Nuclear Family

"I'm Mae, we're Milford Men, and we're here to fill your ears with gnarly music!"

Rita Mae, now wearing her Lovely Rita shirt, stood at her keyboard with a guitar slung over her shoulder. She was taking the reins early on, before things could get out of hand. After spending her entire life at Green Day concerts, she knew that having control was extremely important.

With a pair of x-ray specs perched on top of her head, Rita carefully watched the room that was full of people waiting to see her father and his friends perform. No one really wanted to see her play, and that was disheartening.

She looked to Drew on her left, who nodded to a spot in the crowd. Curious, she looked and saw Billie Joe standing toward the front to her right, close enough to the door to get backstage, but close enough to see as well. He was wearing a Milford Men shirt under a black blazer, and that alone made all of her worries disappear. Rita briefly made eye contact with Billie Joe, who smiled and gave his girl the thumbs up.

Billie Joe watched his daughter pull the plastic glasses down so they covered her eyes, and then she began to pour her heart into their first song of the night. He saw how she incorporated techniques that he used, but noticed that she made them all her own. Billie loved that she could multitask; guitar and a keyboard while remembering to sing backup vocals could get a little tough at times.

Grace came and stood beside Billie sometime during the second song and entwined her fingers with her husband's.

"This is her atmosphere, Beej. She's a product of our skill and your raw ambition. With enough direction, Mae could be very, very dangerous to the music world."

"It could eat her up though." Billie sighed, taking a swig of beer as he squeezed Grace's hand.

"You two need to have a music talk again. This is clearly what she wants to do. I haven't seen her so passionate towards something since soccer."

Grace caught Billie Joe's eyes with her own, giving him a stern look that said she meant business. He didn't want to have the music industry talk with his daughter. He wanted her to stay out of it all together. It seemed that the more and more he tried to push Rita away from music, the more she gravitated toward it.

"Alright everyone, Mae is gonna sing our next song. This one's called 'False Idols.'"

Billie Joe looked up at Logan, the band's singer, and shook his head. He had heard this song before while he listened in on their practices and knew that it was directed at him.

"You don't need 'em. Don't believe in him.
You're better off without him around.
Praying all alone at night
to your false idol
won't get you anywhere."

Rita Mae sang as she strummed her guitar, a Gibson Les Paul Junior that she loved more than anything, and Billie Joe shot a glance to Grace.

"She wrote it when you were on this last tour." Grace answered Billie's unspoken question, earning a slight nod from the man.

"I thought she didn't write the songs."

"Mae decided to give it a try, I guess. She was having a rough time, and I told her to do what you do. This was the result apparently." The woman wrapped her arm around her husband, leaning her head against his shoulder and watching their daughter on stage.

"Good for her. She's growing as an artist." Billie mumbled, not sure how he should be feeling at that moment. He was overwhelmed with pride, but there were red flags in the back of his mind screaming that this wasn't right.

Johnny Gallagher sidled up to Billie, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Milford Men. He noticed that Rita's once sleek, straightened hair was starting to curl, much like Billie Joe's did while he was playing a show. The only reason it didn't do that during the musical was because he had nearly a can of hair spray in it every night.

"She's got some talent. Ever considered Broadway?"

"Hell no. That's too far away from the Bay." Billie's reaction was immediate and sharp, which didn't exactly surprise John. He got the feeling that Billie Joe was a protective father, and this was only proving his theory.

"She can do whatever she wants, Beej, even if that means going to New York to be on Broadway."

Johnny let out a chuckle as Grace shut her husband down in a mere sentence. He loved the woman; she was fierce and loyal, but wasn't afraid to put the great Billie Joe Armstrong in his place. Not to mention the fact that she was lovely looking. The young actor could see why Billie loved her so much.

"No. She's going to UC Berkeley as a legacy and living at home with us forever." Billie Joe said with a final tone to his voice, making Grace roll her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Billie. We'll see how far that gets you when she complains that you smother her."

"I don't smother her! Do I?"

Grace looked to Johnny, making a silly face and earning a laugh from the younger man. She didn't want to bicker in front of him, so she didn't answer Billie Joe and turned her attention back to Mae after peeking back at the merch stand to make sure Jack had things under control.

