Status: Active
Fireproof
017
The two weeks that I spent in California were filled with many steamy nights and days, fights over who was going to keep Blaze, and the four guys had managed to pull together a benefit concert for home lined up with some pretty big stars who were willing to donate their time to help my town get back on its feet. Although I was definitely looking forward to the upcoming concert, that meant I had to return home and leave California and Nikki which I wasn’t too thrilled about. Nikki had promised to stay in Oklahoma with me for a few weeks until it was time for his next back surgery for which I go back to California to be with him for a week or two while he recovered.
“Ready to hit the road home, baby?” Nikki asked as we loaded the last of our stuff into the trailer that was going to be pulled behind the bus.
“If I must.”
“Hey, you know you are ready to get back to fighting fires and flying again. I’m going to be with you. No sad faces.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
The long ride back to Oklahoma was uneventful except for a very unusually fussy Blaze who wasn’t happy unless Nikki had him. I finally gave up trying to give Nikki a break and let the guys have their male bonding time. Thankfully Nikki was a good sport about it.
The convoy rolled into what used to be my driveway sometime the next day and I was shocked to find a halfway finished house. Aiden and his crew was busy working on it but stopped as the crew pulled in. I was not only shocked at the progress that they had made on the house, but as well as the progress the entire town had made since I had gone to California. It was going to be a while before things returned to normal, but people sure weren’t wasting any time.
“How was cali?” Aiden asked as we walked out of the bus.
“It was fun. I’m still pissed at you by the way.” I told him.
“You always did know how to hold a grudge.”
“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such a fucking dick.”
I ignored whatever comments he made and went straight to the hangar to my airplanes. I had to get the Black Eagle ready for the concert tomorrow night because we were doing a flyover before the concert started. I figured I would take the plane up later and have a little bit of fun. I was missing it.
“Watcha up to there, ace?” Nikki asked as he walked into the hangar.
“Nothing. Hanging out with my airplanes.”
"You’re so damn cute. Me and the guys are going to head into town and visit some of the shelters. Blaze is asleep in his swing in the bus. Are you good to watch him?”
“Yeah. I feel like a nap myself. You alright? You look like you don’t feel good or something.”
I jumped down off the wing of the plane and walked over to him, relaxing into his arms as he wrapped them around me. We hadn’t done very much of this on the way home since the baby wasn’t happy anywhere else but Nikki’s arms.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little tired and my back is hurting a little but that’s nothing new these days. I’m ready to get this surgery over with.”
“I know. I wish I could make it stop.”
“You do.” He smiled. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay. Have fun.”
I spent the rest of the afternoon close to the bus to listen for Blaze. Criss came over when he got off work and claimed his son. The smile on his face was heart warming. It was a definite complete 180 from the first five minutes I was with him after learning about Blaze. His apartment building had suffered only minor damage from the tornado and had the repairs had been finished while I was away so Criss took the baby back with him. That allowed me to finish getting the plane ready and I got cleaned up and waited on the guys to get back.
I was sitting in the bus minding my own business and watching tv when the door to the bus opened and I was suddenly being sprayed with water. Tommy started laughing and took off running back out of the bus as I jumped up to chase after him. I had no idea how I was going to get him back but he wasn’t getting off easy that was for sure. I chased him around the bus and caught up to him right as we came upon a huge mudhole. Even though I had already had a shower and was ready to settle down for the night, this was going to be worth it. I wrapped my arms around his small frame and slung the both of us into the mudhole. I jerked the water gun away from him, straddled his stomach and emptied the water gun into his face.
“Okay okay! I give!” He yelled. “Dammit Nikki. You’ve got your hands full.”
I picked myself up out of the mud and turned to see the small crowd that had gathered which consisted of Vince, Mick, Nikki, Aiden and some of his friends. I looked at Nikki.
“Let this be a lesson.”
“Hey, what did I do?” He asked
“Nothing. I’m just saying.”
“I warned you Tommy.” Aiden smiled from the corner of Mick’s bus.
“You’re pretty cute all dirty and muddy.” Nikki smiled.
“Yeah? I think you need to join in on the fun.”
“No, I think I’m go---“
I cut him off by wrapping my arms around him tightly, making sure to get him as muddy as I possibly could. I even took it a step further and rubbed mud all in his perfectly fixed hair. He stood there for a second trying to comprehend that I had actually done what I had and then he took off after me. He caught me quickly because I hadn’t been expecting him to come chasing after me. He picked me up and laid me down gently in the mud puddle making sure to completely cover me with mud. I wasn’t sure whether to interpret his actions as sticking up for what I had done to Tommy or because of what I had done to him. Either way, it was all in good fun and we were definitely enjoying ourselves.
The next day was very busy as we spent it in town getting the stage ready for the concert tonight and doing various things. It had been super fun meeting the rockstars that Nikki and the guys had managed to get on board. Alice Cooper, DJ Ashba and James Michael of Nikki’s other band Sixx A.M., and a few country singers were among the bigger stars there. It was going to be a good night full of some good music.
I left about an hour before the concert started to get back to my house and in the plane to go meet the rest of pilots that were taking part in the flyover at the beginning of the concert. We approached the very crowded concert area just as DJ Ashba finished playing the national anthem on his guitar. As we flew over the stage, I broke out of formation and flew away from the others, a symbol of remembrance for all of those that had lost their lives in the storm. I got chills as I did so, that day forever a bad memory locked inside my mind.
