Feels Like Home

Adrienne was admitted to Central Hills Rehabilitation Center for a drinking problem. She wasn't allowed to see her children and she could only see Billie Joe for one hour a week according to the center's rules. Adrienne had cried the entire time they explained to her why she was there.

They told her that she had a drinking problem and that the Department of Children Welfare found full, half-empty, and empty bottles of hard liquor all over her house. People had come forward and claimed to have witnessed her drinking and abusing her children. They couldn't prosecute Billie Joe because he was not around when the event occurred as he was away touring. The thoughts and accusations made against her made Adrienne's head spin as she knew they weren't true.

Joey and Sydney were taken away from Billie Joe and sent back to Minneapolis to live with their father, David. Billie Joe had told her it was the hardest thing to separate himself from the two children he considered his own and send them to someone they didn't know or love. Gloria went back to Minneapolis with them, she didn't even come to the center to say goodbye to Adrienne.

Billie Joe promised her that they would get them back and he would fix this. He had a lawyer and a private investigator working on the case to crack it. He was just as confused as she was, and just as, if not more, furious.

Adrienne sat in the waiting room in the paper-like gown she had to wear and an itchy blue robe over it that the rehab center had given her. She was waiting for Billie Joe to come and visit her, even if it was for only a short hour. She hoped he would remember to bring her a robe. Her fluffy terry cloth one the kids gave her for mother's day last year or the gold silk one Billie Joe just bought her, it didn't really matter to her at the moment. Just as long as she had something to remind her of her family while she waited in this depressing place.

Adrienne looked around at the other couples who were getting visitors. A stately older man kissed his visiting wife sweetly on the cheek as she sat down and gave him a newspaper with several articles marked, one of the few luxuries they were allowed to receive. Adrienne smiled as the lady fussed over her husband and said soothing words to him.

"Mrs. Armstrong." The nurse caught her attention and stepped aside so Billie Joe could enter the room. He looked a stark contrast in jeans, a black stud belt, and a black band shirt against the cool white, gray, and blue walls and interior of the waiting room. Billie Joe had more artwork on his arms than the walls had. He smirked and shrugged as the nurse gave a disapproving glance over.

Billie Joe stepped quickly to her and kissed her firmly on her lips. "Brought you something." He held our her terry cloth robe from behind his back. "I thought about your other one, but I know you get cold easily so I thought you'd want this one more. Plus," He leaned down to her ear so

he could tell her without being overheard. "There's a surprise in the pocket." He shook his head as Adrienne's hand floated to the pocket and nodded towards the nurses who didn't allow gifts of any sort.

Adrienne grinned a weak smile as Billie Joe sat in the hard chair next to her. He wrapped his arms around her. "We have a case. Even though the people said your fingerprints were on the bottles they got from the house, they found another fingerprint and it doesn't match you or me, the kids or your mom. They also found a footprint in the dirt outside. They think it's a guy and they think it's someone close to us. Phone's tapped, e-mail's being watched, we're going to get them one way or the other." He kissed her temple. "How are you."

Adrienne shrugged. "I don't belong in here." She said as she toyed with the sash of her robe as her emotions ran rampant. "I didn't drink those. I haven't drank anything since New Years. I don't know where they came from."

"I just wish we could prove that besides your word." Nurses floated dangerously around them.

"I haven't drank anything because I'm pregnant." She blinked forcefully to keep the tears away. The tears caused her voice to be airy and thin.

Billie Joe's eyes flew to hers, wide with surprise. "What? You're pregnant? Why didn't you tell me?" He took her hands and smiled.

"I wanted to wait and tell you in a better setting. I found out the day before you came home but I had been suspecting it for awhile." Adrienne shrugged and gave a small laugh at the wide expression Billie Joe wore on his face.

"You're serious. You're pregnant. With my kid. Oh shit, I'm gonna be a dad. Well, I'm all ready one, but, you and me, and....ohhhh fuck." He sat back in his chair and held onto his hair, his mouth still open and eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah Billie Joe. I'm serious and that's what it means. Lamaze, labor, cravings all that fun stuff." Adrienne rubbed her still normal stomach. "In about seven or eight months, you're going to meet your son or daughter."

Billie Joe stared at her stomach in wonder. "Wow. Wait." His grin melted away and left a confused expression. He pointed to her stomach before he looked up. "How long have you figured?"

Adrienne was confused by his odd behavior. "Around New Years. I figured that swallow of champagne wouldn't hurt me if I was only a month or so along. Why?" She was beginning to catch on.

"Because, this may be the break we need. Adie, we can get you out of here if you are pregnant. I'll talk with the head nurse person and set you up an appointment with a doctor and if you are, they'll have to believe us. Ooh, they have that test to make sure the baby's healthy and all and that it doesn't have, uh, what was it?" He waved his hands in frustration. "Fetal Alcohol Syndrom or whatever it is. He won't have it so it will prove everything." He kissed her. "I'm going to get you out of here before the day's over."

