Tommy and the band jumped off the stage, "excellente!" Phil said with a grin, 'man, having you guy's perform here is the best thing that's ever happened since I opened the damn place."

"It feels good to be back on stage too," Tommy said.

"I bet," Phil said, "come on, open bar tonight."

Tommy walked over and sat at the bar, Phil sitting beside him, "Kiko! Two beers please!"

"Coming right up Mr. Boss man." Kiko said, filling up two mugs and handing them over.

"Kiko's the best bartender I've hired since opening up," Phil said, "he's from Jamaica, came here with the intent of being a bartender."

"Like Carl, on 'how I met your mother'." Kiko said with a big grin.

Tommy nodded, "That's awesome." He said, then took a drink of the beer, 'and this is great, what kind of beer is it?"

"I make it myself, I call it, 'Kiko's beer'."

"Good name." tommy said, downing his beer, 'I'll take another."

"It's on my tonight Kiko!" Phil said as Kiko went to make another one, "so Tommy how's the janitorial business."

"Sucks," he said, "I'm pretty sure a few of the teachers have it out for me because I keep erasing the lesson plans on the boards after school."

"Why don't they write that down in a notebook?"

"Hell if I know, all I know is that I erase it, and then the kids don't do any work the next day."

"So you're doing something good." Phil said, taking a drink of his beer.

Tommy nodded, 'and then the PE coach has it out for me completely."

"Wait…is the PE Coach Sean?" Phil asked.

"Yeah…why?"

"Me and him were on the football team together, man we used to pick on this one scrawny loser all the time, he was a punk to, always dressed in baggy clothes, and wearing a piercing in his lip." Phil started laughing, and Tommy joined in.

"Yeah, funny thing, that was me." Tommy said with a straight face.

Phil looked at tommy then thought about it, 'Oh yeah…uh…hey! You know what sounds awesome! Free drinks every time you perform!"

Tommy smirked, "eh, you don't have to." Tommy said, "I don't hold grudges."

"Oh good." Phil said, "so why's Sean got it out for you?"

"He doesn't like me hanging out with Lil."

"Why?"

"Something about her being his, and how he'll rearrange my face next time he sees me."

"Oh man, I knew Lil was going out with someone, but I didn't think she was going out with Sean."

"She's not going out with him." Tommy said as Kiko put another mug of beer in front of him, "she's going out with me."

Phil spat his beer out, "what!"

Tommy looked up at him, "did I forget to mention that earlier?"

"Yes!"

"Well…we're going out…"

"Dude, your going out with my little sister, and you just mentions it like that? All calm and acting like it's nothing!"

"You laughed about bullying me in high school."

"Well…uh…I didn't know it was you that I bullied until five seconds ago!"

"Well, I don't care." Tommy said, "I'm going out with your sister, so what?"

"So what? Dude that's my sister, if you hurt her I'll…"

"I won't hurt her." Tommy said, cutting Phil off, "I care about her too much for that."

Phil sighed, "well, guess I should welcome you to the family." He said jokingly.

Tommy nodded with a smile; "you can welcome me by getting me another mug."

"By the way, where's Elizabeth?"

"Dil's taking care of her tonight." Tommy said, taking a drink of his beer.

"Tommy Pickles." Someone said behind him, Tommy turned and saw a man in a business suit behind him, he had silvery hair and a lumberjacks beard, his eyes had a twinkle of mischief in them, "it's good to see you again."

"I'm sorry… but who are you?"

"I'm Mr. Foreman, I'm the owner of your construction company."

"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't work for that Construction Company, I got fired almost a month ago, my entire division did.

Mr. Foreman looked surprised, "why that can't be." He said, "I'm still sending checks to your boss for you and your division."

"Well I haven't worked there for quite sometime sir." He said, "been working at the high school as a janitor."

Mr. Foreman thought about it, well, isn't this weird." He muttered, "Why would they fire you? On my rounds two months ago you were one of the hardest workers, your division was ahead of everyone else, I even gave each of you a bonus."

"Never got that bonus." Tommy said.

Mr. Foreman pulled out a notepad and started to write some things down, "mhmm…who was head of that project again?"

"Mr. Green." Tommy said.

