We boarded the plane for California, as the plane ride began I felt the nerves of returning to California were beginning to kick in. Of course, I didn't say that to Billie or anyone. But I think he noticed with how much he was asking if I was feeling good.

Would I really be standing in front of my mom and dad in the space of a few days?

"Are you ready to say goodbye to temporary houses?" Billie asked me as he drove his car. After we reached the airport, someone had driven up their cars for them to get back since I guess they all couldn't stand cabs so much.

"Wait," I mumbled, looking away from the window of the car door and back at him. "We're going to your house... aren't we?"

"My very own house,"

"Real house,"

"Real house yes,"

"Where you live?"

"Well, you're moving in obviously,"

I glanced away at him back at the windscreen. "Oh my God I am,"

I guess I was so use to moving into already made houses I didn't even realise this one would be personalised, the own home of Billie Joe. And that would be it. No more moving around.

"Are you trying to say this thought of realisation hasn't hit you until just now?" He smiled slightly looking back over at me.

"I guess... not?"

"Nervous?"

"I think I am?"

"You look it,"

"You obviously live somewhere different right?" I looked back to him, but his eyes were back on the windscreen. 

"Course, why would I still live in the same house I moved out?"

"No idiot," I shook my head slightly. "I mean- do you live around the same part of Cali?"

"Well... kinda beside our home city yeah. Is that what you mean?"

"Right beside our hometown?"

He nodded confusedly at my surprised reaction. "Are you sure you're alright with coming back to California? You sound nervous about nearly everything I'm saying,"

"Oh gosh, why am I so nervous?" I hid my face in my hands for a few seconds trying to drag my mind together to make sense of what I thought. "I felt fine earlier,"

"How are you thinking about seeing your folks? Still wanna do that?"

The thought was sending an echoing feeling of illness through my empty stomach. "I don't wanna do it," I told him honestly, my words muffling through my hands. "But I still have to,"

"Have to?" He questioned as I felt the car turn around a road. 

"Well, obviously not have to since they'd never expect me to just show back up one day after years and years of fucking off. But this is something I wanna do for the sake of being able to say I did it. Even though I don't exactly want to,"

"I think its admirable you're even considering doing that,"

I pulled my head back out of my hands as I glanced over to him with a straight face. "You don't have to try and encourage me into doing this. I'm doing it anyway,"

"I'm not trying to encourage you idiot. I know you'd do it even if I tried telling you it was stupid. But I do think it's a good thing you're gonna do this,"

"It's stupid, you can say that,"

"It's not stupid, I mean- it's you getting the last laugh like you said a while ago. I know the shame you think in your defeat, so if this is you winning then you should go for it,"

I smiled slightly on accident. I liked the way he worded things. "It is a bit stupid though I feel like I need a last laugh when running away. As if running away wasn't louder last laugh enough. I guess I just want them to know I was okay on my own,"

"So what's your plan to do so now we're back in cali?" He questioned, looking over at me for a second. 

I thought about the most common sense of a way to just show back up home. "Maybe I'd have to get back in touch with Mae," I thought out loud. "No. No that's stupid. Maybe I'll do that if they don't live where they use to,"

"So you're just gonna show up back at your old house?"

"I guess? If that doesn't work then maybe I'll consider getting in touch,"

Billie huffed taking his hands off the steering wheel as we waited at a red light. I looked over through the windscreen. There was a crossing guard further up the street. I remembered these streets, further down was an old school. 

Looking around the streets, I realised another crossing guard down anther street. "Gosh. Cali has really tightened up on the road rules. Since when was there so many signs and crossing guards?" 

"I think there was this big crash years ago on one of the roads," Billie shrugged, more focused on wanting to get past this red light than explaining. "So now their fucking red lights stay on forever,"

"How big?"

"Huge. I mean it was all everyone talked about for a while,"

"Oh." I looked down at the crossing guard as she finished leading the people over the road and made her way back on the side walk. The red light turned orange as Billie put his hands back on the wheel preparing the car to start up again. "Glad I wasn't here for it,"

"I think I was at a show, or something,"

After maybe fifteen more minutes of driving, Billie Joe pulled down a road he told me was his. Preparing me to prepare myself for what he called his house.

On this street already all houses were large. With so many windows and broad extensions added to the houses, long fancy and decorated front gardens with coloured fences and bedded flowers. I only just knew in my bones Billie was gonna pull up to a super overly huge and expensive looking house he'd of lived at on his own for fuck knows how long.

I looked closely at every house coming up wondering which one he'd pull into until I felt the car finally move.

The house in front of the car stood way taller than I thought, lots of clean windows and a modern look. It was huge to say he actually did live alone. The outside already intimadated me I didn't know if I was ready to walk into this huge fucking place.

