Chapter 16: Drive Home

Soap POV

I enter the kitchen, followed by Simon, "I wanna sit next to Ghost and daddy!" Madison begs, clinging onto Lydia's hand. Lydia places a bowl on the table, "That's fine baby, go sit down" Lydia says. She sees me and Simon running over to us, she grabs my hand pulling me around the table. She then runs back over for Simon, I sit at the table across from Ben, he gives me a light smile.

Here we fucking go, Ghost sits next to me, and Maddison next to him. Lydia next to Ben, and at the head of the table, Maddison. I look along the table, food covers it, Lydia was never great at cooking, but I guess she could have learned. Simon is waiting, watching to see what I do, "Hope you guys like it, I started cooking real early to have everything done for this" Lydia says, proudly.

"Thank you for this then" I tell her, she smiles at me. Simon's arm reaches over me, grabbing a bowl, filling his plate. I nudge his foot with mine, he looks over at me, confused. I motion my eyes over to Lydia, clearing my throat a bit. He looks to Lydia, and back to me, more confused. I hit his foot again, he sets the bowl down, "-cough- Right, Thanks for this" Simon says.

Lydia giggles, waving it off, "Thank you, thank you, but enough thanks and let's eat" she says. I pick up my fork looking around the table, Everything looks good, I reach over grabbing a few pieces, placing them on my plate. "Oh John, don't eat the asparagus, I put sesame seeds in them, and I know how you're allergic" Lydia says. I nod moving onto the next side, "Sorry, she knows that I love them so she puts them in almost everything" Ben says.

"Almost everything?" I ask, "Just the asparagus, everything else is fine" Lydia says with a smile. She watches Maddison as she wiggles happily as Lydia gives her, her portion. I avoid my poison and gather what I want, I look to Simon, he looks to be enjoying the food. This night could actually be good, "Honestly I didn't think that we would all be in the same room like this after everything" Ben says.

Son of a motherfucking Bitc- "After what?" Simon asks, between bites. I hear a stomp, quickly after I hear Ben grunt. Lydia smiles, "After that horrible storm the other day" Lydia says, she leans over to Ben, whispering something in his ear. I let out a breath, There he goes bringing it up, "Yeah, the storm" Ben says, he meets eyes with me as he goes for his drink.

I furrow my brow confused, Simon hit my thigh with his hand, I take another breath, Not worth my time. "Anyway, John I heard that you got a new job" Lydia says, handing Maddison a much needed napkin. "Yeah, I transferred over to the local military base, but instead of Intelligence I'm training for active duty" I say, taking a bite.

Lydia starts to cough on her drink, hitting her chest a few times, "A-active duty? Wow, I didn't know you were interested in... That, since when?" Lydia asks. Everyone turns to me, interested in my answer, well everyone but Simon, he's taking advantage of the dishes in front of him. "Almost a month" I say, Lydia nods in amazement, "Wow, John, a military man" She says proudly.

I nod, "Yeah, I was already-" Ben interrupts me, "But now you're in the Real military, you planning on going overseas?" Ben asks. He leans back in his chair, with a smug look on his face, "If I'm able to pass evaluation, I'll consider it surely" I say. "What about Maddison?" Ben says, the table goes quiet, silverware clinks on the table.

Well almost silent, "I don't mean to interrupt this but do you have a sharper knife? This blade couldn't cut the fat off a pig" Simon says. A moment goes by, "I-is daddy leaving again?" Maddison asks, her voice sounds as if she's ready to break into tears. I reach over Simon, holding my hand out for her, "No baby, daddy isn't going anywhere" I say, giving her a reassuring smile.

Ben scoffs across from me, I turn my attention to him, "Is there something funny Benjamin?" I say. He sits up in his chair, "No need to lie to her, you've already started enough, and now you're telling us that you're sending yourself out to be killed, ironic coming from the man who couldn't even keep a woman" Ben says. Lydia walks over to Maddison who's now crying, "You don't know what you're talking about" I say angrily.

"Ben, John, stop it" Lydia says, picking up Maddison bringing her out of the kitchen. "Then tell me John, what are you going to do when you die? You're just going to leave Lydia to raise Maddison by herself? You already tried to kill yourself once, reminder that this time there isn't anyone there to call the police when you overdose again" Ben yells back at me. I quickly stand, furrowing my brow at his comment, Ben also stands, us eyeing each other.

