14 years - Axl Rose x OC

32

It made sense for them to move in together, but nothing was official yet. If anything, Axl and Lita would both prefer to buy some place together, somewhere their previous partners hadn't inhabited.

She made it to the hole in the door, peaking through it. Outside the apartment, a man stood. His back faced Lita's eyes, and he was positioned towards the door of her neighbor across the way. He turned slightly, revealing a paper in his hand, but Lita couldn't tell what it said.

This guy had light brown hair with blonde roots peeking out from under the hood of his jacket that was pulled tightly. It wasn't that cold, was it? For California? A large silver band was around his ring finger, obviously seen as he thumbed through the paper in his hand.

He turned again to knock, and Lita saw his face.

An exasperated squeal came from Lita's lips when she recognized her brother. She hadn't seen him in a few years, but Christopher was recognizable at every point in his life. His face didn't always look the same, but he always radiated a comfort that Lita always clinged to, something essential in her life, and she could point that, him, out anywhere.

Lita grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, immediately wrapping her arms around Chris' neck. He was a little terrified at this suddenness. All the tiredness obliterated Lita's spirit as she hugged her brother.

"Oh, Chris! It's you!"

"Hey Lita." He was equally as happy to see her, but his voice omitted that feeling, and he sounded sad, for whatever reason. He was gloomy, an emotion so un-Chris-like.

"Can I come in?" he asked, and Lita moved aside, still not registering his mood.

"Yeah, of course!" And Christopher followed his sister down the hallway, passed the entrance to the living room, and into the kitchen. Axl had moved from the couch and was now in the doorway, listening in on them. Lita saw him. "Just give me one second."

She pulled Axl into the kitchen, holding his hand and standing next to him (almost like she was glued to his side again) and she spoke: "Chris, you remember Axl?"

It took a moment for the older man to register the name. He knew who 'Axl' was, but it was hard to dissociate his Lafayette persona 'Bill' from the grown man before him. Last time Chris saw him, Axl was a scrawny teenager, his hair wasn't long, and he definitely didn't have the tattoos on him like he did now. He'd also seen the news, which included a photo of Axl and Lita.

Suffice to say, Christopher Monroe was caught up in all of his sister's drama, even if he wasn't in the picture.

"Yeah, yeah. How's it goin' man? I haven't seen you since you're a kid."

Axl nodded back to him in agreement.

It was undeniably awkward between the three of them, and Chris broke that tension: "Did gramma call you recently?"

"No, I haven't heard anything. I haven't really spoken to any of them since I left. Why?"

"Something happened to mom."

Confused, Lita urged him to continue. She didn't understand him; why would he come all the way from Washington to tell Lita something she already knew. What happened to her mom? What happened was the lady turned into a psycho bitch the last few years Lita lived with her.

Something 'being wrong' with her mother was nothing new.

"She died," Chris explained, looking at the tile floor.

"Is there a funeral?" Lita asked. "Any arrangements made for her?" Lita could be mean, insensitive, and she did down-right hate the lady. But her now-dead mother would probably appreciate some kindness while she faced her judgment somewhere up above.