Warning

"Okay, seriously. We have to get out of this before Mom sees it." Anna, Billie Joe's older sister, filled up one last cracker with the dip before Billie Joe took his turn and they shoved it back in the refrigerator, a little less whole than before.

Billie Joe laughed the best he could with a full mouth. "That is the best shit ever." Billie Joe sighed blissfully and leaned up against the cabinet. "You know she made that because I was coming home."

"I know." Anna wiped the corners of her mouth. "Her wittle baby came home." She pinched her younger brother's cheeks before she pulled cups out and began to fill them with ice. "How're things in Minneapolis?"

Adrienne's coy smile and intimate touches came to his mind. "Fine. Wish I were here half the time though."

"And the other half?" His sister gave him an expectant look.

Adrienne flittered in his mind again. Billie Joe shrugged. "I find ways to occupy my
time." He yawned deeply. "Joey woke me up at six this morning. I wanted to kill his little butt and he hasn't let me go back to sleep all day."

"Mine got up a six thirty so I got thirty on you but I've been cooking all day while
you've been eating." Anna pushed him out of the way as their older sister, Holly came in to check on the oven things.

"What can I say, I'm a hungry boy and what do we have in here?" Billie Joe peered into the oven with Holly.

"Rolls, casseroles and a ham. Stop drooling Billie Joe." Holly quickly closed the warm oven and began to fix an array of crackers on a plate.

"I can't help it. I haven't had a real meal since I left here. My life consists of take out and TV dinners, sad as that is." Billie Joe popped a baby carrot into his mouth.

"There's my baby." Ollie, Billie Joe's mother, swept into the room, frazzled from the grandchildren and kissed her youngest on the cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"Oh yeah." Billie Joe watched her take a casserole out of the oven to cool.

"Well, dinner's going to be ready in just a few minutes and I made all your favorites." Ollie gave him an affectionate look that made Anna and Holly roll their eyes behind her back.

"Thank you mom." Billie Joe kissed her cheek.

"Honey, you're so thin." Ollie held him out at arm's length and took in his slim view. "I worry about you."

"I'm fine. I just lost some weight this year and I don't eat a lot because I'm
never in a position to." He popped a cucumber slice into his mouth. "And you're not around to make me eat."

Ollie just looked at him. "Oh, before I forget. Mike's coming over with his little girl since his family doesn't live around here anymore."

"Mike Pritchard? Dirnt's coming here?" Billie Joe's voice held a tone of excitement. At that moment, the doorbell rang and Mike, followed by his small daughter, came in, Mike holding containers of food.

"Hello? Hey Ollie." He kissed her on the cheek and set the containers on the counter. "Merry Christmas...Billie Joe? Holy Hell boy. Where've you been?" Mike and Billie Joe embraced.

"Minneapolis. This can't be Estelle. Last time I saw her she was still a baby." Billie Joe motioned to the five year old clinging to Mike's legs shyly.

"Yep. This is my little hero. She's growing up so fast. Say hey to Billie, Stella." Mike nudged his little girl.

"Hi," Stella said shyly around Mike's legs.

"Billie, will you please entertain the kids." Rachel, his older brother David's wife came into the kitchen with a baby on her hip that was squalling and two kids jumping around her legs.

"Why is it always my job to entertain the kids?"

"Because you are the youngest and therefore are still considered a kid so will you please." She gave him a desperate look. Billie Joe looked at Mike. "Got a bass? I got an acoustic and a whole batch of songs that better entertain them one way or another."

Mike grinned. "You know me. It's in my car. Go with Billie, Stella. I'll be right
back."

* * *

"She's a rebel. She's a saint. She's the salt of the earth and she's dangerous. She's a rebel, vigilante, missing link on the brink of destruction. From Chicago, to Toronto, she's the one that they call ole' wassername. She's a symbol of resistance and she's holding on my heart like a hand grenade."

Billie Joe's voice wafted through the house as the last preparations for dinner were being set. However, his cell phone, that was resting on the kitchen counter, had rang three time in sync and it was now ringing a fourth.

"Answer it. For the love of anything Holy, answer it!" Holly shrieked as Anna answered the phone.

"Hello."

There was a slight pause on the other end before a soft "Where's Billie?" made Anna interrupt the mini concert to give Billie Joe the phone.

"Yeah," he answered as he gently put his guitar against the wall and went in the hall.

"Billie," Adrienne's scared voice met his ears. "I need you. I'm really scared now. I'm with the kids in my car and we're sitting in a parking lot." She told Billie Joe what had happened at the house just a mere hour before.

"That's it." Billie Joe was so furious, his hands were shaking and he was having a hard time holding a steady tone. "You are getting on a plane and you are coming out here. I don't want to hear it Adrienne. Let's see." He pulled up the American Airlines web page. "There is a flight to San Francisco leaving in two hours. Be on that flight. I'll get your tickets just get out here."

Adrienne was silent on the other end.

"Adie? Adie are you there?"

"Yeah."

"Listen, Adie baby," Billie Joe's tone was soft and dear as he pressed the phone to his face. "I love you and I don't want anything else to happen to you or the kids. Please, get on that flight, I'm begging you."

"Okay."