And bam, a new chapter for you guys!

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The sound of a tour bus rolling to a stop was both nostalgic as it was exciting to Eddie. He had grown up living on a bus, he knew how life on the road went. It felt like his real home. He swept away the thought, doing his best to not let nostalgia flood through him as he watched Lars stride out of the bus tiredly, Lita a step or so behind him and Ophelia behind the blonde woman.

"Ironheadeeeeee!" Kage's sudden shout startled everyone, he barreling forward clearly excited. The plump man waving his giant fists in turn. "You guys! You guuuuys!"

"Kage!" Lars offered equally as loudly back as he waved at the fat balding man. The blonde man all bright smiles as he looked over the assorted group waiting for them. He trying to stride regally in their direction, the effect only ruined as Ophelia ran past him, her arms open and her voice carrying. "You guys!"

Her shout was met with calls of her name in turn.

"Ophs!"

"Opheliiaaaaaa!"

She swung into their arms, grabbing onto Eddie then Kage as she hugged both. Easily grappling Kill Master into the next hug, poor Oz standing no chance against her devilish hug ploy. The brunette woman laughing as she found herself in a close knit hug with her friends. The two older men had to smile at the hug, Kill Master patting her back while Oz ruffled her hair. "Nice to see you in one piece luv,"

"What, did you expect I'd need Lita and Lars to protect me?"

"Hell naw," Fire Baron commented easily back as he stepped forward, he smirking faintly down at the short brunette as he spoke. "We all know by now you're there to keep their asses safe,"

"Damn right!" She lightly punched Fire Baron in the shoulder as well, tugging him into a hug after he flinched at the hit. "I saw you flinch, big baby,"

"Hush your mouth, I didn't flinch," He patted her back warmly back, as Lars gladly swept everyone else into hugs. "My fellows, my companions, my friends! You look so well!"

"We try to, man, we try to!" Was laughed by Mangus as he found himself swept into an embrace by the shirtless Lars. It not taking the blonde man very long to give everyone, man or woman a hug.

"Good to see no one died while we were gone," Lita stayed away from everyone, eying them warily before approaching Kill Master for a friendly fist bump of greeting. "All your doing I suppose?"

The man with the cowboy hat chuckled at that, smirking as he jested in turn. "Who else would take care of these idiots?"

"Ey!"

"Eddie helped too, of course," Kill Master laughed easily back as he lightly offered the roadie a friendly nudge before turning his attention back to Lita. The group itself easily kept chatting, the three bandmates quick to try and catch up on what they missed. Eddie easily leading everyone back towards Kill Master's old van. There a brief squabble on who sat where before everyone settled in. Oz bidding everyone goodbye as he left with his wife. Lars happily leaned against Kage as he told him an over dramatic retelling of something that had happened on tour. Kill Master and Ophelia sat shoulder to shoulder while Lita's head rested lightly against the back of the van's fuzzy interior. Mangus was turned towards the back from the passengers seat, playfully offering his own responses to things as Eddie focused on driving.

Eventually he brought the car to a stop in front of Lita and Lars's home. The two easily sliding out of the back of the van. "Party tomorrow at Kill Master's place, guys! Get there at 4!"

"Bring booze!" Kage added in loudly from the open back of the van. He pumping his fist in the air repeatedly nearly punching the van roof with his wild gesture. "All the booze!"

"We'll bring what we can, my fellows!" Lars called back to the group, waving back at his friends as he and his sister headed into their home. With their departure and the closing of the van talk erupted as Ophelia flopped across Kill Master and Kage's laps. "How did you even get talked into a party at your house?" She laughed up at Kill Master, resting her feet against the back of the passengers seat.

"A lot of booze, plenty of it."

"I should have guessed, you old drunk,"

"A man can be bribed every once an awhile, m'dear,"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," She waved her hand back at him grinning up at him as Eddie drove. The roadie listening faintly to the sounds of chatter and the occasional bouts of singing. It was almost like being at home.

Eddie felt his grin soften, half wondering if his life could get any better. His train of thought was only disrupted by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket.

'I wonder if that's Sasha?' He thought, falling into autopilot as he made the trip to Ophelia's home next. When he dropped her off, everyone would simmer down somewhat. Then he could check his phone for text messages.

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He spent the night texting Sasha, too pleased that he could message the man to actually sleep. Sasha had warned him at the start of the conversation he couldn't reply after tonight. Something big was coming up and he would be away from his phone till the end of February.

Eddie wouldn't hear from Sasha till March. The roadie wasn't sure why that upset him so.

