Might as Well Face it, You're Addicted to Love (Joe Perry/Nikki Sixx)

Chapter 142: Retrospective III (I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing-Part 2) (Both POVs)

-Joe-

Ah yes, the year 2000......at last a new dawn, a new century...a chance to create new & Precious memories. And I had my dearest love, my honeybee: Nikki by my side along with our children. Nikki & I brought in the new year with the kids.... having had a new year's dinner on New Years Eve & all five children.... well, we'd tried to put them to bed (especially the triplets) but all five children proved they are indeed my children by sneaking downstairs & watching the ball drop on tv. It's such a beautiful memory; Nikki & I kissed....and then hugged our children to us. They did funnily enough fall asleep afterwards & one by one we carried them upstairs putting them in their beds. Once that was done? Well, my husband & I brought in the New Year by making love twice that night (locking the bedroom door of course).

2000 saw Mӧtley working on their autobiography, Nikki pursuing his art projects, AND the Hollywood Vampires working on an album of cover songs done our way. The band consists of (as you of course know) My husband Nikki (our bass player), Alice Cooper & Johnny Cooper Depp with Johnny playing rhythm guitar alongside Steven Adler Lee on drums & myself on lead guitar. This also happens to be the year Aerosmith took a bit of a break that is music wise, well sort of. We DID work on songs, tossing ideas back & forth with one another & I continued to prank Steven Tyler.... priceless.

With all we had going on, all of us & especially my Nikki & I, family. Family came first. Our children continued to grow, pursue their passions at young ages...they were wise & talented well beyond their years. That was & still is especially true of Josephine who turned 12 this year, she was on the cusp.... the verge of leaving childhood behind, it honestly got me emotional then & now that she was growing up even more, so fast.... yet I cherished each & every moment. And she was on the verge of being a teen, a teen.... Amara turned 8, my oldest little twin...wasn't as little as she was, & she was insanely talented even then with guitar.... her & Josephine were always together, practicing. Tony, James, and Frankie.... Well, they turned 5, no longer toddlers. Time wouldn't stop, wouldn't slow down.... but still the memories are forever. They grew; they thrived....

And that leads us into 2001.... but first:

"I remember everyone freaked out about Y2K, but I never did because whatever DID happen, I had you Joe, I had our children. We entered the millennium OUR way."

I chuckle fondly before my tone grows more serious & softly say while gazing into Nikki's eyes, "You are SO right Honeybee, we weren't alone. It took us both a lifetime to learn that....to find that. We had each other, we had our children. We have them all still....2000 we DID do it our way, TOGETHER. At times giving the world the middle finger, only when we needed to. I treasured each & every moment." A gentle hand caresses my cheek, the scent of lavender & licorice invades my senses & I am lost.... lost in HIM.

-Nikki-

Think 2000 was something? 2001, was an epic year for Aerosmith.... For Mӧtley Crϋe, For the Hollywood Vampires & most of all? It was an epic year for our family. Before I get to my family, the beloved children I share with my Jo-Jo Bear...I wanna get started with 2001 & Aerosmith.

2001 would, as Joe has alluded to seeing Aerosmith enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I remember that ceremony very well, naturally I was Joe's date. In fact, it was our date night, the kids having been with a babysitter aka family. But yeah, back to the ceremony.... I was so proud, proud of them & especially Joe. It was a fitting tribute for the band, they performed but first came the speeches & I ESPECIALLY REMEMBER JOE'S SPEECH, which I remember him starting with...

'This is a hell of an honor....it means a lot to me, to our band. A lifetime of blood, sweat & tears, of us "letting the music" do the talking. What makes it truly mean even MORE, is the fact that I have my partner...my husband, my EVERYTHING at my side. That I get to share with him this moment, that he's here supporting ME. you Can't truly know how very much it means to me. Nikki, I love you...I love you so much, THANK YOU for always being my biggest fan. And thank you too to my children, THEY are the true legacy....'

There was a little bit more in his speech, thanking of course the Hall of Fame...but those words I just shared? I remembered his eyes finding mine, in fact they'd never once left mine when he stepped on that stage...the tears in his eyes, the LOVE.

This year also meant that Aerosmith released, 'Just Push Play' & I helped Joe write songs...and not only Joe, but Steven Tyler whom...well both of us came a hell of a long way. We went from enemies to friends & then eventually family.... The album proved to be a huge hit for them. I was so proud of Joe, still am.

Now on to Mӧtley. There was 'The Dirt' which was released.... telling our story in all its gore, its debauchery, its decadence with the hard times thrown in. It was us; it was notorious. I'd included many chapters or mentioned Joe thru out.... The book would in fact end up making the bestseller's list many & I do mean many times. Of course, I had Joe read the book first....shared each of my drafts with him, that meant a lot to me.

Of course, I did do my photography....and I will tell you at some point Joe worked on expanding my darkroom. I also did shoots with Aerosmith & then with the Hollywood Vampires & speaking of which....2001 would see us release our covers Album, it got a lot of, buzz & so it began. All in all, 2001 was a very productive year but as always, my FAMILY came first didn't fucking matter what I had going on.

2001 meant SO much....so much. It meant that Joe & I then had been married for 13 years. 13! We'd been through Heaven & Hell, but we'd been through it all together. Guess what I am trying to say is that there is nothing I loved/love more than being by Joe's side.... that I HAD him. and we only fell more in love, how could I not fall more for the other half of my soul? Our 13th wedding anniversary was spent with our children, whom we wanted to share on our day. It was a day full of romance, Joe making my favorite for dinner.... surprising me with my favorite flowers & of course you guessed it once the kids were all in bed.... We went wild in the shower, door locked of course.

I turned 43 & Joe was 51.... god, he looked even HOTTER in his 50s. Sue me for being partial.... he no fucking lie only gets sexier with age. And as for the kids? Josephine turned 13, 13! It's like Holy Shit; Joe & I had a teenager on our hands...her birthday of course on November 15th. And for that epic milestone of a birthday, she wanted just the US. The family of course sent gifts; we couldn't stop them. My little girl wasn't so little....and she looked even more like me. true she had some of Joe's features or personality traits. Oh, fun fact, Joe says & I agree that when she would get excited, nervous or angry.... she would have the echo of Joe's accent which caused me to remark, "So she's what I'd sound like with a Boston Accent. Personally, I sound fucking awesome!" I'd quipped. Joe laughed, Josephine too. She was proud of the fact & so were we.

Amara looked more & more like Joe by the day.... took after him even more, and 2001 saw her turning 9.... Tony, Frankie, & James were 6. I was proud of all five of my children, how could I not be? All their accomplishments, their passions.... I got to be there for them all. And it's among my most treasured memories.

Joe & I were raising them well.... doing awesome, which the proof was in how they looked at us, how they loved us...how we not only took care of them, but they took care of US.

A/N: One more part in the retrospective III chapters, which will cover 2002 up until the Icon Awards with Aerosmith or at least that's the plan. In any case stay tuned for more!