Good Man

Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey
She acts like summer, and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's a time to change, hey
Since the return of her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey
-Train, "Drops of Jupiter"



It had taken one whole week of packing and more or less boarding up her home in Orchard Park before Caroline was ready to return to Oakland.

Physically.

She still had her demons to deal without about having left her California home to begin with. She tried looking at it as if she had gone soul searching; getting away from the epicenter of where she lost her two favorite people in the world, and tuck herself away in a cozy cocoon on the other side of the continent, like a caterpillar waiting out the weeks to transform into a butterfly.

The nights leading up to her return flight she spent curled up on her couch with Tre sitting beside her; the two of them talking things out. They chatted about little things like shows they were both watching on television or pointless celebrity gossip in the news that had nothing to do with them for once. They discussed each other's respective futures, plans and goals for their lives. They admitted more feelings of how they were dealing with their mutual losses, still. They laughed at little jokes here and there, mostly told by Tre, as usual.

They laughed, they cried, they hugged, they bitched.

They found that place with each other they had had once upon a time when they dated, where they would talk into the night after sex, if they hadn't fallen asleep first. Except, this time, there was no sex. Nor was there a desire for it. This was just two friends, bonding.

Tre had helped Caroline package some of her belongings she planned on bringing back with her to California by placing them into bubble wrap and then into boxes which then got taped up with packaging tape. Clothes were placed in either suitcases, or more boxes. The suitcases would be coming with them on the plane, and one of the carry-ons would be the twins' diaper bag.

Slowly but surely, the house began to feel a little more empty as things were stored away, closed up, sealed and locked. She was going to have her brother-in-law Shawn staying at the house once in a while so it looked as if someone was home, and no break-ins would be attempted. Lucy offered her services for that as well and Caroline obliged, gratefully.

And on June 2nd, Caroline and Tre were lugging four children onto a plane from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport bound for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Each was responsible for one child and one of the twins. Tre had the boys, Caroline had the girls.

Mostly because Chloe was still standoffish toward her Uncle Tre and only Caroline seemed to know how to calm the whiny and grumpy twin, Rhiannon.

Nearly two stressful plane ride hours later, they landed in Chicago and were off to find their next terminal to board a flight to San Francisco International Airport. The flight was supposed to be just under fours long and it was under four hours that Tre and Caroline weren't looking forward to. If almost two from Buffalo to Chicago was a sign of things to come, they were in big trouble.

Fortunately for them, they really only had to deal mostly with keeping the twins content because there was a movie playing that occupied Mikey and Chloe. Then again, there was that one time where Tre and Caroline had to take turns getting up to take their designated twin to the small bathroom to somehow manage to change their diapers.

That was so the exact opposite of fun.

Never. Again.

Eventually, much to their pleasure and those passengers around them, their planed landed at San Francisco International Airport with a rough jolt as the wheels touched down onto the awaiting tarmac at however many umpteen miles per hour the plane was going. With a lurching strain, the 'metal bird' slowed down considerably and turned around slightly to taxi into it's particular gate.

Because they were in first class, Caroline and Tre, along with the four children, were able to exit first. Especially so because they had infants with them.

They muttered their thanks to the ever patient flight attendants and then walked almost single file through the ramped gate until they emerged out the exit and out into the seating area where the next batch of passengers were waiting to board the same plane on the next flight out of San Francisco.

The six of them made their way through the decently large airport and after a surprisingly short time, they found their way to the security gates and passed by them since they were leaving and not arriving. They took the escalators down to the ground level and easily found the baggage claim like old hat.

After all, they had been through this airport so many damn times in the past.

As they waited for their luggage to appear on the conveyer belt, they were finally able to stop for a moment and just take in their surroundings. They had the twins strapped to them in two separate baby carriers because the airline wouldn't allow them to use car seats. Instead, the car seats had been checked along with their baggage. While Caroline waited by the baggage claim, Tre wandered off to get a trolley of some sort to place all their luggage on because there was just too much for them to carry on their own.

About fifteen minutes later, they were standing outside at the curb, looking for a limo that Tre had hired from the airport, to take them all home.

Less than forty minutes later, and that was -- much to Caroline and Tre's surprise -- including city traffic and outgoing traffic on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges leaving the city and heading toward Oakland.

As the scenery went by them in a blur, beyond the tinted windows of the limo, Tre turned to Caroline who sat kitty corner to him because of how the seating was laid out. She seemed lost in thought as they coasted along; the sun perhaps an hour away from starting to set behind the horizon.

"Two quarters, eighteen dimes, five nickels and one penny for your thoughts?" he inquired with a smirk lifting the corners of his mouth.

Caroline brought her attention to her brother-in-law and smiled back at him, shaking her head at his humor. "Just wondering how absolutely dusty my house has got to be."

"It's taken care of," Tre replied, this time serious.

Holding his gaze, Caroline bit her bottom lip before answering. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He shrugged and looked straight across from him, above the limo's mini bar and television, both which weren't in use, and out a tinted window. He watched as some cars passed them on the right, and the IKEA store just before the road sign for Powell Street & Emeryville and then, moments later, more road signs for Buchanan Street being a half mile away and one for Gilman Street, just after a Hertz building.

