So Everybody Loves You

Adeline's POV

It's been two months now since Billie did the great deed that he did, letting Melanie live with us. He's such an amazing man. Today was flu shot day. Maria, Melanie, and Jacoby were all going to get their annual flu shots today. I, unfortunately, had to work today. So Billie, Mike, and Tre were handling the shots. This should be interesting. I walked into the kitchen as my kids were sitting at the table eating their bowls of cereal for breakfast. "Good morning babies!" I said in a sing-song voice. Walking around the table and kissing each of them on the cheek. "Morning mom!" I heard back. Yes, even Melanie, was used to calling Billie Joe and I, Mom and Dad. We adored her, loved and cared for her, and took care of her every need. Treated her just as if she were one of our own. We didn't want her feeling any different or any less. Jacoby and Maria, gratefully, didn't have a problem with that, but treated her just like their own sister too. With less fighting. I walked over to Billie Joe and pulled him away from the coffee maker. "Give me a kiss big boy, I gotta leave in a few." He smirked. "Alrighty then." He pulled me into a long sweet kiss. When we broke away, I walked back to where the kids were. "You guys be good for the boys today okay? Today's flu shot today as you know, and Mommy can't be there this year. I have to work. So Daddy and Uncle Mike and Tre are gonna take care of it, koppeeshe?" "Koppeeshe." I got in return. "Don't worry Melanie, I know you're not used to these things hunny, but Billie Joe will be right there holding your hand okay baby?" I said, kneeling down next to her. She nodded. "Okay." I kissed her head and blew a few more kisses to everyone else and was on my way to work.

Billie Joe's POV

"Okay, you guys ready?" "Yep!" Jacoby said instantly. Maria and Melanie just kinda nodded. "Come on girls, it'll be okay! All ya gotta do is close your eyes and think of me!" Tre said, trying to entertain them as they sat nervously in the waiting room. "Think of...you?" Melanie asked. "Yeah sure, me! Why not? Look, I'm a big huge elephant! He started imitating an elephant and stomping around making the younger girls giggle. I shook my head looking down towards the floor. "Come on Mike! Help me out! Yeah girls, Uncle Mike's a monkey!" "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Mike groaned. "Come on Mike, don't be a zoo party pooper!" Tre whacked him over the head. "Now monkey dance!" "Ugh!" Mike groaned again as he stood and did the 'monkey dance.' Me and the girls were in fits of laughter now, cracking up, as Jacoby decided he'd join the two morons and be a wort hog. "Oh what's so funny Billie?" Mike asked. "Because you just so happen to be a rhino!" He shouted. "No, no, no, no." I said, suddenly not laughing anymore but shaking my head and holding up my hands in protest. "Oh yes!" Tre said, pulling me over in front of the girls." "You have got to be kidding me!" I mimicked Mike. "Come on Dad!" Jacoby encouraged. It was my turn to groan as I gave into the younger child. A few minutes later, the nurse came out. "Okay, we're ready for the Arm-strongs?" She said the last part slowly with a questioningly look on her face as she looked at the newly formed zoo in the waiting room. "Thank you God." I muttered to myself, quickly regaining my composure as did the rest of them. "Come on Maria, come on Melanie." They stood from their seats and slowly followed us in there.

"I don't wanna." Melanie stated simply, but nervously. "Look, how bout this, Jacoby, since he's a big strong boy, can go first, and then you two can go. Okay?" They nodded. Jacoby hopped up on the doctor's office bed thing. "Hello Jacoby, how are you today?" The nurse asked kindly. "I'm good." "You gonna be a brave boy for your little sisters?" "Yep!" "Okay then!" She cleaned his arm and sterilized it and all that and let him know when the needle was going in. She was very gentle. I was very grateful. "Okay, all done!" Jacoby had simply closed his eyes and turned his head. Not cried out once for the sake of his sisters. He did great! She gave him a Daffy Duck bandage and he hopped down. "Okay Maria. How about you next honey?" She asked. Maria clung to my side even tighter. I smiled at the nurse and held up a finger telling her yo give me a minute. I knelt down next to Maria. "Come on baby, you've had this done before right?" She nodded. "Can't you do it again for Daddy?" She shook her head no. I sighed. "How would Mommy make it different if she were here?" She stood silently. I looked up to Jacoby. "She usually let's her squeeze her hand, and Mom usually carries lollipops so that she can have one after it's over." "Great." I muttered. "I have no lollipops." I could've hit Tre when he snickered. "But you can squeeze my hand honey." I tried to convince her." She still had worry in her eyes. "Okay, tell ya what. Get the shot now, and then instead of a lollipop, I'll take you out for lunch and ice cream after it's over. Sound good?" She waited a minute before nodding. I sighed a sigh of relief and stood in front of the nurse again. "She's all yours." I smiled. She helped Maria up onto the bed thing and I stood next to her and let her squeeze my hand. As the nurse was cleaning and sterilizing her arm, Maria looked up at me with huge scared eyes. "Awe, what is it baby?" "Tell me, Daddy, I won't feel a thing." She said. I smiled and kissed her cheek. "You won't feel a thing." "Okay, on three Maria." The nurse said. "One, two, three." Maria shut her eyes and jerked her head away, burying it into my shoulder and I rubbed her back soothingly. Before she had time to say "Tre likes chickens." It was over. And she was fine. She smiled up at me and I kissed her nose. "See, not hard at all is it?" She shook her head no and hopped down. Jacoby and Maria's bravery gave Melanie courage. I picked her up and sat her on the bed thing and held onto her, much as I had done with Maria. She winced a little and her eyes got teary, that being her first shot, but other than that she was fine.

After getting their shots taken care of, I had taken them out to lunch as promised. We were sitting at McDonald's watching Tre and Mike have a chicken nugget eating contest. Good Lord they were idiots. Me and Melanie were routing for Mike, Marie and Jacoby were routing for Tre. Just as they were each down to about 7 chicken nuggets outta 50, my cell rang. "Hello?" "I'm watching you." A strange, deep voice came from the other line. "Excuse me?" "You heard me Armstrong, I've got my eye on you." I quickly glanced around the entire McDonald's and saw nobody else on a cell but a woman laughing. It couldn't be her. I heard a click on the other line and then a dial tone. He was gone. The cheers for Tre brought me back to realization. "Hey, who was that buddy? The girlfriend?" Tre asked. "No, no it wasn't. Uh, I think it's time to go now." I said, getting up and pulling Melanie and Maria with me. "What? But we haven't even been here that long." Tre protested. "We need to go home." I stated. "What about ice cream Daddy?" Maria asked. "Daddy will take care of that baby, we gotta go." "Are you okay Billie?" Mike asked. "Yeah fine, terrific in fact. Let's go." With out further conversation, I led them to the parking lot and onto the car. As soon as we got into the house, I made sure it was locked up tight and sent the kids to the rec room to play. "Is there something you wanna tell us Beej?" Mike asked. "Yeah, you've been acting like a chicken with a migraine that just got it's head cut off bud, what's up?" Tre asked. "That phone call, that's what." "What about it?" Mike questioned. "Somebody's-" "Yeah.." "Some-Somebody's watching me."