FicWad

I bounced excitedly in my seat as I waited for the tour doctor to finally get to the bus. Jim and Joey glanced over at me, eyes arched in confusion. I just grinned, pressing my face to the window to see if I could see the doctor before he got in the bus. Craig laughed besides me, glancing up slightly from his book. "You got to calm down kid. Bounce anymore and you'll bounce right out of your skin."

I smiled wickedly. I spun on my knees and crashed back down into the couch on my rear. Craig frowned at being jostled but I ignored him. Today was the day I was supposedly getting rid of the sling and given the okay to return to my usual standards of life. "How long does it take for him to get here? I want to climb the rafters again." I asked, voice whining slightly.

Craig rolled his eyes, tucking the receipt he used as a bookmark inside the book. I huffed, crossing my arms the best I could and throwing my head back against the couch. When I heard someone entering the bus, my head shot back up hopefully. I groaned when I saw it was Paul and Corey. Paul laughed, dropping his bag onto the table with a smirk to Jim and Joey. "C'mon, Corey's not that ugly."

I smiled despite my mood. Corey playfully punched Paul's shoulder as he passed by him. The bassist smirked, pulling food from the brown bag and I looked on curiously. I saw cheese, beans, and hamburger. I felt my mouth watering instantly, eyes moving to Corey. "You're makin' your nachos, aren't you?!" I squealed. Craig winced, rubbing his ears gently.

Corey smirked wickedly, not saying a word. I frowned, throwing myself at his feet with a laugh. With one hand, I pulled at his shirt hem playfully. "Please, I'm begging you. Tell me you're making nachos." I pleaded. The tour bus echoed with the laughter of my friends. I grinned, leaning into Corey's legs. The singer laughed, shaking his head at my stupidity. "I'll die if you don't tell me!"

"Yes! Christ! Yes I am making my nachos." Corey exclaimed, wrenching my hand from his shirt hem. I laughed, shooting back to my feet and acting as if nothing happened. Corey huffed as he continued his way to the bunk rooms. I followed slightly, peeking behind the curtains carefully. Mick was snoozing in his bunk, headphones resting crookedly on his ears. Chris was balls deep in his video games again, eyes glued to the screen. Clown was half watching, half napping on the couch.

"You guys are boring when you're not on stage." I said bluntly, shaking my head with a frown. Clown chuckled, glancing over at me. I smiled and waved rapidly. He just smirked, head burying back into the couch cushions. I sighed, walking over to the couch and plopping down next to him. One eye opened, eyeing me closely. I huffed, flopping sideways and resting my head in Clown's lap. "Well at least I can use you as a pillow."

Corey laughed loudly, my eyes moving to look at him. He was changing from his sweatshirt into a loose shirt, the words displaying something offensive most likely. I waved him off, snuggling into Clown's leg with a smirk. Clown sighed, not really caring that I was snuggling into him. He had stated it a few times that I was like an annoying puppy: I just wanted to lie down with anyone available. I had tried it once with Mick and woke up struggling to breathe when he rolled over on me. Jim was an excellent pillow. As was Paul and Craig. Joey was too small and Corey never stopped moving. Clown was a by chance pillow; I only used him when no one else wanted me around.

"What happened to bouncing around for the doctor? I could hear Craig complaining in here." Clown asked, stretching slightly and disrupting my relaxation. I huffed, acting miffed. Clown shook his head, ruffling my hair roughly. I swatted his hand away, pushing myself back up. "Aw, Siddy lost his snuggle buddy."

"That sounds so wrong when you say that." I said, flinging myself from the couch and stalking back out to the living room area of the tour bus. Craig looked up, eyes arching slightly. I dropped back down next to him and rested my head on the soft part of his lap. I smiled as I closed my eyes. "Now this is a pillow."

Craig chuckled, shaking his head as he dropped his book on the windowsill. He yawned and stretched out across the couch. I moved with him, not bothering to get up. Craig was comfortable and I knew he wasn't going anywhere soon. Paul laughed, dropping down to the floor next to my head. I moved my eyes at him, a small smile on my face. Paul grinned, leaning his head back to rest on the couch cushions. "If it's nap time, I'm joining in. I need to rest up for tomorrow's show."

I only nodded, feeling my eyes starting to droop. Corey mumbled something about us being bums and I lazily stuck him the finger. Jim chuckled, fingers still tapping away at the keys of his laptop. I half looked at him. "What are you working on, Peaches?" I questioned, yawning once again.

Jim glared at his nickname but didn't say a word about it. He never really cared if I called him that. If anyone else called him that, a fight usually followed. His attention moved back to the computer for a moment before coming back to me. "Just answering emails and all that jazz. I never get a chance to do it when we have a show or traveling. We hit too many bumps." he explained softly. I smiled and nodded my head. Jim smirked, closing the lid with long fingers. "That answers everything you need, Ratboy?"

