Always There

Alas, Christmastime had arrived like a bat out of hill. Everywhere Billie Joe turned, there were Santa's on street corners with a red bucket for Salvation Army while ringing a bell, very unenthusiastically. People's houses were decorated gaudily with lights and lawn ornaments galore. And not to mention the clogged stores with last minute holiday shoppers.

But it was the kind of crazy time the punk rocker seemed to thrive on. It was a pleasant chaos. A controlled chaos. As compared to the uncontrolled kind that had been consuming their lives lately. Getting together with friends and family was always a good time, yet when they all went home, it was also nice to just enjoy the quiet.

For the Christmas holiday, however, Billie Joe and Maria and the four kids they had with them, were staying at Mike's house. There was a small get together at Tre's house in which Maria opted to stay at Mike's with Hazel, knowing it would be awkward if she was there and Adrienne showed up as well. Nodding, Billie Joe took Olivia, Ben and Nate with him while Mike went and picked up Estelle.

Showing up early enough, they all sat down together around Tre's dining room table, smiling, laughing and talking. And, yes, Adrienne did show up with Joey and Jakob. She sat across the table and diagnol from Billie Joe. And, boy, was it awkward.

After dinner, the friends exchanged gifts for each other and their kids. There was even gifts for Ben and Nate. Surprising of all gifts was the baby pink quilt Adrienne gave to Billie Joe for Hazel. It was a step toward things being fine between them someday, even though the tension was still undeniable.

But it wasn't all tension in the house that evening.

Estelle sure seemed to take a liking to Ben. It didn't matter to her that she was a year older than him, because it didn't stop her from hit his arm playfully. And in case you didn't go to high school, hitting's a good thing. And perhaps it made sense. They - whoever they are - have always said a girl tends to go for a guy who reminds them of their father and, well, like Mike was when he was a kid, Ben was also a blonde with blue eyes. Ramona was out for the holiday and chumming along with Olivia as usual while Nate and Frankito played together. Then there was Joey who also latched on to hanging around Estelle and Ben.

It seemed that all the kids had someone to play with, as if all the planets had aligned so that the kids were the same age as one another and no one felt left out.

But, despite the good time being had, Billie Joe felt like he was lacking somethinig. And it wasn't just Maria, which was the obvious choice. But his arms really just longed to hold Hazel. It got to the point that Billie Joe pulled Mike aside and told him he was gonna head back to his house to get Maria. He didn't care if she felt awkward. He wanted her and Hazel there with him.

About ten minutes later he pulled up in Maria's SUV and walked into Mike's house, calling out to her, only to finding her lounging on the couch with Hazel in her lap.

"Back so soon?" she wondered. "Where's the kids?"

"They're still at Tre's," he waved off. "I came back to get you."

"To get me?" she repeated.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know you feel awkward about matriculating with everyone especially with Adrienne there, but trust me, she's civil. She even bought a Christmas present for Hazel. It's this pink quilt with a teddy bear on it. It's really cute--"

"No, I can't."

"Maria, of course you can."

"No," she insisted. "I...Adrienne hates me. With good reason. And I don't wanna get hit again," she blurted, standing up with Hazel craddled in her arms, realizing what she'd said after the fact. "I mean--"

"Wait--what?" he craned his head forward, wondering if he heard her correctly. "What do you mean 'again?'"

Maria frowned, then let out a sigh. "Back in May, after Olivia's musical. Adrienne showed up on my doorstep and as soon as I opened the door, she slapped me. But--" she began before Billie Joe could respond. "I slapped her back. She was angry, and jilted, so I understood her reasoning."

"So why'd you slap her back? Just a reflex or were you given a different reason?"

"Well, it was seven months ago, but I'm pretty sure she called Olivia a bastard child which I didn't take to kindly too. A-and I was emotional."

"Wait--she hit you? That's why she fucking stormed out of the penthouse? To hit you?"

"Billie. It was seven months ago."

"Yeah, exactly. It was seven months ago and you're apparently still nervous to see her. What--do you have a reason to be any more scared of her?"

She wasn't about to tell him about Adrienne's 'carnival freak crazy on your ass' comment. Maria didn't want any more of a rift between the divorcing couple.

"No," Maria lied. "I just didn't want the confrontation. But, if it means a lot to you, I'll go to Tre's."

Billie Joe simply studied her for a moment. Taking sultry baby steps closer to his ladylove and infant daughter, he slowly began to smirk wrapping his arms around Maria and Hazel, forming a group hug, without crushing Hazel of course. Rubbing his nose against Maria's they both looked down at their little girl.

"I'll go get the carseat."

"Okay," she nodded. Watching Billie Joe disappear into the other room, Maria couldn't help but smile at how he made her feel so wonderful. Looking back down at Hazel, she gave her a gentle shake. "Daddy's full of the Christmas spirit, methinks," she spoke in a baby voice.

* * *

Awkward had become more than just an understatement.

Maria felt like she'd suffer a panic attack by the time her, Billie Joe and Hazel arrived to Tre's house. He pulled the carseat out with Hazel still in it when they walked inside, making their way toward the great unknown. Or simply the living room. Claudia, Tre's ex-wife who he still lived with, was the first to greet them at the door, gushing over Hazel like a happy a woman meeting her very first niece.

"She's adorable," Claudia complimented, then extended her hand to Maria, politely. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Claudia. I'm glad you could make it."

"Thanks," Maria replied, refreshingly surprised. She was sure the thinner brunette would be territorial or bitchy because she was friends with Adrienne. But it was just the opposite. "You have a beautiful home."

Claudia laughed. "And this is just the front hall. Wait 'til you see the rest of it."

Billie Joe nodded to the center of the front hall, about two or three feet from the side of the slightly rounded staircase. "This is the spot Tre throws all his shoes from over the railing up there everytime he packs to go on tour."

