Becoming One (A Switched at Birth Fanfic)

Tears of Joy

Three weeks later, after Bay met Daphne and her biological parent, the Kennish's had decided for Regina and Daphne to stay in the hardly ever used, guesthouse. Therefore, they could all get to know each other. Kathryn had been starting to cry a lot more lately. John had always comforted her. He would always ask,

    "Honey, why are you crying?"

    And Kathryn would reply,

    "Baby, they are just tears of joy." She'd say while sobbing.

    Although of course, everyone knew that they were absolutely not tears of joy. Bay and Daphne were starting to get to know each other a bit more. The next morning, Kathryn had invited Daphne and Regina for breakfast. Regina had work.

    "Oh! I'm so glad that you could come!" Kathryn would say happily.

    "Mom. They live right across the driveway." Bay answered with annoyance.

    Kathryn smiled.

    "Hey, Daphne." John waved to get her attention.

    "Good morning." She signed.

    "How is it over there? Warm? Cold?" He put a thumbs up and down.

    "Perfect!" Daphne put up two thumbs up.

    "Daphne! I made peanut butter chocolate pancakes if you would like some." Kathryn asked.

    "Sure that sounds good." Daphne replied.

    Bay noticed her parents nicer and weirder than usual. After breakfast they all went to school. Kathryn cleaned up and her and John sat in his den.

    "Alright, Kathryn so our lawyer is coming over around noon to discuss the lawsuit against the hospital. So I was wondering..." John stopped talking. "Kathryn?" He asked.

    Kathryn was looking out the window. She had been zoning out periodically and it was worrying John. She turned around. There were tears all over face. Her eyes were red.

    "Kathryn..." John whispered.

    Kathryn just broke out sobbing. She couldn't hold them in. Tears left and right. John walked around the desk and slowly walked towards her.

    "They're just"-sniffle-"tears of joy."-sniffle-.

    "You don't have to be brave in front of me." John said.

    "Oh yes I do," Kathryn replied sympathetically.

        John came and held her. He kissed her on the lips. Kathryn was still crying.

    "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm here." John reassured her.

    They kissed and then smiled, then kissed for a while longer and then just smiled and gazed into each other's eyes.

    After they talked with the lawyer for a couple of hours, the kids came back from school. The Kennish's were starting to learn how to sign.

    "Daphne," she signed, "I was wondering if you wanted to go for a..." she tried to figure out the sign she wanted to use, "run later?"

    Daphne laughed, "Sure! Sounds great."

    "How about you Bay? Wanna go for a run?" Kathryn asked her loving daughter.

    "No thanks Mom," Bay replied while leaving the kitchen.

    Daphne and Kathryn went for a long run and when they returned, John was making dinner.

    "Mmmm, something smells good!" Kathryn said.

    "That is right your are smelling my famous pasta sauce!" John said in an Italian accent.

    Kathryn laughed. John grabbed her waist, which brought her closer to him.  He held up his wooden spoon so she could try it.

    "Mm, so good!" She told him.

    "Thank you," John said while kissing her on the cheek.

    The next day, Bay had met Daphne's friend, Emmett. They fell in love as soon as they looked into each other's eyes.

    "Hi, I'm Bay," she signed while talking aloud.

    "I'm Emmett," he signed back.

    Emmett, Bay, and Daphne hung around in Bay's art studio. Toby was working on a piece of music , and John and Kathryn were cleaning up the kitchen.

    Kathryn was washing the dishes and John was drying them and putting them away. John turned around and put the radio on. It played a romantic, slow song. One of Kathryn's favorites. He came back around, and put his hands on her waist, even though Kathryn was still facing the sink. Kathryn laughed.

    "Get back to work," she chuckled.

    John started kissing her cheek and then moved down to her neck.

    "That tickles," she giggled. She turned around and gave John a long, romantic kiss on his lips. It lasted a while until they were interrupted by Bay and Daphne walking in.

    "Ew." Bay broke their kiss.

    Kathryn laughed. "Where's Emmett?"

    "He left." Daphne signed.

    "Alright, go back to whatever you guys were doing so your mom and I can go back to what we were doing," he turned around and winked at her.

    Bay gave them a glare but Daphne just laughed.

    "Wait! How's Regina? We haven't talked with her lately." Kathryn proclaimed.

    "She's good, she just has a lot of work stuff." Daphne said back.

    "Oh, well tell her to come for breakfast tomorrow. Both of you." She told her.

    Daphne smiled, and then the two of them left.

    "Where were we?" John asked.

    Kathryn laughed and they went back to kissing.

    When everyone was asleep, John had awoken from a noise he heard that was coming from his bedroom bathroom. Usually, John had his hand around Kathryn protectively, but he looked over and she wasn't in bed. He came around and knocked on the door. He came in and saw Kathryn looking at herself in the mirror, crying. John was confused.

    "What's wrong?" He asked sternly.

    Kathryn was surprised by all of the anger he had said it with.

    "Kathryn, I love you so so much, but you are starting to worry me by all of the depression you have projected lately." Even John was on the verge of tears.

    John has seen Kathryn cry like this; when she found out about the miscarriage he came home and all he did was hold Kathryn so protectively, holding her in his arms, when Toby was born, and so much more. He knew that Kathryn was fragile and sensitive. But he had never encountered her crying repeatedly saying nothing was wrong.

    "C'mere." He motioned her to come.

    John actually held her and put her on their bed. Kathryn had laid still. John came closer telling her to come closer. Kathryn turned and John wrapped his arms around her.

    "I love you." She reminded him.

    "I love you, too." He said back.

    John had always thought that I love you were very strong words for a man. He had always thought that they should only be said when a couple is married. The first time Kathryn and John exchanged I love you's was when they first slept together. Not once has John ever slept before saying it. It was their tradition. And it shall be, for as rest as they shall live...