A/N: so I just wanna quickly apologise for the absolute appalling updates.

I just wanna let you guys know. All stories are still being written, I've not given up on any. Just bear with me, I'm picking up where I left off slowly but gradually.

With that said, enjoy!!

"I really don't see why I have to be included in this," Billie half mumbled beside me as he slouched in the passangers seat.

I sighed, my hands gripping the steering wheel. "If she's the only family I've got, you're gonna meet her and you're gonna like her,"

"Well who says she's gonna like me?"

I glanced over to him for a second. "You can't be serious,"

"Your mom and dad hated me? How are we gonna know she doesn't hate me too,"

"Billie it was her idea to have you over,"

Billie huffed. Obvious bad mood. "Still a possibility,"

It should've been known by now: early mornings weren't Billies forte. Granted the fact that he woke up late and I rushed him around, determined to be on time to go and see Elora with Billie, must not of left him in a pleasant, friendly mood.

As Elora and I decided to set this up, Billie seemed to dread it the whole past few days.

I looked quickly to Billie. His arms crossed as he looked out the window.

"I think you should feel complimented. Don't you remember what it was like as teenagers? Having to hide everything because my family knew of you? Not being able to introduce you? Elora wants to meet you, she doesn't wanna just know of you like my parents always did," I mumbled, attempting to prove my point.

He hummed for a few seconds before shrugging. "Guess that's a possibility too,"

"This is the only family I've got left Billie. Just suck it up and deal with it. Please," I asked, looking towards him as we stopped at a red light.

"Alright." He sighed, his arms uncrossing. "I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm tired,"

I smiled slightly checking back at the road. As the red light turned orange. "I can tell,"

Pulling up to Eloras home, still gave me odd deja vu. And as I looked over towards Billie, I realised maybe it gave him some too.

"Y'know what's gonna be weird?" He mumbled over as I parked.

"Go on?"

"I'll not be sneaking through your window today. I don't think I ever actually touched your front door,"

"Did you ever really see the downstairs of my house?" I questioned realising.

Billies eyes flickered from around the building. "Y'know... I don't think I did,"

I was nervous for an odd reason. I was so rushed to get here but now I'm in front of the house, I'm trying to stall time.

Or at least, stall Billie.

"You good?" I asked him. Because I knew I wasn't.

He paused for a few seconds, before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah it's just. I guess maybe because I never had the opportunity to do the whole 'meet your parents' thing with you, I'm not very prepared for this," But then he shook his head. "But y'know- it's fine. I'm sure it'll be alright,"

I gave him a small smile. "I'm admittably a little nervous too, if that helps,"

"That makes me more nervous Echo," He smiled back. "But thanks for the effort,"

"Well..." My eyes retreated back to the house. What was my house, but now. Just the house. "Guess we should go break the ice then,"

He sighed and shrugged, as if to say 'I suppose' before both of us walked down the drive and to the front door. I didn't waste any time knocking, but once we stood waiting my nerves grew stronger.

"Just don't mention a huge lot about how I use to sneak you around," I mumbled from in front of him.

"Right,"

"Or how we got drunk,"

"Echo this is Elora not your parents,"

"I know but... I just wanna play it safe," I replied, before flinching slightly as the door opened.

"There you are," Elora smiled cheerfully over to Billie and I.

My nerves raised to my throat. "Sorry if we're late," I grinned slightly.

"Oh no, don't worry about that." She laughed moving away from the door and inside. "Come in,"

I looked over my shoulder at Billie, who pulled an exaggeration of a worried face. I scrunched my nose at him before elbowing him slightly as the two of us made our way inside.

Before realising how actually worried I was myself. As I heard Billie close the door behind him, I blurted out a conversation starter. "Did you know that's the first time Billies ever used the front door?"

"Echo," He grunted annoyed behind me.

I turned to look over my shoulder to him. Before whispering. "Sorry, I got nervous,"

"He never came over while you guys were together?" Elora questioned confused, as we made our way into the living room. She found herself a seat by the arm chair of the sofa, sinking into the cushions as she made herself comfortable.

