Chapter 5*
Thanksgiving
"*Good girl, are you all done?*" I asked Ali, holding up the bowl of blueberries I was feeding her. I had noticed a few months back that she had taken a serious liking to blueberries and raspberries and those were her snacks everyday. Andy swore she was going to turn blue and red.
Alesana nodded and gave me the sign for 'all done', which was like dusting your hands off in front of you. At nine months I would have never thought she would be so advanced with her communication skills. Her coordination was already getting a lot better, too, and it was amazing. There were a lot of signs she didn't know or how to do still, but she was using the ones she did know every chance she got. Jr. was the same way and it was helping him to actually say words now. All he really had down was 'Ma' and "Dada' but it was something. Most babies didn't start speaking until they were over a year old.
It was Thanksgiving day and we were having a small get together with our friends, which we all knew would end up being not so small. I couldn't really deny it; our 'small group of friends' had grown significantly over the years. Today we were expecting Ash, Lexi, Sammi, Jinnx, Jake, Scar, Candy, Tanner, Josh, Scout, CC and Kyle, plus there would be the five of us that lived in this house. That made seventeen of us, which was ridiculous. It was a good thing that most restaurants were still open on Thanksgiving. There was no way in *heck* that I was making all that food for that many people. I may like to cook, but I hate cleaning up afterward.
Ali's eyes started to droop just as I heard Jr.'s soft whine coming from the other room. They were both ready for their naps; it was noon, after all.
"Do you want me to put Andy in his crib?" Annie asked me from the living room, where she was with my baby boy. Her and Kyle were in there working on a project they had to do as partners together for English.
"No, I got him," I assured her, wiping the mess off of Ali's face as I walked into the living room. I picked up Andy, who was laying on the floor with is toys, and tried getting him to quiet down by giving him that giraffe toy that his father had gotten on his twentieth birthday. It calmed him down a little bit, but he was definitely ready for his nap.
I walked them to their nursery and laid them down in their respectable cribs and turned on the mobile that was above them. Then I went over to the iPod dock on their dresser and turned that on. Usually I'd hum or sing until they were asleep, but I had stuff to do today.
"Annie, I gotta go meet the guys downtown for a bit," I called to her from my bedroom. Black Veil Brides had a CD signing event in downtown Hollywood today and they wanted me there with them. I had told them that I couldn't be there for the whole thing, but I was going to try to get there at least on time. "It supposed to only last an hour, but you know how those things go. If you can just kick it here for a while, that'd be awesome."
I joined them in the living room, dressed and ready to go. Annie nodded absentmindedly, writing something important down on her paper. "Yeah, no problem, Alex. When do I ever really leave the house anyway?"
"Okay, thank you, Annie," I said, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll see you guys later." Then I was out the door and in my car, making my way to the event area. It supposed to be out in the open somewhere, which was good because it was a really nice day today. Hopefully I'd be able to spot the mile long line of people dressed in BVB garb easily.
I was probably ten minutes from where I was supposed to be when my phone rang. I didn't even bother to look at the caller ID. Only close friends and family had this number; I had Facebook and Twitter for fans and people I meet at concerts.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to look for the street sign that would point me in the right direction. No matter how long I've lived here for, I will never get used to the crazy driving conditions.
"Hey, where are you" Andy's getting antsy," Scarlett told me. She sounded like she was trying to talk over a bunch of people, which she probably was.
"Sorry, it took a little longer at home than I expected," I said, turning onto the street that I knew lead to the venue. "Ali refused to be quick about eating something she doesn't even have to chew."
Scarlett chuckled. "Alright, just hurry up, or I'll be forced to give him one of Jinxx or Jake's cigarettes."
"It's that bad?"
"No, but I thought I'd say it anyway."
I laughed. "Whatever, you weirdo. I'll be there in like two minutes. I just gotta get past these guys so I can park."
"Oh, I see your car. Okay, see you in a few, bye."
"Bye," I responded and hung up.
I pulled into the parking lot of a music store and I could see where the table was set up for the signing. There was a sign that said event personnel were to drive around and park in the back, so I just followed the arrow. There was some guy sitting at the gate to go back there when I pulled up, so I stopped and rolled my window down.
"Can I help you miss?" the guy asked in a gruff voice. He didn't sound mean, he just had a scratchy voice.
"Yeah, I'm here as a guest for the signing," I answered politely, pulling out my ID. "My name's Alexandria Biersack, I'm the lead singer of Black Veil Brides's wife."
The security guy made a quick phone call, telling somebody my name and then hanging up quickly. Sheesh, since when did security get so tight at these things?
"Go right on ahead, miss," the man said and ran over to push the chain link gate open for me. I pulled in and thanked him, just wanting to hurry and get to this thing. We were supposed to be at the restaurant at six tonight and I didn't want to miss it or be late.
I quickly grabbed what I needed from my car and joined the guys, Lexi, Scarlett and Sammi at the table they were at. Sammi, Lexi and Scar were manning merch sales and the guys were signing things and chatting to fans already. The security was allowing five people to approach the table at a time and were giving them ten minutes per group. At this rate we wouldn't be out of here for several hours, considering this was only the second group, but I was doing it for the fans, and so were the guys.
"Hey, sorry I'm a little late, babe," I said to Andy as I got to him and I kissed him quickly. "Your daughter is a messy eater."
He chuckled as he signed something for a girl that was looking between he and I in awe. I raised an eyebrow in question at her.
"You guys are so lucky to be married!" she said adamantly. You guys are both great musicians and you both are amazing people. I go to the school that you did your first public speaking thing at, Zandy."