---

Rita Mae felt like she was going to throw up as soon as she got off stage and was being hugged by her friends and band mates.

"Mae, that was sick!" Logan grinned, high-fiving Matt and Drew before he began to pack up his equipment as it was being brought off stage.

"I can't believe I sang about my dad like that in front of people that idolize him... I need to go puke. Where's the bathroom?"

Drew pointed out the door and watched as Rita ran towards it with one of her hands clasped over her mouth.

She hadn't come out by the time Billie Joe and Grace had entered the room, and the three teenagers were weary about telling them that their child was throwing up her guts.

"Where's Mae?" Grace asked the boys, who all looked at each other with wide eyes.

"She's uh.. Indisposed at the moment, Mrs. A." Matt took the initiative and spoke up.

Billie Joe heard a toilet flushing in the distance, and knew immediately that's where the girl was.

"She's hurling, isn't she?"

Grace looked to Billie, confused by his question. The boys only nodded, and Billie went across the room and knocked on the door.

"Hey, it's me. Can I come in, baby doll?" Billie Joe was sure that she was going to keep him locked out, and was surprised when the door opened slightly. He quickly walked in and shut the door behind him.

He took a look at Rita Mae, feeling sorry as he saw her pale face, panicked eyes, and heaving chest. This was exactly what he had done after he played a show in Phoenix, Arizona when he was 17 with Corrupted Morals.

"Are you alright?" Billie held his cool hand to his daughter's forehead, checking for a temperature and finding nothing.

"I feel a lot better now, thanks." She sighed shakily, leaning against the small counter beside the toilet and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Y'know, I did the exact same thing when I was about your age… Only I was in Phoenix and probably drunk. It's kinda fuzzy." Billie laughed slightly, noticing that she smiled too. He was so glad that she had gotten those Invisalign braces… Her smile was absolutely stunning

"I'm so sorry that I sang that song… I didn't want to, but the guys put it on the set list and said it was too good not to." Rita looked at Billie apologetically. She had only written that song with the intention of getting out some pent up anger; not to play to a crowd of Green Day fans that would probably accost her.

"It was a good song, baby doll. I'm honored that you wrote about me, no matter what!" He pulled his little girl in for a hug, catching himself smiling in the mirror when he felt her relax into him and breathe a sigh of relief.

"Still… I'm really, really sorry. I shouldn't have written it in the first place, even if I was mad."

"Mae, don't ever apologize for what you make. You're a musician and an Armstrong. We don't apologize for anything unless we really fuck up!" He sent his daughter a wink before leading her out of the bathroom and to her band mates before saying that he had to get ready for his set.

Grace watched Rita apprehensively as she stood at her side, waiting for the girl to say something.

"Even though Dad can be a complete asshole sometimes, he's pretty cool on occasion."

"I know, sweetie. Why don't you go help the guys out at the merch stand? Jack's been doing a good job, but he could always use an extra set of hands… Or four. If you're still out there by the time the Tubbies start, don't bother coming back here until after. If any security hassles you, show them your badge."

Rita rolled her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Grace, and nodded before making her way over to the merch tables and standing with her friends and brother to help sell swag.

When the Foxboro Hot Tubs took the stage by storm, Rita Mae felt electricity run through her. She was still selling shirts, but as soon as the music started all attention was focused on the men on stage, and for a good reason, too.

The girl had a feeling that they were going to go all out tonight; she had smelled the alcohol on Billie Joe's breath when he hugged her in the bathroom, and she knew what he was like when he was the Reverend Strychnine Twitch.

"I am the Reverend Strychnine Twitch, and tonight, my children, you will all become disciples of the church of Lushotology!"

She could only watch as he chugged half a can of PBR and tossed it aside before hurling himself into a song. The girl loved watching her father and his best friends in this environment. It was completely different from their huge stadium shows, and this truly was Billie's natural habitat.

Rita felt herself gravitating toward the stage. She wanted to be as close as she could be, so after shooting Drew a look and nodding to the stage, Rita Mae disappeared into the throng of fans with a smile on her face.

