Feels Like Home

"Thanks Claudia, really." Adrienne said as she pulled the white painter coverings off the floor and furniture. "I really appreciate it." She and Claudia had been re-painting and furnishing Billie Joe's house for the past month together and it was slowly becoming more like an actual house than a warehouse.

"Oh don't mention it." Claudia insisted as she dusted the fire mantle. "I hated coming over here with Tre' because it would drive me insane how ugly and sloppy Billie's house was. I mean, he has more money than anyone but he never called anyone to do his house or even had the initiative to do it himself. I mean, you saw the game room. The top half of one wall was painted and it had dripped down all the way to the bottom. I hated it."

She and Adrienne both plopped on the couch and took in their hard work. The living room was completely done. The furniture was clean and matching, the walls were neatly painted and the decorations were chic and comfortable. And above all, it was clean.

"I know what you mean. The first time I stepped in here I was like 'Ugh?' But it looks so much better now." Adrienne leaned her head back and sighed. "Now this room, Syd's room, Joey's
room and our room are done. Just the kitchen, game room, guest room, and the bathrooms. I hate doing bathrooms."

"We'll get someone to do those for you." Claudia patted Adrienne's knee. "Drink?"

"Just water."

"I'm dying for a beer and by the way, you're out." Claudia said as she came back in and handed Adrienne a cold bottle of water. "So, how are you and Billie?"

"Fine. We would be better if he was home. And you're the one who drank them all. I didn't drink any of them." Adrienne took a long swig of the cold beverage.

"Yeah, that's where Tre' and I messed up." Claudia admitted, dropping the beer conversation. "He was so absorbed in making American Idiot that he almost forgot about his family." She looked at her friend. "Keep Billie Joe grounded. Lay down the law. You're the wife, that's your privilege. Cheers."

She and Adrienne clicked bottles as the front door opened and closed.
"Whoa, this is serious." Billie Joe's voice was heard from the kitchen. "Adie, you here?"

"In here " Adrienne didn't get up off the couch to go greet him, she was too tired.

Billie Joe came into the living room, his mouth open in awe. "This is fucking awesome " He shut his mouth quickly realizing what he said and who could have been listening. "Where's Sydney?"

"Upstairs asleep." Adrienne groaned as she got off the couch and kissed him in greeting. "So you like it?"

"Yeah." Billie Joe dropped his bags on the floor and sank down into a new chair. "This is nice. You did good. Wait, where's my chair?"

"What chair?" Adrienne asked innocently as she and Claudia exchanged a look.

"My black leather recliner chair. Where is it?" Billie Joe's lips twisted in dissatisfaction.

"Well, it didn't go with anything,"

"So. It was my chair. I sat in it right there." He pointed to where the new couch was. "And watched TV. I want it back, where is it?"

"Baby." Adrienne turned on her wifely charms and sat down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. She stroked his hair with her fingers as she spoke sweetly to him. "I wanted to throw it away but I didn't. I knew you loved it. So, I put it in the garage. You can watch TV in your... lovely chair out there."

"It's going back in here." Billie Joe insisted stubbornly.
"Uh, no." Adrienne answered quickly.

"Yes it is." Billie Joe growled as he pulled her into his lap and bit her ear amid her giggling.

"As sweet as this is, I gotta go get Frankito and Joey from school. I'll be back." Claudia quickly got up and left Adrienne and Billie Joe to themselves.

"So Syd's asleep?" Billie Joe purred into Adrienne's ear.

"Yeah, but.." She didn't finish her statement right away as Billie Joe's hands wandered over the lower portion of her body and his lips began to pepper along her neck.

"I missed you." He whispered.

"I missed you too." Adrienne breathed as Billie Joe pulled her sweat pants a bit. "But..."

"Shhh." Billie Joe kissed her lips and moved her panties aside.

Adrienne gasped as his fingers entered her. She moved her hips up as she held onto the chair arms and Billie Joe's free hand moved underneath her tank top. "I love you." Her voice was airy as she turned her head and kissed his neck.

"Mommy "

"But Sydney's fixing to wake up and my mom's up there asleep too." Adrienne finally finished her sentence. They could hear Sydney moving about upstairs and Billie Joe quickly let go of
Adrienne. "Go in the kitchen." She got up and let him exit into the kitchen quickly to calm down before Sydney saw him.

