flashback!
— august 1993; van nuys, ca

after spending the evening at a gala, bella was finally glad to be home. the night had started out great, but as the hours passed, the night turned sour as johnny disappeared from the event and headed back home. the truth was that he left because he felt out of place after seeing a model by the name of jason flirt with bella and buy her a drink.

the blonde served himself a glass of whiskey after tucking stevie into bed. the liquor burned through his throat as he looked at bella walk through the door. the spouses made eye contact as bella threw her purse to the side. "i noticed you left early." bella said. "everything okay?"

"i'm fine." johnny said as he finished up his glass of whiskey. "i'm gonna go to bed."

"look, i know you hate going to these things. i'm sorry i made you go." bella said. "please just talk to me."

"don't worry about it." johnny replied. bella ran a hand through her hair as she walked into the bedroom and changed out of her dress. she looked over to her husband, who was getting ready for bed as well before looking back at her reflection in the mirror.

bella walked out of the bedroom and walked over to check on stevie. as she slowly opened the door, the brunette smiled as she saw her daughter sleeping peacefully. she walked back into the bedroom and softly sat down on the bed, watching johnny wash his face.

"thanks for tucking her in." bella softly smiled, looking over at her husband. "i know she likes for daddy to tuck her in."

"well, if i didn't wanna have her waiting until mommy decided to come home." johnny snapped as he shut the water off.

"johnny – nothing happened between me and jason. i rejected his drink offers and came home." bella sighed as johnny walked back into the bedroom. "i don't know why you're so paranoid."

"you expect me to believe that you don't wander off with him to who knows-fucking-where? i came home to put our daughter to bed because you weren't gonna fucking do it at 2am." johnny snapped. "besides some guy was hitting on and buying drinks for my wife, you expect me not to get paranoid?"

"i can say the same thing about tiff the bartender. she's always flirting with you and giving you free shit." bella snapped as he voice cracked. "and no wonder she's so nice to you, since you're sleeping with her."

"isabella, what the fuck are you talking about?" johnny said running his hands through his hair.

"i overheard kevin joking about it." bella sighed as she crossed her arms. there was now tension in the room. "if you're fucking tiff, just say it."

"bella–"

"just say it." bella said, taking a deep breath. "so i know why you come home at 3 in the fucking morning."

"where'd you hear that?" johnny said, trying to calm bella down.

"john, just tell me; are you fucking tiffany–"

"no, isabella. i didn't fuck tiff and i'm not fucking her. it was a stupid joke that kevin made because she was giving me free drinks." johnny said, holding bella. "the reason i was at the bar late was because i overheard the way jason spoke about you that one night at that party, that's why i thought you two were hooking up."

bella wiped her tears as she looked into her husband's blue eyes that were now clouded with tears. "he talked about you as if you two were sleeping together and all i could think about was that i had lost you." johnny whispered. "just seeing him reminds me of the things i can't give you, like a big house, all this fancy shit, another baby."

"john–"

"bella, i'm scared of losing you." johnny sighed as he played with bella's hands. "i'm scared of losing you to someone with more money than i do, someone who can give you more than i can. he's rich, he has a steady job, even if it's modeling designer underwear–"

"listen to me, i don't care how much money you have. it's not about that, it's never been about that and you fucking know it." bella said as she cupped the blonde's face in her hands. "you literally don't realize how happy you've made me. that little girl sleeping in the other room? you're responsible for that and it's one of the best things you could've given me."

"you really mean that?" johnny softly said.

"you know i do." bella said as she leaned her forehead against his. "listen to me alright? i love you so much. i mean it."

"i'm so used to everyone leaving, for someone better." johnny said as he felt a tear stream down his face. "when i saw jason flirting with you, i figured that was it."

"look at me. you see these rings on my finger? they mean that i chose you and i'll choose you anytime over any guy." bella said as she cleaned her tears. "john, you're my husband and i love you so fucking much."

"never fuckin' leave me, baby." johnny softly whispered. "i love you."

"not as much as i love you." bella smiled as she caressed his cheek.

⸻

IT was early in the morning when alex arrived at stevie's door. he held some roses in his hand as he contemplated knocking on her door. as he took a deep breath, he softly knocked on her door. alex ran his hand through his blonde hair as he prayed that stevie answered the door.

"hey, good morning." stevie smiled as she opened the door. "come in."

"thanks." alex said. "these are for you. ash told me about your uncle tommy, i'm sorry. how're you holding up?"

"i'm doing okay, we're still kind of sad about it, but we'll be okay." stevie said as she admired the roses. "the roses are beautiful, by the way. thank you."

