Charlotte's Web

Chapter 10

February had finally rolled around in the Armstrong house. Adrienne was on a much stricter bed rest regime. She could barely leave their bedroom anymore. The baby was growing and healthy but the strain was really taking a toll on Adrienne. Too high blood pressure, stress, and anxiety were only a few of her symptoms.

Joey and Jakob spent most of their days at the soccer fields, chauffeured by Billie Joe, Charlotte, or one of the parent carpools. They missed their mom in the stands. She had always been one of their teams' biggest supporters and the games just weren't the same without her there.

Charlotte and Brice had become much more serious after Christmas but by the beginning of February, Brice became too overprotective and obsessive and Charlotte broke up with him. Brice even hit Charlotte one time when she told him she was going to go to an underground punk concert instead of going to the basketball game with him. Brice never liked Charlotte going out to the punk scene; he never understood it.

Soon after they broke up, Charlotte began to hang out more with one of the drummers of one of Billie Joe and Adrienne's record label Adeline's bands. He called himself 'Spike.' She and Spike had met at a small, local concert several months before. They weren't officially dating, but were very good friends with occasional benefits.

Billie Joe was much more supportive of Charlotte's relationship with Spike than he had been with Brice. He claimed it was because punks made the best boyfriends. Adrienne rolled her eyes behind his back but didn't protest. Billie Joe was also tired of Brice making himself comfortable in Billie Joe's favorite chair and eating all his food. Billie Joe also supported Spike and Charlotte because he knew Spike personally and since he was signed under Billie Joe, Billie Joe could keep tabs on him.

Billie Joe started to head back into the studio with Mike and Tré just after the New Year. They went in light rotations because Billie Joe was still playing Mr. Mom and needed to be home. They were mainly brainstorming and goofing off whenever they went into the studio.

The police occasionally stopped by to make sure everything was secure at the house. The notes and threats sprang up here and there but the police were never able to pinpoint a suspect. Adrienne and Charlotte kept their mouths shut. They hoped that if they kept quiet, it would all go away. There hadn't been any odd activity in awhile and the family was hoping any possible danger had passed.

One Saturday morning, very early, Billie Joe leaned down and kissed Adrienne softly on the cheek and stomach as she slept. Thunder rumbled outside and Adrienne stirred ever so slightly. He pulled the sheet up a bit higher on her body; he knew she got cold easily.

Billie Joe picked up his jacket and shoes and crept out the door. He checked on his sons to find them still sleeping peacefully before he headed downstairs. There was a small light on in the kitchen and he knew who was in there.

"Please tell me you made some coffee." He said as he crossed to the coffee pot to find that was half empty with the dark liquid.

"Where you going so early?" Charlotte asked as she blew on her brew in her cup. She and Spike were sitting at the kitchen table with her feet propped on Spike's lap.

"We have a showcase for some of the Adeline bands today. I need to go help set up and shit." Billie Joe took a vacant chair and started to put his shoes on. "Hey Spike. How'd the show go last night?"

Spike gave a small smile as he ran his hand through his purple hair. "Wild man. It was wild. Beer, boobs... . it was awesome."

Billie Joe smeared a cocky grin on his face and nodded. He understood exactly where Spike was coming from. "Did you guys just get in?"

"No." Charlotte answered as thunder threatened to drown her voice out. "We got in about an hour earlier. Shit." The thunder grew louder and the kitchen light flickered.

"Is the show going to get rained out?" Spike asked as he got up to refill his coffee.

"No, the lightning will do that." Billie Joe said simply. "But that's the risk you take with outdoor shows. Plus, I kinda hope it does. For some reason, I just feel I need to be here."

"Billie Joe, we'll be fine." Charlotte insisted as Billie Joe put his mug in the dishwasher and picked up his keys.

"I know. Remember, Jakob and Joey have a soccer meeting today. Joey's is at two and Jakob's is at four thirty. You'll have to hang around for a bit but I'm sure you will find a way to entertain yourself." Billie Joe gave a pointed stare at Spike as Charlotte gave him a smug grin. "Okay, see you later."

