Appetite for Mars: A Steven Adler X Mick Mars Tale

Chapter 49: Forever Mars, Forever Love, Forever Family

A/N: Last chapter....in which the Mars family spend time together and twins Willow and Jamison have just turned one.

Why does time have to just fly by? It's like you blink and you're another year older.... It's been a year since mine and Mick's twins, Willow and Jamison were born. Just celebrated their birthdays last week, I fucking CRIED. We gave them a birthday party, our entire family present of course and their kids too, it was complete and total chaos, well to the outsider anyway. But there was so much laughter and love, even though Willow and Jamison both smashed cake on each other and that lead to the inevitable baths. However, they LOVE baths, so much. Poppy, Sunny, and Robbie love their little sister and brother and are such a huge help with them and Mick and I don't even have to ask them to help. In fact, the three of them will argue with one another about who gets to hold who first and or babysit, secretly my husband and I find it funny when they argue about it......and too, it's damn cute!

Currently, I am fixing my famous Spaghetti and Meatballs with of course salad and my famous garlic bread. My beloved butterfly of course helping me.... i pause a moment to take in the scene: Poppy, Robby and Sunny playing and talking with Jamison and Willow who are babbling away in their highchairs, I sigh contentedly.

Mick pulls me into a kiss then saying, "Me too Stevie...it's a wonderful, no beautiful sight. Despite the age gap between the triplets and the twins, they are all so close with one another and they are the best and sweetest children on earth."

I grin at him, "Of course they are...they have us as parents!"

"Well, you're right about that!" Mick grins back, his eyes shining as we turn back to the food. The sauce is good, it's simmering...just putting the finishing touches as it were. Also, made a strawberry pie...it's a very special meal, Mick's favorite...and it's a favorite of our family.... Mick and I are brought out of our thoughts by our children....

"Mom, dad why do we have Spaghetti and Meatballs a lot? I-I mean I love it, but what I mean is what's the story behind it? I don't think we've heard it." Robbie asks.

"Tory! Tory! (Story! Story!)" The twins chant in unison.

Mick and I share a look with one another, as we finish dinner at last...

"That's a good question son." Mick says, "It comes from when your mother was pregnant with you. I had no choice but to leave him at home, neither of us wanted it...your mother's band had opened for mine years ago, your mother.... he...he, had a scare and had to go home with only a month left in the tour. I came home...and...and your beautiful mother...he, to welcome me home when he was six months pregnant, made the meal we are fixing to eat. He wanted to do something to make my home-coming special. I'll never forget that...never. So that's why we make this meal a lot because it's very special...very special. Just like your mother and the five of you are."

I sniff and wipe away my tears, all five of our children are in awe...spellbound it seems.

"Wow.... Dad...Mom...wow." Poppy stammers, tears in her eyes. "That's...so sweet!"

"It is." I look at my five children and my husband fondly and smile, "Now let's eat!"

"Ok, OK Steven...but first...I'm going to kiss you." Mick pulls me to him and proceeds to do just that, making me melt...still makes me melt after all these years and that will never, ever change. We dish out food for ourselves, and the kids...Willow and Jamison are equipped with bibs and towels, to help with the inevitable mess...but I know good and well they will need baths.

Mick and I in between eating we, help Willow and Jamison eat and cut up their food to make it a little easier and of course as predicted...it gets all over them, and in the end, they look like they got into a fight with a basket of tomatoes and lost BADLY....so when dinner and dessert are done, Mick and I take Willow and Jamison upstairs, the oldest kids...washing dishes. Mick and I work as one to bathe the twins and changed their little outfits and at long last...make our way downstairs where Poppy, Robby and Sunny are waiting for us.

"Mom, Dad...dishes are all washed." Robbie says.

"Can we hear the story about how you two fell in love with each other? I don't think we've heard that either." Sunny asks.

"Sure, you can sweetheart...let your mother and I get settled on the couch with Willow and Jamison...." Poppy interrupts her father.

"Can we take them? Please?"

"Ok, be careful with them.... I know you will." I tell her gently. Willow and Jamison say, 'love ma-ma, dada and sibbing's!' they of course mean siblings. Mick takes me in his arms after I carefully place our youngest in the floor with our eldest children.

"You want me to tell it Stevie?" Mick asks me.

"Sure, butterfly you tell it." I lean into him further.

"It all started about 11 years ago or there abouts. Guns'N' Roses opening for Motley on a tour. I'll never forget the first time I walked on that tour bus, everyone pairing off....and then there was your mother. I couldn't believe that there was someone...as sunny, as pure, as cheerful, and sweet as him, wanting to seek me out...say 'hey'. I didn't realize it then, but now I know...it was love at first sight. I was...well a jerk shall we say...not a people person. Your mother was bound and determined to talk to me, here and there I started to joke...me, joke...I didn't know what to make of your mother...I didn't want to see. I'd always been 'the old man', I am 16 years older than him. I never felt good enough or worthy enough. Then we had a tentative friendship, but my walls I'd built around my heart wouldn't fall...they'd crumble and I...I did something, I still regret.... i broke your mother's heart and my own, because I wouldn't let my self FEEL. MY head got in the way of my heart." Tears fall down Mick's face.

"Do you want me to take over? Or we can stop?" I get concerned.

"No...I'll be fine." Mick says to me, kissing me gently.

"Keep going dad. Please..." Robbie whispers. Mick starts the tale of our love back up...

"So, your mother and I...one night, we created our first 3 little angels.... i didn't know...for three months...because of what I did.... the morning after, we had a huge fight. I...didn't know it would hurt so much, see we'd sort of been a couple...but not a true one...anyway, I'd thought it best...I'd hurt him, so I'd thought physically...but those 3 months I didn't know he was pregnant, your mother ended up making me see. I needed time to find the words, for my heart and mind to become one. I needed to see...when at last my walls fell, I SAW what my heart knew all along, that I loved HIM. And when I found out he was pregnant my world grew even more. My heart grew."

Mick is crying at this point and so am I....

"WE both were hurting with out one another, see your father isn't the only one who needed to find the words. He and I were meant for one another, even when we didn't see. There were fights yes in the beginning before we became an actual couple...but it brought us closer together." I feel Mick hug me tightly, unwilling to let me go.

Jaws are on the floor....

"So, it's a rock 'n' roll fairytale?" Poppy questions, Little Willow and Jamison are quiet, and I know they UNDERSTAND.

I share a kiss with my husband...and respond with, "Yes it's a rock 'n roll fairytale. I'd do it all over if I had to...go thru EVERYTHING again." All five children are spellbound still.... Mick and I, we got off to quite a start, but look at where we are now. Married for over a decade and a flock of precious angels to go with it. There is nothing but love and warmth in our home, and I know it will always, always be like this.

"I love you Stevie and our kids...all five so much. Forever and always honey." Mick whispers in my ear.

"I love you and our kids too Butterfly...forever and always." I echo as we all spend time basking in our love, OUR FAMILY.

A/N: So here ends Appetite for Mars, I can't thank you all enough for the love and support for this book and all my other works as well! This story may now be over...but there is still much more Sixx Ways to love to come and too a new story staring Eric Carr and Paul Stanley in the planning stages, so stay tuned!