"That's so rad," I told her with a smile. "What did you think of it? I was a little worried people might think I was like every other 'motivational speaker' they'd heard."
"No, you were amazing. You made me realize a lot of things and your story about David was inspiring. I hope you keep coming every year to do a speech. I'm only a freshman, so I'll be there every year."
"I actually arranged something with the company and the school already, so I will be there," I assured her honestly. The principal had actually appreciated my speech and asked me to come back for many years. I was only too happy to accept.
"Yes! Thats amazing," the girl said with a wide smile. "Will you sign my poster, please?"
"Yeah, no problem," I told her, picking up a Sharpie. "What's your name?"
"Alicia."
I quickly signed her poster. 'To Alicia, I hope to see you for many more years. You're not alone, never give in, be yourself - Zandy.'
"Yay, thank you," she squealed as I gave her a hug and her group was escorted out.
After that everything went by pretty quickly. Several groups were escorted through the area and I met some really nice people. That's why I loved coming with Andy and my friend's to these type of events. You met the nicest people who you would never talk to otherwise. You'd see the shy, quiet girls who sat in line only giving the occasional answer to their friends but when they got up to the table and you started talking to them they were a whole different person. It made me feel good knowing I and my family brought out those feelings in people.
Then there were the not so favorable ones who were stuck up *witches*. I seriously couldn't count the times that I wanted to reach across the table to slap these girls. They thought they were so much better and cooler than everyone else at these things. I could tell the guys were pretty put off too, but they plastered smiles on their faces and signed their stuff. It takes forty-two muscles to frown, twenty-eight to smile and only four to reach out and slap someone. I was really thinking those four muscles needed a little exercise and I was happy to provide that workout.
Two hours passed before we were cleaned up, all the last Army members were gone and the lot of us headed to our cars. We thanked thanked the people who allowed us to have our event here on our way out. Andy and I got in our car together since Andy had come here with Jake and Scarlett. All of us headed to Andy and my house to hang out before we headed to dinner.
"So how was your day home with the kids?" Andy asked casually, grabbing my hand and pulling it into his lap as he played with my fingers.
I smiled, keeping my eyes on the road as we stopped at a four way intersection. "Good, we made hand turkeys and Ali learned another sign."
"Which one?" he asked, a smile slipping onto his face. He was always happy about our daughter's progress. Every little thing we cherished and reveled in since we knew they weren't going to be this young and innocent forever. Ali was going to be quite a beautiful young lady and Jr. was already shaping up to be a charmer, there was no doubt about it.
"Happy," I told him, smiling over at him now since we were stopped at the red light.
"I can't believe she's learning all of these signs so quickly. It's amazing," Andy said, bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing my knuckles.
"I know, she's smart, just like her daddy," I said with a smirk.
Andy let out a scoff. "Yeah right, her mom's the one that's in her second year of college at eighteen with two stable jobs. Her dad just goes and rocks out at night, singing to fans and breaking bones on stage."
I grimaced and flinched. "Don't remind me," I grumbled, hating the images that flashed through my mind.
The spill he had taken at Hollywood & Highlands back in June was terrible. He jumped and miscalculated the space from the ledge he was jumping off of to the stage and rammed his side into the stage. He, being his stupid, selfless self, just went right on singing after taking a breather. Only after I, the guys, Matt, Jefree Star and Scout urged him to go to the hospital did he. He found out he had not only broken, oh no, but shattered three ribs on his left side and he had bone fragments dangerously close to his lungs. He was ordered not to sing or partake in any extraneous activities until he was fully healed, for he risked puncturing his lungs. They ended up having to skip out on some of the first dates of Warped Tour, but the Army understood, they had told me so on various occasions.
"Sorry, babe, just trying to make light of it," he apologized, kissing my hand again.
"I know, but it still hurts to remember," I told him, my voice filling with sorrow. "You looked so bad when you fell, but you refused medical attention. I love that you're so devoted to your fans, but they understand. You're health and the guys' health is number one when you're out there. Please be careful from now on, for my and our kids' sake."
"I will," he promised, leaning over and kissing my cheek. "I'm sorry I scare you."
"You don't scare me, you worry me," I confided, pulling onto our street. I realize I'm married to Mr. Rockstar, but I worry for you still. Just stay safe."
Andy stayed silent as we pulled into the driveway, our friend's cars right behind us. As we got out, Andy came around to me and enveloped me in a comforting hug, pulling me close to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and just breathed him in, his lovely smell of mint and pure Andy.
"I'm sorry, babe," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. "I promise to be more careful from now one, especially with us trying to have more kids again."
I smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you, that's all I ask."
I grabbed onto his hand after that and made my way inside, everybody trailing in behind. When we got inside, Annie and Kyle were on the floor with Ali and Jr. paying avid attention to the Little Einsteins sign language DVD that was playing. My babies were signing 'diaper' along with the little cartoon characters and Annie and Kyle were sat staring up at the TV. I laughed at them both, but they didn't seem to notice.
There was a flash from behind me and I saw the Sammi had just taken a picture of them.
"That is definitely going on Facebook," she said, tapping some things on her phone. I quickly took out mine and checked my Facebook.
Sammi's post was a picture of Annie, Kyle, Ali, and Andy and the caption read 'At least the kids are actually signing along! The two lovebirds are just staring mindlessly.'
I laughed and showed Andy the picture. He laughed with me and that's when Annie and her beau snapped out of the Einstein induced haze.
"Hey, how was the signing?" Annie asked, as if she hadn't just been hypnotized by the cartoons on the screen.