After Billie Joe drove out of the driveway, Spike began to gently trace his fingers over Charlotte's ankles. "What time to Joey and Jakob normally get up?"

Charlotte giggled slightly at the sensual touches. "Uh, around nine. Why?"

Spike simply shrugged his shoulders and gave her a look with a wicked grin. Charlotte returned the grin and led him up the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Billie Joe sat at his desk at Adeline Records. The show was rained out and the storm was growing brutal. He was at work to try to sit the storm out before he had to drive home. He was playing a losing game of solitaire on the computer as the thunder rattled the windowpanes.

"Hey Billie Joe. What're you doing?"

Billie Joe looked up to see Chris, one of Spike's band mates. "Hey. Waiting out the storm. I guess you are too."

Chris looked down at his wet clothes and nodded. "I was in the neighborhood and the bottom dropped out. I just wanted to wait it out before I went back out."

"I hear you." Billie Joe responded as Chris sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

Chris flicked the wet hair out of his eyes. "Did you hear about last night?"

"I heard it was a good show." Billie Joe said absently as lightening streaked across the window. He really wanted to get home.

"Yeah, yeah, the show was good." Chris agreed but his point was elsewhere. "But I was talking about Spike and Charlotte."

Billie Joe looked away from the bouncing cards of the game he just won to face Chris. "What about them?"

"Man," Chris continued, not realizing how dangerous his words were going to be. "They were all over each other. Then her ex-boyfriend guy came by with some buddies,"

"Brice?"

"Yeah." Chris nodded his head. "He tried to start some shit and got the shit beat out of him. One of his friends got away and he had a camera taking pictures of Charlotte and everything. I think he is really sick in the head."

Billie Joe leaned back in his chair and took the words in. Why would take pictures of Charlotte making out with Spike besides a sick fetish? The past few months had made Billie Joe especially paranoid and for some reason, the nagging feeling he had had all day, had turned into gut wrenching. Without a second thought, Billie Joe pulled on his jacket and left the building. He had to get home now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By time Billie Joe arrived at his home, their yard that Adrienne worked so hard in, was swarming with camera crews, policemen, and medical teams. His heart began to race and his panic rose. What could have possibly happened?

The news crews were trying to get his attention but he brushed past them in a daze. He didn't even realize that the rain was still pouring down on top of him in a cold shower. He heard an ambulance speed away and tried to find someone who could tell him what had happened.

"Is this your house?" A blonde, female officer asked.

Too shocked to speak, Billie Joe simply nodded.

"Come with me." The officer pulled him away to the garage, where it was eerily quiet. Billie Joe noticed Charlotte's car parked in there. Were the kids here when this happened? Where was Adrienne?

"What happened?" He finally asked. He was shocked to hear how distant his voice sounded and how croaky it felt to his ears.

"Sir, someone broke into your house and attacked your wife."

Billie Joe's knees went weak and he braced himself with the car. "What? How... . Is Adrienne okay? Were the kids here?"

"The children were not here. They arrived after the intruder left the premises. They were the ones who for called the police and ambulance. I am not aware of your wife's medical stats but I do know they rushed her to Oakland General. The children are there as well. We can take you there now if you want."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The ride to Oakland General was a tedious one. Billie Joe could not remember a time in his life when he felt so helpless. The pain of his father's death did not even cast a shadow on the anguish he was feeling at the possibility of losing Adrienne.

His mind shifted to the baby. They had just settled on a name, McKenna Kaylie. Fear gripped at his heart tighter at the thought of loosing the daughter he all ready loved so much, but had yet to see.

When they arrived at the hospital, Billie Joe rushed into the sterilized environment and demanded to see his wife. They informed him that she had been rushed into labor. The doctor was with her now and he was unable to go into the room.

They directed him to the waiting room where he saw his three children waiting for him.

"Daddy!" Jakob screeched as he rushed over to his father. Billie Joe stooped down and picked him up and held him. Billie Joe stepped over to where Joey and Charlotte were sitting anxiously in the hard, plastic waiting chairs.

