Always There

Maria's heart skipped a beat as Billie Joe's tongue slipped past her lips to graze against hers, deepening their kiss into a panty, breathless battle of affection. Everything seemed to completely dissolve from their minds during this moment between them. The world had seemed to stop and there was nothing except them. And it was more than just a heady feeling or experience. It was as if a someone had pour kerosene onto a fire that had dwindled over time, though it was still burning, and it flared up in a roar of flames.

However, the moment came to an abrupt close at the sound of Bob's footsteps returning back down the hall, with his voice filtering in before he did; commenting on the bathroom's lovely decor.

Like the snapping of fingers, Maria and Billie Joe broke apart in a rush and turned away to straighten up themselves and wipe their mouths of any kiss residue, while biting their lips in a sort of 'what the fuck just happened?' sort of way.

Bob stepped into the room, cluelessly giving the duo a onceover and a nod as he smiled. "D'you decorate that bathroom, yourself, ma'am?" he asked Maria.

She nodded in response, still trying to regian her composure. She stole a sideways glance at Billie Joe who looked at her sheepishly, utterly amazed. It'd been a long, long time since she'd felt that kind of fire.

"Real nice bathroom," Bob reiterated. "It's so nice I think I could live in it," he added with a laugh; his thick Brooklyn accent seeping from his mouth like nauseating car exhaust from a tailpipe.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," Maria replied, plastering a small smile on her face.

Billie Joe took a deep breath and nodded to Bob. "Hey, man. Don't mean to be an ass or anything 'cause I know Maria just invited you in and all for coffee, but you think you could wait out in the car after all? She's still a little out of sorts."

Bob nodded understandingly. "Sure, Mr. Armstrong. No problem."

The driver excused himself from the kitchen and moments later the sound of the front door clicking shut wafted into the room, giving Maria and Billie Joe an excuse to finally look at each other without feeling like they were being watched by accusing eyes, even though Bob had no idea about what had occured.

"Where'd you hire that guy from? Sopranos-R-Us? He sounds like one of Tony Soprano's goons," Maria finally spoke, trying to avert the conversation away from the aftermath of their kiss.

"Something like that," he replied lamely. He lifted his hand to touch her shoulder, but stopped halfway. "I-I'm sorry about...that. I dunno what got into me..." he tried apologizing.

"No, it's okay...you don't have to apologize. We just...you know...it was..."

"Yeah..."

The sound of the front door slamming shut and heavy footsteps trodding through the front hall caused Olivia to jump as she accidently bumped into the door that connected the kitchen to the dining room. Maria and Billie Joe turned to find her standing there, both wondering how much she'd seen as Mitch stalked into the kitchen, throwing his brief case onto the table and draping his jacket over his arm.

"Who the fuck is that parked in the driveway?" Mitch questioned right off the bat, before he noticed Olivia cowering in the corner of the kitchen. "That little shit's alright and I came all the way home for nothing?" Mitch demanded angrily, pointing to Olivia's retreating figure. "Uh-uh. I don't think so, missy. Get your ass back in here."

"Mitch--" Maria began in protest.

"I don't wanna hear it, Temp. You're too damn laid back as it is with the girl. What she needs is a good ol' fashioned crack on her ass. She got you all worked up, got the damn police involved and pulled me away from the job that puts the food on the table!"

"Hey," Billie Joe cut in. "There's no need to go cracking anyone on the ass."

Mitch sized up the smaller man and then looked to his wife with a scowl. "Who the hell's this bozo?"

"I'm Billie Joe Armstrong," he replied for Maria. "I'm Olivia's father."

Mitch narrowed his eyes and then gave the punk rocker a smug look. "Oh, the deadbeat, huh?"

"He is NOT a deadbeat, Mitch. He never knew about her," Maria corrected.

"Yeah, yeah. Potayto, Potahto," the taller man remarked. "Why the hell's he here now?"

"Olivia came to see me at my penthouse."

Snapping his blue eyes upon Billie Joe, he scowled even deeper. "I'm sorry, but are you gonna let my wife answer my questions any time soon."

"Yeah, as soon as you stop berating her."

"You wanna make me?" Mitch advanced.

"Maybe I do," came Billie Joe's response as Maria stepped in between them, placing her hands on both of their chests.

"Enough," she demanded. "Mitch. Olivia's been upset with me ever since I told her the truth about Billie on Friday. She ran away and went to him in the city. What she did is inexcusable, but it's forgiveable. I hit her with a huge weight of information, something I should've told her about a long time ago. She didn't know how to deal. I don't think I could either, if I were in her position," Maria began to explain. "I'm not gonna let her off without punishment either, so don't start. And there will be NO cracking on anyone's ass, okay?"

Mitch hesitated, his fury clearly bubbling beneath the surface, making Billie Joe realize why Olivia disliked him so much. The guy was an asshole.

"Fine," Mitch finally bit out. "She's your fucking daughter. You deal with her. I'm tired of having to lay down the law in this house only for you to go lax on these kids. At this rate, they'll never learn and all end up as goddamn social rejects and 'American Morons' as this one likes to sing."

"It's 'Idiot', but close enough," Billie Joe snipped angrily. It had nothing to do with Mitch getting the name wrong, only that he was such a condescending prick.

"What-the-fuck-ever. I want him out of my house," he pointed at Maria.

"It's my house, too," she replied.

"Who pays the bills, Temperance?" he gave her an icy glare.

"Who runs the house, Mitchell? Who raises the kids? Who does the cooking and cleaning? Who runs the errands? Who carts the kids to their sports games and dance recitals? Who's on the fucking board of education and PTA?" she threw back in his face.

"Don't pull this shit, Temp," Mitch threatened before storming out of the kitchen and slamming his office door down the hall.

Maria flinched and pursed her lips, trying to calm down, as she looked up at Billie rather embarrassed at everything that had just transpired. "I'm so sorry about that. Mitch can be--"

"A dick?"

"Yeah, sometimes. But he's a good man, too. He just has a temper. A fiery one."

"Fiery, Maria? That was more like explosive to me. I mean, he doesn't have any respect for Olivia. She's only twelve. She's bound to screw up because she's young. Young people make poor decisions. There's no fucking excuse for calling her a 'little shit' and wanting to beat her across the ass. It'll only push her further away."

"I know," Maria replied solemnly. "That's why I think she should get out for a while."

Billie Joe knitted his brow in confusion. "I think you lost me."

"I want Olivia to get to know you. As her father, not as her favorite rocker," she began. "Thanksgiving is coming up and I think, maybe, she could spend the holiday with you and your family in California."

Olivia stepped closer into the room, looking between her mom and dad. "Can I really?" she wondered.

Maria waited for a response from Billie Joe, who reached his arm out to his daughter and pulled her to his side in a bit of a hug. He leaned down a little and placed a kiss on the top of her head and then smiled at Maria.

"I think that's a great idea."