Always There

There were so many things going on that both Maria and Billie Joe thought their heads were about to spin around and fly off their necks at any moment. What with finishing all the packing, calling moving trucks to move everything they wanted to take to San Diego while having Mitch's parents take some of his stuff to their house, putting the house up on the market, getting ready for the baby which was due in a week's time, pulling the kids out of school and all those other chaotic thing that were too many to mention.

Oh, yeah. There was also meeting with Steve and John to file for divorce from Mitch. And they informed her that because he was going to be in prison, the divorce would be in absentia, so it would most likely all be finalized in a few weeks time.

So, to say they were busy would be an understatement.

But there were the quiet moments at night, when the chaos ceased for a few hours and the couple could just sit back in the next to bare living room, just taking in the silence and each other's company. The baby was moving around like crazy, so that also provided some entertainment.

The last night in the house, Maria was lying in bed, propped up with a pillow behind her back, chatting about the flight they'd be taking the following day out to Southern California and how her doctor would kill her if he knew she was flying this late in her pregnancy. As Billie Joe crossed the room, slipping his shirt off and chucking it to the floor, he slid into bed and placed his head across what was left of her lap, rubbing his hand along her stomach, talking to their baby.

"Me and your mommy are getttin' really excited to meet you in a few days," he said softly, pressing his lips against the skin of her stomach. "You excited in there?"

Just then, the baby kicked, causing Maria to giggle slightly. "I think that was a yes."

Billie Joe simply smiled as he took his right pointer finger and drew circles around her belly just as they both noticed the baby kick from the slight spot that protruded further out than the rest of her already full stomach. Taking his finger, he tickled the skin slightly when the baby kicked again and it jerked back, causing Billie Joe to laugh out a hearty laugh. It was fuckin' amazing. And so was the imprint of the baby's actual foot pushing out.

Taking his chance, Billie Joe grabbed the sides of the foot for a brief second before it pulled back again. He just looked up at Maria with a wide smile, his eyes lighting up.

"That was so weird," he commented, in awe. "Joey and Jakob never did anything like that.

"It felt weird."

"Did Olivia ever do that?" Maria shook her head. "Well, then. This baby must be very special." He smiled. "I should, like, write a song or something about it."

Maria smiled as well, as she ran a hand through Billie Joe's hair. "C'mon," she muttered. "Let's go to sleep. We have a long, busy day ahead of us and I need all the rest I can get."

"That you do." Sliding up beside Maria he pulled the bed comforter over them as he let her rest her head on his chest after snaking his arm around her shoulders. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he stretched a little with his free arm to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed. "G'night."

"'Night," she repeated. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

"Hurry up or we're gonna miss the flight," Maria snapped as the boys lolly-gagged behind her and Billie Joe in the airport. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as they neared their gate. "I swear. Those movers just HAD to arrive late this morning, didn't they?"

Billie Joe gave her a sympathetic smile as he rubbed his hand briefly on her shoulder. "Well, at least they showed up."

"I just hope everything gets to California alright. I know we sent most ahead two days ago...but things like my SUV being transported...that's a big thing to ship."

"Maria...it'll be fine. The last thing you need is to start worrying now of all times. If you go into labor in this plane...well, let's just hope there's a doctor on board."

"Don't even joke about that. I barely made it to the hospital with Benjamin. We got stuck in rush hour traffic in Manhattan. 'Cause that's before we moved to the Island."

"Well, if you would just take it easy, I'm sure we don't have to worry about that, 'kay?" he assured, as he handed over all five, first class plane tickets.

As soon as they were seated and had taken off, the flight attendants would repeatedly check to see if Maria was alright, given her condition, and if she needed anything. The boys would act up from time to time, sometimes complaining about how much longer it would be, while Olivia remained in a mood about the whole moving thing.

They'd said goodbye to the house they'd lived in for six and a half years, and then hopped into the two separate taxis. Maria got into one with Maria and Nathan while Billie Joe got into the other with Ben. Between both taxis, they managed to pile their suitcases and carry-ons into the trunks.

It was goodbye Long Island, hello San Diego.

* * *

Lynn and Enrique greeted everyone at the airport and helped carry everything to their minivan, while informing Maria that the first moving truck hadn't arrived yet but that they had all the rooms already set up for everyone, including a bassinet in Maria's old room where she and Billie Joe would be sleeping.

Piling into the van, it was a pleasant drive, wherein they all chatted about how Maria would get her feet propped up as soon as they got home and how they would set the kids up in the local schools after Thanksgiving.

Coming back into her parents' home was slightly strange for Maria as they all walked inside. She waddled around like a penguin as they brought all the suitcases inside. Looking around at the interior, she realized that it had been forever since she'd been home. At least four years. It would've been the summer after Nathan turned a year old. Ben had been four at the time and Olivia, nine. Then there was the added memory of how the last time Maria and Billie Joe were in the house together was at New Years '93, when the two of them, along with some of her and her brother's high school friends all jumped into the pool in their underwear. Or, in the nude.