A lump began to rise in my throat as I realised what I literally dropped myself into. "No..." I mumbled . Slowly sitting down on one of the arm chairs. I placed my hands palm down on my thighs awkwardly. "Well- actually- he er- he did... kinda-"

"-I use to sneak in through the window," Billie finished for me, standing next to the chair where I was.

I quickly gave Billie the eye, before I heard Elora chuckle.

"Y'know," She began. "I've had to sneak a boy over a few times since living here. I get where you're coming from,"

Like a complete idiot, I felt my mouth gape as I looked over at her. "Wait... really?"

"Oh yeah. I don't know exactly how strict they were with you. But when you did leave and I came around, they had a big problem with any boy I was interested in." Elora explained, chuckling briefly as she reminisced. "One of dads friends actually had a son my age. I think his name was Lewis? I'm not sure if you ever knew him, but they were really hoping I'd get along with him,"

The name brought an uncomfortable feeling inside of my throat. I'd say a lump, if I didn't feel so much like a shard of glass stuck in my windpipe. "Did you?"

"He wasn't much my type," She shrugged. Her eyes flickered over to Billie Joe, who I forgot was still there beside me. Then back to me. "God. I'm sorry- where are even my manners? Do you both want anything to drink?"

Billie Joe declined politely. "Actually I'm all good, thanks though,"

She nodded, then looked at me.

I guess although some might not get it, I felt almost rude to decline a drink. Even though I wasn't really that thirsty. "Sure," I breathed out finally, smiling over. "What you got?"

Her lips curved upwards into a grin. "You can come look with me if you like?"

My eyes lead me to turn to Billies direction. Before deciding Billie was a grown adult, and could be left on his own. At least I hope.

"Sure." I repeated, standing myself up.

I followed Elora back into what was my old kitchen. Excluding what was my bedroom and had been turned supposedly into Elora's, the kitchen was probably the room that had changed the most since I left.

With new marble counter tops, fresh white kitchen walls, and an annoying loud clock.

I looked over at the kitchen cupboard under the sink. Letting out a chuckle. "Y'know, I remember when my mom use to keep her bottles of wine in there,"

"Oh really?" She smiled, walking over to the cupboard. She opened it up as I spotted the few bottles of red wine standing beside each other. "Now, I'm not an alcoholic. I just like to keep traditions,"

My chuckle became a loud laugh. "No way,"

"I was going to offer you a wine. Until I realised the time on that clock. I wouldn't want you to really think I'm an alcoholic,"

"Oh come on, it's never to early for a glass of wine," I joked. A small comment hoping to put some ease.

"Would you like a glass?"

"Actually I'm urm-" I paused. I was about to excuse myself with the fact that I was the driver. Until I realised Billie was as capable of driving us back as I would be. And who knows, a glass of wine could help take the edge off. "Actually," I repeated. "I wouldn't mind a glass if you wouldn't," I smiled.

Elora gave back the same grin. A slightly mischievous one as she grabbed a bottle out the cupboard. "I like the sound of that,"

She placed the bottle on to the marble top counter. Making her way over to the other higher cupboard mounted on the wall, pulling out two glasses.

"I'm sure one or two glasses of wine will be fine," She shrugged, pouring. "Right?"

"Of course,"

~

"Y'know, you're not doing too good at helping me help you," Billie mumbled, his arm around me supporting me as we made our way inside.

"Oh, come on Billie," I laughed, staggering beside him. "Lighten up,"

"Careful there Echo,"

"Would you stop!" I exaggerated. "I'm fine, I swear!"

We stopped at the front door, Billie looked over at me for a second. Our faces only inches apart. "You think you can keep yourself steady while I try and find the front door key?"

"Course I can," I laughed letting go of him. Feeling his arms slowly let go of me too.

Billie Joe looked at me a little longer hesitantly, before checking his jean pockets for the key.

I felt myself wobble a little, before I heard the jingling of keys.