Joey gave his dad a hug, glad to know that he was okay. None of them had known where Billie Joe was and the bad storm prevented any cell phone signals.

Billie Joe kissed the top of each boy's head; they were safe.

He looked over at Charlotte, who was as white as a sheet. She had been trying to hold back tears to appear strong for the boys and it caused her eyes to be rimmed red, shiny and sunken in.

"How about I take the boys and we go get everyone something to drink."

Billie Joe looked up to find his mom standing in front of him and another police officer sitting in one of the chair further away. He hadn't noticed she was here. Still holding the boys, he asked, "When'd you get here?"

His mom, Ollie, sighed. "Charlotte called the house. They were all so scared and couldn't get up with you."

Billie Joe nodded, silently angry with his stupid cell phone and the storm. "Okay guys, why don't you go with Grandma. We'll be right here." The boys let go of him and followed their grandma out of the waiting room. Billie Joe turned to look at Charlotte and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. "What happened?"

Charlotte remained in a trance with the floor and her voice was hollow. "I don't know. All I know is that when we got back from the soccer meetings, the front door was wide open. I told Joey and Jakob to stay in the car, get down, and lock the doors. It felt just like with mom and I didn't want... " She broke off with a sob. "I called for Adrienne and there wasn't any answer. The entire house was trashed and when I got to the kitchen, I took that big butcher knife you have and I carried it with me." She raised her arm as if she were carrying a knife. "I went up the stairs calling for Adrienne. When I got to the top, I heard her. She sounded like she was crying. I went to your bedroom and she was on the floor and... there was blood everywhere Billie Joe... and Adrienne was lying there on the floor crying and hurt. I called the police and the ambulance but the guy wasn't in the house." She broke off her words and began to cry.

Billie Joe, who had remained quiet throughout her story, held her but he himself was in a state of shock. He didn't understand why someone would do that to his Adie, or Julia, or try to do it to Charlotte. They sat there, rocking back and forth, until Ollie and the boys came back.

"Is Mom going to be okay?" Joey asked softly to his father.

Billie Joe looked at his son. Joey was ten years old and a reflection of him but there were such soft, subtle features of Adrienne mixed in his features. He didn't know how to answer his question because the fear of the truth loomed above them all. "I hope so." Was all he could manage.

A few minutes later, a doctor dressed in blue scrubs with darker flecks of something came into the waiting room. "Mr. Armstrong?"

Billie Joe quickly got up and followed the doctor away from the waiting room.

"Mr. Armstrong, I am Dr. Howard."

"How's Adrienne and the baby?"

"Your wife is going to be fine. She fractured a couple of ribs and has some bumps and cuts, but she is going to be fine. We had to issue an emergency cesarean once she got here because she and the fetus were in distress and it triggered premature labor." The doctor placed a hand on Billie Joe's shoulder. "You have a baby girl."

Billie Joe gave a shot of a laugh and a sigh of relief. "So she's, both of them, are okay."

"Not quite."

Billie Joe's small moment of joy was deflated instantly. "What?"

"You daughter is four weeks premature. That's not as bad as it could have been, but we will place her in the NICU just to be safe and make sure she can breathe on her own because she has been having some breathing problems. She also has a cleft lip but it can be corrected with a simple surgery and it is not that uncommon. If you want, you may go see your wife now."

He led Billie Joe to a room where Adrienne laid on a bed, her eyes closed. Billie Joe quietly crossed over to where she laid and kissed her on the lips. Adrienne's eyes fluttered open and she gave him a weak smile. "We have a girl."

"I know." Billie Joe said as he kissed her again. "I haven't seen her yet. Have you?"

Adrienne nodded. "She's so pretty and so tiny." She laughed a little bit and brought her husband down for another kiss. She had her thoughts that she would never get to touch or see him again.

A curt knock at the door interrupted them. The police officer from the waiting room stood there. "Mrs. Armstrong, I need to ask you some questions."