Chapter 32

As they came down the stairs they found Adam waiting for them. “You have a big place here Rock Star. It’s time I got to see a bit of it before we go.” Adam’s intent was not the tour, he could care less about the trappings in Jovi-Land, but he wanted to get off near the woods and give the man a beginning lesson in swordsmanship. He just knew Jon would blithely take them on a tour and forget all about being prepared and that’s what the lesson was for. He had to learn that even friends, sometimes, could turn against him.

Amelia shivered slightly; the look in Adam’s eyes unnerved her. He was up to something, she just knew it. She gave Adam a look that dared him to do anything terribly bad to Jon and went to the coat stand grabbing her long silk trench. She knew better than to warn Jon, or tell him to get his special coat; she’d just have to be the audience at this little happening and pray Jon at least held his own.

Jon took one look at Adam as Amelia shivered and gave the man a mega watt grin. “I’d love to show you around Adam. Be a nice way to say good bye to this place I think. He could tell after 25 years in the business that innocent looks were never innocent. He could almost smell Adam’s brain burning up the ideas. With casual grace he walked over to the tree stand and turned to face them, reaching for his aviator leather jacket. His hand caressed the leather slowly as he moved on to the longer coat hanging next to it. “Might need this one, I hear the winds brisk this morning.” He smirked just a bit as he shrugged into the long trench, casually adjusting the weight on his back so that the coat fell smoothly. “While we are at it Rich, I’ll show you the things we need to have moved from the studio.”

Richie nodded at his friend as he thought that was a bit unusual. Jon was usually the control freak; he had to handle it all. Becoming immortal, it seemed, had shifted his priorities a tad; and it was a nice feeling to know his friend trusted him. The previous months had been hard on them all, with the divorces and deaths and his own stint in rehab, so owing to all that, having Jon give him a vote of confidence was just one more thing on the list that made him grateful of Amelia’s return.

As they stepped from the house Jon took a deep breath and headed left towards the studio. For the next half hour Amelia and Adam stood back nearly bored to tears as technical jargon flowed between the two rock gods. Finally as they finished, Jon ushered them out the door and on to the left, showing them the guest house, swimming pool and ending up in a secluded spot surrounded by trees. “I always came here to think and sometimes compose. When I felt at my lowest it always seemed to soothe me. If I miss anything here, not counting the kids that is, it will be this one little place.” His eyes closed as he breathed in deep, committing the sound and smells of the little wooded area to heart.

It was then he felt the tap of something cold against his cheek and deftly side stepping he whirled to find Adam holding his sword aloft. “It’s a fine place for a good lesson too Rock Star. Let’s see what that quickening taught you.” With a lunge forward Adam slashed down at Jon forcing him to step back or be impaled. With a yell Jon’s sword came up to clash against Adam’s and the lesson was on.

For nearly one hour Amelia and Richie stood back watching as each man thrust, lunged or parried. Amelia couldn’t help but admire Jon’s body as the sweat gleamed along his muscles. She could tell though, that he was tiring and that Adam was giving no special measure to the tiring man. She worriedly nibbled at a fingernail and kept her eyes glued to the sight before her. Richie tried repeatedly to get her to talk but he too would drift off watching the men before him. “Damn its just graceful considering what it’s all about, ain’t it Red?” Amelia just gave him a nod as Adam lunged again at Jon making him back step suddenly. “Yes Rich it’s as graceful as it is deadly.” She offered up one sentence then went back to watching the lesson, her eyes growing wide as Jon nearly stumbled and Adam sliced through Jon’s shirt to his belly.

“ADAM!” Amelia screamed as she watched Jon bend, bracing himself on the sword stuck in the ground. Amelia wanted to run to Jon, wanted to check him over, but she stood her ground staring daggers at Adam.

Adam yelled back, panting just a bit from the exertion, “WHAT?? He heals remember? Other immortals won’t play nice wench.”

Jon lifted his shirt slowly, wincing as he did so. Damn if it didn’t sting no matter what the elder immortal said. His brow quirked upwards as the blue electricity raced along the gash closing it completely. “Don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” He thought as he straightened and held his sword aloft again. “Come on you old fuck, lets dance!”

Richie’s eyes were as big as saucers. True he had seen Amelia come back to life, but this was his first time at seeing something like that gash heal totally. Boy howdy he was going to have to watch out for his bro, if he got hurt in front of anyone that would be a rather nasty thing to explain, blue electricity, sheesh of all things to heal a man it had to be electricity.