"Good, longer than we expected," I told her, a smirk still on my face.
"What's so funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Andy was the one to answer this time. "You guys. You don't have to sit there and watch it with them."
"It is very educational," Kyle defended.
"Yeah, for toddlers," CC interjected.
"Like you're one to talk," Lexi demanded, smacking his arm playfully. "I've seen you on the floor with the twins watching Little Einsteins and Leap Frog several times."
"Yeah, how is that any different?" Jinxx wondered, wrapping his arms around Sammi's waist.
"Because I'm CC and they are not," CC defended. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense.
A sound of understanding passed through the whole room and we dropped the subject. We all took a seat somewhere in the living room, letting the rest of the DVD play through for Ali and Jr. Annie and Kyle joined us on the couches, Annie sitting on Kyle's lap since there wasn't enough room.
For an hour or two we all just sat and talked about the most random things. Some were pertinent, like when tour started back up or Sammi and Jinxx's upcoming nuptials (yes, Jinxx finally proposed back in June, the day after Andy shattered his ribs, and Sammi, of course, said yes), but everything else was random. It soon turned into a game of truth or dare, and we all know how well that game turns out for me.
"Sammi, truth or dare?" CC asked, now sitting on the floor with Jr. in his lap and Ali curled up in his side, sleeping. One day, CC would make an amazing dad. He was so good with kids and he loved being around them. He even did some of the parent work when he was with my kids. It was amazing.
"Truth," she answered, having picked dare for her last turn.
"Have you ever eaten soap?"
"What the *heck* type of question is that?" Ash asked, giving CC a weird look.
CC just shrugged. "I'm running out of good truth questions!"
"Whatever, yes, I have," Sammi answered quickly, wanting to break up the conversation. "My mom used to put a bar of soap in my mouth when I was younger and I talked back to her or cussed."
"My mom used to do the same thing," I told her. "I will forever remember what a Dove soap bar tastes like."
"Ew, I know," she agreed, cringing. "Except, we never had the same soap in the house, so she'd use a bunch of different brands and it never tasted the same. But Dove is the most memorable."
"Ugh, definitely."
Scout came into the room then, her hair slightly wet and her coat with water drops on it. She pulled her jacket off and laid it over the edge of the couch closest to her.
"Is it raining out there?" Scar asked, checking out the window.
"Yes, like a mother *effer*," Scout replied with a shiver. She sat on the ground and pulled the sleeping Ali into her lap.
"Mother *effers* snow," Andy defended, like it was obvious.
"Well, these mother *effers* rain here in California," Scout reasoned, brushing my daughter's unruly hair from her face.
I saw Andy was about to open his mouth and argue, so I cut him off. "Well, I did notice it was overcast while we were at the signing, so I'm not surprised. I just didn't think about it at the time."
Everybody agreed with me and I was able to faintly make out the sound of rain splattering on the roof and the pavement outside. We fell into easy conversation again until it was time for us to leave. None of us bothered to change, even if it was Thanksgiving, though, I slipped a jacket on Ali and Jr. and got a leather jacket out of the closet for Andy and I.
We all piled into our cars and made our way to the sushi restaurant where we're regulars at. The main waitresses, Kaori and Robin knew us all by name and were able to remember our orders. Today was no different, even with the larger group and having Annie and Kyle as additions for the night. Candy, Tanner and Josh joined us just as we sat down, getting there just in time. We got our order placed and then settled into easy conversation that we all participated in.
We ate and had a good time catching up and just hanging out. It had been a while since I had seen Scout, so it was good to see her. And besides working with Candy I barely saw her and it had been since Christmas last year that I'd seen Tanner and Josh. Tanner was a full year older and was a big boy of five now. He seemed to remember Scout, who he gave a shy wave to and a 'Happy Thanksgiving'. He definitely remembered Andy, though, and talked animatedly with him for much of dinner, until he fell asleep on his dad's shoulder. We all left around nine, happy to have caught up and rejoined all together at once.
Andy and I put or babies down in there cribs together once we got home. They were both out from the car ride home. I was actually surprised they had made it that long; I was expecting them to be out before we even got our food. I couldn't believe how much older they were getting and how much they had grown. In just a few more months they'd be one year old and probably walking around. Both were already able to stand up with the aid of a couch or something to pull up on. I was going to miss them being little like this, but it was going to be so good when they grew up a little.
Arms wrapped around my waist and I leaned back into my husband's chest, take in his warmth and scent. He rested his chin on my shoulder and was looking down at the babies with me. He started humming softly in my ear and I soon recognized it as the acoustic version of Rebel Love Song. I smiled and turned in his embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck. I kissed him softly, reveling in the feel of him. When we pulled apart he smiled at me and I'm sure I had a goofy grin on my face.
"I love you, so much," he whispered to me, brushing my hair from my face.
"I love you too, more than you know," I replied, running my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck.
"I think I have a good idea."
{***********************************BVB************************************}
Christmas Eve
"Holy *chizz*," I breathed out, clutching my hands in my wet hair. I was currently standing in the bathroom in nothing but a towel with the steam swirling around me. The room was vacant besides me and this very joyful object I was currently staring at.
I put the thing out of my mind, wrapping it in toilet paper and storing it in my makeup bag that I threw in the back of my drawer. Clearing my mind of all those previous thoughts, I just got ready. I walked into the bedroom to get dressed and put some gel in my hair to help it keep its natural curl. The five of us were in for a lazy night, much like every other Christmas Eve I had been present for.
