All In The Name Of...

Whiskey in the Jar

It was about five in the morning when I was woken up by the sharp, whining cry of my 'nephew', Gunner. I'd let Nikki take the guest room, and Gunner had gone with him, but apparently Nikki was either a heavy, heavy sleeper, or was just really bad at calming down an infant.

So, I tiredly trudged into the guest room next door to find Nikki trying frantically to rock Gunner to sleep. "Stella!" He whined, looking up at me, "He won't be quiet!"

Sighing, I walked over and gently took the baby from my friend's hands. "Well, you can't panic, Nikki, that's only going to stress him out more," I responded calmly, looking at him. "Now... did you bring any baby formula? Because he could just be hungry, y'know. Oh, and if you didn't, you're going to have to get some." The bassist sighed, picking up his keys.

"By the way," Nikki mentioned, "I kinda told my two friends we'd meet here around eight this morning," he told me. "Since y'know, if I try going home too soon, she'll kick my ass." I groaned again, but I couldn't really be mad at Nikki; I could, however, be pissed at his annoying wife.

So, whilst Nikki went to go get baby formula at this ungodly hour, I took to getting myself ready. I took a literal five-minute shower, since I couldn't leave Gunner by himself, and then took him with me downstairs to make some coffee. I let my dog out so he could do his business and run around for a bit, and I straightened up a few things as well. It felt like the most normal morning I'd had in awhile.

Soon enough, Nikki returned with both the formula and a bottle. Thankfully, from watching Brandi with it, he knew how to use it, because I had not the slightest idea. Once he was fed, he was perfectly calm, and Nikki rocked him off to sleep. "You and Axl thinking about kids?" He asked me quietly, pouring himself some coffee. 

I shrugged, avoiding looking at Nikki as I pulled out some ingredients for french toast. "We haven't necessarily talked about it, if you want the truth," I answered after a moment. "We've been busy having our own adventure. A good part of me wants kids, I suppose, but I don't want to just settle down, y'know?" 

"You act like it's a choice," Nikki laughed. "You think I've slowed down 'cause I'm a dad? Shit, if anything, it's given me a new adventure. It ain't about choosing kids or career, Stella. It's making both work for you. You can be the same kickass rock star you've always been and still be a mom." He paused for a moment. "You think Axl wants 'em?" he inquired.

Now it was my turn to have a small laugh. "That's a tricky question, Sixx, I gotta say," I admitted as I started prepping the french toast batter. "Because Axl's putting so much time into his career that he might just want to keep moving. But on the other hand, he's dedicated to everything he does, so I don't think he wouldn't be dedicated to a kid."

I signaled for Nikki to set up the table for when his friends arrived as I began to cook. Nikki dropped the subject, and in a way, I was thankful. By the time the food was well and done, and I'd set the rest of it all up, it was already eight o' clock. The first car to show up revealed a shorter guy with a pierced lip, icy blue eyes, smudged eyeliner, and longish black-brown hair.

Not even two seconds later, the other car pulled up. This friend was taller and had shaggy, dirty blonde hair. He seemed kind of tired, and the five o' clock shadow that was still there didn't exactly help that. Both of them got to the door at the same time.

I was the one that opened the door. "You must be Stella," the shorter one greeted, shaking my hand. "Shit, it's an honor to meet you!" I laughed and moved for the two of them to come in. "I'm Dj Ashba," he introduced himself, "and the giraffe over here is James Michael." I glanced over at James, who shook my hand and introduced himself as well, but was actively looking toward the kitchen.