Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Epilogue: Richie

1991

Rikki

We still love CC, I mean he's my fucking brother in law I see him all the time but he has a lot of demons to deal with. It's the best thing for him and the band right now if he takes some time off.

We have a new guitarist now and he's pretty cool. His name is Richie Kotzen and he's a really good guitar player (comparing him to CC he's close but he's not CC). I mean he seems to fit in fine with the rest of us. The thing is he hasn't met Bee yet.

Bee understood the decision with CC getting fired, she wants her brother to get the help he needs. She said that he has Ashley and the girls to worry about and that's understandable. But CC will always be her big brother and she'll always be partial to him. I just hope she doesn't kill Richie or anything like that.

We walk up to the front of my house and I stop turning to the new guitar player. Bobby and Bret do the same thing from knowing Bee for so many years. Richie looks at us all and kinda laughs.

"Thought Rikki's wife and kids where in there not a fucking gas chamber or something." He says and Bret laughs.

"Maybe not a gas chamber but definitely a weapon of mass destruction." The singer says and I half smile.

I know that's my wife he's talking about but it's kinda true. Bianca is pretty scary. She gave birth to two kids and still plays rugby. She's a complete and utter badass and I'm proud to call her my wife, just she might kill Richie.

"Rik's wife is a rugby player, so uh, don't look her directly in the eye." Bobby laughs and I hit him.

"She'll kill you for saying that." I tell him. "Bee is our old guitarist's little sister and she's well, he's her twin so she's partial to him. Just don't say anything that might set her off."

"For the most part Bianca is pretty good at  bullshiting kindness though." Bret says. "Remember Janet Carson?"

"Oh right!" Bobby laughs.

"So just be careful is what you're saying?" Richie asks and we nod. "Okay, I can do that."

I open the door and we walk into the house. From somewhere in the house I hear Christian yell 'daddy's home'. I hear both my kids running towards the front door and I smile.

They got off lucky, they both look like Bianca but my wife refuses to see it. I don't know how she can't see it, they're both blonde with blue eyes. She says that Christian looks like me but she's just lying to herself and it's kinda funny. My kids are three years old and completely perfect (thanks to Bee of course).

Hope and Christian make it to the front room at the same time with their identical twin cousins not far behind. My kids hug my legs and I pick them up.

"I missed you, daddy." Hope tells me and Christian crosses his arms.

"I missed daddy more." He stated and Bret laughs.

"Well, I missed both of you." I tell them.

I see a lot of Bianca in our daughter. Right now Hope is studying Richie and I smile.

"Daddy, who that?" She asks and points to Richie.

"That's Richie, baby. Can you be a big girl and introduced yourself?" I ask her and she lights up.

"I'm a big girl!" Hope squeals and I smile.

"I know you are." I laugh.

"I'm Hope." My daughter tells him and I smile.

My kids go on and talk with their uncles, Bret has taken a liking to Christian and calls him Chris (which pisses off Bianca). Bobby has taken a liking to Hope because she's pretty sassy (like her mom).

"Christian, where's mommy?" I ask him and he looks up at me.

"The kitchen with Auntie Ashley and Uncle CC." He says.

Shit, CC is here...this is going to be fun.

We all walk back towards the kitchen and I see Bianca sitting on the counter. I go over to her and kiss her temple.

"You didn't tell me CC was coming. I thought it was Ash and the twins." I mumble in her ear.

"Rikki I know he's not in the band but he's still my brother." Bee tells me. "I'm not gonna say he's not allowed her because the other guitarist is hanging around."

"I know." I sigh and she looks up at me. I kiss her lips and she smiles.

"I love you, asshole." She says and I laugh.

"I love you too." I say.

CC and Ashley sit at the table each with one of their twins in their lap. Everyone is talking amongst themselves. I pull Richie over and he looks at Bianca.

"Guess you're the WMD." He says and I close my eyes.

This is the opposite of what I said to do.

"Bret, are you calling me a weapon of mass destruction again?" My wife calls and he laughs. She turns back to Richie. "I'm Bianca, Rikki's wife."

"I'm Richie, nice to meet you." He says and she half smiles.

Bee isn't very happy and I can tell but she puts on a damn good show.

Bianca

Richie, Bret, Rikki, Bobby, and even Ashley have all gone into the living room while our kids play. My twin hung around the kitchen while I finished washing the dishes.

"Have you heard him play?" CC wonders and I shake my head.

"Not yet." I admit.

"You think I'm a better guitarist than him?" He asks in a low voice and I laugh.

"Definitely." I assure him  and my twin lights up.

"I'm the best guitarist in the world." CC says proudly and I roll my eyes.

"You're not even the best guitarist in our family." I say and he mocks hurt.

"Ouch, kick me while I'm down, Bianca." He says and I laugh.

It goes quiet for a minute then my brother starts talking again.

"You know, I don't tell you enough but I love you and I'm happy for you. You, Rikki, Hope, and Christian you're all really happy together. I'm so happy you moved to LA back in '86." He admits and I smile.

"Yeah me too." I agree. "I'm happy for you, Ash, and the girls too. I love you guys." I say and he smiles.

He's an ass sometimes but I lucked out when it came to twin brothers. CC is my twin and my best friend and I love him, even if he looks like a Barbie doll.