'The hell is even going on with me?' He thought unhappily back, flopping back into his bed. He letting his head lull further back onto his ratty pillows. 'Why am I like so damn fixated on Sasha? I ain't usually all clingy girlfriendish when it comes to friends being outta town.'

Eddie sighed, rolling onto his side as he tried to ignore the sunlight peeking out through the edges of his blinds. He was glad he didn't have to set the party up until tomorrow, he could sleep today and hope Sasha would text him back.

'C'mon, Sasha, c'mon. Text me,' He mentally whined as he stared at his phone screen. He eventually sighed at the lack of response, rolling over to just stare at the grey walls of his bedroom. Disappointment settling into his gut as he pouted at the radio silence from the German man.

###

He gave an irritated sound, unable to stop himself from nudging the smaller man out of the way as he stepped forward. The roadie squinting unhappily upwards as clouds started to take up most of the sky. The clear sky from earlier blotted with black angry clouds. It looked like an ink well had tipped over on a piece of paper.

"So much for us havin' a party out here," Not that Kill Master sounded too put out by it, the man could party anywhere any time. Knowing him he would stay outside in the rain and continue partying. He had done stranger things in his life time than anyone else gathered at the party.

"Ey, ey- no rain has started yet, we could still make this work," Eddie answered easily back, holding a hand out to silence any stray murmuring amongst the group. "It'll just take some effort s'all,"

"Maybe we should pack up the stuff that'd really absorb water, dude?" Kage supplied back as he frowned unhappily himself at the cloud cover. Swells of blackened clouds becoming thicker and angrier the closer it came to them. "Like, anything the water would truly trash, just incase until things clear up,"

Sounds of agreement could be heard around them as Eddie glanced back at his plump balding friend. Clearly everyone was in agreement with the idea. It wouldn't be the first time their friends group had been rained out during a party, so it would save them some grief that came with this sort of ordeal. "Yeah, good idea, Kage."

"It would save us the hassle of trying to save everything from the rain later," The blonde woman agreed, casually gesturing back at her brother to follow her. "Lars, lets get the food put inside and the paper plates,"

"Of course, my dear baby sister," No one really blinked at Lars's- larsness. The man was an enigma of heavy metal, charisma, clunky formal phrasing of things, fabulous hair, well defined abs and drunken singing. He was the face of Ironheade for a reason. It certainly wasn't for his planning skills. The two easily set themselves to the ask of lugging perishables into the open sliding glass door connecting the house to the sparse yard that lay behind it.

"Anythin' that won't be ruined by the rain can stay out here," Eddie rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed a little, reluctant to really admit defeat now of all times. "Someone go turn on the TV in the livin' room, tell us what the weatherman is spoutin',"

"Better yet, find the weather channel, dude, shit is always like sorta legit, I think," Kage nervously surmised as he shifted where he stood. He was never a fan of rain, especially when it was likely to be a thunderstorm as well. The clouds just made him think the sky would crack open and pour down on them.

Fire Baron gave an irritated snort and wave of his hand, dismissing Kage's words as he sulked in his plastic chair. "Psh, fucking hardly, those fuckers lie through their teeth,"

Kill Master couldn't resist the bait of his brother pouting, not when he knew how to get under the Fire Baron's skin. "Still mad your 7th birthday party was a washout lil' brother?"

It did the trick as Fire Baron launched up from his seat, angrily pointing at the bearded man across from him, eyes narrowed angrily behind his sunglasses as he spat his words back at the bassist. "Fuck you, Lem! That was a shitty day! Don't you bring that up!"

"7th birthday party...?" Ophelia warily questioned back, unsure what to really think of the scene unfolding before her. Mangus shook his head, answering her before Fire Baron lost his mind any further. "Don't even ask, it uh, can get kinda ugly,"

She just furrowed her brows a little, glancing between the three men as she spoke. "So- I guessed,"

"Enough with the arguin', someone go in an watch TV, I need to unhook everythin' electronic just incase,"

"Aye, aye, Eddie!" Mangus was more than happy to get away from a possible fight in the yard or possibly being drenched by water or-electrocuted. He readily headed towards the door, side stepping Lita as she carried a large bowl of very spiked punch into the house. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He ducked his head in admonishment as he moved to flop down in front of the TV. Rooting around through the empty beer cans and scotch bottles as Lars chided him as well. "Mangus, be careful, you could have spilled that on Lita!"

"I heard you, man! Don't gotta repeat it twice," He answered with a wave of the newly found remote.

"Good, my precious little sister doesn't need to be put in danger like that!" He clutched his hand against his chest, tipping his head back with his words. He managing to make the idea of fruit and whiskey punch sounds like a real danger to his only sibling. Even Lita was leveling Lars a disbelieving look at his dramatics. "...Lars, its punch,"

"You could sleep and crack your head open!"

