✔️| 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Chapter 21.

It's been a few days since the gig and today Nikki and I are going to end the record deal with Elektra Records. "Hey. I can't believe you wanted to meet here," Tom says, dropping into the space in the booth beside me.

"Seemed appropriate," Nikki replies, looking around.

"I mean, you guys got your dicks sucked at this table, for Christ's sake," Tom says, and Nikki chuckles in amusement.

"Not anymore, Tom. Not anymore."

"Yeah, well, the label's fed up with you," Tom says, and slides a folder across the table to Nikki. "They're dropping you. You convinced them to give you back the rights to your music, so you own it all now. It's what you wanted, right?"

"Yep."

"Are you happy?"

"Still..." Nikki answers after a bit of silence. "We had a pretty good ride, though, right?"

"Yeah, we had a good ride. I liked it better with Vince, though," Tom says and shrugs.

"I think we all did," I mumble in my cup of coffee, taking a sip.

"Yeah," Nikki whispers, almost unhearable.

While Nikki went off to do something else, I decide to go visit Tommy, considering he's my brother and all. But I have to be there for him while he goes through his heartbreak of losing Heather even though his dumbass cheated. We sit in his living room talking and he's smoking a cigarette, when we hear someone knock at the door. Tommy walks out of the room—leaving his cigarette butt to burn away in the ashtray—to see who it is, and I hear him open the door. "Hey, man," I hear him say.

"What I did at your wedding... I didn't... know how to do that. How to be there," a familiar voice says. Sincerity laced within the words being spoken.

"What's up, Nikki?" Tommy asks.

"I was really fucking selfish and I shit on something that was important to you, and I'm really sorry."

"I know you pretty well, Sixx, so... I kinda get it," Tommy replies. "And it's ok." The fact Nikki is owning up to how he acted at Tommy's wedding is shocking on one hand, but Nikki Sixx saying sorry is another thing. "But can you say that last part one more time for me?" Tommy asks jokingly.

"Don't fucking push it, T-Bone" Nikki says and I hear Tommy laugh.

"Come in, man."

"I heard you and Heather broke up."

"Yeah. I think she's, um, gonna end up being the one that got away."

"I'm sorry, man."

"Knew I'd get you to say it again!"

"Fuck you."

* * * *

"Alright, we're going on a mission, but first I've got to do something," Nikki says. I hear footsteps coming towards the lounge and Nikki enters, Tommy trailing behind. "Hey, babe," Nikki says and smiles.

"Hi."

He grabs my hand and pulls me up from the couch. "I spent my whole life chasing ghosts, looking for something I could never find. And here it was right in front of me the whole time... and backstage with me every night," he says and I look at him confused. Why he's being so romantic? "Lili Lee, will you make me the happiest man ever?" He asks and gets down on one knee. "I know we've been dating for a year and a half, but if Tommy can get engaged and married in only a certain amount of months... I'm sure we can do it in a year and a half. So what do you say, will you marry me?" I open my mouth to answer, but no words come out. I look over at Tommy and he smiles at me, nodding.

"Yes" I say. "Yes, I'll marry you." Nikki smiles and slides the ring onto my finger. He stands up, and I instantly pull him into a kiss.

"Woah, guys. Remember, I'm still here," Tommy says, and we pull away from each other.

"Sorry, T-Bone," Nikki says, laughing.

"So... What's the mission?" I ask.

"You'll find out."

We wait outside the hospital for Mick to come out and we see him being wheeled in a wheelchair out by a nurse. "Filthy bastards," Mick says and we all walk towards him.

"How's that new hip, dude?" Tommy asks. "Feel like The Terminator now or some shit?"

"Touch the chair and I'll terminate you, Drummer," Mick says as Tommy goes to take the wheelchair from the nurse.

"Ready for this, Mick?" Nikki asks.

"Thank you," Mick whisper to the nurse and start getting himself out of the wheelchair. I go to help him but he puts his hand up, signalling me not to. "Stop looking at me like that," he demands. "Let's go get our fucking singer back already."

"Aye-aye, caption," Tommy says and pats Mick's back.

"Goddammit" Mick mutters in pain.

* * * *

We walk into the pub Vince goes to and sees him sitting at the bar. "Hey, Vince," the bartender says and nods towards us.

"Hey, man," Tommy says.

"Just wanna talk, Vinnie. That's it" Nikki says, leaning against the bar.

"Come on, Vinnie." Mick puts his hand on Vince's shoulder and Vince looks back at him. "Let's talk," Mick says.

We all sit down in a booth, and Nikki puts his arm around me. "I was scared. After what happened with Razzle and Lili, I was scared that I was losing the only thing that ever mattered to me," Nikki says.

"Yeah, your band," Vince says, bluntly.

"No. No. This. This" Nikki says, talking about our group. "Look, we went to war together. Shit changes, people change, but I don't fucking care if Mötley Crüe never plays another note. All I want is my fucking brother back. Because this is the only family that I've ever known."

"We love you, Vin. Ok, fuck, I love ya," Tommy says.

"And I am sorry about Skylar, man," Nikki says, and Vince starts to sob quietly.

"Niki, switch places," I whisper and he nods. I move to where Nikki was sitting and put a comforting hand on Vince's arm.

"It's against the laws, man," Vince says. "It's against the fucking rules of the universe."

"Hey," Mick says and puts his arm around Vince's shoulders.

"We got you, buddy," Nikki says. "We got you, brother. We got you."

* * * *

WEEKS LATER

"Nikki. It's showtime. Let's go" the band's new manager says, knocking on the dressing room door. Nikki opens the door and walks out, hand in hand with me. We walk down the hallway of the stadium, the others joining us one by one. The feeling of excitement fills the air as the band is about to play their first gig all back together again.

We reach the stairs of the stage and I let go of Nikki's hand so he can go up with Tommy, Vince, and Mick. The boys make their way up the stairs and Nikki stops, looking back at me. A smile grows on his face and it makes a smile instantly appear on my face. He turns back to the stage and joins the boys at the top.

Nikki Sixx. Tommy Lee. Vince Neil. Mick Mars. We are Mötley Fücking Crüe.