Always There

The nonstop flight out of San Francisco that Billie Joe had taken touched down at JFK International Airport just after three in the morning, Eastern Standard Time. It was okay for him because to the punk rocker it felt like it was only after midnight. As soon as he could hail a taxi - since he was unable to call ahead for a private driver in the rush he'd been in - Billie Joe held his carry-on closely to him the entire ride straight to Maria's house. He didn't worry about going to his penthouse first. All that was on his mind was getting to Maria.

By the time the taxi pulled up outside the Long Island home, it was after four and sunrise was about two hours away. Quietly, he cut across the grass and stepped up onto the porch. He really didn't want to knock or ring the doorbell because everyone was most likely asleep, so he looked around the doorframe and under the welcome mat to check for an extra key. And sure enough, under the mat, was an extra key. Smirking, he unlocked the door and stepped inside the house as silently as he could, setting down his carry-on and closing the door behind him.

The house was as still as death as he slipped off his shoes and padded up the stairs and turned left to enter Maria's bedroom. Through the slight darkness bathing over the room, Billie Joe could make out the movement of Maria's chest rising and falling in sleep, all alone in her big bed.

He just stood there for a moment, going over what had to deal with. The stress was certainly not something she needed at this point in her pregnancy, nor did she need it mentally. She just looked so sweet and defenseless laying there on her back with her bedsheet barely covering her T-shirt clad body.

Slowly and gently, he moved to the bed and slipped in between the sheets, curling up to her side and placing his hand on her stomach and laying his head on the pillow beside her, just watching her sleep. And he literally just laid there for about an hour and a half doing nothing more until her alarm clock went off at 6 AM.

When she stirred and groaned for the desire to sleep in, Billie Joe leaned in to the side of her face and pressed his lips against her cheek as lightly as a feather.

"Stay in bed," he advised, burshing the tip of his nose along her jawline. "I'll get everyone up an' at 'em."

Turning to face him with her sleepy, sad brown eyes, she managed to smile despite it all. But she shook her head. "I can't sleep any longer," she mumbled. "I've been tossing and turning all night as it is. My mind is just..."

"Shh..." he hushed, covering her lips with his to shut her up. He brushed some hair out of her face and then ran the same hand back to her stomach and slid it up her side until he felt the curve of her breast. "I know you're stressing, but you need to relax. For you and the baby, okay?"

"I know, but you don't undertand what I'm going through. You may be able to feel for me, but you can't really know." She lifted her pillow out from under her head and placed it over her face. "I just wanna pretend none of this has happened. I mean...my kids are going to be pulled through all this as well. I just..."

When she pulled the pillow off of her head, she met his gaze and frowned. "How many times am I gonna hafta tell you to just take it easy."

"Billie, don't patronize me..."

"I'm not patronizing you. I'm just worried you're gonna get all worked up and something's gonna happen to you and the baby," he admitted. "If anything did happen..."

Maria just looked at him. "Nothing's gonna happen to me. To Mitch, yes. I'm going to kick his ass for doing this to us. I just can't believe he did this. And he didn't bother denying it when they arrested him at his parents' house. Not to mention how I felt having a bunch of cops and detectives searching my house and taking things as evidence and all I could do was let them while by sons had their friends over..."

Billie Joe pressed his lips to her temple and then nuzzled her neck as he began to slip out of the bed. "How about I go make pancakes for everyone and you take a nice shower to help clear your mind, 'kay?"

She sighed, but nodded only after slight hesitation on her part. Billie Joe walked around to her side of the bed and helped her to her feet and then gathering her upn in a sweet embrace. He cupped her face and tipped her head down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, babe," he muttered.

She smiled a little ruefully. "I know," she replied. "I love you, too." She brought her hand hands up to cvoer his.

When they parted ways, she disappeared into the master bathroom and he went downstairs into the kitchen. He pulled out the pancake mix box that only needed water to be mixed in, then grabbed the frying pan, a spatula, five plates and silverware, butter and syrup. In the fridge was soy milk that he poured into five glasses while the pancakes he had frying were turning a golden brown. It was almost seven in the morning and no one was downstairs yet and here he was with a plate stacked with pancakes, but no people to eat them.

Billie Joe could hear the water running through the pipes so he knew Olivia must be up taking a shower or the boys were brushing their teeth or some such in the bathroom. Or maybe it was still Maria. While he waited he decided he'd clean up the dishes he'd cooked with.

While his back was turned, Maria walked into the kitchen and stood in the doorway, watching Billie Joe and it hit her just how much she loved him. He was willing to drop his life back in California to come see her and make breakfast for her family. And he was so at home in her house or, rather, wherever she seemed to be.

Clearing her throat to get his attention, she smirked when he turned around a smiled, looking her up and down.

"Feel a little better?" he asked.

"Mm hmm," she nodded, walking toward him and snaking her arms around his narrow waist. "I am now."

* * *

But of course the whole feeling better thing didn't last too long. Olivia called home on her cell phone halfway through the school day, while she was in a bathroom stall, crying. Apparently some kids in school had watched the morning news with their parents before school and saw news footage of Mitch being arrested and knew that Mitchell Conner of the Conner, Griffin & Goldman Law Offices was her stepfather. And now they were teasing her about it.