"Babe, have you seen my rosary?" Andy asked me as I walked back into the bedroom, towel in hand. He was going through this drawer in his nightstand, shuffling things around.
I reached out to the dresser where his rosary was lying. "You mean this one?" I asked. He turned around and smiled, placing his hands out in front of him to catch it. I flung it to him lazily, sure my arm was good enough to make it to him easily. I turned and dropped my towel into the dirty clothes bin before I had a chance to see if he caught it or not. The sound of the beads smacking together against skin assured me that he did, though.
"Thanks," he replied as I walked to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He held my face in his hands and brought his lips to mine quickly, kissing my softly. When he pulled back there was a smile on his face, copying mine.
"I love you," he told me, kissing my cheek.
"Mm, I love you, too," I responded, kissing his nose. "Come on, we better get downstairs.
I pulled him along with me out of our bedroom and down into the living room where Annie was on the floor with Jr. and Ali. She was signing to the both of them, trying to get them to sign back. It was fairly simple, just closing one hand together for the sign for 'milk'. Ali was semi-getting it while Jr. seemed hopelessly lost. I chuckled and joined them on the floor, closing my son's hand for him. He swatted me away, wanting to do it on his own.
"I tried, he did the same thing to me," Annie confessed, bringing Ali into her lap.
"Yeah, he's stubborn like his dad," I said, shooting Andy a playful glare.
"You are just as stubborn," Andy defended, joining me on the floor.
"Whatever," I grumbled, knowing he was right.
"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Annie asked, breaking up our weird conversation.
"Movie," Andy and I answered together. Every year since we've known each other we would go over to the other's house and watch a Christmas movie. The person that was hosting picked the movie, but since we started living together, we took turns each year. This year was my turn and I had picked one that I always used to watch with my dad when he was around.
"Which one?" she asked, bouncing Ali on her knee.
"Rudolf," I said with a smile. Despite it being a Christmas classic, we had never watched it on Christmas Eve.
"Oh, I love that movie!"
After that we all settled in and watched the movie. Even the babies were entertained by it and they sat quietly the whole time, until they both fell asleep. At one point Kyle even came over and joined us after he and his family had gotten done with dinner. He and Annie cuddled up on the rocker and Andy and I snuggled together on the love seat. This was the first Christmas Eve we had spent together as a family and it was amazing. I was excited for the many more to come.
{*********************************BVB**************************************}
Christmas Day
Andy and I laid together for an hour on Christmas morning. For some odd reason we were up at six o' clock in the morning. Though, we all went to bed after the movie and when we said goodbye to Kyle, and that was only nine. We had had more than enough sleep.
"You know, we have to enjoy this while it lasts," I mumbled, making invisible patterns on Andy's chest. He was laying in his back with his right arm wrapped around my shoulder and I was on my side with my right arm on his chest and my leg between his. It was comfortable, warm, and I never wanted to get up. But, we had to eventually since the babies would be up soon and we had to be at Jinxx and Sammi's apartment by nine.
"Why's that?" my wonderful husband asked, twirling a piece of my hair on his finger.
"Because soon Andrew and Alesana will be old enough to enjoy Christmas and run in here at six in the morning to wake us up," I explained. I smile lit my face as I realized I wouldn't really mind that. Anything involving my children made me happy, no matter how I needed to bend and compensate.
"Yeah, you're right," Andy agreed, kissing the top of my head.
I leaned over and kissed his chest, then I got up and stretched. That was the first full night's sleep that I had had since the babies were born. It was awesome knowing I could sleep peacefully without worrying incessantly about them. They had been sleeping through the night for a few weeks, but I was just beginning to realize that I didn't need to worry so much. They were safe in the house with all the doors locked and tucked away in their blankets every night.
"I'm gonna take a shower," I said, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. Andy groaned and I just chuckled. "Sorry, but we have to get ready and this is one of the few times that we're up before the babies."
He didn't respond, so I got out of bed and made my way to the joined bathroom. I was in the shower, clean, and out in a matter of fifteen minutes. I was definitely learning to be efficient with my time. Everything I did now took only a fraction of the time it did when Andy and I were just friends. It used to take me a half hour to forty-five minutes to shower, I used to take twenty minutes just to put my makeup on and now it only took me ten minutes tops. Motherhood really brings out the swifter side of you.
After I was out and my hair wasn't dripping wet, I walked into the closet and got dressed for the day. It was Christmas, so you know I dressed up a little, if you can consider an actual blouse 'dressed up'. Well, if you're me and wear jeans and a band tee everyday, it is.
I slipped into a black, long sleeved sweater dress that came to about mid-thigh that my mom had bought me while she was here. Then I pulled on black torn tights with a flower design, making sure I didn't make any of the tears bigger than they already were. For the first time in who knows how long I wore my black knee high, flat heeled leather boots with buckles up the sides. Once I got dressed, I put on all my jewelry; my wedding and engagement rings, the obsidian ring, Andy's promise ring to me, a silver bracelet my mom had gotten me for my birthday a while back, a necklace Andy had bought me, and all the stuff in my face and ears. I applied the regular eyeliner, kohl and mascara and put in bright green contacts. Once I dried my hair, I straightened it and put some hair wax in it to make it messy. This all took me a total of twenty minutes. I told you I was getting good.
When I was done and reemerged into the bedroom Andy was already dressed in a black t-shirt, a leather jacket, and black skinny jeans with his hair and makeup done. He had taken a shower the previous night, so he was good to go already. The only thing left to do was get the babies up and ready and put everything into the car to leave.