It wasn't long before she felt extremely trapped. The small building was packed to the maximum, and it was like the room was breathing. Rita started to feel anxious, so she sent a text to Drew.

Feeling some anxiety. The set is so good though. Dad is on it.

You're an idiot, Mae. Deep breaths.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, Rita continued to move through the people, winding up somewhere to the right of the stage and a few people deep in the group.

She could clearly see the stage, and smiled as her father poured a can of beer on himself. He'd probably want to hug her later, so she would have to be on her toes.

"You're Rita Mae! What are you doing here?" A teenage girl gawked at the young Armstrong, making her feel odd.

"I'm enjoying the show!" Rita smiled, running her hands through her curling hair as she bounced up and down on the balls of her heels with the beat.

Out of nowhere, someone shoved Rita and she nearly lost her balance as she stumbled into the guy in front of her.

"I'm so sorry." Rita apologized to the guy, who accepted and asked what happened.

"That chick back there shoved me." She pointed to the woman, who she recognized as the girl that shushed her during the musical.

"Oh, that's just Tanya. She's kinda creepy in her own special way... I think she's seen American Idiot like 70 times. And she always waits outside after to talk to Billie Joe. It's kinda weird." The guy spoke loudly into Rita's ear, making sure to shoot Tanya a glare.

"Oh... I'll have to tell dad to watch out for her, then. Thanks." Rita had let it slip before she could even think, and the guy shot her a look.

"Nice to meet you, Mae. I'm Daniel. You and your band are pretty good. I hope you go far."

Rita thanked him profusely before she caught Tanya eying her angrily. Saying that she would see Daniel later, she went over to Tanya and tried to stand tall.

Tanya didn't even say anything- she just smirked and shoved the younger girl again. Rita lost her footing, but regained her balance and told the woman to fuck off.

"You think you're so high and mighty, Rita Mae.. Riding on daddy's coat tails."

"I thought you liked to suck up to my dad." Rita crossed her arms over her chest, noticing that a few people nearby were starting to stare.

Tanya lashed out and grabbed the girl's hair, pulling her close and getting in a few punches before being pulled off by the people surrounding them. Rita had thrown a punch or two to Tanya's gut, but was no match for the stocky woman.

Rita felt blood trickling down from her nose and tilted her head back to try and stop the bleeding. She felt the area around her left eye starting to swell, and figured she would have a black eye soon. Once she felt that the bloody nose had subsided, she fixed her hair and sent a glare to Tanya.

The woman gasped as a pair of eerie green eyes stared up at her with a look that could probably kill. Rita Mae had a snarl on her lips and it was only made more intimidating due to the fact that she didn't do anything to wipe the decent amount of blood off of her face.

"You've just made a huge mistake." Rita didn't do anything in retaliation. Instead, she turned on her heel and pushed her way toward the stage.

Rita got as close to the stage as she could, trying to catch her father's attention. Billie was busy laying on the floor and crooning so instead, she caught Tre's eyes.

Tre waited for the song to end, and while Billie was taking a swig of beer near his drum kit, Rita saw him nodding toward her as he spoke.

Billie Joe's head turned so fast she thought he would get whiplash and they immediately locked eyes. He made a subtle motion for her to get closer so he could most likely pull her up, but Rita shook her head. She couldn't go anywhere.

Looking thoughtful, Billie then posed like he was riding a surfboard, insinuating that she crowd surf. Rita nodded, and Billie began ranting to his fans in order to stall.

"Alright, I need someone to lift me up so I can crowd surf!" Rita called, and three guys turned to help.

As soon as Billie saw the blood streaking his daughter's face, his only thought was to make sure she was okay and to hurt whoever did it to her.

He saw her floating on top of the crowd, everyone passing her to the front, where he dropped the microphone and caught his baby in his arms.

When Rita's feet were planted on the stage, Billie Joe cut his act as the Reverend and was in full-on dad mode. Mike and Tre continued playing filler music in the background, telling jokes to each other and the crowd as Billie inspected his daughter's bruising face.

"Who the fuck did this to you?"

The microphone was still on the ground, long forgotten, as Billie spoke to Rita, who briefly debated lying.