"How many glasses of wine did you say you had again?" He sighed, opening the front door before he put his arm back around my waist.

"Y'know..." I slurred slowly, trying to think. "I don't remember too much. I mean- I didn't really count- well I did. I mean, I think I lost count after a few,"

Billie Joe basically dragged me in beside him, before we made our way into the living room where he near enough dropped me on to the sofa.

I let out a grunt before trying to make myself comfortable. Looking back up to Billie, who let out a sigh shoving his hand through his black hair.

For a few silent seconds. I sat there hiccuping, watching Billie huff over and over, and over again.

"What is it Bill?"

"Nothing." He responded shortly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is it- hiccup- is it me?"

There was another long sigh from him. "No, no it's not Echo,"

"So what's with all the sighing?"

Billies eyes didn't meet mine for a moment. And through that moment I began to understand two things.

Number one: it is me.
And number two: he wasn't actually going to reply.

Maybe it was the wine that did it. Or me dragging him over to meet the only fucking family I seemed to have.

"Do you know what today reminded me of?" Billie Joe finally spoke up.

I looked over at him letting out another hiccup. "What?"

"Do you remember that time when we were teenagers and I took you to your first ever party? You got so stoned and so drunk, you completely passed out in Mikes bathroom?" He smiled, just slightly, over at me.

I thought back, I remembered the start of Mikes party. The end part gets a little fuzzy. "I don't really remember the- hiccup- the end of Mikes party too well,"

He grinned over before chuckling. "That's because you didn't make it to the end. I had to carry you to the car and take you back to mine. God- I was terrified your mom would find out I took you to a party and allowed you to get so drunk,"

I gave a small smile. "You've always looked after me,"

"I try,"

"Y'know Bill..." In my mind, I knew this was something that was terrible to bring up drunk. Yet I did it anyway. "You talk- hiccup- you talk a lot about the past too y'know,"

"So...?"

"You don't talk about when I left. You- hiccup- only talk about before that. Maybe I may be stuck in the past. But you never really accepted it too well,"

His eyes scrunched up in what looked like confusion. "I accepted the past? You can't possibly thrown that back at me,"

"Throw- hiccup- throw back what?"

"You leaving me,"

I think that when you look back at your past. You look at one point in your life and realise it was your turning point. And you fucking hate yourself for not realising at that time.

I'm not here saying I didn't realise me leaving was my turning point, although it was only an obvious one. Yet, I think this was about to be a new one.

"I didn't want to leave you," I slurred insultedly. "You speak so much about all our good times you never ever wanna acknowledge the bad,"

Billie began to raise his voice. "Well why would I Echo? They were bad for a reason,"

"You know what." I mumbled. Standing up. Only busting my pride when I wobbled getting to my feet. "I think I figured it out,"

"Figured what out?"

"You wanna know why I can't move on from my past? Because I don't know squat about what I did. About all my fucking consequences. All that I left for every fucker else to clean up. Because you won't fucking speak on it!"

"You want me to speak on it!?" His eyes grew wide as he stood up. "Alright! Where to fucking start? Well- you left! I had to fucking break it to every fucker else! I had your parents at my door day and day, not to mention the police! I didn't leave my room for weeks! I forgot to fucking look after myself! I confused my love with everything. I was backwards for months! And where were you!?"

"I had to leave!"

"No Echo! Where were you when you could contact me? Where the fuck where you when I was there on television! You never tried to get into contact with me. And there I was finding myself thinking whilst I tried to sleep you didn't want me. You left me- yeah, I know, you didn't want to yadda yadda yadda- but to not get in contact? You didn't wanna do that either? The reason I don't talk about when you left is because-" he took a sharp breath in. "-Is because I am so fucking scared that you didn't want me when you were gone,"

I didn't know what words to use. And if I did know them, I didn't know if I could've said them right. And I didn't mean the slurring.

"And I sit here now," He continued. "And I think so much about- if I didn't bump into you in that bar. Would you of ever wanted me with out that nudge?"