Without saying a word, we went and got the babies fed and ready; Alesana in a black and silver dress and Andrew in a black sweater and dark wash jeans. Ali now had enough hair to put a bow in and I was able to somewhat tame Jr.'s and come it to the side. By the end of the day it would look the same as it had when they woke up, but it was worth a try.
We met Annie in the kitchen, where she was dressed and ready to go. She was on the phone with what sounded like her family. She was wishing them a Merry Christmas and saying how much she missed them. This was her first Christmas away from home and they weren't able to fly out and celebrate. But all five of us were going down there during Annie's spring break to visit. Andy and the guys were going to be out that way on tour anyway, so we figured it was a good time.
"Alright, I love you guys, too," Annie said, a sad note to her voice. "Yeah, we'll all see you in a few months. Bye Mama, bye Daddy, bye Mikey, goodbye Lorraine." There was a chorus of farewells on the other end of the cell phone and then Annie hung up.
I remember phone calls home when I first moved. They were always bittersweet. I was in a new place having fun and I was telling my family all about it, but I missed them so much because they were my home. But California is my home now and all of us are comfortable with the living arrangements. Speaking of, I still had to call my mom and siblings later.
I smiled sweetly at my cousin. "Ready?" I asked her, buckling Jr. into his carrier/car seat.
"Yeah, let's go," she answered with more optimism in her voice.
Andy took Ali while I got Andy and Annie got some of the presents. We buckled the babies into the car and then started loading up the trunk. It didn't take us long to get everything done and then we were on the road.
Sammi and Jinxx's apartment wasn't too far away and it only took us about twenty minutes to get there, including traffic. There was surprisingly little considering it was Christmas morning and LAX was about fifteen miles away. Every year it was usually crazy and I was so glad we usually had Christmas at our house. But Sammi had offered to have it at their place this time around because we had been having all the holidays, even birthdays. I had agreed, not because I was tired of all the parties and preparations but because I thought it would be a nice change of scene for everyone.
Being the corny, somewhat childish people we are, we played the kiddy Christmas songs from when Andy and I were kids on our way over. There was a lot of songs from cartoons and shows that all of us new by heart and we readily sang a long. At one point, Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer came on and we all shouted along with it, earning some weird stares from people in passing cars. It was fun.
Finally, we arrived at the apartment complex and we had to figure out a way to bring all the stuff up in one trip. Luckily, they have these things called black trash bags that hold a lot of stuff and they're perfect for carrying things like boxes. Aren't we glad that I was thinking ahead and had brought a few with us when we left?
Annie knocked on the door for us when we got to the apartment and Jinxx was quick to answer. He was wearing regular clothes, like what he'd wear on an off day, but he had this ridiculous white beard on that made us all laugh.
"Merry Christmas!" he shouted in a sing-song voice and let us all in. We set the presents down by the tree that was in the living room and set the babies down to greet everyone.
"Merry Christmas," I said, hugging Jinxx and then Sammi, who was standing behind him. Then I hugged Lexi, Ash, Jake and Scar before getting the babies out of their seats and into the laps of our awaiting family. Lexi and Ash were quick to coddle over Andy and Scar was quick to stand and get Ali. Soon my babies wouldn't be the only babies around here. Lexi was five months pregnant now and we all know it was only a matter of time before Scar got knocked up.
Sammi and Jinxx were a different story. They loved being with the goddaughter and godson, but they never expressed the want to have a child of their own. They were more pet people though Jinxx loves dogs and hates cats, but Sammi loves cats and hates dogs. Jinxx even made a joke about it when he posted on Twitter that 'She said YES!!!' when he proposed to Sammi. The next day he posted 'What are you guys talking about? She said yes that we could buy a dog.' That confused the crud out of people until he posted two minutes later that he bought a ring. Ah, silly Jinxx.
Just as we settled in and sat the doorbell rang and Jinxx answered the door to Scout and a surprise guest. I was reluctant to get up until I saw the person standing next to Scout.
"SANDRA!" I launched myself out of my place on Andy's lap and was across the room in just a few strides. My arms wrapped around her shoulders and hers were around my waist as we rocked side to side a bit. I hadn't had a Sandra Hug in months and this was like heaven on Earth. I had missed me hug buddy so much and she was here unannounced.
"Wow, I never get a greeting like that," I heard Andy say over my shoulder.
"Oh shush," I said without looking back or letting go. "I see you almost every second of every day. No greeting, my *butt*."
Once I thoroughly hugged the crud out of my hug buddy she was allowed to greet everyone else and I went back to sitting on Andy's lap. After the excitement of her arrival and Ali was put into her lap, we settled into easy conversation. home Alone was playing softly in the background while we talked about old things that happened to us when we all still lived in the same city.
"You remember that one time when we got stopped by that cop on Halloween night?" Scout asked, bouncing Jr. on her knee.
"Yeah, and he yelled at us for 'defacing public property'," Jake interjected, looking a bit peeved.
"It was a *gosh dang* mother*effing* play ground that we stuck stickers all over!" Ash shouted. "How the *heck* is that defacing public property?"
"Yeah, it's a public place for a reason," Sandra said subtly.
Lexi and and Sammi looked at each other. "Advertisement!" they yelled out together. We all laughed.
"Lucky thing Z was there to get us out," Jinxx said, bumping my shoulder with his.
"One of the 'looks' and that cop nearly *crapped* his pants," Andy chuckled.
"I wasn't gonna let all of us get in trouble for a non-crime," I reasoned. "That was not defacing public property, I would know!"
