Feels Like Home

"Mom? Joey, Syd?" Adrienne opened the door to her home and led Billie Joe inside.

Billie Joe looked slightly nervous as he wasn't sure what Adrienne's kids' reactions would be once they met him and explained their relationship to them. His mouth twitched a grin as he looked around the decor of the house, it looked slightly different but mainly the same as it did years ago. He remembered making love to Adrienne on that couch, that chair, the stairs, under that table,...

"Hey honey," Gloria's greeting fell off of her lips. "Billie Joe." Her lips tightened. "I didn't expect to see you. What brings you by?" Her words were cold and tense.

"Mom." Adrienne gave her mother a warning glance. "I brought Billie Joe here to meet the kids."

"So you're..."

"Yes."

"Lord help you." Gloria said, not bothering to lower her voice. She gave Billie Joe a look before she went into her bedroom. "The kids are in the backyard." She called over her shoulder.
"Maybe this isn't a good idea." Billie Joe mumbled as the door slammed to Gloria's room.

"Of course it is." Adrienne insisted. "Mom is just protective, you know that. Plus, if we're going to be in this relationship, you need to come back into my life and understand it." She took his hand and kissed it. "Just don't break your promise again."

"I won't." Billie Joe promised as he gave her a little grin. He raised his eyes towards the door when he heard childish laughter wafting through the screen. The laughter made his heart skip a nervous beat and his palms began to sweat. He was about to meet Adrienne's children and knew from experience that not all kids appreciate their mother bringing in another man.

Adrienne, still holding onto his hand, led him out to the backyard. "Hey guys "

"Mom," A little boy, Joey, Billie Joe assumed, yelled and rushed over. Joey flashed over and hugged his mother's legs, not noticing the person behind her. "It's about time you got home."

Billie Joe gave a silent laugh at the boy's antics.

Adrienne ruffled his hair. "I know and I'm sorry sweetie. I had things to do. Come here, I want you to meet a special friend of mine. This is Billie Joe Armstrong. Billie Joe, this is my son Joey."

"Hi." Joey said, almost shyly from around his mother's legs. "You're that crazy guy."

Billie Joe laughed aloud at his comment. "Yeah, you could say that. I've heard a lot about you Joey. Like that you like soccer, which is pretty cool because I like soccer too." He squatted down to Joey's level.

"Really?" Joey's eyes lit up and he let go of Adrienne's legs. "Can you play with me? I have a game next week, can you come?" He started to jump a bit in excitement at the thought of some male companionship who also enjoys his favorite sport.

"Sydney, come here sweetie." Adrienne said as she also squatted down to get her youngest to come over. "I want you to meet someone."

Sydney was hiding behind one of the lawn chairs, her little face visible through the cracks. Adrienne could barely see her shake her head in protest. "Honey, come here."

Sydney's grip tightened on the chair as her head shook more violently, her dark ponytail wagging behind her head.

Adrienne got up and walked to her three year old. Sydney gave a shriek and buried her face in Adrienne's legs, her grip transferred from the chair to Adrienne's legs. She whimpered into her mother's knees as she continued to shake her head. "It's okay baby, it's okay." Adrienne picked her up and held the emotional toddler to her chest.

"Did I..." Billie Joe stood up and showed his nervous distress at the possibility of him upsetting the little girl.

"No, no." Adrienne assured him. "She's just terribly shy. It's not you." Adrienne walked closer to Billie Joe, who still had Joey talking to him joyfully around his legs. "Sydney, this is my friend Billie Joe. He wants to say hey to you."

Sydney's head remained firmly encased in Adrienne's shoulder.

"Hey Sydney." Billie Joe gently touched her back. He looked at Adrienne who nodded in encouragement. "Uh," Even with experience of several nieces, he was drawing a blank on what to say. He noticed the Dora the Explorer top she wore. "You like Dora?"

Billie Joe received a small nod from Sydney and Adrienne gave him a wide smile since Sydney was responding.

"I like Dora." Sydney told Billie Joe and looked at him, her large eyes gazing at him with uncertainty.

"Well," Adrienne said as Joey fought for Billie Joe's attention, "I think Dora is on. Why don't we go watch it? You want to do that Syd?" Sydney nodded in response. "Okay," She met Billie Joe's eyes, "Let's all go watch some Dora the Explorer "

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

"You have great kids Adie." Billie Joe said as he and Adrienne cleaned up the kitchen from dinner. Sydney was playing in the next room and Joey was upstairs in his room. Gloria went out to play cards with some friends.