"I know how to be a father" I say, keeping my voice calm, "Then act like it" Ben responds. He doesn't know anything, everything that I went through just to stay in her life, just to stay sane. Who are you to jump in and say that I'm not a good father? I stayed, and he just there, in that fucking room with her, he had to be there. I leave the table, storming out of the house, I walk over to Simon's car, pulling on the door, Locked. "Fuck" I say, I lean back on it, breathing heavily.

I shouldn't have come here.

Ghost POV

Maddison is crying, Lydia is arguing with Benjamin about what just happened, John is... Not in the house. I stand from the table, walking towards the front door "Hey, I need to talk to you, don't leave yet" Lydia yells at me. She turns back to to Ben, her tone is calmer when talking. I continue walking out of the house, She can wait, where are you.

I walk out the door, looking around, seeing him through the drivers side window of my truck. I walk over "Hey Johnny" I say, he turns to me. I walk over leaning on the truck next to him, "Lydia said she wanted to talk, so we're gonna wait a bit before leaving" I say. I hear John sigh, hanging his head, "Can you do me a favor?" John asks.

"Mhm" I sound, John sits up from the car, hugging me, resting his head on my chest. I freeze for a moment, confused how to deal with this. I reach my hand over, rubbing his back, keeping my other arm at my side. "I.. Don't come here a lot" John says, "I see why" I respond, he grips the fabric of my shirt. "Sorry" John says, "Not your fault" I say, Is that what people say?

"Simon?" Lydia yells out, John, slides off of me back on the car. I turn to see her walking this direction with something in her hand, I reach in my pocket unlocking my truck. "Get in" I say, I walk around "Simon, I am so sorry that this happened, I didn't know that Benjamin would act like that, and then the argument broke out and Maddison was screaming, and and... I'm sorry" Lydia apologizes.

I stay quiet looking down at her, "And I saw you at the table, and it looked like you really enjoyed my cooking, so I made you some to take with you" Lydia says, handing me the Tupperware. She reaches out for my hand, holding it in both of her's. "And can you do me favor? When you get the chance, tell him that I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do and I was backed into the corner with all the yelling and Maddison" she explains.

She put her hand on her forehead looking down, "Maddison.. She's not doing so well after everything so if he could call so he can talk to her, that would... Help" Lydia says. I stay quiet, listening to her request, "Again, I'm sorry" She says, she turns to walk away. I turn back, getting into my car, John has his head down, with his arms wrapped around him.

"Cold?" I ask, he sniffles nodding, I know what you're feeling, and it's not cold. I take off my jacket offering it to him, he takes it, not putting it on yet keeping it in his lap. "Do you want to go home?" I ask, his teary eyes look up at Lydia's house, staying quiet. "Do you want me to take you to my house?" I ask, he stays quiet, nodding. I start the car, "Can you at least put on your seatbelt?" I ask.

He silently puts it on, repositioning my jacket in his lap, I start to drive, leaving the house behind us. The car ride is silent, I sneak glances over to him, he's hanging his head, tracing the design on my jacket with his finger, tears falling onto it. "Lydia apologized for Benjamin, she says that she got backed into into a corner and that she didn't know what to do after he started yelling" I say.

John keeps quiet, "She says that Maddison isn't doing well, and asked if you could call later to talk to her" I say. He looks over, seeing the tupperware in my lap, I offer it to him, he takes it. "Lydia gave it to me, you can throw it away or you can keep it" I say, I'd enjoy it if you didn't want it but this feels right to say, I hear another sniffle. He opens it, looking at the food inside.

He takes a piece putting it into his mouth. He silently chews, putting the lid back on, he lets out a sigh. He's thinking, I look back to the road, the sky is dark and the roads are quiet. "I live out of the way a bit, hope you don't mind" I say, "Mhm.." John sounds in approval.

Everything will be fine, don't worry Johnny, I'm here.

{I KNOW IT'S ALMOST THE NEXT DAY SHUT UP, I'M WRITING THIS RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHAPTERS ALREADY WRITTEN. I'm just saying, I just go at it, whatever pops in my mind when I'm like "Yeah ok." You guys wanna know what happens next, and I'm like, so do I bestie. I do NOT have anything planned out for this, I'm crazy like that. Anyway hope you enjoyed!}