It Began With A Gunshot
Mourning
**August 20th 1996**
*Billie Joe's POV*
Adrienne and I walked out of the hospital, chatting and laughing. We walked across the street into a small café and sat down.
"So," Adrienne smiled. "What are you most looking forward to now you're out of hospital?"
"Hmm," I frowned. "Playing my guitar. Well, when my wrist is fixed. What about you?"
"Seeing my daughter."
"Oh. Are you...single?" I gulped and smiled nervously.
"Yes. I am." She smiled back.
"Would you...would you maybe like to go out sometime?"
"I'd like that."
*Mike's POV*
I crept up behind my son, Louie and suddenly reached out, picked him up and turned him upside down.
He squealed. "Daddy! You're home!"
"Yeah! I've got a surprise for you," I said, putting him on my knee.
"What?" He hugged me tight.
"Ta da!" I pulled out brochures for Disneyland. "In two weeks you and I are going to Disneyland in California!"
"Really?" he gasped. "Yaaay!"
He started running around the garden singing all the Disney songs he knew.
My mother walked outside, glanced at Louie and sighed.
"I just calmed him down. Honestly Michael, I don't know what to do with you."
"Well," I said, my smile fading. "I've got the next two days off and I'll be looking after him then so we're going to go now."
"Don't you have a kiss for your mother?" She frowned and held her arms out to me.
I went and kissed her cheek and she hugged me awkwardly.
"Alright then. Louie's things are in his room. Off you go."
I picked up Louie and we got his things. I strapped him in the car and drove away, waving good bye to my Mom.
"Daddy, can we play your bass?" Louie asked.
"Louie, your fingers are too short," I smiled. We had this argument every time I picked him up.
"No they're not! I've got long fingers! Big, grown up fingers!" He held out his hands towards me. We stopped at a red light and I put my palm against his. His fingers didn't even cover the height of my palms.
"They're too short mister," I tweaked his nose and carried on driving.
"Fine, but one day I'll be older than you and I'll tell you what to do," he crossed his arms and turned to look out of the window as I grinned. God I love kids.
*Frank's POV*
I held Lily in her black dress as I made small talk with important members of the senate.
"Mm, I'll try and get that report done, but I just don't know if I'll have the time," I said to Senator Greene. "I mean, I have to look after Lily now."
Senator Greene laughed. "My dear man, that's what nannies are for!"
"I'm not giving my daughter to a stranger. I'm her father, I'm going to look after her."
"Eleanor would have wanted Lily to have a nanny."
I gulped. "Well, unfortunately Eleanor isn't here to make that decision." I walked away towards the doors. Anne stopped me.
"Sir, they're waiting for a speech."
I sighed and walked behind the podium.
"Hello, everybody. Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed members of the senate, I just want to thank you for coming to celebrate Eleanor's life and mourn her loss. I appreciate all the support you have given me throughout this difficult time. I have to go now, but you are welcome to stay and chat, eat and whatever else you like. Thank you again."
I walked off the stage and through the corridors to Lily's nursery. I changed her diaper, put her in her pyjamas and in her crib. I lay on the bed I put next to it and held her tiny hand through the bars.
"We're going to be OK, sweetheart, I promise. It's just you and me now, you're the most important thing in my life and I'm never going to leave you, I promise," I whispered to her and she turned her head. "You're all that matters now."
*Billie Joe's POV*
Adrienne and I walked out of the hospital, chatting and laughing. We walked across the street into a small café and sat down.
"So," Adrienne smiled. "What are you most looking forward to now you're out of hospital?"
"Hmm," I frowned. "Playing my guitar. Well, when my wrist is fixed. What about you?"
"Seeing my daughter."
"Oh. Are you...single?" I gulped and smiled nervously.
"Yes. I am." She smiled back.
"Would you...would you maybe like to go out sometime?"
"I'd like that."
*Mike's POV*
I crept up behind my son, Louie and suddenly reached out, picked him up and turned him upside down.
He squealed. "Daddy! You're home!"
"Yeah! I've got a surprise for you," I said, putting him on my knee.
"What?" He hugged me tight.
"Ta da!" I pulled out brochures for Disneyland. "In two weeks you and I are going to Disneyland in California!"
"Really?" he gasped. "Yaaay!"
He started running around the garden singing all the Disney songs he knew.
My mother walked outside, glanced at Louie and sighed.
"I just calmed him down. Honestly Michael, I don't know what to do with you."
"Well," I said, my smile fading. "I've got the next two days off and I'll be looking after him then so we're going to go now."
"Don't you have a kiss for your mother?" She frowned and held her arms out to me.
I went and kissed her cheek and she hugged me awkwardly.
"Alright then. Louie's things are in his room. Off you go."
I picked up Louie and we got his things. I strapped him in the car and drove away, waving good bye to my Mom.
"Daddy, can we play your bass?" Louie asked.
"Louie, your fingers are too short," I smiled. We had this argument every time I picked him up.
"No they're not! I've got long fingers! Big, grown up fingers!" He held out his hands towards me. We stopped at a red light and I put my palm against his. His fingers didn't even cover the height of my palms.
"They're too short mister," I tweaked his nose and carried on driving.
"Fine, but one day I'll be older than you and I'll tell you what to do," he crossed his arms and turned to look out of the window as I grinned. God I love kids.
*Frank's POV*
I held Lily in her black dress as I made small talk with important members of the senate.
"Mm, I'll try and get that report done, but I just don't know if I'll have the time," I said to Senator Greene. "I mean, I have to look after Lily now."
Senator Greene laughed. "My dear man, that's what nannies are for!"
"I'm not giving my daughter to a stranger. I'm her father, I'm going to look after her."
"Eleanor would have wanted Lily to have a nanny."
I gulped. "Well, unfortunately Eleanor isn't here to make that decision." I walked away towards the doors. Anne stopped me.
"Sir, they're waiting for a speech."
I sighed and walked behind the podium.
"Hello, everybody. Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed members of the senate, I just want to thank you for coming to celebrate Eleanor's life and mourn her loss. I appreciate all the support you have given me throughout this difficult time. I have to go now, but you are welcome to stay and chat, eat and whatever else you like. Thank you again."
I walked off the stage and through the corridors to Lily's nursery. I changed her diaper, put her in her pyjamas and in her crib. I lay on the bed I put next to it and held her tiny hand through the bars.
"We're going to be OK, sweetheart, I promise. It's just you and me now, you're the most important thing in my life and I'm never going to leave you, I promise," I whispered to her and she turned her head. "You're all that matters now."