Young Father

Another New Guy

1999

Shy sat with Dave, Nate and Taylor watching as guitar player after guitar player came in, she almost died from laughing too hard when the one guy came in and couldn't get his guitar out of the case, she tried so hard to hold it in but eventually leaned over to Taylor and whispered "can't...breathe" He looked concerned and turned to her thinking for a second he would have to take her to the hospital "Why can't you breathe?" Dave heard the exchange "She's laughing too hard" the response made Taylor chuckle as he shook his head "relax and have a drink we got one more right Dave?" The dark haired man nodded "Uhh yeah"

Shy nearly choked on her water when she saw him enter, He was cute. He introduced himself as Chris Shifflett and went to play. The guys were non-committal but Shy knew what they were doing they couldn't show their excitement at having found their guitar player they had to play it cool. When Chris had left she looked between the three "That's the guy right? you're just gonna let him dangle for a bit and jam a few times?" Taylor looked to her with a smirk "You hang around us too much. that's it you're going back to school" giggling she shook her head knowing that he didn't mean it "Fuck that. You wouldn't send me back to a public school Dad" Taylor chuckled and kissed her forehead "No Baby Girl I wouldn't."

Soon Shifty would become part of the foo family and Shy really liked him, one afternoon during tour she was sat back stage and had finished her homework when Shifflett came in and smiled as he picked up his guitar "Hey kid. You play anything besides the drums?" She shook her head "no, but I've been thinking about trying guitar" Chris smiled a little surprised that she hadn't already gotten Dave to teach her but he nodded "Well if you decide to then I can teach you some if you want"  Shy smiled brushing a hand through her now purple hair "I'd like that Shifty. thanks." Soon after that her lessons would begin.

A few months down the road Shy and the Foos were meeting with a band to see about them opening up for them, Dave had told her that they needed to vet the band to make sure that the tour went off well and that if anyone felt uncomfortable with anyone in the support band or they didn't like them that they wouldn't go, Taylor had smiled at her and said that she had to feel comfortable and safe around them as well, he wasn't taking any chances again with her safety. As they walked into the meeting room and the guys were shaking hands, she had seen one of them approach Taylor and as soon as he spoke she froze backing up until she had literally backed into Dave who put a gentle hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear "What is it?" the 14 year old was frozen she didn't recognize the guy but she would never forget that voice she whispered to Dave "That's him. The one talking to dad..he hurt me" Dave's eyes widened as he looked back to Nate and Chris "can you guys take her outside for some air. I'll grab T" Both nodded and led the girl out as Dave made his way over to his best friend not acknowledging the man who was fawning over his hero Taylor. Dave leaned in and whispered to his friend "Shy needs us outside now" Taylor blinked and looked back to where the girl had been then nodded and excused themselves.

As they got outside they saw Shy shakily hugging Nate who was rubbing circles on her back trying to calm her down, they had gotten outside to hear Shifty whispering to her "Hey, If that guy did something to you then you know we won't have that band support us, your safety means everything to us all Shy." She nodded still hugging Nate tightly as Taylor walked toward her pulling her away from the bass player and into his own arms "What is it baby girl?" she didn't speak she just sobbed shaking as Taylor held her, Dave looked to Taylor "The one that spoke to you, she says he's the one that attacked her last summer" The blond's eyes narrowed as he pulled back from his daughter's embrace "I'll fucking kill him" Shy just pulled him back "NO! don't leave me too!" Taylor was sick to his stomach and seeing his girl crying over something she had come out from under all over again just gutted him, he looked to Dave "Tell Management to find someone else. I don't want that fucker anywhere near my kid" He dropped a kiss on top of Shy's head as he held her tight "It's ok baby girl he can't hurt you again, we won't let him" Shifflett had leaned into Nate and whispered "I don't think I've ever seen Taylor be so protective over someone before" Nate nodded "She's his little girl. He would walk through fire for her...We all would" Shifty nodded "I get that. I'd go in and kick that guy's ass if I thought it would make her feel better" Nate smiled and clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder "It won't but I get the sentiment"

Dave had gone in to deal with everything as Taylor calmed Shy down before they all got ready to leave. Dave wasn't taking any chances with Taylor's state of mind or Shy's feelings of safety, he went and told John and Gus that the band wasn't going to work before explaining what he had been told both men nodded and dismissed the band. To say they were upset to not be on the Foo Fighters bill was an understatement as they walked out the guitarist for that band, the man who had attacked Shy tried to speak to Taylor who shook his head and just held onto Shy tighter when he saw the girl's face he knew then caught up to one of his guys "That chick lied to them. They're basing their decision on that fucking chick that gave it up to me at that festival last summer" now his mistake was saying it loud enough for Taylor to hear him, he had seen Shy after the attack he knew she wasn't lying, He broke his hug and looked to Dave who had just come back out "Hold Shy for me, I'm gonna kill that motherfucker" the girl whimpered and dove back in to cling to Taylor again "Please daddy don't" Dave looked to Taylor "Let me handle it T" He didn't mince words, he walked over to the loudmouth who was calling a 14 year old girl a slut and a whore and punched him in the face, he looked to the rest of the band "Your buddy here, is gonna get you all banned from tours. That 'chick' he's bitching about did not give it up to him, she was 13 years old and he grabbed her and forced himself on her. If you want to gain any credibility in this business you'll get a new guitar player because with the friends that I have...You'll never support any half way successful band." Before any of the stunned band members could respond Dave walked back to his own band and gently took Shy away from Taylor giving her a big hug "It's ok Shy. He can't hurt you anymore we won't let him" She leaned her head against Dave's chest and let him hold her until she calmed down. As their now non-support band got into their van to leave Taylor glared at the guitarist "Come near my kid again motherfucker and it'll be me you deal with not Dave"

The dark look in the normally happy-go-lucky drummer's eyes actually frightened him and he scrambled to get into the van with his band not willing to face the wrath of the foo fighters drummer.