Just Dust N' Bones, Baby

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

It had been nearly six years since Axl had heard that voice.

It didn't feel quite as long to him though. On clear, starry nights, sometimes, all he can think is that he left earlier that night. He's not in L.A, or wherever he may be. But he's on a bus, staring out the window at those same stars, a walkman in his hand, bag under his arm, Izzy sleeping on his shoulder, and Bohemian Rhapsody in his headphones. Watching the stars swimming through the sky right alongside the bus like bright, silver fish across the sky. 

Thoughts swam through his head faster and much more violently than the stars. As the land changed more and more the longer they traveled, his mind still was in Lafayette, stuck with his sister. 

No matter how hard he tried to forget, he never could. 

Even after almost six years. He can't forget. 

Ever.

Amy woke up in the night to hear something in her room. She sat upright with a sudden alarmed jolt, afraid that there was an intruder in her room. She looked around, only to find her brother, by the window.

"William?" She rubbed her eyes, "William what are you doing?" she asked in bewilderment as her brother stood by the window, boots on his feet, wearing his jean vest over his leather jacket, a large backpack of belongings over his left shoulder and a smaller bag under his right.

He bit his tongue, huffing, "My name is Axl, Amy," he said sternly. Earlier that evening, her brother had shocked her and Stuart, when he had found his and Amy's birth records. Stuart was their half brother, not their full-blood brother. And their father was not Stephen Bailey.

Stephen Bailey was their stepfather, Axl was relieved that he didn't share that man's blood. But he wondered how it would matter at all, when he spent his whole life being tortured by that man, they say like father like son, even when he wasn't his real father, all this time would have the same effect.

And even when he was relieved he didn't share his blood, he was enraged by all the lies. They had been lied to their entire lives, their lives were based on lies, abandonment and ignorance and abuse and betrayal all their lives.

Besides, Axl didn't like his real father any more than Stephen. Their original father had left when Axl was two years old, William Bruce Rose, Axl's namesake, he was named after a man he had known before he was old enough to remember ever knowing him. A man whose blood he shared, but never knew.

Axl had no idea what the man was like, and he never would, but there was a few things he was certain of. A few things that made him disgusted he was his father. The man was stupid, most likely a drunkard, he was young, not ready to be a father, and he was a coward. He was a fucking pussy, too scared to raise two kids, so he ditched. He abandoned his wife and his children just like that. He left when Axl's mother was pregnant for Amy. Never to be heard from again. I guess even when Axl never knew him, he shared that in common with his father. He's good at running, and disappearing.

Soon after Amy was born, his mother married herself a monster, Satan himself, Stephen Bailey. Axl's name was changed to William Bailey, and his father became Stephen Bailey, the man who would abuse him and hurt him for years to come.

Axl was infuriated, the angriest Amy had ever seen him, after the yelling, all the yelling that evening, he had gone, Amy guessed presumably to Izzy's all night. She understood why he was angry, she was hurt too about all the deceit, but Axl exploded about it. He would hold this grudge until the day he died, Amy would hold it for a while too, but if her parents sought her forgiveness or explained themselves, she'd learn to forgive them.

But neither did.

Her mother just looked down somberly like everything was always beyond her control and watched everything unfold in weak and cowardly defeat, and her stepfather seemed to see no reason as to why he should be sorry for anything, and just yelled at Axl like he was insane for being so furious. She hadn't seen Axl since. Until now.

"Axl... Do you, want me to call you that?"

Axl bit his tongue, "...My name is Axl Rose now, because Stephen Bailey is not my father. And I shouldn't share a name with a man whose blood is in my veins, but was never my father..." he kneeled beside her bed, sighing, "But I'll still always be your brother... You can still call me William if you want."

She nodded, looking at his luggage, "...I'm guessing that's not just for a night at Izzy's...?"

Axl looked down at his bag, ".....This is something I have to do."

She had a hurt look in her eyes that broke Axl's heart, "...You have to leave me?"

Axl rested his hand on hers, "I'm not leaving you. You know I'd never leave you. But you also know I have to go. You know I can't stay here anymore."

She squeezed his hand, "Then let me go with you!"

Axl gave her a stern look, "No. You're too young."

She growled, "I'm only two years younger than you! I'm tired of people treating me like I'm some innocent little kid!"

Axl gave her a soft smile, "I know you're not a kid. You've always been tough. But where I'm going its not gonna be easy, I wouldn't want that for you. I need you to stay here, get an education and be strong."

"Where are you going??"

"I'm gonna go to Los Angeles with Izzy, we're gonna start a band, we'll make it big some day, and I'm not leaving you forever, when I'm on my feet, I promise I'll come back. You can maybe come with me then, but you need to stay here now... Besides," he played with her long, tawny hair, "Somebody's gotta stay here and look after Stuart. And I know you're tough enough to handle it."

She looked down, "...Yeah... But what's gonna happen to you?? I don't want you to have to be fighting every day."

"..Amy I'm fighting every day here too," he sighed. "At least now I'll be free. It'll be rough, but I can handle it. I promise, everything'll be okay." 

She smiled sorrowfully, his words were comforting and they made sense.. But no amount of logic could get rid of the pain she felt, "Okay... What do you want me to do when Mom and Dad ask where you went?"

Axl stopped her, "That is not my father. And I left a note on the counter to them and Stuart. I want you to tell them you didn't hear me come in, and you never saw me leave. Nobody's gonna ask any questions, this town won't miss me, and Mom and Stephen aren't gonna involve the police. They'll know I've gone to L.A, that's all they'll care about. Nobody's going to be stressing about me if I'm getting along okay, if I'm safe. But I know you will, so I want you to know that I will be. So tell them you never saw me leave, okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I guess.." He turned to leave when she caught his arm, and wrapped her arms around him desperately, hugging him as much as she could, to remember it, remember him for as long as he may be gone. Axl swallowed her in his arms, resting his chin on her head.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered, "Even though I'm gonna miss you like hell," he laughed pitifully. She laughed too, to distract from the tears that blurred her vision. She didn't want to let go of him. Because she didn't know what would happen after she did. But she had to, and she loosened her grip on him.

She twiddled her fingers, "But you better not forget me when you're a big rockstar. Or else I will hunt you down and beat your butt, there can't be too many Axl Roses in L.A."

Axl grinned, kissing her eyes. He rose to his feet, sitting on the edge of the windowsill he had climbed out his entire life. "I promise."

Then he saluted her, hopped out the window, and climbed the fence. He took one last glance back at his home, his heart regrettably hurting. He hated that this was his home, it was a place he would hate forever. But what he hated more was that, he knew this was his home, and every kid will always have heartache leaving home. And he was still just a kid. But he didn't care, he knew he had to leave, he could never stay here again.

So he disappeared into the field, breaking into a run, leaving the property line, and never daring to look back.