"Jesus Christ," I mumbled as he parked.

The car stalled as he un did his safety belt and looked over at me. "Well... here it Is,"

"It's fucking huge,"

"You think?"

"I think? It is huge- look at it. You live here... all by yourself in that huge fucking building?"

"It gets lonely." He shrugged with a small smile before climbing out the car.

I undid my seat belt following him as we headed around to the back of the car where all my shit was shoved. Billie opened me the boot as I grabbed one of the few boxes and he took a suitcase, wheeling it behind him as we headed to the front door. 

He unlocked it as it opened, revealing a large hall way. Billie let me step in first, telling me to just place the box somewhere in the first room that came up on the left side of the hallway and we can grab the rest of my things from the car. But following his instructions and going through the front door, I found myself being very distracted with how large and comfortable his -what I could only guess was- living room looked. 

He had a large red corner sofa, in front of it was a fairly big coffee table I placed the box on to give my arms a rest. What I could only assume was somewhat rewards from his music career hung up on the walls along the mantle piece where there was a fire place. It was fairly spacious, this guy really lived here alone?

"You alright there?" I heard his voice wander in as I quickly turned around. 

Billie Joe smiled at me with a box in his hands before walking over to where I was and placing it also on the coffee table.

"I got distracted," I smiled sheepishly.

"I can tell," He rolled his eyes playfully before giving me a nudge as he walked back out.

I followed him making our way back to the car. Since not all my things could fit in the trunk of his car we shoved some things in the back seats. I lugged out another large suitcase wheeling it as I followed behind Billie who was carrying another box.

We walked back and forth from his car for a few trips before Billie told me we'd taken everything out and closed the trunk. I didn't bother checking since I already felt so exhausted from nothing. Maybe I'm just purely jet lagged and sleep deprived. 

"Someone looks tired," Billie smiled as he looked around the living room where we re stood.

"I'm exhausted and we hardly did fuck all,"

"Well get ready to leave again,"

"Huh?"

He looked over at me from searching on the mantel piece. "There's somewhere else we need to go,"

My arms flopped to my sides. "Billie," I whined. "Do we have to?"

"Uhuh,"

"I'm tired c'mon, is it important?"

"It is very important when I can just find these stupid fucking keys." He mumbled frustrated to himself looking around the living room. He made it to the window that faced the front of the house looking around his curtains before his scowl dropped. "Oh," I heard a jingle as he must've grabbed them. "Got 'em." He turned back around smiling at me with the keys in his hand.

I would've of coursed moaned again if we really needed to leave. But the smile he was giving me and the keys were oddly suspicious. "What are those for?" I asked hesitantly. 

"You'll see." He grinned wider before walking past me. Grabbing my hand on the way past dragging me with him.

I huffed letting him take me back out the house. He locked his door again with the other pair of keys then once unlocking his car we climbed in.

I felt so exhausted, but Billie was acting oddly excited about something.

"Where are we even going?" I asked out loud as I rested my head back on the car seat closing my eyes.

I heard him mess with the car as it started up. "You'll see,"

"Is it far?"

"You'll see,"

"Is it going to take ages?"

"You'll see,"

"Are you going to say you'll see to every question,"

"You'll see,"

"I'll take that as a yes,"

Although my eyes were closed, I heard him chuckle to himself when the car started to reverse before he repeated the words again. "You'll see,"

I sat there patiently, giving up with asking any questions as I gave my eyes a rest trying to figure out the concept of what time it is and how much is passing, how much sleep have I gotten recently? This surely can't be healthy.

Billie was humming gently in the cars silence, something he normally did when he was looking forward to something or in a good mood. He didn't seem that much in a good mood when we were driving here. Where an earth actually are we going?

I must've completely failed my mission of trying to wrap my head around what the fuck time is and when it was passing because I don't know how long it had taken but before I knew it the car was parking again.

My eyelids flicked open as I looked at Billie first who was taking his seat belt off. I glanced out my window realising I was on the side of the road. So I sighed undoing my saftey belt and climbing out the car along with Billie.

"Took you both long enough," A voice chuckled through the wind as I stepped out the car.

I looked at where we were, a large plain looking builiding. The windows to it were broad and wide, everything inside looked kinda clean and empty. I noticed the first voice I heard was Mikes as he stood there outside. Tre accompanied beside him as Billie walked over to the door of the building. 

"I lost the keys, not to mention we had to move all of Echos stuff inside," He explained breezily as I stepped on to the side walk.

"Where the fuck are we?" I squinted looking up the building. 

"You look unimpressed," Mike laughed.

"Lack of sleep," I shrugged looking back down to him. Before focusing on Billie unlocking the building we were stood outside. "How do you have the keys to- what even is this place?"