"of course." alex said. "you know i got you."

"thank you." stevie smiled. "well, it's pretty early. you want coffee?"

"sure." alex smiled. "how's you're dad doing? i know they were all like brothers, must've him hard."

"he was there." stevie sighed as she put on a pot of coffee. "they all went up to visit him and took him out for one last ride."

"i remember when i met all of them." alex softly smiled. "i was so nervous about meeting your dad, but then i realized your dad was the least of my worries."

"they loved you though." stevie smiled as she poured coffee in a mug. "cream and sugar?"

"yeah." alex smiled. "1 cream–"

"and 3 sugars." stevie chuckled. "i still remember."

stevie prepared the two mugs of coffee before handing one to alex, who sat on the loveseat, giving lola a belly rub. they say in stevie's living room, in silence as the radio was faintly playing. the quiet tension began to make stevie uncomfortable until she decided to break the silence.

"you doin' anything today?" stevie said, placing her mug on the coffee table.

"not really." alex said. "what'd you have planned?"

"aiden and i are meeting up with daisy, nicki, and mark to plan something for ash." stevie said. "it's their birthday in a few days and ash's always talking about how she wants a 'disco party', so we're gonna go plan."

"ash listening to disco?" alex chuckled. "since when?"

"she's half new yorker." stevie said. "auntie jen loves disco. she took my parents to studio back in college."

"your dad? at studio?" alex said. "your father, who listens to 80s rock religiously, at studio?"

"yeah, i know. hard to believe." stevie laughed. "so, you in?"

"of course i'm in."

⸻

bella softly groaned as she peacefully slept with her arms wrapped around johnny. she slowly began to stir as she felt johnny play with her long brown locks. she quietly yawned and fluttered her eyes, staring up at the blonde, who returned a smile at her.

"hi." bella smiled.

"mornin' gorgeous." johnny said as he continued to run his hands through her hair. "i'm surprised your phone hasn't gone off."

"i'm kinda taking it slow." bella said. "and there's also something i need to tell you."

"look, i'd hate to be that guy, but i kinda need to head over to the dojo." johnny said, sitting up while bella rolled off of his chest.

"how's it going?" bella said, running a hand through her hair, leaning against her headboard and pulling the sheets on her bare body. "stevie told me about sensei kreese, you sure about bringing him back, john?"

"i wasn't at first, but he's changing." johnny said as he slipped his shirt on. "it's a second chance."

"if you say so." bella said, laying back down.

"if you're worried about stevie, i'm not gonna let him get to her. i promise–"

"it's not just stevie." bella sighed, propping up on her elbows. "you have good kids, don't let him fill their heads with shit, like he did with you and the guys. i'd hate to see them go about their lives with regrets. you were given a good group of kids, take care of them. you're the sensei now."

"thanks, babe." johnny smiled as he pressed his lips onto bella's. "so, what'd you need to tell me?"

"it can wait." bella said. "go do your thing, sensei."

bella softly pressed her lips onto his as johnny wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. "you better get out of here, before i pull you back into bed." she chuckled.

"doesn't sound so bad." johnny smirked.

"seriously, go." bella laughed. "i'll see you later."

"we'll finish this later?"

"not if you don't leave."

⸻

"shopping with you guys is exhausting." aiden said as he placed the bags down and took a seat around a table. "especially with you, stevie."

"hey, i get it from my mother." stevie laughed, placing some bags down. "and now i'm hungry, anyone else?"

"i think i spent all my money, shopping." mark said. "i'll just get a soda."

"you guys are no fun." stevie laughed. "anyone else?"

"i'll go with you." alex said, standing up and walking over to order, with stevie. "thank you for not leaving me alone."

"i'm hungry, too." alex laughed. "i forgot what shopping with you was like, it's a whole experience that cannot be done on an empty stomach."

"you got that right." stevie said as she grabbed her soda cup. "so, you enjoying yourself?"

"yeah, it's fun being around you." alex said. "it's memories."

stevie smiled as they waited for their order in silence. there was the tension again. there was never this much tension between the two, but then again, that was when they were a couple.

"i feel like my mom." stevie laughed. "she was kind of a mall rat."

"so i take it she spent all her time at the mall?" alex laughed.

"all the time." stevie laughed. "when i was younger, i was her 'shopping buddy'. anytime she went out shopping, she brought me along. it was our mother-daughter time."

"i can imagine you both shopping, it's your favorite thing to do." alex said.

"i'm heading to new york with her." stevie said. "she's leaving in a few days for fashion week and i'm gonna be there for a few days, helping her out."

"oh." alex said as his smile disappeared.