Billie Joe didn't waste another minute. He took Maria's SUV and drove to Olivia's school and went straight to the office, not caring one iota about the looks and stares he was drawing from students passing to their next class when the bell rang. He signed her out and when she came down to the office, Billie Joe placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder and led her outside, all the while she was garnering looks of envy from the other students who obviously knew who he was and what he was to Olivia.

Mitch had been denied bail because he has a known cache of money the prosecutors haven't been able to gain access to. He was denied soley because it would be too easy for him to escape and disappear into a country with no extradition treaty with the United States. The prosecution didn't want to risk that.

The first court date was set for Monday, October 16th, and Lord knew how long the trial would last if Mitch tried fighting his case. Maria knew none of this would go over well. She already knew in her gut that Mitch had really dug himself into a hole he couldn't get out of. This was starting out the be a high profile case before the trial even began simply because the firm was well respected in Manhattan and Mitch's partners felt seriously jilted by his deception. Their lawyers wanted to maximum penalty; to make an example of him.

Maria was just so thankful she had Billie Joe at her side when all this information began to roll in. She surely would've collapsed and gone into premature labor like he feared.

And then the little things started to happen, which were actually linked to serious problems for the entire family. September had ended and Billie Joe was still in Long Island, insisting on being there for Maria and the kids every step of the way. And the one afternoon she went grocery shopping with him, she went to pay with her credit card, but found it to be denied. And so was every card she had.

When she got home and made some calls, she learned that all Mitch's and even her accounts had been frozen. Which also meant that if all their accounts were frozen, she wouldn't be able to pay the bills and they would lose their house.

Taking a page from Billie Joe's book, she started getting anxious and having a panic attack. Here she was, basically starting to lose the life she had known for so long. But again, she was thankful Billie Joe was there. He helped build back her confidence, assuring her that she was a smart woman and would remain strong because that was the woman he fell in love with. And he told her he would pay her mortage and other bills; not taking no for an answer.

She was also thankful her gynecologist had said that sex in the third trimester of pregnancy was fine, because she felt so calm and relaxed when her and Billie Joe slept together just about every other night. Wrapping each other's limbs around one another, exploring each other's mouths with every kiss, touching every area of flesh on their bodies, and finding out more of what they loved about each other.

* * *

Five days before the trial was supposed to begin, Olivia turned thirteen. Tre's first ex-wife Lisea brought Ramona out to Long Island to come to the party and Mike even flew out with Estelle, takingher out of school for a coupled of days in order to be there. Olivia also had her best friends Crystal and Giselle there, but that was pretty much it. All the plans she'd initially been scheming up just didn't matter anymore. She knew times were getting hard and stressfull for the family, so she was fine with a small gathering.

She was happy with the gifts she got and glad with the people that showed up, and happier than a pig in shit that her parents were very openly in love with each other; something of which Mike frowned upon.

At one point during the party, the bassist even pulled his best friend aside.

"Are you fucking insane, Billie? You're gonna throw away your marriage?"

Billie Joe glared at Mike and jerked away, whispering through gritted teeth. "When was the last time you saw me genuinuely happy, Mike? Huh? How long have I been miserable off and on over the years and just never opened up? Never let anyone in. Do you know how many times me and Adi nearly called it quits? Yes, of course you know because I did open up about those moments. Are you so fucking blind about how many of the songs I wrote are for and about Maria?" He rambled, his eyes practically seething desparation. "When I'm with Adrienne, yes, I feel love. But it hasn't been the same. Even before Maria came back into my life I've felt stuck in the mud. I'd say about six or seven years, on and off of wanting out."

"But, Billie...your boys..."

"What? What about them? I love them with all the life I have in me and would die for them in an instant. And if and when my marriage might end, I will still have them in my life, just like you do everything you can to have Estelle in yours...how Tre flies out to New York to see Ramona." Billie Joe shook his head but smiled when he caught a glimpse of Maria crunching up the discarded wrapping paper beside Olivia on the couch. "Mike...I am so utterly in love with that woman right there. I've never felt so...peaceful in my life. When I'm with Maria, all my anxiety and panic attacks are a thing of the past. I mean...she's given me a daughter and I have another on the way, and as much as I hate myself for doing this to Adi, I know in my heart that this is where my life was supposed to end up. It brought me back to Maria. Wherever she is, is where I need to be."

Mike looked down into his drink and sighed. "I guess I can understand. But I suppose I'm just a little angry at you, and pissed off and envious."

"Why?"

"I knew you had some rough times with Adi, but I idolized your marriage. Tre and I both idolized your marriage. You've been with Adi for so long, to see it end would be like seeing my parents divorcing...again," the blue eyed punk frowned a little sadly. "But now you have another wife lined up, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think it's a relationship that'll last from here on out." He gave Billie Joe a slight nudge. "'Til death do you part."

They were quiet for a moment, looking away and then looking back at each other.

"Thanks for understanding," Billie Joe finally spoke.

"Eh...whatever," Mike replied with a small smirk. "That new song you wrote..." he began after a quick sigh, changing the subject.

"Hmm?"

"The one about the ghost in your mind..."

"Yeah?"

"That's about Maria, isn't it?"

Billie Joe looked Mike in the eye and nodded. "Guilty as charged."

Mike shook his head with a chastising grin, taking a sip from his beer and mumbling into his cup, "Jackass."