"Never liked that guy." Mr. Foreman muttered, he put the pad up, "I'll be seeing you again soon Mr. Pickles, thank you." He turned and started to walk away, 'oh and good job on stage tonight, the wife and I really do love that music." And with that he left.

"That was weird." Phil said.

"Yeah…" tommy said, "pretty weird."

Tommy lay beside Rachel in his bed, "I love you so much…" Tommy whispered to her.

Rachel smiled, "I love you too…"she whispered.

Tommy stretched out a little, "you know a year ago I couldn't really talk to you without stuttering, and now I'm lying in bed with you."

"Miracles happen." Rachel whispered.

Tommy nodded, looking at Rachel, "I love you…"

"You said that already." She giggled.

"Just making sure you know."

Two weeks later

Tommy and Z were discussing their next gig, "dude I'm telling you, they want us to go to Paris."

"When?'

"In four months."

"Why are we discussing this now then?"

"Gotta look to the future Tommy.'

Tommy nodded, "what about now?"

"Well we got a few more smaller gigs, you know, performing at a high school graduation, parties, and they also want us to play at the cotton bowl."

"Cool." He said, then looked over as Rachel walked over, 'Rachel! Haven't seen you for a while.'

"Hey Tommy…" she muttered.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I have to tell you something…I don't know if you're going to be happy or angry about this…"

"What is it?" Tommy asked.

"I'm…I'm pregnant…"

"Daddy," a small voice said, waking Tommy up slowly.

"Daddy," Elizabeth whispered again, shaking him, "there's a man in our living room."

Tommy instantly sat up, "stay in here." He said, pulling a key out and unlocked the drawer by his bedside and pulled out a gun, he slowly walked into the hallway and into the living room, he could hear someone moving around in the kitchen, he quickly ran in, 'you have ten seconds to tell me why your in my house before I shoot." Tommy growled.

Mr. Carter turned around, "ah Mr. Pickles." He said, "Do you have a license for that gun."

"Why are you here?" tommy muttered angrily, "and who let you into my house."

"Oh I let myself in, see they gave me a key to your house in case I needed to come in and take Elizabeth quickly." Carter said, "Now, do you have a license for that gun?"

"Yeah, I do, and I keep it locked up so Elizabeth can't get to it." Tommy said.

"Good," he said, "now, I'm here for your monthly inspection, and so far I can tell it's gotten better." He looked into the fridge again, "looks like you went grocery shopping, no blood-stained clothes, where's Elizabeth? I'd like to ask her a few questions."

'Elizabeth!" tommy called, "it's alright to come out now baby."

Elizabeth walked out slowly, 'daddy who is he?" she asked.

"His names Mr. Carter," tommy said, 'he's going to ask you a few questions."

"Okay…" she whispered.

"Okay Elizabeth." He said sitting down, "how's school been."

'Good," she said simply.

"You make any friends?"

"Yeah," she said.

"How do you feel, living with your father."

"Why do you want to know that?"

'Because it's my job to know."

"Your nosey."

Tommy smiled a little.

Carter smiled a little, "has your father been hanging out with any weird people?"

"Well, uncle Z's weird, but he's always weird, so is Uncle Dil and Uncle Tristan."

"What about the girls in your father's life?"

"Well Aunt Kimi's cool, and so is Lil."

"Who's Lil?"

"She's my Daddy's girlfriend."

Tommy turned red, "okay…I think that's enough questions." Tommy said.

"Go on and play." Carter said standing up, Elizabeth quickly ran away, going into her room."

"So, Lil, that's a beautiful name."

"What's a beautiful name?" Lil asked, "and…who are you?"

'I'm Mr. Carter with Child services.' He said, "I take it you must be Lil."

"Yes…"

"Well it's nice to meet you." He said, "I'll…leave you and tommy alone." He walked out, "and Tommy, I don't think I'll be coming by for a while."

Tommy nodded as Carter left.

"So, he was here about Elizabeth?'

"Yeah, he had given me a month to make everything better for Elizabeth."

'I'm guessing it's better." Lil said with a smile.

"Yep." He said, turning to her and giving her a kiss, Lil kissing back, "a whole lot better."

"Ewe," Elizabeth said, giggling a little while looking at the two adults

Sean glared at Tommy and Lil through the window, "that jackass." He muttered, "does he think he can steal Lil from me? I'll show him."