Chapter 2 - Anything But Gray

Jon's gaze is fixed upon her face, watching the way her lips move when she talks, taking it all in and feeling his love for her with every cell of his body.

Chapter 1 - You never kissed me goodbye

"Hey, do you want to tell me what's going on with you?  You've been super distant and quiet today.  What's up?"  she asks him, kissing his forehead as she tries to steal his cup of tea from him.  He's tired and she can see it, not only in his eyes, but in his posture too.  She found him sitting in the bay window, over looking the inlet - lost in thought.

"Just tired."  he looks up and plants a kiss on her face.  "Do you want me to make a you a cup of tea?"   He takes her arm and pulls her onto his lap.  His arms circle her body and he holds her tight.  His head rests on her shoulder.  "I'm just tired.  It's been a long week. "

"It sure has.  Do we have any leisure time in our near future?" she asks, resting her head on his.  "We need a few days to just do nothing."  She can feel his heart racing, at a pace that isn't normal for him and she can see that he isn't faring too well.  "Do you want some lunch?"

He gently shakes his head no, not wanting to disturb her and the time that they have to be close.  "Do you ave any idea how much I love you?"

"I have a pretty good idea."  she smiles down at him.  With a stolen kiss, she adds, "I love you just as much Mr. Bon Jovi."

"Babe, I mean I really love you."

"Jon I know."  she cups his face in her hands, "I love you just as much, if not more."

"Since the day I met you, I knew you were the one for me."  His grip on her gets tighter, "And I knew right then and there that I would never let you go."  He sighs, deep and long.  His hands make their way up her back and her starts to caress her, with tender love and unquestionable desire.  He loves her beauty, her soul and the way that she loves him.  "I write some of the best songs in the world, yet I sit here and can't find the words to express how much you mean to me, how much you mean to us and how much I love and adore this family that we have built, the family that even though the times were hard and we struggled, here we are."

"We're a great team." she adds, seeing that he is truly bothered by something and she thinks he either can't muster the courage to say what he wants or maybe the words really escape him.  She doesn't feel that he's ready to really talk about it, so she tries to change the subject.  "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Did you eat?" she questions him.  "I'm starving.  About quiche or something?"  She tries to get to her feet, but he doesn't let her up.

He holds her tighter, "Not yet.  I'm not ready to let you go."

"ok, what's up?" she looks him in the eye, "start talking.  You're starting to scare me a little bit."

He sits there and stares at the woman that means the world to him.  She has given him and amazing life, several headaches and a beautiful family.  He wants to remember her as she looks right now.  Her hair is pulled back, showing off her goddess cheekbones and perfect lips.  Her lips show him nothing but love and the tank top and shorts are an added bonus.

"Do you think I'm gone too long?" he starts with.  "Do I work too much?"

"No, I don't think so."  she wiggles her way free and sits beside him on the bay window bench.  With his hand in hers, she continues, "you have a job to do and I knew that when I got into this.  Do I miss you when you're gone?  Sure - we all miss you.  Cooper the most."  She winks at him, referring to the family dog.

"You can handle me being gone all the time or do you just pretend to?"

"Are you really asking me that?" she wonders.  Starting to ponder about his attitude and his mood.