"You'll see,"

I sighed with my arms falling to my side again. "I'm sick of hearing you'll see,"

"Gosh you really are tired huh?" Tre smiled slightly crossing his arms.

"Can you tell?"

"What with the impatience?"

"I was actually very patient in the car- tell them Billie,"

"She was very patient in the car," Billie repeated opening the door.

I crossed my arms back with a proud smile. "See,"

Mike shook his head chuckling under his breath before nudging me. "C'mon." He told me before the three walked into the building.

As we made our way in I realised how cold the room was. I think this might've been a vacancy from something that had gone out of buisness. It seemed like a store kind of place, with the stand up desk I could see and the other rooms behind. But the walls were plain and whatever this place was it was in great need of decorating. Whatever Billie was planning on doing with this place.

"Where are we?" I asked confused, my arms staying crossed as I looked up and around all corner and angles of the room.

Billie opened his mouth, before I got there first.

"And don't reply again with I'll see,"

His mouth shut returning to his boyish grin. Before he spoke. "I wasn't going to say that,"

"Hmmm, alright Billie I know that smile,"

"What smile?" He asked as it grew.

"That smile of something you've done or are going to do or say,"

"Well that's because of what I actually was going to say,"

I drew my eyebrows down. Squinting over at him asI realised Mike and Tre wandering around exploring. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as I asked him. "Well what was it you were going to say then,"

His mishcevious grin returned to a smile I knew. A kind and less worrying one. "Well, I was going to tell you that this is that big surprise I was telling you about through the tour," I was about to ask what he meant, but before I could he already answered my unasked question. "It's your new tattoo studio. All yours, just for you,"

"What?" I questioned. Thinking there's no way I just heard that right.

I guess when leaving New Jersey behind I kind of just assumed I'd lose my very own place. That maybe I'd end up working for someone else in California, but this? Was all mine? It was huge.

"It's your new tattoo studio," He repeated looking around at the place himself. "I know it's kinda plain right now. But I guess it just-"

I cut him off whatever he was saying as I ran over to hug him in thankfulness and excitement. I squeezed him tight as I heard him chuckle wrapping his arm around me.

"Billie this is crazy," I mumbled into his chest. "Why would you do this,"

"You've been talking about how much you've wanted this since we were teenagers. I didn't wanna pull you away from that when bringing you back here to California. I only really ever wanted to embrace it- so I thought this might've been a good idea and-"

I squeezed him tighter. "-I can't believe you'd do this, oh my God,"

"So you hopefully like it... right?"

Giggling, I pulled myself back to look at him. He looked back at me waiting for an answer, but I couldn't help laugh as if I hadn't made my answer clear enough. "Yes you nimrod. I fucking love it,"

"Alright. Well lets get to the car." He let go beginning to make an exit as I stood still.

"Wait, we're leaving already?"

"No. just- follow me,"

I did as told exiting the building behind Billie Joe as we walked to his parked car outside. He popped open the trunk where I realised about three of my boxes still were.

Most specifically, the ones with 'tattoo shit' written across them in a big black marker.

"I didn't take these ones out so you could put them in there. I thought maybe you'd wanna get them out the way with first,"

I looked over at him smiling. "How thoughtful,"

"Grab a box then," He nudged my arm taking one. 

I took a box too realising Mike who also came out the building to grab the last one closing Billies boot afterwards and we placed them inside. There was one box purely with all my drawings in and design I had hung back in my old tattoo studio. The other two filled with my actual tattooing equipment. 

Billie helped me decorate what I chose to be my new office with all my old drawings as Tre played some music through an old radio he found in the back. Although the signal was shit and kept going out from time to time.

"I can't believe you'd do all this for me," I smiled mostly to myself as I stood on and old wooden chair that had been left in the room we were in. Chipped with white paint. As I hung another one of the framed drawings on to the nail I'd just banged into the wall.

"Why would I not?" I heard him ask.

I looked over my shoulder at him, he was smiling at me with his hands in the box ready to grab the next thing but had paused. 

"I really wasn't expecting anything like this,"

"That's what makes it better,"

"Thank you Billie Joe,"

"Aye, don't thank me." He shrugged picking up another framed photo as he walked over to another wall. 

I couldn't help but grin again before the new office door was opened. I diverted my eyes from the wall at Tre who had entered. 

"Your tattooing equipment has all been put where you wanted it," He half smiled at me.

"Thank you Tre,"

"Oh- wait, just one more thing,"

I drew my eyebrows down slightly. Only just nervous what it could be that Tre wanted to say. With how we'd been recently it really could've been anything. "Yeah?"

"Y'know the other day when you mentioned that if there was anything I could ever think of in the future for a tattoo you'd sketch it up and tattoo it for me?"