Sydney came bounding down the stairs just as Billie Joe was out of sight. "Mommy." Sydney said again as she ran up and hugged her mother. "I don't feel so good."
"You don't? Let me see if you have a fever." Adrienne bent down and checked Sydney's temperature with her hand. "You're a little warm but not too much. Do you hurt anywhere?"

"My tummy." Sydney rubbed her stomach and looked at Adrienne pathetically.

"Oh. I'll give you some yucky medicine to help it." She kissed Sydney's forehead.

"Mommy, who's bags are those?" Sydney pointed to Billie Joe's bags piled in the middle of the room.

"Can you guess whose?"

"Daddy's? " Sydney quickly ran past the bags, hurting stomach forgotten, and raced into the kitchen where she hoped she would see Billie Joe. "Daddy "

"Hey Sassafras " Billie Joe scooped her up and kissed her. "I missed my little girl."

"I missed you too " Sydney kissed Billie Joe over and over on the cheek.

"What's this I heard of you not feeling good?" They all sat down at the new kitchen table. It still had the price tag dangling from one of the legs.

"My tummy hurts and I feel yucky." Sydney laid her head on his shoulder.

Billie Joe looked at Adrienne over Sydney's head. "Aww, too bad. Nana wanted you to come have dinner with her tonight." Billie Joe said in referral to his mother who preferred to be called 'Nana.'

"I don't feel that bad." Sydney said quickly, drawing a smile from her parents.

"I'm sure you don't."

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

Billie Joe took Adrienne's hand and placed it on his thigh as he drove through the dark streets of Oakland back to their house. They were on their way back from dinner at Billie Joe's mother's house. Gloria was in the backseat between Joey and Sydney, who were both leaning on her asleep.

Billie Joe stroked his thumb back and forth over her knuckles and looked over at her in the dim light of the car and street lamps.

Adrienne returned the grin, she knew the game he was playing. He was trying to get her warmed up for when they got back to the house and it was working rather well.

Adrienne moved her hand so her palm was against his leg and squeezed lightly, causing his leg to tense up a bit and his grin to get a little bit wider, even though he fought against it.

To counter the move, Billie Joe turned her hand so it was palm up and slowly traced his fingers along her palm, swirling little designs on it, drawing a small giggle from Adrienne.

Gloria reminded them of her presence and cleared her throat. Billie Joe could see her glaring eyes in the rearview mirror.

Putting his eyes back on the road, Billie Joe curled his fingers with Adrienne's and left their hands sitting on his leg together as they turned on their street.

"What's going on?" He wondered aloud as he saw flashing lights of police cars further up.

Adrienne shrugged as she leaned forward in her seat a little bit. "Billie, does it look like they're in our yard?"

"Yeah." They turned into the driveway and the flashing lights and milling people were in their driveway and seemed to be waiting on them.

"Stay in here." Adrienne said to her mother as she and Billie Joe got out of the car. "What's going on?" She asked the nearest police officer.

"Are you Adrienne Nesser Armstrong?" The man asked.

"Yes."

"Then you are under arrest for child neglect." He took her arm to arrest her.

"What?" Adrienne was in shock. How could anyone think that?

"Whoa, what's going on?" Billie Joe snatched Adrienne away from the officer, who was about to place the metal cuffs on his wife.

"Your wife is under arrest for the neglect of her children. Now step out of the way sir."

"Not a fucking chance." Billie Joe said as he shielded Adrienne with his body. "What the hell is this about? Adrienne has never neglected Joey or Sydney."

"We received a tip that she had ample amounts of alcohol in the house, within reach of the children and drinks around them. We also received a report that she has abused them while intoxicated."

"No I would never.." Adrienne sobbed as another police officer grabbed her from behind.

"No," Another officer pulled Billie Joe away and held him back as he watched them cuff Adrienne and read her rights to her. Over the car he could see people taking out cases of liquor out of the house, many of the bottles opened and spent.

As they put Adrienne in the car as she cried, Billie Joe felt his world slip out of control with every tear that fell down her cheeks. They had no right to do this to his wife. Those bottles weren't there this afternoon. Adrienne hadn't really drank anything alcoholic since New Years.

Something wasn't right and he was going to find out what.