but I never stopped calling. Eventually I learned the number to her Diner and started calling that.” AJ raised his eyebrow.
“You do realize that is borderline of being a stalker, right?”
“Like I said, she knew it was me and never felt threatened by it. For the first month she even looked forward to my call.” AJ shook his head slightly amused. “I knew that letting her go was a mistake, every single day since she left I regretted it. Sometimes when looking for her look alike in bars and clubs got boring; I would go to parks just to watch families with their children and wonder what it would be like if I hadn’t been so stupid. Now I know…and I’ll do anything to get it back.”
“So you stalked families too then?” AJ teased and he smirked at Scott to let him know that he was only poking fun and Scott scowled.
“Last time I checked reading a book in the park and doing a little people watching wasn’t a crime.”
“I was only teasing calm down” AJ chuckled.
“Did I pass your test?” AJ shrugged his shoulders.
“For now.”
“Are you going to give Wiley the same interrogation?”
“You are damn right I am. He may seem like the perfect Brit,” AJ replied doing his best to mock Wiley’s accent and Scott couldn’t help but chuckle. “But, there is no better test then a brother’s test.”
“What I don’t understand is, where is this coming from? You never cared about Kori’s love life like this before…you two don’t even get a long.”
“Lets just say we’re working on our differences. I’ve always cared about her, I’ve just been waiting on her to finally let me in.”
“I see,” Scott replied, and before he could say anything else they finally made it to the front of the line and began ordering the ice cream that their kids had requested. As soon as AJ thought they had everything, he started to head back to the table when Scott spoke up.
“Can I get one more ice cream cone please?” he asked and AJ looked at him curiously.
“Sure what kind would you like sir?”
“Chocolate chip cookie dough please,” Scott answered and while AJ stood there waiting on him, he handed out ice cream to the children while feeling highly impressed with him. He and Kori may not be very close yet, but he’s paid attention to her enough during the short time that he’s known her to know that’s her favorite.