"Yeah, I do." Adrienne pulled Billie Joe by one of his back belt loops and brought him closer to her. She wrapper her arms around his waist and kissed his back. "I'm so glad they took to you. They normally don't take to anyone. Especially Sydney." Adrienne shook her head as she released him and wiped down the counters.

"You know," She continued. "David, my ex-husband, doesn't even come around. Nope. He doesn't even come to visit his own children. Sydney doesn't even really know him. She was only a year old when we divorced and I had moved out before then. Joey knows who he is but that's about it. There's no bond between them."

Billie Joe sat down quietly at the table and listened to Adrienne's story.

"You don't know what it's like to be a mother of two small babies and you have to be both the mother and the father. Joey loves soccer. He's in the soccer program here and he's really good and I wish I had more time to play with him and help him but I don't have the time with work and stuff. Sydney, I worry about her. She refuses to make friends at daycare and every time someone new comes around, well you know, she freaks out." Adrienne pulled herself up on the counter. "Billie Joe, I need to know and I need to know now. Do you want to be apart of this."

Billie Joe rubbed his chin in reaction to the span of time Adrienne had just described to him. It angered him that she had been hurt so many times, her kids as well, and he could have prevented it all with just a phone call. "Adrienne, baby,"

He stood and walked to where he was between her knees. "I wanted to be apart of your life again and now, all I want is to be with you and Joey and Sydney. I love you Adie and I all ready love your kids. Joey, he has so much athletic talent and he actually wants me to be around him and he wants me to help him and,"

He stopped and looked at her lap as he tried to collect his thoughts. "And I have never had someone so young and so trusting look up to me and tell me that I was the best and that he wanted me around. He said that to me after I taught him some of my tricks with the soccer ball."

Adrienne sniffed and wiped her nose, her tears bubbling up.

Billie Joe looked up at her and continued. "I always wanted to be a dad. I wanted to be a dad like my Dad. Sydney, she actually sat in my lap tonight. Did you see that?"

Adrienne nodded, to emotional to speak.

"I still don't think she trusts me entirely, but it's a start." Billie Joe wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb from Adrienne's cheek. "I want her to have a daddy."

He paused and took a deep breath. "And I want that daddy to be me."

Adrienne let out a sob, unable to hold it back after hearing Billie Joe's final words. "Do you mean it Billie Joe? Because if you ever break that promise, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you. I swear it."

Billie Joe chuckled. "You do that. Because if I am ever stupid enough to do that, I deserve it. I meant what I said Adrienne. I know we have to take it slow but I want to be a part of this. I love you Adie baby."

Adrienne hugged him and held on tightly. "I just needed to know."

"I know you did." Billie Joe agreed as his hands rested on the top of her behind.

"One more thing." She let go and wiped her eyes. "How long are you going to be here?"

"Until you tell me to leave or kill me with poison." Billie Joe remarked cheekily.

"No." Adrienne groaned as she leaned over and turned the overhead kitchen light off, leaving only the light over the sink shining dimly. "I mean how long are you here in Minneapolis this time?"

"Uh," Billie Joe rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "Well, the guys and I were heading back to California on Sunday,"

"Sunday " Adrienne shrieked. "But that's tomorrow. Can't you.."

"Listen to me." Billie Joe stated over Adrienne's whines. "We were going back tomorrow because Halloween was Monday and Tre' and Mike wanted to be with their kids and there was a party we thought about going to. But I don't have to go back. I can stay here until Thursday at the latest. I would rather be here."

Adrienne smiled. "I would rather you be here too. But you're sure you want to miss the party?"

Billie Joe shrugged. "It was nothing but some celebrity thing that would have sucked ass and we were invited to go but we don't really want to. Plus, Caylyn was the one begging to go and I said yes to shut her up but now, I don't have to and I don't want to."

"You would rather be here trick or treating and watching cheesy Halloween movies than drinking champagne and rubbing elbows?" Adrienne teased as her hands snaked around his neck.

"Uh huh. Bad costumes and all." Billie Joe leaned in to meet her mouth but Adrienne's head shot up over his to look into the living room to find Sydney asleep on the couch, the television still playing.

"I need to put her to bed." Adrienne sighed as she slid off the counter.

"I should probably go." Billie Joe turned to look for his jacket, which had been discarded hours ago.

"Um," Adrienne bit her lip nervously. "You could help me put Sydney to bed in my mom's room and you could stay the night." Her teeth showed slightly as she pressed lightly on her lower lip. "But you don't have to. I'm sure you would rather go back to your hotel room and all." She added quickly.

Billie Joe stopped looking for his jacket and a half smile flitted on his lips. "No." As he followed her out to where Sydney laid. "I would rather be here with you."