Mike popped into Tre's head for a moment when he saw the Gilman Street exit. In his mind's eye he was remembering one of the many times in the distant past they played a gig at the little hole in the wall club, before Green Day ever got signed to Reprise.

He sighed.

"Ten dollars and eighty-six cents for your thoughts?" came Caroline's voice.

This time, it was Tre's turn to shake his head and smile. "Oh, nothing much. Just remembering playing at Gilman with Billie and Mike." He looked to Caroline and gestured toward the window. "We passed a road sign for Gilman Street."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

The remainder of the ride into Oakland and up toward the Berkeley Hills was relatively quiet. From the vibration of the road underneath them and the general movement of the limo, the twins had already fallen to sleep. Mikey was still awake, seated beside his Uncle Tre and playing quietly with his little handheld video game. Chloe, however, like her baby siblings, was passed out; her head draped on her mother's lap and her feet beside her on the seat.

Tre looked over at Caroline once more before placing his arm around the young boy's shoulders and pulling him close.



Caroline had returned home to her house in the Berkeley Hills not long after her and Tre shared what they'd been thinking. And it was quite surreal to approach the house, after being away from it just about three weeks shy of a year. Tre had helped her inside, carrying both twins in their respective car seats in each hand. Mikey carried the diaper bag in, and Caroline held a sleeping Chloe in her arms as the limo driver unloaded the trunk with their luggage and other incidentals.

Turning on the front hall light, Caroline paused for a moment to take in her surroundings, then sighed.

Home sweet home.

Looking over at Tre, he followed her up the stairs and but paused outside Chloe's room as Caroline went to put her daughter to bed. It had been a long day, and the three-year-old girl was obviously exhausted from her big travel.

Shutting the door behind her, Caroline stopped once more as she remembered something crucial.

"I don't have cribs set up for the twins," she commented quietly.

Tre shook his head at her. "That's been taken care of, too." Then he added, "Compliments of Billie."

Caroline looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, came over here a couple days ago and set up Chloe and Mikey's old cribs in the other bedroom for you. I think he said Jakob helped him."

Smirking in appreciation, Caroline opened the door to the extra bedroom, and sure enough, there were the two cribs, on opposite sides of the room.

The room was painted as well. Half blue, half pink. Complete with white, wooden letters over the cribs, spelling the twins' names out.

"He really went out of his way," Caroline remarked, turning on the light and taking one of the car seats from Tre. Mikey had since gone to his room to play while the two adults finagled his infant siblings out of their car seats and into some clean onesies and then placed them in the cribs to sleep.

As they exited the room, they shut the door after Caroline turned on the baby monitor which had also been set up.

Tre parted ways with Caroline for a moment to head outside and grab all the luggage and drag it inside, but having to leave his suitcase behind, handing it back to the limo driver who was still waiting on Tre. "This one's mine," he told the guy. "Leave it here. I'll be back in a bit. I'm just gonna take the rest of her stuff inside, say goodbye and then we can head out again."

The driver nodded and put Tre's suitcase back in the trunk before hopping back into the driver's seat to wait.

Tre left the suitcases in the front hall. He was sure Caroline would get to them either later that night or the next day. He waited at the foot of the stairs until she appeared at the top and looked down toward him.

"You going?" she wondered, making her way down the steps, her hand trailing on the wooden banister.

Tre nodded. "Yeah, I gotta get home."

Caroline touched down to the floor and looked up at Tre who was only a mere two inches taller than her. "Thank you for everything, Tre. For coming to Buffalo and just being there and talking with me. I really needed that connection and that boost of motivation. Not to mention the necklace..." she grinned, touching the silver locket around her neck that he had given her for her anniversary to Mike, which he was, of course, not there to celebrate. "It means the world to me. And then helping me pack up the house and lug my kids back here, which is no small feat." She watched Tre shrug it off, as if it were nothing. "You went above and beyond the call of duty."

"It was noth---"

"It was everything," she cut him off, her voice very insistent.

"Well, okay, then." He reached out and pulled her into a bear hug. "I'm just glad you're back home. We missed you like crazy, Carrie." Caroline pulled back from him and stared him in the eye, just as he winced at what he'd said. "Oh, sorry. I forgot you hate being called that."

But instead of thanking him to not do it again, Caroline simply smiled and waved her hand at him. "It's okay. And, actually...it's kinda nice, after all."

"You're giving me permission to call you Carrie?" he asked, wary.

"Well, don't spread it around. It's still not my favorite nickname. But, I guess you're allowed to say it, after all you've done."

Tre smiled knowingly at her and then kissed her forehead before hugging her once more, this time not as bear-y.

"Get some sleep." He gestured to the suitcases. "Leave this shit for the morning."

"Aye-aye, Captain," she mock saluted.