"Her name is Tanya. She shoved me in the crowd and then got some punches in after saying some stupid crap to me about you." The girl's green eyes stared up into Billie's, and she saw that his were full of anger and something she couldn't place.

"I want you to go back stage right now."

"Dad, please don't…"

"Now, Rita Mae." Billie's voice was stern, and Rita could only imagine what the concertgoers nearby were thinking and saying to one another.

Once she walked off stage and was out of sight, Billie Joe grabbed the mic and glanced at his friends before facing the filled room. He saw Mike out of the corner of his eye, motioning to someone to get security, which is just what he had wanted.

"Did you all see the girl that was just up here? Someone gave her shit and punched her in the face, and that's not okay with me. It doesn't matter who she is, she's at our show, trying to have a good time, and nobody should be hurting others here. That's not what we're about. I know who's responsible, and I want you to get the fuck out!"

Billie Joe took a deep breath; he had done things like this before. No matter what, he always had control of a crowd. He had flung himself into the crowd to beat up a guy and he had spit in some douchebag's face for practically assaulting female concertgoers. He felt like this was reasonable considering someone had assaulted his daughter.

The people in the audience were all murmuring to each other, which was driving Billie nuts. No one was turning themselves in. No one was owning up to it.

"Alright, I'm gonna have to do this the hard way. Anyone who sees a chick named Tanya- get security to kick her to the curb. Violence at our shows is not tolerated."

With that said, Billie Joe looked to Mike and Tre before nodding and continuing with the next song.

Grace cleaned Rita Mae's bloody nose up, checking for any signs of a break and finding nothing. The woman was relieved, and thanked some higher power for Rita's safety.

"She got you pretty good, Mae." Drew watched his friend as she sat on a table in a dressing room, Grace in front of her with some alcohol swabs from a first aid kit.

"If she didn't have such a grip on my hair, I would've kicked her fucking ass." Rita seethed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're scrappy, just like Billie. You would've put up a good fight, but gotten your ass kicked regardless." Grace laughed at her daughter; she and Billie were all talk and no action when it came to picking fights. She could only remember Billie Joe fighting a few times, and that was only when he was really provoked.

"It was that woman that shushed me and Jack during the show. I saw her talking to Dad once we left the theatre and someone told me that she's a pseudo-stalker or some crap like that… She had the nerve to say that I was riding on Dad's coattails. I almost fucking lost it."

"You look pretty badass with all that blood on your face though, Mae." Drew grinned, giving the girl the thumbs up and snapping a few pictures with his phone for posterity, saying that it was going to be the picture for whenever she called him.

"I don't feel very badass." Rita shrugged, she tried to defend herself in a situation, it wasn't like she went looking for a fight. Then she asked how Drew had gotten backstage all the way from the merch table.

"I saw you crowd surfing and then that whole thing on stage with Billie, so I booked it back here as fast as I could."

Grace dug into her purse, handing Rita Mae two small pills and a bottle of water, saying that she would probably feel awful in the morning if she didn't take the Tylenol.

They first thing Billie Joe did after he finished the encore and got off the stage was find Rita Mae. The girl was sitting on a table, her legs crossed underneath her, and her arms propped up on her knees. Her head was in her hands, and he could hear her making slight groaning noises.

"Baby doll, are you alright?" Billie saw her look up, a slight smile spreading over her face.

"I'm gonna have a huge black eye, aren't I?"

Billie Joe could already see a circle of skin darkening around her eye, so he nodded and let out a humorless laugh.

"Guess there's a first time for everything, huh?" Rita tried to lighten the mood, but Billie Joe frowned.

"This shouldn't have happened. It's my job to make sure everyone at my shows is okay, and I couldn't even keep an eye out for my own kid."

"Dad, it isn't your fault. That bitch had it out for me, and now it's over. Just be glad that it wasn't some undeserving fan that got the shit kicked out of them."

"And you deserved it? Why did you deserve that black eye, huh? Because of who I am?" Billie was getting angry, and Grace wanted to step in, so she did.

"Why don't we talk about this another time? It's late, and we still need to pack up the rest of the merch."

Billie and Rita looked over to Grace, nodding hesitantly and following the woman out of the venue to the trucks.