Status: Being re-written. Check chapter summaries to see which chapters have been done.

Why?

Stolen

Billie Joe Armstrong sat in a New York studio, anger pulsing through his veins as he studied his band mates.

They had all been torn away from their families and separate lives for an emergency meeting, calling them to an unfamiliar state on the wrong side of their home continent.

The guitar in his hands felt strange, but somehow right and Billie knew he had missed playing everyday, and although he would never admit it, he had missed doing it with his friends.
He continued to strum meaningless chords as he looked into the faces of old friends, wishing they could have met in better circumstances, and better relations.

He couldn't help but smile a little as he watched Tre and Mike fidget with holes in denim and chew nails, it was somewhat of a comfort to learn that somethings, such as nervous habits, will always stay the same no matter how many years pass them by.

"So..." Sighed Tre, breaking the awkward silence first.

"It's really gone." Billie added, nodding solemnly.

"I can't believe this..." Tre continued in his little bubble of depression.

"What's the next step?"

"Mike?" said Tre turning round to look at the tired bassist.

"I...I just dunno any more to tell the truth, it seems everything is against us these days." Mike frowned as he rubbed his temples with his rough hands.

"I hate to say this but... do you even wanna do this anymore?" Billie said in a soft, regretful voice.

"We can't give up. We've taken beatings worse than this before."

"Good ol' Tre.Defiant 'till the end" Billie thought.

"Well then it's settled. We just fuck the world and make something completely different."

"Agreed. And if we ever find out who took the album..."

"We kill them."

"Deal."

"So... Tre you tune the shit, I'll ring our people and Mikey, go get the coffee would yuh?" Billie felt right, he loved being in charge, it was just like the old days.

"Yes sir." Tre smiled before moving out to the instruments.

Mike simply nodded, his eyes lighting up at the mention of the steamy hot liquid before striding out of the studio door.

It almost felt like the old days, admittedly they had more divorces, kids and money then back then but they hadn't gotten on so well for years, last time they had met up like this it had ended up in a screaming match and unforgivable words that they will never bring up again.

"At least I see my kids when I go home!"

"Shut the Fuck up Armstrong!"


The routine carried on as usual, it was something you never forgot, like riding a bike.

Billie jumped as his pocket began vibrating.

"Uh hello?"

"Hey Bill, I forgot to ask... what do you want?"

"Oh. Just get me a cappuccino, nothing fancy."

"Tre will get the...

Billie jumped as a huge screeching noise filled the phone.

"Mike?"

Tre came running into the soundproof room that Billie was standing in, a terrified look across his features.

"What the fuck was that?"

"What?"

"You didn't hear the..."

"Soundproof room?"

"Explosion!"

"Shit."

Billie moved rapidly to the T.V and felt tears fill his eyes as he stared at the carnage that flashed on the screen.

"Breaking news, an explosion has just occurred in New York City, the suspected terrorist attack took place only moments ago. We highly recommend you stay inside due to danger of further attacks, please stay calm, the emergency services are in action! Stay tuned for updates as they happen."

Billie turned around and looked at Tre, fear and dread swimming around in his tearful eyes.

"Shit... Mike," whispered Tre, still in shock.

Tre only just manage to grab the hysterical Billie as he made for the door.

"What are you doing? Get off!" Billie growled

"Billie it's dangerous, you can't go out there!"

"B..but Mike!"

"Is probably fine, he can take care of himself. He wouldn't want you to risk your life for..."

Tre's voice was drowned out as the building shook viciously as another explosion happened, this one much closer to home.

Silence fell over the two men as screams of pain and agony filled the streets, closely followed by wailing sirens.

Billie was in shock, "Okay I'll stay," he mumbled.

The shaken guitarist was handed a glimmer of hope as the mobile he had abounded on the floor began to vibrate across the hard floor.

However this hope was soon crushed by the caller I.D that flashed across the screen.

"Adie."

"Hey"

"Oh thank fuck... Bill I was so damn worried, the news! It's all over the news I'd thought you'd... I thought you were..."

"I'm fine."

"The first one, it went off near your studio, the Starbucks right around the corner? And then the second was right by you and I thought that if you had survived the first then..."

"Bill?" Adie stopped as she heard sobs coming from her husband, her relief rapidly turned to worry again at the distress he husband was obviously in.

"Starbucks," whispered Billie, making Tre's head snap up in panic.

"Billie? What's wrong? Are Mike and Tre..."

"Tre's here."

"What about Mike?"

"H...he went to Starbucks."

There was silence from Adie, then she said in a small voice,

"Oh My God."