"Dude, the worst that would happen is she'd have to borrow one of Fire Baron's vests," Not that anyone could tell the difference. The two wore the same kind of lace up vests almost every day.

Eddie's voice calling for them cut the three's argument from continuing. "Lita! Lars! C'mon!" Lita turned to glance back out at the door, it not hard to see the annoyance etched on Eddie's features.

"We'll be there in a second, Eddie!"

The two readily headed out, it hard to ignore their impulse to follow Eddie's directions by this point. Years of Eddie helping them on and off stage had schooled the siblings into automatically reacting to his orders when he actually gave any.

Mangus stayed where he was, flicking through channels before eventually finding the weather channel. His brows knitting together as he eyed the glowing screen, "Ah, man, bogus." He letting it scroll by for a moment longer to be sure he was reading it right before calling back out to the other party goers. "Guys! Get the stuff in quick, it is gonna rain like nobodies business!"

"You heard the man!" The hustling to get things inside increased, Eddie joining people in hauling things inside. Mangus getting out of the way as everything was set back up in the house. Ironheade happily crowding into the main room as thunder cracked overhead. The sky seemingly ripping open and spilling water down on the yard.

"Damn,"

"Waaay too close, man,"

"You know what this calls for- Drinks!" Kage hollered as he pumped his fist in the air, shouts of agreement following suit as people made a move to root through the plastic bin full of ice and unopened beers.

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"Have you ever thought about…" She hesitated as she glanced back over at Eddie. The quiet of the night comforting as it was strange. The whole of their friends group was drunk in the small house whilst the two stood outside together, enjoying the slight chill that came with the end of a storm. The winds from earlier having dried out a few things by this point. "About how it would have been if we stayed together?"

Eddie frowned a little as he toyed with his lighter. He eventually getting a flame to emerge from it after a few experimental flicks. The lighter's fire flickered in the wind blowing past them. "Occasionally, s'just hard to think about,"

"Yeah…" She finished lamely back, wincing a little as she looked at the grass underfoot. She dug the toe of her sneaker into the grass, green staining the faded white edges of her Converse . "It, turned so ugly,"

"I'm glad we did date though," He softly offered back to Ophelia without looking at her. The whole topic made him feel sadder than he liked to actually linger on. "We had good times, Ophs. Real good times."

Ophelia gave a slow nod back, "We did, I even thought you were 'the one', you know?"

He gave a low humorless chuckle at that, "Yeah, I can understand that. I was under the delusion we'd get married, have a white picket fence, a dog and a herd of fuckin' kids," He waved a hand to dismiss his own words, the surreality of it just strange now in retrospect. It wasn't a life meant for either of them.

"Oh god, really?" Ophelia didn't feel like mother material, much less then than she does now. Eddie knew that much, he could read it in her expression as he glanced over at her.

"Seriously-I was just so in the clouds about everythin'," He clicked the lighter closed as he leaned back into the tree supporting him. Eddie lightly crossed his arms over his chest as he let his gaze wander across the trashy backyard. The inflatable pool was still in the wet grass, no one in the house motivated enough to actually move it. It had been a good for snow gathering during winter and rain gathering as February wore on.

"I wasn't any better, I thought you'd somehow could cure my depression,"

"Didn't happen obviously," He remembered feeling so useless, he couldn't find anyway to actually help Ophelia back then. Not when they were so young and stupid. They hadn't even done much when they were in their early 20's, a mental break wasn't something they could legitimately handle. "I'm glad you got help though,"

"Thanks, I am too," She smiled back at him, she brushed some hair out of her eyes as she continued. "It's nice to be- me again,"

He reached out to gently pat her shoulder, "You're a one and only Ophs,"

"Thanks," She chuckled softly back at that, her brow quirking up somewhat amusedly at the roadie. "Come, we should head back inside, its pretty chilly out here,"

"Yeah, good idea," He answered easily back, glancing at the open sliding glass door. He able to make out the shape of Kill Master taking up a good portion of the couch, Mangus squashed in the corner, taking up as little space as possible. Lita and Lars were laying next to one another, the blonde man protectively sleeping next to his younger sister. Kage was sprawled next to the couch, taking up a lot of space as he flailed a little in his sleep. Empty beer cans were littered all around them, a few bottles stacked across the top of the mantel above the TV. Attempts to use coasters had turned into loose pieces of colorful plastic littering the carpeted floor, a few were used in making a coaster fort.

Eddie let Ophelia grab the arm chair away from the glass door, he took up a portion of the floor where he knew he wouldn't get trampled on.

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