"Why would you know that?" CC asked, having joined us about ten minutes prior.
"Because I almost got arrested for it when I was fourteen," I told him honestly. "Then I was the lucky one. Andy was there to save my stupid *butt*."
"I'm gonna tell Aunt Alyssa," Annie said jokingly.
I smiled and shrugged. "Meh, she already knows."
"I remember that day!" Scout shouted like it was just donning on her what I was talking about. "I think you were just trying to justify yourself, though. Those guys were complete *butt*wipes. Do even know what happened to them after you left?"
"Yeah, Jason died from drug overdose and too much alcohol in his blood and the rest of the guys cleaned up and got their lives straightened out," I said, remembering what my mom had told me. Word in that part of Cincinnati traveled pretty fast.
On that note, Sammi announced that we better get to presents. We passed out all the presents first before anyone was allowed to open them and then once the last one was passed out we were able to start. There was always trash bags placed around the room to collect wrappers and tissue paper we just usually threw on the ground.
This year, I got a collection of the Vampire Blood scented stuff that they sell at Bath and Body Works from CC (he knew it was my favorite and I was bummed they didn't carry it all year round), a pack of all the Harry Potter Special Feature Edition DVDs from Scout, a canvas portrait of Kat Von D that was signed by her from Jinxx and Sammi, an iPad 2 from Sandra (holy *chizz*), a silver necklace with my name written out in diamonds from Lexi and Ash and matching earrings with just a small Z on it from Jake and Scar and a decorated pillow with mine, Andy's, Jr.'s and Ali's name's on it.
Andy and I had gotten Jinxx and Sammi a certificate to go to this place we knew that sold pets and pick out any dog they wanted. I know Sammi doesn't particularly like dogs, but she was willing to get one for 'her honey'. So, I figured if it came from us it was that much better. In turn, they got Ali and Jr. a matching shirt and dress that said 'My Nina Is Beautiful' and 'My Niño Rocks'. Nina and Nino are the Spanish names for Godmother and Godfather.
We got Jake and Scarlett plane tickets and a receipt saying they had free hotel nights in Paris. They had gone to Paris for their honeymoon, so I figured they'd love to revisit that, since I know I'd love to go back to Italy one day. They had gotten Alesana and Andrew Rockstar outfits, complete with skinny jeans, black t-shirts with their dad and the guys on it, leather jackets, black Converse and mini pairs of Ray Bans. It was so adorable!
I had gotten Ash and Lexi some basic furniture for their incoming little one. They didn't know whether it was a girl or a boy yet, so I got a pretty neutral set as far as the design went. I was hoping to know soon whether I was going to have a niece or a nephew though. They then gave the babies the cutest, most ironic gift I could ever think of. They had gotten a quilt-like blanket thing made for each of the kids with things that represented them. Ali's was patched together with different Alesana, as in the band, band tees and Jr.'s was made up of t-shirts with pictures of his father's face on them. It was so creative and cute. I was going to make sure they held onto those for a good long while.
For CC I had gotten a boxed game set of Would You Rather, but the dirty, adult version and all seasons of The Office. After watching one episode he had started saying 'that's what she said' for everything and was determined to watch all the episodes, so I figured having them in order on DVD was easier. He had gotten my babies little chibi-looking dolls that strongly resembled themselves that even had their name's embroidered into their clothes. It was something that I would be putting ip for show in their rooms.
Lastly, for Scout we had bought the new fancy camera she had been saying she wanted for a couple weeks, but wad going to wait for her birthday to get. I was going to get Sammi the same camera, but Jinxx said he was already getting it for her, so I forewent that one. Scout, in turn, got Ali and Andy chain bracelets with their full names and birth dates etched into a small metal plate. Luckily, she had purchased extra links for them so the bracelets would be able to grow with them as they got older.
We, unfortunately, were unaware of Sandra's arrival so I didn't get her anything. But, I told her that if she was still going to be in town the next day for Andy's 21st birthday, I would be able to get a gift to her. She said she was going to be here and attending the party some people at the record company were throwing for him again. This year I was actually attending too, since I wasn't hugely pregnant and I didn't feel sick.
After presents we ate a nice simple breakfast of pancakes and sausage and talked some more. Within ten minutes of starting breakfast, the twins were out and sleeping contently up on the counter while we invaded all available space.
Once we were full, content, the kitchen was clean, and we had caught up thoroughly, we all started heading home. It was already three in the afternoon and we hadn't had our personal Christmas under our own tree and in front of our own fireplace. Thank gosh the babies were up and alert by the time we got home, though they were both hungry, but it was an easy fix.
While Annie generously took over Ali's feeding, I started passing out gifts between us. I had gotten both Andy and Annie a few things and I had even wrapped a few gifts for the babies, though most of their stuff was clothes that they really needed, so I didn't even bother. There was a few things to me from both Andy and Annie and even one from Kyle. While she was here, Annie had gotten a job at a local coffee shop just in town. She worked their after school three days a week and on Saturday mornings. She loved it from what I had heard and was happy there.
Once the babies were fed and in their rockers, watching us with interest, we started opening presents.
Annie went first and I was anxious to see if she liked what we had bought her. She opened her gift from Kyle first and it was a beautiful necklace with a small silver key at the end with three small diamonds encrusted into the handle. Next was the first of three presents from Andy and I. This one was a bit larger since it was a stereo that I had seen while I was out one day and I knew she would love. The next was a new special edition CD by Relient K that wasn't out yet. They were on Warped Tour with the guys and Annie had said she loved them, so we got to talking and they ended up handing me the rough copy of it. And the last thing we got her was a fifty dollar gift card to H & M, since she shopped there a lot now, and thirty dollars in iTunes.