"i'll be back soon though." stevie said. "we could hang out before i leave, like at ash's party."

"i'll be there."

⸻

after a busy afternoon of last minute preparations, bella was finally ready to head out. she placed stacks of paperwork and headshots in a folder and filed it away. she kicked off her heels and ran a hand through her hair, taking a sigh of relief. she snapped out of her thoughts as lillian walked into her office.

"hey lil, what's up?" bella said.

"there's someone here to see you." lillian said.

"oh, it's probably johnny." bella said. "he's supposed to pick me up for dinner."

"it's not johnny." lillian said. "it's your other ex. he's in the front."

bella's heart sank and palms began to sweat as she heard the word 'ex'. she stood up and walked over to a little waiting area, where she spotted him; eric foster, her ex-fiancé.

her stomach tied up in knots as she felt her lunch come up, but she shook it off and walk towards him. before she could say a word, he turned around and made eye contact with her.

"how the hell did you find me?" bella said.

"nice to see you too, isabella." eric said.

"answer my question." bella said as she crossed her arms.

"rumors." eric said. "friends of mine told me you'd be down here and that you're going back to new york for fashion week."

"so what do you want?" bella snapped.

"i was around la, on business." eric said. "i thought i'd come by and say hi, see how things were going."

"and what makes you think i'd wanna see you?" bella said. "you got bored of the redhead and you wanted to come see if i gave you a second chance?"

"bella, i really messed up, i know." eric sighed. "i'm sorry."

"that's your defense? 'i messed up'?" bella said, trying not to cry. "that's your fucking defense?"

"what else do you want me to fucking tell you?" eric said.

"there's nothing you can say!" bella said, her eyes burning with tears.

"i wanted us to have closure, bella." eric said. "i know i fucked up–"

"i don't wanna hear your bullshit apology." bella said as tears streaming down her eyes. while she argued with eric, johnny stood there, hearing everything bella told him.

johnny knew about bella's engagement and how she was engaged to a new york guy, who came from a wealthy manhattan family. that's the only thing he knew, but he didn't have a clue about bella's pregnancy.

"you didn't have to deal with shit, like losing a child and being called a whore, especially by your mother." bella said. "you didn't give a shit about me and the baby, all you cared about was getting off to your coworker."

as he overheard the conversation, johnny felt sick to his stomach. all he could think about was how this asshole broke bella's heart. she's a great woman, how could someone fucking do this to her? she didn't deserve that piece of shit.

"yeah, like your deadbeat baby daddy is a step up." eric scoffed. "i heard about that too. is that what you're doing down here? is that what you wanted, a cheap fuck?"

"call him whatever the you want, at least he had the decency not to fuck around while i was pregnant." bella snapped, tears streaming down her face. "go fuck yourself, eric. you come looking for me again and you'll regret it."

"i'd like to see you try, sweetheart." eric said as he walked out. bella cleaned the tears from her eyes as she turned to see johnny, with a look of concern on his face.

"how long have you've been standing there?" bella softly whispered.

"i heard everything." johnny said. "you okay?"

"not really." bella said, cleaning her tears. "let's just go."

⸻

"you've been so quiet." johnny said as he laid on bella's stomach as she ran her hands through his hair. "you sure you're okay?"

"i'll get over it." bella said. "i just didn't expect to see him again."

"is that the guy? your ex?" johnny said.

"yeah." bella said, trailing her hands from his hair to his shoulders.

"i always thought that you had gotten married again." johnny said. "i remember when i saw you on tv, wearing that huge diamond ring."

"i called it off." bella said, rubbing his shoulders. "long story short, i got pregnant, but i lost the baby. shortly after, i found out he was doing one of his coworkers all while i was pregnant."

"i'm sorry." johnny said.

"don't be." bella softly smiled as she continued to rub his shoulders. "you're so tense, what's up?"

"kreese is getting in their heads." johnny said. "i saw it today while they were training out in coyote creek."

"i'm sorry." bella said. "it's inevitable with him. letting him in was like opening up pandora's box, but he's gone now."

"i hope so." johnny said. "in the morning, what'd you need to tell me?"

"i have to go back to new york." bella sighed. "i said i'd be back in time for fashion week, but i'll be back."

"how long until you leave?" johnny said.

"a few days." bella said.

"since you're leaving soon, i guess it's the right time to ask you this." johnny said, as he laid down next to bella. "you wanna go to dinner tomorrow night?"

"are you asking me out on a date?" bella smirked as she turned to face him.

"yeah." johnny smiled as he intertwined his hand with hers. "so?"

"i'd love to."