With a smile and a small wave, Tre bid her goodnight and left without another word, leaving Caroline to turn from the door and wrap her arms around her body and look around at the house before her, as memories began to seep in from every nook and cranny.

And they were nothing but good ones.



A few days later, Caroline was finally settled back into her Berkeley Hills home. Mikey and Chloe went about their lives as if they hadn't moved back to California from Buffalo at all, but the twins were clearly aware on some subconscious level that their surroundings had changed. Which is kinda amusing considering they weren't even three months old yet.

Now, Caroline was setting out snacks and plates and cups for a small get together involving the Armstrongs, her parents Paul and Joanne, Tre and his family which more or less kinda included Ellis at this point because of her being Giselle's biological sister and Avarielle's biological aunt who had been helping Tre raise her this last year. Dave was also invited, as was Nef, of course. But that was it. Caroline wasn't ready for any huge, welcome home party type of thing.

And when Tre arrived first, she was relieved. She was also thankful it was him and not Billie Joe, since it would've been awkward for him to see the twins, and seeing his eyes scouring for any signs as to whether or not they were his, with Adie right at his side. Ugh.

Thank God Tre was there as guest numero uno. A thirteen-year-old Frankito filed in after his father, looking very much like a younger, brown-eyed version of Tre. Then came Ellis with Avarielle in her arms as Ramona brought up the rear, carrying Avarielle's diaper bag.

As soon as Caroline laid her eyes on Avarielle, she broke down into a flood of tears and asked if she could hold her little niece, who looked so much like how Giselle had as a toddler. Ellis obliged meekly.

The green-eyed woman might be older and wiser and more demure than Caroline, because of how she was raised in the wealth and in the power circles of Manhattan elite, but Caroline definitely had more of a force to be reckoned with. While the younger woman despised confrontation, there was still that certain je ne sais quoi to her personality, which is why the rockstar life had suited her like a glove.

"Oh my god," Caroline cooed, holding the little girl against her and hugging her tightly. "You look just like your mommy."

"I know," Ellis agreed, ruefully.

"Hiya, honey," Caroline continued, directing her comments toward the nearly one-year-old. "I'm Aunt Caroline, sweetie." Looking to Tre, she added, "She saying anything yet?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "She says 'dada' and 'baba' but the rest is generally gibberish still."

"Come on, sweetie. Let's meet your cousins," the brunette woman spoke before stopping in her tracks to turn and face Tre's other children. "Oh," she uttered, reaching a free arm out to hug Frankito and then Ramona. "Sorry," she smirked. "I missed you two." Then, eyeing Ramona, "Miss Stalker Lady. I know that was you running away from my house in Buffalo."

Ramona shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, I don't know why I did that. Even dad says I was being a retard."

Caroline gave Tre a look. "Your words exactly?"

He shrugged this time. "More or less."

With a gesture, Caroline had everyone follow her into the living room where Mikey and Chloe were watching cartoons and the twins were sitting in their swings. "Let me introduce you to the newest additions..."



Not long after, Billie Joe and Adrienne arrived with Jakob. Possibly ten seconds later, Joey waltzed in with his girlfriend Nicole, hand in hand. Greeting each other was just as awkward as Caroline had expected; in regard to Caroline and Billie Joe seeing each other, that is. Adrienne was aloof and happy as can be to have her gal pal back and---ooh, babies!

Adrienne's words, exactly.

They all knew that Caroline had the twins by way of in vitro fertilization.

Well, everyone at the house but Caroline, obviously, and Tre. Then there were both Billie Joe and Dave who had some doubts. And with good reason. But she was trying to ignore that little tidbit at the moment. Everyone else seemed to accept the explanation of how the twins came to be rather blindly. And for that, she was grateful.

Her parents welcomed her home with open arms, forgiving and forgetting how she took off for Buffalo a year ago without a goodbye and not much further communication thereafter. They gobbled up their two newest grandchildren and the happiness that new life brought to any situation.

Nef was neither suspicious or blind to it all. He just...was. He was Nef.

Estelle had arrived some time later, having driven herself from her mom's house. Something of which was still an odd sight. Had Mike an actual grave, he would be rolling over in it at how his oldest child was growing up. She was a young woman of seventeen years, with her driver's license and finishing up her Junior year of high school and would be starting to apply to colleges in the fall.

As the get together wore on, Caroline became caught up in many conversations, happy for the distractions. Billie Joe and Dave kept throwing her glances from wherever they were at certain points during the evening. Even Ellis was staring at Caroline occasionally, but Caroline was aware it was for different reasons.

Giselle was dead and gone but there was still that territorial push and pull thing going on between Caroline and Ellis, only now it was over Avarielle. And if it came down to some form of battle royale, Caroline was aware that Ellis would win it. After all, the other woman had been there for the last year, raising the girl as if she were her own.

However, despite the awkward glances from a particular three and small amount of suppressed disappointment and sadness of Caroline having ditched town, the general feeling of the night was a good one. Everyone had welcomed Caroline back home, just like an astronaut returning to earth after a trip around the moon, or like that of a bird returning after its flight south for the winter.

And yes, she was home.