Tre had caught onto the problem and he shook as silent tears ran down his face.

"I..I'm going to sort Joe and Jake out... they're shook up, we all are Hun... I'm so sorry. Please keep in touch, don't do anything stupid."

"I'll have my phone on me, and I have Tre... he seems sensible enough." The joke went unlaughed at as they said their goodbyes.

Billie turned around and looked at Tre, the tear tracks had appeared on both men's faces as the salty liquid escaped from dread filled eyes

"Why?" asked Billie

"I don't know... I really don't" sighed Tre.

"Why did that monster steal those demos? Why did we come today? Why did I sent Mike to get the coffee?"

Tre tried to put on a brave face and comfort Billie but they ended up crying together, the sounds of screams and panic drowned out by the sobs.

"Mike doesn't deserve this."

Tre agreed silently, knowing that Billie needed to talk.

"Remember when me and Mike had a giant argument, and I went out and got drunk, but he still helped me back home, making sure I was safe?" asked Billie.

"Yeah," smiled Tre.

"Mike gets loads of shit he doesn't deserve though," Billie muttered, darkly.

"First his mother is a fucking addict, then he gets adopted, his adoptive parents split up, then he hates his step father. His mother moves away, when he actually gets close to his step father, he passes away, he always got the shit kicked into him at school cause he stuck up for me...Then when him and Ana split up he was a mess, and now this," Billie listed sadly.

"He always put on a brave face though... never showing... at least I never saw him down.

"Before the band started going he was depressed quite a lot." Stated Billie.

"Depressed?" Tre was surprised.

"Yeah, he always tried to hide. He fooled more or less everyone, except I could see it, yuh know? In his eyes it was just... obvious."

"Did you ask him about it?" Tre asked.

"Once or twice, I didn't make a big deal out of it. I usually tried to ignore it, pretend everything was fine. Sometimes he didn't try to hide it though... but then others he would just try to be oblivious to it, act like he didn't care."

I wasn't surprised that Mike was late, it had become common those days so I wasn't even mad when I found myself waiting alone in the park. Then I saw him walking towards me, his messy blond hair was covering his face, baggy jeans and a loose Ramones shirt hanging off his thin frame.

"Hey, what's up?"

"It finally happened," mumbled Mike.

"What did?"

"The divorce," I was worried at how emotionless he was.

"Shit, I'm so sorry Mikey,"

"No worries," he signed.

"So what happened?"

"They were arguing as usual and then Mom said that they should split and Dad agreed so they're going to get the forms now." Mike said, a flicker of sadness entering his piercing blue eyes

"What happened to your arm?" I asked seeing blood on his t shirt.

"I tried to stop him," he sighed.

He didn't have to say anymore. I knew his father sometimes got violent towards his family, Mike's Mom usually took the brunt of it, unless Mike was there - he wouldn't let him hurt her.


The divorce was probably a good thing to be honest, but it really messed him up, fucked with his head for almost a year before he got over it.

"Fuck... I didn't even know."

Their thought's were interrupted by another deafening explosion, so loud it penetrated through the soundproof glass.

"When do you think this madness will stop?" asked Tre.

Billie just shrugged.

"How bad was Mike when his stepfather died?" asked Tre, trying to break the silence.

Billie sighed before starting to tell the pain of the past:

"Mike!"

I kicked a stone angrily, Mike had just found out that his step dad died last night. I wanted to find him to make sure he was okay.

I walked around for hours before finding him at the top of a deserted hill, overlooking Berkley. He was sitting there, his hair all over the place, crying, his eyes were puffy and he was shaking.

"Mike," I whispered.

"Hey B.J," sniffed Mike.

I sat next to him, taking his hand, trying to stop the shaking.

"I know I can't say anything which will make you feel better, but hey I can try," I fake smiled.

Mike didn't smile at all, he just ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," I spoke softly

"For what?"

"When my Dad died you were there for me, you have always been there for me...and now I'm fucking useless..."

"You're really not Bill. You're helping just by being here... shows somebody cares."


Mike was really depressed for about a few months, and then things started to get better, he moved in...and the rest is history.

You came onto the scene and we never talked about it again really, apart from the odd day when he was upset. He cries in his sleep sometimes... but other than that he keeps it all inside, all to himself.

Billie sighed then stood up, ignoring the painful pins and needles in his legs.

"I'm going to look for him."

Tre copied without thinking twice.

"Not without me."
♠ ♠ ♠
That comes to the end of the updated chapters.
Continued reading isn't advised, the plot and standard aren't advised XD
If you want leave a comment and I'll PM you when I get around to fixing up more.
Love Beth
xoxo