What If

Everyone Needs Something

A little after midnight Brian pulled his Mercedes S-Class into the small convenience store outside of his neighborhood. After a stressful night of his parents harping on his lack of meaningful relationships and Brent's engagement, he needed to pick up a six pack.

But before he could make it in to the store, he noticed a boy grabbing the arm of a girl who didn't appear to want to go with him.

"Just come on, Jamie," the young man's voice growled lowly.

"No," the girl replied in firm voice "I said I don't want to go with you."

"It'll be a good time," the man continue to press. "Why are you being like this?"

"I said I don't want to GO," she continued to pull away. "Leave me alone."

Brian noticed a few store patrons look at the altercation but no one tried to intercede.

He almost didn't himself but the girl's brown eyes made contact with his and he was a goner. He made his way over slowly.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked as authoritatively as he could.

"Mind your own fucking business," the boy retorted.

Brian's eyebrows crashed together. "It is my fucking business if she doesn't want to go with you."

"She's being a tease," the guy replied "you know how that is." The girl tried to jerk away again but the boy grabbed her.

"Stop it, Thomas, you're really hurting me," she said more angry than hurt.

"Let her go," Brian stepped forward, grabbing for the girl.

"Or what?" the boy said angrily.

"Or you're going to wish you had," Brian replied.

The boy laughed and looked at the girl. "Can you believe this fucker?" he asked her "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Stop it Thomas," the girl said shoving against the boy and he pushed her slightly before grabbing her arm again.

"Seriously dude," Brian said trying to reign his temper in, almost sorry he'd walked over. He didn't need to get busted for smacking this kid.

"Oooh, I know who you are. You're part that stupid band every body likes....you guys play that gay ass music. You think you're the shit and I should do what you want cause you're famous. Well fuck you."

"Shut up, Thomas," she said again before turning to Brian "Just go. This is no big deal. Just go."

"Are you serious?" he looked at her. "You want me to leave you here with this stupid mother fucker?"

"Mother fucker?" Thomas gave a snort,before he released the girls arm forcefully in Brian's direction and shoved her in the back causing her to drop her purse, spilling everything on the concrete. "Take her. She's misery walking. Fucking bitch."

Brian was about to make a lunge to punch the punk but the girl put a small hand on his chest to stop him. "He's not worth it, Brian. Let him go."

The sound of his name made him stop and he watched the guy laugh in his face as he hopped in his piece of shit car and flip them off as he sped off.

The girl sighed as she picked up her purse and the contents that had spilled during the confrontation.

"Are you going to be okay?" Brian asked.

She looked at him surprised that he was still behind her. "Yeah I'm fine. Are you, Brian??"

The question seemed to catch him off guard. "Yeah I'm cool.....how do you know my name?"

She frowned. "Hail to the King."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding, "well....can I....get you anything...or take you somewhere.....home maybe."

She continued tossing stuff in her purse. "No...Its not...time for me to go home yet."

Brian didn't quite understand. "Look..I know things may seem hard now...but....I've been where you are...or I've had friends who have been there...there are places you can go...you can get help."

"Help? You think I'm the one that needs help? "She looked at him curiously.

"Well...don't you?" he asked. "I'm mean you're out here all alone with some dude trying to force you into his car."

"And you're here trying to save me?"

"Well...I mean...you can't be more than what...16...and you're out on the streets with no home to go to...so..."

She laughed out loud and looked at the sky. "This guy is trying to save me. Can you believe this? I mean technically someone was supposed to help...but it was themselves that they were supposed to be saving...not me. I don't need...."

"Everyone needs something," Brian said trying to reason.

"Yeah?" she asked with a smirk "And what do you need, Synyster Gates?"

"Me?"

"Yeah you?" she smirked again. "You just said everyone needs something."

He returned the smile. "I've got everything that I need."

"Wow," she deadpanned. "It must be great being you then. Big band, lots of money and women. You got it all."

"You could do it too, if you work hard," Brian tried to encourage.

"You still think this is about me, huh?" she said pulling her purse up her arm.

Brian shrugged confusedly, unsure what to do with the rest of the conversation.

She gave him a wide smile "Oh man, I'm gonna really enjoy this one... Just remember, you did this. You brought this on yourself."

And with that, the girl turned and talked away leaving Brian feeling even more confused.

A feeling he carried back to his house and into his bed. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

================================

The warm California sun shone through the window of his bedroom and onto his face again. But it wasn't the sun that made him wake up. Or the sound of his one night stand brushing her teeth in his bathroom. Instead it was the feeling of a woman's head against his chest, her soft breath against his chest. A look of confusion crossed his sleepy face as he tried to remember if he'd brought a woman home the night before. He didn't think he had but then who was it laying against him.

He turned his head and realized he was laying in a bedroom he didn't recognize with a golden lab laying on the floor next to the bed. What the fuck?

He looked down at the woman again and brushed the dark hair from her peaceful face.

Kate Bailey.

She was older now, a 32 year old version of her former self but still as beautiful as she was when he last saw her. She was sleeping peacefully holding onto him for dear life.

He looked around the unrecognizable room. Was it her house? It was worn and lived in. The king size bed took up most of the room but the bay window overlooked the ocean. Family pictures were every where and in the corner sat his ancient white Les Paul. Had she kept it all those years?

He rubbed his eyes again, thinking it was all a dream but the action stirred Kate more than she wanted and she groaned. "Oh come on Brian, ten more minutes. Consider it my Christmas present."

The sound of her husky morning voice scared him and he jumped up in surprise.

"Oh my fucking God Brian," she cried "what's wrong?"

"Kate?" he said hoarsely.

The door opened and a small girl walked through the door and climbed onto the bed and began to jump much to Kate's dismay. "Daddy, Merry Christmas....is it time to open presents yet?" she asked with big brown eyes looking directly at Brian.

Brian felt dizzy and nauseous before collapsing completely.

"Daddy?"