Nodding in agreement, Claudia rolled her eyes. "He's crazy like that. Just swoops them up in his arms and...bombs away. Sometimes I worry he's not gonna watch what he's doing and drop them on poor little Frankito."

They smiled and entered the living room where Jakob Tre jumped up along with all the kids in tow to see Hazel. Jakob was wide-eyed as he let his new little sister wrap her tiny hand around his finger.

"She's really small," Jakob commented.

"Well, she's only a month old, Jake."

"Was I that small?"

"No," Billie Joe shook his head. "You're were a butterball turkey. Joey was the small one." The punk rocker noticed how his oldest son hadn't moved from his spot in the living room, sticking close to his mother, Adrienne, who curiously looked over in their direction.

Tre practically cooed. "Oh, you're a cutie patootie with an itty bitty booty, ain't you?" he asked Hazel. In response, she blew a spit bubble, which made the drummer smile. "That's good enough for me," he remarked. "She's obviously my soulmate. 'Cause I just love making spit bubbles too. And I'm 34." He held onto Hazel's hand when Jakob let go and stuck his face an inch away from hers and then pulled back, making weird faces at her. "Yes, I do. 'Cause spit bubbles are fun. Yuh-huh."

Billie Joe quirked an eyebrow at his friend and pulled Hazel away before nudging Tre. "Stop that or you'll make her all cross-eyed."

Tre gave Maria a kiss on the cheek and then a hug, welcoming her to his home. "Merry Christmas. Er, you're half Ecuadorian, right? Well, Feliz Navidad."

Maria smirked and hugged him back. "Feliz Navidad to you, too." Her smirk faded, however, when Adrienne stood up and made her way over to Billie Joe and Maria.

Giving Maria a quick once over, she offered a forced smile. "Happy Holiday."

"Uh, yeah. Y-you, too."

Billie Joe just looked at his soon-to-be ex-wife with a tepid stare, still thinking about what Maria had said. A feeling of defiance ran through his veins as he propped Hazel up for Adrienne to see.

"Adie, this is my daughter Hazel."

Adrienne managed a small smile as she glanced over the baby. "She's very adorable," Adi complimented honestly, though it was obvious her heart wasn't in it. "But, um...it's getting late. And the boys should get to bed soon so Santa can come."

"But, Adie, it's only nine," Billie Joe complained, sarcastically.

Maria tapped his arm and shook her head. "Stop it..."

"Well, I wanted to give my parents a call and it's 11 in Wisconsin," she replied, making a poor excuse to leave."

Trying to take the higher ground, Maria spoke up. "It was nice to see you."

Adrienne just nodded and looked to her sons. "C'mon, boys. Get your things."

Jakob grabbed up all his presents he'd received and hugged his dad after he handed Hazel off to a very eager Tre, who would lift up the little girl and blow rasberries on her stomach, causing a gurgling giggle to come out of her. When Billie Joe went to give Joey a hug goodbye, his eldest son avoided him at all costs.

And it broke Billie Joe's heart.

"Merry Christmas," Joey snipped out, storming out the front door with his mother and brother.

Sadly, Billie Joe walked over to Tre and took his daughter back with his own forced smile, sitting down with her on the couch as Maria sat beside him, just as Nathan came to show her a present that Mike had bought him. She nodded and smiled, and watched as he walked away to go play trucks with Frankito by the Christmas tree.

She looked at Billie Joe's profile and frowned. He had tears lining his eyes even though none fell. Placing her hand on his thigh, she patted his leg and kissed his cheek before leaning her head down on his shoulder.

* * *

"Santa came! Santa caaaaame!" came a very excitable voice.

Eyes popping open at lightening speed, Maria groaned, but not as loudly as Billie Joe when an extra body jumped onto the bed.

"Fuck, my nads," the punk rocker grimaced.

As it turns out, Nathan had jumped right onto the bed, climbing over Billie Joe but accidentally kneeing him in the balls. Billie Joe gently pushed the five-year-old off of him and curled up into the fetal position, cupping himself. It caused Maria to laugh as she hugged her son against her. He rested his head on her chest and hugged his mommy, still going on about Santa.

"He found us, Mommy. Even though we moved to Grandma and Grandpa's house and we're here at Uncle Mike's house. Santa still found us and left us bunches of presents."

"I told you he would," Maria replied. "Now, before you go back downstairs, why don't you apologize to Billie for hurting him."

Nathan pouted guiltily, crawling back over to Billie Joe and resting his head on his arm. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

Before Maria and Billie Joe could respond to that, Nathan had rolled over the punk rocker and jumped onto the floor, the sound of his bare feet echoing after him as he scampered from the room.

Billie Joe turned his head to Maria and quirked an eyebrow. "Did he just---?"

"Yeah," Maria nodded in disbelief. "He did."

Smirking, Billie Joe's heart seemed to swell a bit. He rolled over to properly face Maria and pulled her close to him, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Calling me Daddy doesn't make up for practically going all nutcracker on me."

Maria laughed, lifting her arm to push his disheveled dark hair back off his forehead. "Before we go downstairs, I wanna give you a special Christmas gift."

Billie Joe wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh, now you're talkin' my language, hot stuff."

She playfully hit his arm. "Not that, you friggin' perv," she smiled. "It's a verbal present."

"Verbal? What the hell's that?"

Leaning her face closer to his, she brushed her nose against his. "I got a call from John Goldman yesterday on my cell phone when you and the kids were at Tre's," she began. She paused, letting him wait for what she was gonna say. "I'm officially divorced from Mitch."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I'm all yours."

Grinning, Billie Joe pulled her on top of him and kissed her. "Well, Merry Christmas to me."