Andy opened his next, since I refused to go next, and started with his gift from Kyle as well. It was a framed photo of all the guys in KISS and each member had signed over their bodies, which was really cool. Then he moved to his present from Annie, which was a pack of all the movies Ricky Gervais was ever in and an unlabeled disk that she wouldn't say was of, she just said he'd have to play it and see. Then he opened the three from me. First, I had gotten him a hundred dollars worth of iTuned since he was always on his iPad, a new pair of leather gloves with his stage name embossed into the part that adjusted the size around the wrist, and finally I got him a new tattoo that I hadn't told him about.
I got it a few weeks ago so it had time to heal and look pretty for when I showed him. It was his full name, Andrew Dennis Biersack written horizontally on my write hip with Andrew and Alesana's name's coming off of the A in his name to form a T shape. There was decorative swirls around it and a snake winding up Andy's name. The best gift was saved for tomorrow though.
Finally, it was my dreaded turn to go. Firstly, I opened Annie's gift to me, since she said Kyle's gift would ruin it if I opened it first. So, I followed her directions and tore the wrapping on her's first to reveal a new, small laptop that was ten times better than the one I had now, she said it was thanks for letting her move in and stay while she finished up school and what-not. Kyle's gift happened to be a new, much better and less grainy webcam that worked specifically with the new laptop, which was unbelievable.
Lastly, my presents from Andy were amazing. The first was a gift pack for my new iPad, that he knew I was getting, that came with a wireless keyboard, a protective case with this awesome rose design on it, and the protective screen things that went on the iPad to keep it from getting scratched and dirty. The next one was the new CD by Paramore that I had been wanting to get for days now but had never had the chance to. And lastly, he presented me with a gorgeous ring that was absolutely stunning, it was a simple silver band but the stone on top was magnificent. It was in the princess cut and the stone appeared black at first, but when I looked at it again it was a purplish red and then it changed again. It was absolutely amazing.
After many thanks went around and everything was cleaned up and put away I went and made hot chocolate for all three of us and settled down to a movie. The three of us settled into the main couch with Andy in my lap and Ali in her father's. There was one movie, A Christmas Story, that I hadn't seen in years, so we watched it from beginning to end before we made dinner and talked some more.
At around eight that night Kyle came over and I gave him the gift from Andy and I and thanked him for the gifts he had gotten us. When he saw the two concert tickets to an Eminem show in LA he thanked me and Andy profusely until we were able to shut him up with a game of Catchphrase.
"How the *heck* did you get these?" he finally asked at one point. "I checked three months ago and these were already sold out."
"I know," I said with a smug smirk. We were taking a break in between rounds for Andy to use the restroom. "I know some people personally and they were able to get me the tickets easily when I asked nicely."
"Who do you know?"
"One Mr. Marshall Mathers."
That sure rendered him speechless.
{*********************************BVB**************************************}
Andy's Birthday
"Are you sure you want to stay here and watch them? You guys were both invited to come, you know," I said to both Kyle and Annie. Andy's party was in a little over two hours and we had to get there early for set up and just to beat the crowd.
"I'm sure, Alex," Annie reassured me, taking Jr. from me. "We're fine. I don't really like big parties like that anyway. I'd much rather spend the night here with my cousins and boyfriend."
I smiled at her and then Kyle. "Alright, well, I'm gonna head up stairs and get ready. See you in a bit."
When I went upstairs and into my room, Andy was sitting on the bed talking on the phone with someone. I just smiled as I walked by and headed into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and blew dry my hair before exiting the bathroom to find something to wear. The weather was definitely cooling down and it was only five and already forty-two degrees out. I knew once the sun went down the temperature would plummet down close to thirty degrees.
So, I walked into our closet and found the warmest clothes that I owned that didn't make me look like a snow hobo. I was able to find a pair of black super skinny jeans that had fuzzy material on the inside instead of just denim, a thin black long sleeve shirt that I put on under a BVB shirt with all the guys on it, a nice leather jacket with a warm hood and my all black Chuck's. I was ready to go, besides the makeup and hair situation.
I walked back into the restroom and straightened my hair and applied my usual makeup. After I made sure everything was good, I walked back into the room and sat on the bed with Andy. He was just finishing up another call, or the same one from forty-five minutes before, as I cuddled into his side. He slung his arm around my shoulders just as he was saying goodbye and hung up his phone.
"That was the record label," he explained before I could ask. "We start the next tour tomorrow, so they were just arranging what time to be picked up and when we were going to be flown out to South America and all that."
Yep, you read that right. We're going to be heading down to South America for about a month before we were back in The States for a few days and then we were off to Europe and Asia. Then we were back home for a tour and then we had a break until a tour in May. We were busy, busy bees.
"Okay, what time's our flight out?" I asked. The babies and I were going with hi during this tour and to Europe but were coming back before they went to Asia. Annie was going to stay with Kyle and his family while we were away and I didn't want to leave her on her own for more than a month. We were her legal guardians as of a few months ago.
"They're picking us up tomorrow at noon and we leave the airport at three," Andy said, putting all that into his phone.
"Alright, we'll deal with that later," I said, standing and pulling on his hand to get him off the bed. "Right now we have a venue to get to and a party to throw for the birthday boy."
He gave a smirk and grabbed his keys while I got my Gir purse and threw my phone in there. We went downstairs hand in hand and said goodbye to our babies.