With a sudden clanging of swords Richie and Amelia both watched as Jon went on the offensive and started beating Adam back with each whip of his sword. With a spin as pretty as some of MacLeod’s moves Adam had to smile as Jon whipped his sword up coming damn near to his throat. Stepping back quickly he sheathed his Ivanhoe and grinned. “I do believe that’s enough for today. Shall we finish the tour?”

Jon marveled that the elder immortal didn’t seem to be winded at all. Sheathing his own sword he turned and walked to Amelia and gave her a quick kiss. “I’m done with my good byes I think; let’s go back to the house for lunch. Courier should be here soon and then we can be on our way.” He wrapped his arm around his lady and began to stroll to the house, the weariness falling from him as he took comfort in her warmth. “How’d I do Fire?” He rubbed at his stomach as he glanced over at her and saw a smile lighting her eyes.

“You did really good Jon. It will take time, it’s not something we ever get perfect at, and Adam well he’s a bit more formidable than most, but you did really well. You ok though? He sliced you pretty deep there.” She reached over and slid her warm palm over his stomach, causing his breath to hitch.

“Oh yeah, and if you keep doing that you’ll do more than warm me up Fire.” He laughed as her hand stilled suddenly. “Don’t let that stop you darlin”

Looking over his shoulder she pulled her hand away. “You have company.”

A slight, young, bespectacled man with a rather awestruck look on his face hemmed and hawed his way through a greeting. “Um, hiya there Mr. Jov, Mr. Jon, Mr. Bongiovi, yeah that’s right. I’m Terry with the realtor. I’m here to get some signatures?” Jon smiled putting the young man at ease. “The names Jon; no need for formality here son. Come on in and let’s get the papers signed.”
He ushered the young man in as Amelia followed behind them. It amazed her at how quickly he could get things done.

Within moments Jon’s had signed the contract, dotted the i’s, and crossed the t’s, initialing every spot that needed initialing. As he handed the papers to the courier, Terry the courier handed him the keys and told him that the realtor had seen to it that the electricity and phone services were set to be turned on before the day was out. Jon stood and shook the man’s hand and told him it was a pleasure doing business with him.

After that, with a short goodbye to the kids, Jon had the limo loaded up then motioned for his friends to settle in. Sliding into the limo he placed himself next to Amelia and pulled her close. “It’s a long ride, but by the end of the day we can at least consider ourselves in a new home base.” He looked over at Adam who had found the wet bar and started laughing. “Dude do have a drinking problem or something?”

Adam shook his head with a grin, “No, I drink, sometimes I get drunk, no problem at all.”

They all laughed at that and settled in as the limo turned out of the driveway and headed to the Highlands House.

Three hours later the limo pulled into a long winding driveway.

As each person looked up they gasped at the sight before them. The “house” as Jon called it was huge, more a mansion than a simple house. Its bricks were nearly golden with the sunlight slanting across them. The entrance just screamed elegance, the sort of elegance that came with forgotten days of cotillions and ballrooms. As they looked out over the grounds they could see the hints of two buildings, obviously the two buildings slated for the recording studio and training room. “Jon, honey you called this a house?” Amelia whispered as her eyes took in all of her surroundings.

Jon smiled and pulled her into a kiss before replying, “No baby, I call this a home, a home we will make that will welcome everyone we know into its warmth and laughter.”

Looking into his eyes she forgot that Richie and Adam were behind her, forgot everything but the sparkling blue eyes looking into hers. Home, it was a word she never thought would truly apply to her again. Twenty years of moving and surviving without him had taught her there was no such thing as home, but now, standing in his arms, she knew he had brought the word to life again.

Richie looked at Adam, and whispered dramatically, “Ya think they’ll be at this awhile?”

Adam groaned softly, “Unless we stop it String man.”

Richie laughed and chanted “Jonny and Red sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G! Come on you two get a room!”

Jon and Amelia turned to face the duo behind them bashful grins lighting their eyes. Jon tilted his head and a wicked gleam entered his eye. “You know, that’s a damn good idea, but we’ll take care of that later. Let’s see what needs to be done here.” He turned and unlocked the door, pulling Amelia inside as Adam and Richie followed. As they walked in Richie leaned towards Adam and said loud enough for the other two to hear, “I don’t know about you Adam, but I’m taking a room in a different wing from them.”

Adam looked at the guitarist and nodded with a grin lighting his hazel eyes. “I think you just might be right String man. That might be a bloody good idea.”

Jon listened in with half an ear to what the men behind him were saying and concurred with their ideas completely. Amelia and he in a wing all alone gave him a lot of ideas, a lot of awfully wonderfully naughty ideas, and he was sure his lady would love each and every one.