I landed and made it to the concert just in time to catch Alice Cooper and then Motley Crue perform. I think it was safe to say that after several weeks of hard work and heart ache that the town was actually enjoying themselves. I was happy to be a part of it and see everyone else enjoying it too. Even though it was turning out to be a great night so far, I was ready to get my bassist home and cuddle with him.
“Ready to hit the road home, baby?” Nikki asked as we loaded the last of our stuff into the trailer that was going to be pulled behind the bus.
“If I must.”
“Hey, you know you are ready to get back to fighting fires and flying again. I’m going to be with you. No sad faces.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
The long ride back to Oklahoma was uneventful except for a very unusually fussy Blaze who wasn’t happy unless Nikki had him. I finally gave up trying to give Nikki a break and let the guys have their male bonding time. Thankfully Nikki was a good sport about it.
The convoy rolled into what used to be my driveway sometime the next day and I was shocked to find a halfway finished house. Aiden and his crew was busy working on it but stopped as the crew pulled in. I was not only shocked at the progress that they had made on the house, but as well as the progress the entire town had made since I had gone to California. It was going to be a while before things returned to normal, but people sure weren’t wasting any time.
“How was cali?” Aiden asked as we walked out of the bus.
“It was fun. I’m still pissed at you by the way.” I told him.
“You always did know how to hold a grudge.”
“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such a fucking dick.”
I ignored whatever comments he made and went straight to the hangar to my airplanes. I had to get the Black Eagle ready for the concert tomorrow night because we were doing a flyover before the concert started. I figured I would take the plane up later and have a little bit of fun. I was missing it.
“Watcha up to there, ace?” Nikki asked as he walked into the hangar.
“Nothing. Hanging out with my airplanes.”
"You’re so damn cute. Me and the guys are going to head into town and visit some of the shelters. Blaze is asleep in his swing in the bus. Are you good to watch him?”
“Yeah. I feel like a nap myself. You alright? You look like you don’t feel good or something.”
I jumped down off the wing of the plane and walked over to him, relaxing into his arms as he wrapped them around me. We hadn’t done very much of this on the way home since the baby wasn’t happy anywhere else but Nikki’s arms.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little tired and my back is hurting a little but that’s nothing new these days. I’m ready to get this surgery over with.”
“I know. I wish I could make it stop.”
“You do.” He smiled. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay. Have fun.”
I spent the rest of the afternoon close to the bus to listen for Blaze. Criss came over when he got off work and claimed his son. The smile on his face was heart warming. It was a definite complete 180 from the first five minutes I was with him after learning about Blaze. His apartment building had suffered only minor damage from the tornado and had the repairs had been finished while I was away so Criss took the baby back with him. That allowed me to finish getting the plane ready and I got cleaned up and waited on the guys to get back.
I was sitting in the bus minding my own business and watching tv when the door to the bus opened and I was suddenly being sprayed with water. Tommy started laughing and took off running back out of the bus as I jumped up to chase after him. I had no idea how I was going to get him back but he wasn’t getting off easy that was for sure. I chased him around the bus and caught up to him right as we came upon a huge mudhole. Even though I had already had a shower and was ready to settle down for the night, this was going to be worth it. I wrapped my arms around his small frame and slung the both of us into the mudhole. I jerked the water gun away from him, straddled his stomach and emptied the water gun into his face.
“Okay okay! I give!” He yelled. “Dammit Nikki. You’ve got your hands full.”
I picked myself up out of the mud and turned to see the small crowd that had gathered which consisted of Vince, Mick, Nikki, Aiden and some of his friends. I looked at Nikki.
“Let this be a lesson.”
“Hey, what did I do?” He asked
“Nothing. I’m just saying.”
“I warned you Tommy.” Aiden smiled from the corner of Mick’s bus.
“You’re pretty cute all dirty and muddy.” Nikki smiled.
“Yeah? I think you need to join in on the fun.”
“No, I think I’m go---“
I cut him off by wrapping my arms around him tightly, making sure to get him as muddy as I possibly could. I even took it a step further and rubbed mud all in his perfectly fixed hair. He stood there for a second trying to comprehend that I had actually done what I had and then he took off after me. He caught me quickly because I hadn’t been expecting him to come chasing after me. He picked me up and laid me down gently in the mud puddle making sure to completely cover me with mud. I wasn’t sure whether to interpret his actions as sticking up for what I had done to Tommy or because of what I had done to him. Either way, it was all in good fun and we were definitely enjoying ourselves.
The next day was very busy as we spent it in town getting the stage ready for the concert tonight and doing various things. It had been super fun meeting the rockstars that Nikki and the guys had managed to get on board. Alice Cooper, DJ Ashba and James Michael of Nikki’s other band Sixx A.M., and a few country singers were among the bigger stars there. It was going to be a good night full of some good music.
I left about an hour before the concert started to get back to my house and in the plane to go meet the rest of pilots that were taking part in the flyover at the beginning of the concert. We approached the very crowded concert area just as DJ Ashba finished playing the national anthem on his guitar. As we flew over the stage, I broke out of formation and flew away from the others, a symbol of remembrance for all of those that had lost their lives in the storm. I got chills as I did so, that day forever a bad memory locked inside my mind.
I landed and made it to the concert just in time to catch Alice Cooper and then Motley Crue perform. I think it was safe to say that after several weeks of hard work and heart ache that the town was actually enjoying themselves. I was happy to be a part of it and see everyone else enjoying it too. Even though it was turning out to be a great night so far, I was ready to get my bassist home and cuddle with him.