I knew slightly just where this was going, probably why my lips ended up being engulfed in a large stupid beam. "Is there something you have in mind?"

"I've got an idea,"

"And would you like to be my first ever client to my new tattooing studio?"

"If you let me," He smiled back.

I jumped down from off the chair, grabbing Tre's arm in excitement as I dragged him out the office room and back to the main part of the building where the boxes of things were. Tre chuckled beside me as I let go rummaging through to find a sketchbook. 

Mike gave me a thumbs up before leaving the room and joining Billie in the office as Tre began to tell me his idea of a tattoo.

We sat crossed legged on the cold floor as he described it to me in the best detail he could. As we laughed whilst I tried to capture the sketch he was wanting.

And sure enough when he was happy with it, we began tattooing. Sure this building was pretty fucking empty, but stealing the wooden chair from the office Tre took his seat there as I plugged in the tattooing gun and set up my inks.

"Y'know," Tre began as the needle touched his arm. "It wasn't that I didn't want a tattoo when you offered me the other day. I really wasn't expecting you to even ask me,"

I stayed focus to the tattoo and the stencil. But engaging in the conversation. "Why wouldn't I ask you? I wouldn't plain just leave you out Tre,"

"Well, considering how cold I've been since re knowing you I wouldn't of thought any different of you if you did,"

"Oh come on," I laughed slightly. "Don't be silly. You have the right to be cold,"

"I'm sorry about that by the way,"

I just could not focus. Did this deep conversation really need to happen now whilst I was trying to tattoo him? I paused for a second, looking up at Tre. "Huh?"

"I know it sounds harsh but I really wasn't expecting to ever see you again. I guess when I did I forgot who you always had been and just remembered how you didn't say goodbye,"

"I should've said goodbye though," I tried to shrug off taking the blame, as I got back to the tattoo. "That's on me,"

"You did, to Billie. And I should've understood you didn't have enough time to fuck around with everyones goodbye. I mean- I'm happy you said goodbye to Billie at least,"

"It's not that I didn't wanna say goodbye to everyone. I would've said goodbye to you and Mike, Tre if I just stopped focusing on the timer in my head,"

"I get that," He nodded honestly. "Maybe I was just caught up on how upset Billie was when you left to understand you had to leave rather than you just did it,"

"Y'know. Billie doesn't tell me much about how he was when I left. He kinda just tells me bout every single other person but himself," I told Tre honestly. And it was of course true.

Billie told me on the first night we re met what my mom and dad were like, what my friends were like, what Mike and Tre were like, what even the people around town helping the search parties were like. But he doesn't mention much about how he was other than the obvious of I left him and that made him feel rotten.

"I mean. Its a given but he was pretty shit," Tre began. "I remember when Mike and I had no clue what was going on. We assumed it was just another phase of Billie locking himself in his room and pretending the outer world didn't exist. He did that a lot before you came around. So Mike and I obviously thought maybe you'd both fallen out, and when he finally told us you'd left it was kinda unbelievable. He just stayed a lot in his room, we didn't see much of him for a long while,"

"And when you did see something of him?"

"He never really mentioned it. I think it was his way of coping. Pretending not to remember it and living in denial it ever happened. He just came out of his hibernation and threw himself into the band. That's kinda when our success started to pick up and we were going somewhere,"

I paused, it was so weird to hear about what someone use to be like. When it wasn't the person you'd ever known. It was like- I never had any knowledge at all Billie use to just lock himself in his room and just ignore everyone. "Did he ever speak about it? Ever?" I was glad Tre wasn't looking at my face, because I felt kind of sympathetic. 

"Oh yeah of course. When he grew up. He wrote a lot of songs based around it. A lot of lyrics here and there that would link towards it. I think it was just a thing he came to accept with time and maturity. I mean after all, you are whasername,"

I instantly remembered the time Willow had called me out of my room letting me know there was an interview with them on the TV. I thought all day about who that song could be about, listening to it in my old office. And here I am, in my new tattoo studio back in California giving Tre Cool a tattoo and talking about how I was whatsername. I had come a far way in hardly much time. "Glad to be," I replied. Before Tre shifted topics.

"Alright, how about some more fun conversation starters about times before you left?"

I chuckled slightly, looking back at the tattoo to check its progress as I paused. "Lets hear it Tre, what do you remember?"

"Well what about that one time you passed out in the bathroom?"

I bursted out into laughter, gladly I had paused tattooing because the memory was uncontainabley funny. "How could I forget,"

A/N: OOOOH HERES A LONG CHAPTER FOR YOU GUYS. HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ONE, I HAVE BIG PLANS FOR NEXT CHAPTER. LIKE A HUGE TWIST, SO BE PREPARED.