Faded Memories (Guns N Roses - Izzy / Axl / OC)

Moms, Dads and other authorities

Izzy

Normal people apply to moral standards.
Yeah, I've never been normal though.
There were times I shared everything. Bed, dope, drinks, girls and even crabs. I took everything I needed and gladly gave everything that I had plenty of. No big deal. Nothing that ever caused me a headache.
Morality wasn't a word that even existed in my vocabulary.
But fatherhood, even if conceived very late, did let me see things differently.
Watching my best friend fucking my daughter was something that even l thought was morally questionable.

Trying to figure out where that rattling noise was coming from, I spurted upstairs and checked the upper rooms. Not sure what those noises meant or what caused them; checking Melissa's old bedroom was last on my list.
Yeah, my lifestyle in mind, it was totally stupid not to notice what was going on in that room. I should've known better.

Storming into the girl's old bedroom I froze in shock, when I saw Axl standing in front of the desk, pants around his ankles. Now, I'm not slow on the uptake but I needed some seconds to understand what was going on here. And especially: who was getting it on here.
When Mel looked at me and mumbled some kind of "Oh shit", my mind went blank. I felt totally numb. I had no fucking idea how to feel or what to say about this.

I heard a sharp gasp behind me. Oh Jesus Christ. Ana followed me upstairs. This wasn't something she should've seen. I turned to look at her. Her eyes went wide.
Taking me by surprise she chuckled and unlike me she found her voice.
'Damn, Melissa! You promised you'd never let me walk into something like that ever again.'
I looked at her dumbfounded. She couldn't be serious, could she? Reacting like she just walked into some teenagers fucking secretly? This was my fucking friend with my fucking daughter we were talking about.
'Seriously, Ana?' I shook my head, turning to Axl again.

Standing in front of the window, his back turned to us, he pulled up his pants and ran his hands through his red hair.
He let out a sigh while Melissa hopped off the desk, adjusting her skirt and pulling a shirt over her head. She looked me straight in the eye. No fucking sign of regret. Oh fuck me. That girl was taking after me way too much.
I felt the urge apologizing to my mom for all these fucking years of rebellion and disappointment. I got it now. Being a parent wasn't what I expected it to be. Melissa was a grown up. She should've been responsible, right?

Looking back at Axl, rage boiled up inside me. I felt betrayed. How could he fucking dare?
This was a total nightmare. He was my best friend since high school. Even at a point where nobody else would put up with his shit, I did.
I was the one hiding him from his fucking stepdad, making up excuses at home just to let him stay over. I even got him his first girlfriend.
The time everyone in the band hated his fucking attitude, I backed him up. God, even after I left Guns 'n' Roses, I came back for a couple of shows. All just because I didn't want to let him down. Because I thought I would owe him somehow.
This was fucking ridiculous. My best friend, not to mention that he was the same age as I was, fucked my twenty-three year old daughter. This was insane, right? What the hell did she see in that old dude anyway?
I let out a sigh, shaking my head like all of it would just disappear by doing so.

Axl was the first to speak up. I could see regret in his eyes.
Yeah, fucker. It's too late for this now.
'Izz... I ... uh... I don't know what to say, man.' He ran a hand over his face and shook his head.
The moment he spoke I got fucking mad.
'Are you fucking serious? Are you out of your fucking mind? I am going to strangle you, you son of a...' I took one step towards him as Mel stepped into my way. Her eyes mad, hands on her hips. Everything on her screamed "Fuck off". She was so taking after me, it was scary. This was fucking hell.
'Don't you dare taking this out on him, Izzy. I'm a grown woman and I can fuck whoever I want to, period.' She hissed.
I glared at her. 'You've done enough, Melissa. Just shut the fuck up. This is something between Axl and me.'
She was just about to open her mouth again, when Axl put a hand on her shoulder.
'Mel, please?' He begged her. I blinked. Axl Rose fucking begged my baby girl? For what exactly? To help? To shut the fuck up? This whole situation was so out of place, I nearly laughed.
She spun around and glared at him, madly.
'No fucking way I'm gonna let him beat you up like Slash did. This is ridiculous.'
What the fuck did Slash have to do with this?
'Wait. That fucker knew about you two and didn't say a word to me?' I got madder by the minute. 'And suddenly you and Slash are bonding again? What kind of wicket shit is this, Axl?'

I had totally forgotten about Ana. But she just stepped beside me and took Melissa's hand.
'Come on honey. Let's go downstairs and let them figure it out by themselves.'
Mel shook off her hand and glared at her, stomping her feet.
'Mom!'
But Ana didn't let go. 'Seriously, honey. Downstairs. Now!'
I flinched. Wow. So that was Ana's "mom-mode". She really got something going with this authority thing. Even I thought about getting downstairs, for a second.
Without any further word, Melissa shuffled out of the room and down the stairs like a ten year old that was just about to get a dressing-down. Ana followed her on her heels.

I sat down on the bed, my arms resting on my legs, burying my face in my palms for a second.
Axl opened the window and sat down on the sill. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out and flipped it to his lips. Then he held the pack out to me.
Fuck. I would never get rid of that fucking habit with all that drama in my life.
I pulled one out while Axl lit his smoke and reached over to hand me the light.
A couple of minutes we just sat there and smoked.

'You remember the day we met? You went fucking medieval on that fucker who was bullying me all the time.' Axl suddenly says with a chuckle. 'I was such a pussy back then.'
Seriously Axl? I couldn't get his point. So I just raised an eyebrow.
'You always stood up for me Izz. I wouldn't be the guy I am today if you hadn't been looking out for me all these years. I fucking know that.'
'What is your point, dude? What's this shit to do with you fucking my kid, huh?' I frowned. 'How long has this been going on anyway?'
Taking a drag on his smoke he looks at me.
'Vegas.'
'Vegas? You fucking kidding me?' I really tried to keep my cool.
'Yeah. Believe me, when I took her with me I had no idea that she was your kid, man. I guess you didn't either.'
'I don't fucking care, Axl.' I yelled at him 'Jesus Christ. She is twenty-three, dude. What did you even think?'
I knew he felt guilty. I could see it in his eyes and in the way he moved. If he didn't, he would go all crazy about this. But he never, not even once, tried to knock my lights out. Even if I had been wrong. He always got my back and paid respect to our friendship.

'I guess I didn't.' He sighed. 'But honestly, man. Fucking look at her. Don't even try to tell me that you wouldn't have done the same, if you'd been in my place.' His eyes pleaded me to understand.
And in some very wrong and wicket way, I actually did.
'She's beautiful, right?' I asked him with fatherly pride.
He chuckled as he threw the cigarette butt out of the window.
'God! What do you think made me go on with this? She is fucking perfect.' He looked at me seriously. 'I've been writing again, you know? Got a shitload of love songs all over the place.'
Oh boy. This wasn't good at all.
I got up and snipped my cigarette butt out of the window, looking down on Axl.
'You're in love with her, fuckhead?' I asked him point blank. 'Because I wonder if I should fucking worry about this, man.'
'What's that supposed to mean?' He snapped.
'Yeah, man. Look how good your relationships turned out.' I said plainly.
Axl shifted uncomfortable and got up, pacing back and forth for a minute. Then he suddenly turned to me.
'Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I know I am way too old for even considering a serious relationship with her? I god damn know that, Izzy.' He groaned and ran his hand through his red hair. 'I just can't help myself. There's no way I can think straight on this. I am madly in love with her, Izz.'

And there it was. That feeling every father certainly was afraid of: I'm gonna be sharing the love of my baby girl with another guy.
Huh? I wonder when the fuck I began thinking like a real dad?