Another Five Years

When the Levee Breaks

*Fall 1996*

Dave folded himself into an office chair in front of the soundboard. Something was off on Monkeywrench and but he couldn't figure out what it was just yet. He stared down at the board, idly daydreaming about how great it would be to have a studio in his own house. If he were to have a model for one, it would be Bear Creek Studios. The couple that owned it was welcoming, the studio felt like home and being out in the woods away from the craziness of Seattle was a much-needed break. The band had been touring nonstop to support the debut album and the press being generated was surprisingly positive. He had assumed it would be dismissed as a fluff piece by the tragic Nirvana drummer, but now everyone was asking 'What's next?'. Nirvana was still the first thing anyone asked about, still what everyone wanted to hear and get the dirt on, but Dave was thrilled with the way the Foo Fighters were being received.

Anna hadn't come on tour like Jennifer and Kate had. Dave had been disappointed initially, but Kate had mentioned that she had been accepted into a masters program at UW and was neck deep in thesis work. It was some consolation that Anna was apparently happy and doing what she loved, but he missed her and could have used her unique brand of pep talk more than once to calm his nerves. They hadn't spoken or seen each other since the night at the Marine Building and William wasn't exactly being discreet about his liaisons with the girls Dave had politely turned down. There was a particularly unpleasant encounter when Dave went to go sleep off a buzz on the bus, only to find that William had corralled some poor girl there.

"Fuck, dude! Not on the bus!"

"Why not?" William asked, lifting his head off the back of the couch where a blonde was kneeling before him.

"Because we have to sit there! My wife is on this tour, man!" And because Anna is back home working her ass off to support you and doesn't deserve to be gifted with herpes when you get back.

"Just give me five more minutes."

"No, fuck that. Get up or I'm calling Anna."

"Band code, dude! You don't tell the girls back home what the girls on the road do. Basic manners. And her name is Anne, not Anna."

"You don't have to explain band code to me, Will," Dave glared at him, a little alarmed that the blonde didn't even falter from her rhythm.

"You can have her next if you want."

"Get off the goddamn bus."

Dave was torn from his thoughts by Pat when he leaned over the board and killed all the faders but the drum track. They listened for a while, frowning when the tempo sped up then died back a couple times without warning.

"There's your issue right there," Nate said quietly from his spot on the couch and Dave turned to look at him. He knew Nate well enough now to know that there was some tension hanging over from his previous band and just hoped it wouldn't be an issue in the future. Nate and Dave both jumped a little when William barged into the room wearing golf gloves and a scowl.

"This is cute," Pat laughed and tapped the ring that was hanging from William's neck.

"Yeah, thanks. It's for sale," he glowered, grabbing his sticks from the table.

"Uh oh!" Pat giggled. He loved nothing more than drama. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Not anymore," William laughed bitterly. Dave tried to look busy with the board, but he was listening to every word. "Anne took off last night."

Dave looked up when Nate muttered something under his breath and left the room.

"She was a fucking bitch anyways. She finally graduates and acts like she's hot shit... she loves to rub the money thing in my face, you know? But you know what? I bet she's probably fucking another broke drummer right now," he laughed bitterly and cracked his knuckles. "He can have her. She's a really boring fuck anyways."

Dave gritted his teeth, "Are you going to lay this track, man? We're not paying out the ass to sit in the control room."

Dave glared down at the board as the drum track recorded, his mind firmly on Anna. Did she actually sleep around like that? Why was William so callous about the whole break up? They seemed in love, at least enough to get engaged and he was wearing her ring around his neck like some lovesick high school kid. Kinda like the lovesick high school kid Dave had been with Anna. Maybe this was her thing, letting guys fall hard for her then running when it got too serious. The thought of her drifting from bed to bed was like a kick to the gut and he called a break, retreating to the driveway with his cigarettes. He was kicking the tires on his car when Nate quietly joined him, looking more than a little uncomfortable.

"Hey," he started.

"Hey, man."

Nate took a deep breath before the words came quickly, "I just wanted to explain my little outburst back there." Dave was confused for a moment. What outburst? Quietly leaving the room? Lucky stiff had never witnessed an epic Cobain outburst. He was about to assure him that everything was cool, but Nate went on. "It's just that Anna left William for a damn good reason."

"Oh yeah?" he tried to appear casual and disinterested, but every bit of him was on edge.

"She... look, I'm not trying to start a rift in the band here, but Anna and I were friends before I ever met Will."

"Okay..." Dave narrowed his eyes, concerned about where this was headed. Had Anna fucked Nate now too?

"And I know you don't know her, but she's really great. One of my closest friends, kinda like Pat and Jennifer... you'd love her, actually. She's hilarious and a sweetheart and-"

"Where where you headed with this?" Dave interrupted; he had come outside to clear his head, not be reminded of Anna's better qualities.

"Yeah, so... her and Will have been fighting a lot lately and Kate asked her to move in with us until she could get back on her feet. She showed up last night in bad shape, man," he looked at the gravel driveway and shook his head. "... bad shape."