"You know the routine, Annie," I said as we were heading out the door. "You know my number so call if you need anything. It will be on and on vibrate all night so I'll fell it."
"Don't worry, they'll be fine," Annie said, waving off my parental worries. "I've been babysitting since I was twelve, this is a piece of cake."
"Okay, we'll be home probably around one," was the last thing I was able to get out before the door closed and I was sitting in the passenger side of Andy's Cadillac.
His party this year was at some venue they had previously played at here in LA, but it wasn't the same one as last year. This place was called Whisky A Go-Go and the guys had actually been here several times for shows and signings. I had been only twice, and it was mostly dark inside, so I had no idea what to really expect.
When we got there, the people that were hosting the party were there, and so were our friends. Everybody was just hanging around and talking before absolute craziness ensued. There were obviously people already lined up and gathering outside, ready to be let in when the time came. We had been allowed to park and come in the back way so we weren't ripped apart by avid fans and crazy girls who were in love with my husband.
I've never really shown it, but I actually mind when my honey is taken away from me when we're out around town together by some crazy fangirls. Yeah, I like that he cares about the fans and will take the time to take pictures, and I don't blame him. He's said several times that he does what he does for the fans and he's in no place to be nasty towards them for wanting an autograph or picture. I was more angry at the fans for coming up and asking to talk for over twenty minutes when he was clearly spending time with me. I'm his wife, for Pete's sake!
All the guys and their girlfriends wished Andy a happy birthday and gave them their presents beforehand. There was going to be a gift giving time during the party like last year, but I don't think there was going to be an electric chair involved this time around.
Once seven o' clock hit, all the anxious fans were let into the building as long as they had their bright green wristbands on. They didn't have to pay to get in, but only so many people could fit into the space that was available, so Whisky had to limit the number of people in attendance.
For the first hour or so Andy, the guys, the girls, and I walked around talking to fans and hanging out. At one point Scout, Sammi, Lexi, Sandra and I (Scar wasn't able to make it) were together with three girls talking about relatively normal things. The conversation wasn't even centered around music. Nope, we were talking about things only girls knew how to talk about: Relationships.
"Being married to Andy must be like a dream come true," one of the girls, Marilyn, was saying to me.
"It is for me since I've loved him since I was sixteen, but not for the music and looks," I said. "Well, the looks is a perk, but I love him as a person and he loves me. We respect each other, but our relationship is far from the fairytale girls dream of, especially with our age difference."
"What's the age difference between the two of you?" another one, Abigail, asked.
"Technically, it's three years, but I'll be nineteen in April, so it's more like two," I explained.
"Wait, you're only eighteen, have two kids, and are married?" the third one, Haley, asked.
"You are correct, ma'am," I confirmed.
"Wow, that's crazy," the all said at once.
I shrugged. "Life of a rockstar."
A few moments later it was announced that Andy would be opening presents then. The girls and I went up to stand by him on the stage with the guys. I crouched behind him, my arms thrown around my shoulders as fans brought up gifts to him one at a time. He got a lot of cool stuff that I knew he loved by the look on his face. Every time something shiny cropped up he got this look on his face that meant he had to have it and it was the most interesting thing in the world in that moment. It happened a few times when he got necklaces and bracelets from fans. There was even the one time that he got a picture from this girl that was of him, the babies and me that she had drawn and had put glitter around. It was quite entertaining.
After all the fans brought up their gifts to him, Andy began to stand to announce that they were going to be singing happy birthday and cutting the cake. I stopped him just as he started talking into the mic and I took it from him.
"Actually, I have one last gift for my husband," I said, halting all the people in their steps.
"Babe, you know you don't have to give me anything," he said, hugging me around my waist and pulling my closer to him.
"I can't exactly take this one back," I told him with a smirk. Then I turned to our audience. "If I were you guys, I'd want my cameras rolling. This is gonna be something you wanna record and post on YouTube."
"Zandy, what are you doing?" Andy asked suspiciously, not caring that his words were being projected for all to hear.
"Giving you your final present," I repeated, smiling.
"Yeah, you said that, but what are you on about?" he wondered.
I decided it was about time to be out with it. "You got your wish, Mr. Biersack. I'm pregnant."
Andy's eyes widened to the size of golfballs and his mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. "Are you serious?" he asked me. It sounded pretty loud on the speakers since the whole room was dead quiet now.
"As a heart attack," I breathed out, awaiting his final reaction.
Finally, he seemed to unfreeze from the shock he was initially and he picked me up and spun me around on stage. I squealed at first in surprise, but then I started laughing.
"Holy *eff*! I'm gonna be a dad again!" Andy shouted out, causing the room to erupt in applause and shouts of congratulations.
Once Andy set me down we were joined onstage by our friends and I was scooped up into hugs, as was Andy. Soon it was one big group hug that lasted for a few minutes. We disentangled ourselves from each other and we split up so we weren't as close.
Andy scooped me back up into his arms and pressed a long, lingering kiss on my smiling lips. When he pulled himself from me he smiled and ran his hands up and down my back. "I love you," he said, resting his forehead on mine.
"I love you, too."
His smile grew in size. "Three down, four to go." I smiled.
God help me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ooh! Nicole uploaded! Sorry, I little late but it would've been up earlier if I hadn't gotten my iPad taken away. Chapters will be up more frequently now, due to summer vacation. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I know it was what a lot of you wanted. Remember to vote, comment, like, and fan and check out the tumblr for this series at www.andyandzandyseries.tumblr.com love you guys, thank you for being patient with me.
Song in my head: Make It Stop (September's Children) by Rise Against
--Nikki