"I hope so." Adrienne leaned her forehead against his. "Nice artwork."

Billie Joe grinned wider and stretched out his arms for Adrienne to see in full the new additions to his collection of tattoos. "I got your name in script on my right arm," He pointed to her name.
"And Joey's in Old English." He pointed to the 'Joseph' on his arm below Adrienne's. "And on my other arm, I got Syd's name in this girly type she'd like and a little fairy, cause she's my little fairy." He pointed to her name proudly. "I guess I'll get another one in a couple of months." He nudged her with his body.

"Now you're stuck with us." Adrienne remarked as she fingered her name on his arm.

"Yeah, I guess." Billie Joe grinned and kissed her temple again.

"I want to get your name when I get out of here. On my arm between my other one." Adrienne touched her upper-arm to show where.

"Excuse me sir, but your time is up." A nurse rudely said as she stood before the couple to escort Billie Joe out of the room.

"Okay." Billie Joe looked back at his wife and kissed her more softly. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine and before you know it, we're all going to be home. Home Adie. I haven't had that since I was a kid but you gave it back and I'm not letting it go again." He leaned to her ear as the nurse tapped her foot impatiently. "Don't forget about your surprise. I love you."

As the nurse led Billie Joe out, Adrienne was escorted back to her private room. Once her door was shut firmly and the nurse had walked away, Adrienne took out the items from the pocket of her robe.

A coloring book page of Barbie playing at the beach, obviously colored by Sydney, and her tube of lipstick came out first. Adrienne grinned as Billie Joe remembered how she commented that she felt naked without her lipstick.

Adrienne pulled out the last item. It was a plastic soccer ball key chain with something dangling from the key ring.

It was a ring.

A ring with a black pearl surrounded by diamonds. Her mouth agape in surprise, Adrienne took the ring off the chain and slipped the it onto her left ring finger where her wedding band was. The ring fit perfectly with the other. It clashed a little bit with her turquoise ring, but it had an odd beauty that fitted Adrienne perfectly.

She held her hands up to her chest and looked out the iron barred window where the sun was trying to shine through thick rain clouds.

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

"So now what?" Claudia asked Billie Joe anxiously as they all sat around Mike's kitchen table that evening. Billie Joe had told them what had happened and what Adrienne had told him.

"We wait." Billie Joe muttered around his hand. "That's all we've been doing, fucking waiting."He leaned his arms and head on the table.
"I feel so guilty." Claudia confessed as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

"Why?" Tre' looked at his ex-wife.

"I don't know. I always drank around Adrienne. She never drank but I always did. I don't know, I just feel bad. I know it doesn't make sense but I do." She bit her thumb nail and turned away from the guys.

"Don't." Tre' wrapped his arm around her shoulders in all seriousness as she shuddered with suppressed tears.. "It's not your fault. Right Billie?"

"Right." Billie Joe's voice was muffled from laying on his arm and table. "You didn't do anything Claud. Don't think about it. Just think of a good baby gift and we'll all forget about it."

Claudia threw a napkin at his head and received a half-hearted "Ow" in response as it bounced off his hair.

"You look like shit." Mike piped up. He had been rather quiet throughout the night so his outburst caught everyone's attention.

"Shit. I can't please you can I?" Tre' whined as he pretended to get upset and cry.

"Not you assfuck, Billie Joe." He threw the discarded napkin Claudia threw at Tre', who caught it effortlessly. "Why don't you just go to bed and get some rest?"

Billie Joe had been staying at Mike's house since the arresting incident because he claimed he couldn't stand being in the house that Adrienne had put so much time in and the kids cried to go to.

Billie Joe picked his head up and glared at his friend. "I can't go to sleep. I can't rest. I can't do anything while Adrienne is in a fucking rehab center for something she doesn't have. I mean, I need to be in there more than she does. Shut up." He glared at Mike.

"I wasn't going to say anything." Mike murmured.

"And with Joey and Sydney in Minneapolis with David," He spat the name out, "Miserable and alone. I can't take it. I can't." He put his hands over his face. "I want to fucking die. Wait, no. I want David to fucking die because he is probably behind this."

"There's no way you can get Adie out tonight?" Claudia asked carefully.

"No," Billie Joe sighed. He was calm after his outburst and the bags under his eyes seemed more dark and defined. He seemed to have aged past his full thirty-plus years in the past few days. "They won't let her out until they get an official doctor's answer and she can't get an appointment until next week."

"And the fingerprint?" Tre' added.

"They're still trying to find out." Billie Joe rubbed his eyes. "I just don't get it. I really, really don't."