Family Reunion

Christmas 05 was one to remember for Rose. This was the first time she had been with a whole bunch of family for the holidays. Not only did she have them; but she had her Frank.

Mike and his family all came to celebrate with the Armstrongs.

Tré dressed up as Santa and he and his entire family went over to Billie Joe's, including Ramona's mother Lisea.

"Hey... Merry Christmas," Billie Joe said from the front door with a pair of antlers on his head as the guests started arriving.

Rose came in the front door with Tré and smiled at her cousin. "Aw you look adorable... "

"Why thank you," Billie Joe grinned.

"Merry Christmas," Billie Joe said to Frankito, Ramona and Lisea.

"Merry Christmas," the all smiled simultaneously.

Billie Joe closed the front door and before it was all the way shut the doorbell went off again. He opened it quickly.

"Hi! Merry Christmas!" said a woman's voice.

Tré recognized that voice and it made him shudder. He turned around to see Sarah coming in the doorway with her boyfriend. He sighed and pretended to be on friendly terms with the sister of his girlfriend.

"Hi Sarah!" Rose said happily and she ran over and gave her sister a hug.

"Hey little one," Sarah sighed to her younger sister and gave a convincing friendly smile.

Rose turned back to look at Frank and she smiled. He returned the smile and could tell how happy she was. Her happiness radiated off of her. "Sarah come with me I want to give you something... " Rose said grabbing her sister by the hand.

Tré watched as one loving sister pulled another hateful sister towards the Christmas tree. Rose picked a gift up from under the tree and passed it to her sister. "Here, I hope you like it."

Sarah sighed again and slowly unwrapped, the gift. It was very light but shoved in a good size box. Rose anxiously waited to see the look on her sister's face when she saw it.

"Hmm what's this," Sarah said. She finally managed to get it out and she turned it over. What she saw stunned her.

It was a framed picture of her and Rose when they were both young children; when they use to be best friends. "Oh my god; Rose... I don't know what to say," Sarah said. At this moment her feelings for her sister became neutral. She was reminded of her childhood and the happier times the sisters had shared.

"You like it?" Rose asked.

"Yes I love it... " Sarah said. "Where did you get this picture?"

"I found it while snooping around Billie's house," Rose laughed.

"Nice one," Sarah smiled.

"Hey! I heard that... " Billie Joe said from the foyer.

"Calm down Billie... " Rose said.

"Wow, I just. I'm sorry Rose... " Sarah said and as she stared at this picture of lost time she felt like crying.

"Why are you sorry?" Rose had to ask.

"Ah... Never mind. Just for ignoring you all this time... I guess," Sarah said.

"Ah, that's okay. Let's just concentrate on being friends now, okay?" Rose smiled.

"Yeah, for sure," Sarah said nodding her head and then wiping a tear that quickly came down her face.

"Aw," Rose said and she gave her sister a hug.

Tré was witnessing all of this from a far; the sight of Rose hugging her sister, and Sarah crying over something. It was confusing him a great deal how Sarah was acting like she had emotions besides cruel sadistic ones.

"I love you," Rose said to her sister before turning around and coming back over to Tre.

Sarah turned her head and looked at Tre.

Tre looked at her and the two just didn't know what to think at that moment.

Adrienne made a beautiful turkey dinner and had set the table with red candles and a nice green reef centerpiece. Granddad was enjoying laughing with all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren for what seemed he must have formed alzheimers disease to be letting loose like he was.

Granddad and the rest of the family of course, knew by now that Rose was pregnant. It just couldn't stay hidden very easily. They were also well aware that it was Tré's child. When Marcy questioned her brother about it, Billie Joe just couldn't lie.

Tré had been thinking of doing this a lot lately. He was truly in love with Rose and he couldn't picture himself being with any other woman ever. Not even the likes of Sarah who he absolutely despised.

As dinner was finishing up Tré tapped on his wine glass lightly with a spoon. Everybody quieted down as Tré stood up from his seat. Rose looked up at him wondering what words would come out of his mouth.

Tré was slightly nervous as he began to speak, "I...I want to make a toast to Rose. She is the most special woman I've ever met," he said and he turned towards her. "Rose, when I first laid eyes on you I thought 'wow there's someone I really want to bang,'" Tre said as everyone's jaws dropped to the floor. Rose placed a hand up over her face, looking slightly embarrassed. Tre took her hand in his and continued. "But then I got to know you, I realized you were way more then a beautiful face. A beautiful face like Billie's," Tre smiled and turned to Billie Joe. Billie Joe smiled back at Tré and shook his head. The drummer could tell his friend thought he was a crazy bastard. "I realized after being away from you on tour, and that time I went to New York when I said I was in Hawaii with my kids; that I need you. You're the air that I breathe and I really would be nothing with out you."

Rose silently sat and listened as Tré professed his love to her. She thought it was nice he finally decided to tell her where he had gone when he was supposedly in Hawaii. "So what are you saying?" Rose asked.

Tré stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small object. He got down on one knee and proposed to her right there in the presence of her entire family, "Miss Rose, will you please marry me?"

"Oh my god..." Rose gasped in shock. "Frank...oh wow...yes!" she exclaimed the hugest smile on her face.

"Yes!" Tre shrieked happily. He placed the ring on her finger then jumped up and hugged her. "You're the best!"

The rest of the family was very quiet and just as shocked as Rose. Tré hadn't spoken of this to any of them prior to doing it just now. "Holy fuck..." Mike said from the back of the table.

Everybody started laughing. "Oh I love you!" Rose shouted over everyone's laughter.

"I love you more!" Tré smiled and kissed her passionately.

Sarah nodded her head with a smile on her face. But besides feeling happiness for the couple she was also feeling jealousy. Why did she have to blackmail Tré into being with her? Why couldn't he have just loved her the way he loved Rose?

***

A month later and in January of the new year Tré was lying on the couch at his house with an eight month pregnant Rose who was laying in the opposite direction with her feet near his face. They had been watching TV, but it got muted when they decided to talk.

"What's it like to have another life growing inside of you?" Tré asked his new fiancé.

"I don't know, it's kind of weird," Rose explained. She really didn't know how else to describe it.

"Hmm yeah, I guess I can see it being weird," Tré agreed.

"What's it like to look at me and see that my body is changing as a result of something you did?" Rose smiled asking an equally difficult question.

"I think it's hot," Tré laughed. "And I did."

"You do?" Rose said, ignoring the latter slutty comment he made.

"Yeah, your body looks so beautiful. I mean it always was, but you just look more womanly now. And I really love it," Tré said.

"Hmm...good answer," Rose said and she kissed Tre's big toe.

"Thank ya," Tre smiled.

"Hmm, this toe matches your nose you know that?" Billie's younger kin giggled.

"My nose?" Tré replied, puzzled by what she meant.

"Yeah they're both big and perfect," Rose said.

"What is with everybody and my nose?" Tré asked, holding his hand up over his nose protectively.

"It's adorable. But everybody can forget about your nose; because it's my nose now," Rose laughed.

"Frig you're cute Rosie," Tré smirked. "I'll have to announce to the world that my trademark nose no longer belongs to me, but to my wife to be! Hey that rhymes, I should write a song like that."

"You dork," Rose smiled with glee and she rested her head back on the armrest of the massive couch.