Book 1: Lost In Translation (Another Reason To Cry) (Izzy Stradlin FanFic)

Ch. 18: Lost In the Kidnapping

I had left the kidnapping up to Stevie and Axl. Only now, I was starting to regret that decision. The rest of the band and myself were all waiting patiently at the café where Melody and I had first met. We had been standing around for what felt like years, and still no sign of any of them.

Kim was currently hanging all over Duff and Slash, determined to score at least one rockstar, considering she had gotten rejected by me about a million times by now. Slash seemed to take a liking to her right away, while Duff appeared to take immense pleasure in all of the free alcohol she was supplying him with. While I was glad everyone else was having a good time, I couldn't help but feel annoyed at the fact that I was the only one who just couldn't get it together.

I had brought my old acoustic guitar with me and had set up a make shift stage after getting permission from the café manager. The guys had helped me set up the stage, and Kim had hooked us up with the venue by insisting to the manager that we were the hottest new band and we would attract hoards of customers. Everything was falling into place, and everyone was all ready to go. Everyone, save for my red headed muse.

"Izzy, relax. Have some whiskey!" Slash insisted, shoving a bottle in my face. The stench of it burnt my nostrils and I immediately recoiled.

"What the fuck, man?" I demanded, shooing away the bottle with a wave of my hand.

"Slash, leave him alone. He's nervous as fuck," Duff reminded the curly haired guitarist.

Slash frowned, looking slightly put out before returning to whatever conversation he had been having with Kim. Duff shook his head and turned to me with a sheepish smile.

"Chill, Izz. She'll show up. Axl and Steven wouldn't let you down."

I bit my lip, trying not to think of all of the horrible things that could go wrong before I got a chance to see Melody again. After all, Axl's plan wasn't full proof. Hell, it sounded like something out of a bad movie.

Axl wanted to pose as Mrs. Swanson's chauffeur, driving her all over LA to keep her preoccupied while he had Steven sneak into the house to get Melody.

We all agreed that it would be best if Steven was the one to get her, considering she would recognize Steven from our night out and we wouldn't run the risk of having her think he was an intruder. After seeing how easily Melody had been able to attack Duff when she thought he was robbing my house, I insisted that we use someone familiar. Even if it would be hilarious to see her beat up Axl.

They had left the rest of us at the café, Axl dressed in a suit and tie with a driver's cap on, and Steven dressed in tight, black clothes and his hair popping out from under a black hat. He had black stripes below his eyes like Nikki Sixx.

"You look like a burglar!" I gasped when I first saw him. He was going to stand out like a sore thumb in Melody's ritzy neighborhood. "You're practically begging her neighbors to call the cops as soon as they see you!"

"Breaking and entering, I gotta' look the part," he insisted.

And look the part he did. I turned to Axl with a furious glare, but he simply shrugged. I was shocked, considering he was usually the first to jump down Steven's throat for anything and everything. But, for once, he was calm and collected. It was then I decided that I needed to see this Stephanie chick for myself. She must be something special to have managed to change Axl so drastically.

"We won't fuck this up, Izz," Axl said softly, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I promise."

That was nearly two hours ago, and still no sign of either one of them. I was starting to think that maybe I was right and the neighbors had called the cops on Steven. Even worse, what if Melody didn't remember him from that night? What if she had attacked him and he was in the hospital?