Just remembering it all brought a lump into Maria's throat; not even realizing that she was crying until Billie Joe touched her shoulders and pulled her into the kitchen, hugging her close as soon as they were alone.

She rested her head down on his shoulder and hugged him back, unaware that her parents were slightly spying on them.

"I always thought they made a better couple than her and Mitch," Enrique commented as their grandchildren ran upstairs to find their rooms.

"That's because you didn't feel comfortable sharing a joint with that tightwad," Lynn teased, linking her arm through her husband's.

"That is just one reason of many, mi corazon." Enrique sighed, kissing Lynn's head. "Billie Joe is a good man. He loves our daughter and would do anything for her. They may both be married to other people at the moment, but this life cannot deny they are soulmates. They are the real thing. To deny them what they have would be sacreligious to the sanctity of love."

Lynn quirked an eyebrow. "Ooh, I love it when you get all romantic."

"One of many reasons you married me," he replied with a grin, just before Maria's howl filtered out of the kitchen. Followed by Billie Joe muttering, 'Oh fuck!'

The older couple scurried into the kitchen where they foudn Billie Joe allowing Maria to rest her weight against him as her knees buckled. And before Enrique took another step closer to inspect what was wrong with his daughter, Lynn smacked his hand across his chest.

"Stop," she advised, pointing to a small puddle on the tiled floor. "Her water broke."

"It's gonna be okay, babe," Billie Joe assured as Maria writhed a little in his arms. He lifted his eyes to what he was pretty much considering his in-laws. "Hospital, now."

Enrique nodded and grabbed the keys to the van. He ran outside ahead of them to start up the vehicle while Lynn grabbed a towel and told Billie Joe and Maria to go on. She would clean up and then take the children, meeting up with them shortly.

Reaching the nearest hospital in less than ten minutes, thanks in part to Enrique's led foot, Billie Joe ran inside to get someone to bring out a wheechair for Maria. When they did, she sat down in discomfort as they brought her inside. Enrique went to park the van and a nurse tried to hand off the insurance forms for Billie Joe to fill out while they began to lead Maria toward the delivery room. But he wouldn't be bothered with that. He told the nurse to give it to the man that answered to Enrique Cevallos.

Taking off in the direction Maria had been taken, groaning all the way one might add, Billie Joe found the room she'd been placed in where she was already dressed in a hospital gown and being propped up on the delivery table with her feet in stirups. Some of the nurses tried pushing him out of the room but Maria growled at them.

"He's the father," she bit out as a contraction ripped through her. "I want him in here or I swear to God, I'll--aaahhhh!" she cried, raspily.

Nodding at her demand, the nurses had him wash his hands and then put on a gown before he was allowed to go anywhere near Maria. But as soon as he was at her side, he took her hand in his and allowed her to squeeze as hard as she wanted, which, in retrospect, probably was a shit move on his part, because as soon as she gripped his hands, it felt as she was clawing through his skin with sharp pokers.

The contractions kept coming, but the baby didn't come as quickly as they thought it would. She was still in labor when Lynn arrived with her grandchildren, meeting up with Enrique in the waiting room, who was filling out the insurance forms. Maria's brother, Catcher, his wife and two kids even showed up only to learn that Maria was still in the delivery room.

But, finally, at a little after nine at night, on the 22nd of November, 2006 - the day before Thanksgiving - the cries of an infant baby could be heard from inside the delivery room where Billie Joe could be found kissing Maria's sweaty forehead.

Not long after that, Billie Joe ran out into the waiting room with a big grin on his face. Maria's family stood up, anxious for any news.

"What is it? Is Temperance okay? Is the baby okay? Is it a boy or girl?" Lynn began to rattle off her nervous questions.

Billie Joe simply kept on smiling, placing his hands on his narrow hips. "It's a girl."

Olivia just about shit herself from excitment. "I got a sister? I got a sister!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down with glee.

"What's her name?" Catcher asked.

For the first time, Billie Joe noticed him standing there and laughed. "Holy shit, you're as big as football player. What happened to the scrawny 17-year-old?"

Catcher returned the laugh. "He just turned 31 and gained about seventy pounds," he replied, giving Billie Joe a hug. "Now what's the name of this new niece of mine."

"Oh, yeah. Well, why don't you come meet her and I'll introduce you all."

Leading everyone into the recovery room Maria had been moved to, Billie Joe stood proudly as he walked over to Maria's side. She had their newborn daughter in her arms; their baby that yawned slightly with her tiny mouth and who's eyes fluttered open here and there.

"Everyone, we'd like you to meet our daughter: Hazel Baby Armstrong."