I smirked, shrugging my shoulders. I would never say it a loud but I enjoyed it when Jim called me Ratboy. It made me feel more like a member of the band. Half the time Jim used it more than my given name. And with Jim's soft voice, it always sounded so dangerous. Mick had laughed the first time I had mentioned it, but he never said a word to the taller guitarist. That was something I was grateful of. The two giant men were my brothers, always making sure I was protected in every possible situation.

"Hey Sid, I think I see the medic walking this way." Joey called, leaning out the door with both hands on the door frame. He pulled back in, a huge grin on his face. "Yep. That's definitely a medic coming this way." I bolted up from my resting spot with Craig. I heard a grumble of complaint but ignore him. I was more interested in the medic coming to visit me. Joey laughed, stepping out of my way carefully. "Calm down, Sid. You might wet yourself."

I gently shoved him, face hurting from smiling so much. The medic drew closer to the bus, a bright orange bag slung over his shoulder. I bounced back into the bus. I jumped on the couch, watching the medic's slow precession to the bus. Craig watched with me, counting down slowly until the medic disappeared around the front of the bus. My eyes glued themselves to the entrance of the tour bus. When the medics head poked up behind the curve, I yelled in excitement. "And we have touched down." Craig smirked.

The medic laughed, shaking his head. He was the same guy who had been taking care of me since Corey and the guys had pulled me from the alley. He traveled with the tour and assisted all the bands injuries. "Sorry Sid. I had to stop in and set a broken hand." he explained. I half heard him. I just wanted the damn sling taken off. Rolling his eyes, he nodded to the back room. "C'mon. I gotta give you a physical anyways. Let's get it over with."

Joey looked up from his magazine and tugged an ear bud loose. "What's he need a physical for?" he questioned, blue eyes filled with concern. My medic, E.J, smiled and hoisted the bag to a more comfortable spot on his shoulder. Jim glanced away from the window; apparently he wanted to at least join the conversation.

E.J laughed, smirking at me. "It's regulation. I checked his record out, or lack of one. He hasn't had a yearly physical in years. I just want to make sure he's fit to tour and play with your guys." The guys nodded, not questioning E.J anymore. I jumped to my feet, walking to the back room and pushing open the curtain. Mick stirred in his sleep but slept on. I smiled, walking over to Chris and shutting off the television. He cried out in anger.

"The doc's here. I need the room for my physical. You can have it back when we're done." I explained. Chris huffed like a child and tossed the controller under the television. I handed him his phone and IPod with a smirk, then gently pushed him from the room. Clown followed without a word. I smiled, looking back at E.J. He just shook his head, dropping his bag down on the couch.

"Okay. Off with the shirt." E.J ordered, pulling on a pair of black latex gloves with slight difficulty. I sat down on the couch, removing my arm from the sling and maneuvering out of my shirt. E.J whistled, bending down so he was eye level with me. He took my injured arm and slowly stretched it out. I winced slightly at the tightness but it didn't hurt as much anymore. E.J nodded to himself, grabbing his pen and scribbling a note. "Well that seems in order. Can you lift with it?"

"I help Craig set up his station yesterday. I did most of the lifting." E.J frowned. I had been on strict orders from him to not lift anything heavy. I just smirked devilishly. "You asked. Figured I'd be honest." A small smile filled E.J's face as he shook his head. I opened and closed my arm with a laugh. "Does this mean I can be with the band now?!"

E.J held up a hand to calm me down. I pouted and he chuckled. He pulled a stethoscope from his bag and pressed the cold metal against my chest. I sucked in lungful gulps of air as he instructed. E.J nodded after each breath. He slung the stethoscope around his neck and made another note. "Stand up."

I stood, bouncing on the balls of my feet. E.J pressed a hand to my shoulder and held me still. I made a face of discomfort; I hated to be still. E.J checked my posture and my ribs. I stood staring out the window, trying not to look bored. Then I felt his fingers tracing the scars that littered my back. I tensed and I knew he felt it. E.J stepped into my line of vision. "Where'd you get those?"

I diverted my eyes away from him. "Are we done?" I asked, my smile long gone now. E.J frowned, lightly grabbing my wrist and pulling me down onto the couch. I frowned, sighing in annoyance. He just brushed me off. His fingers ghosted over the scars, barely touching the flesh. I shivered and E.J sighed.

"Care to explain these?" he asked again, a little less stern. I turned away from his fingers and questioning eyes. He sighed again. "Sid, I'm not judging you. I just want to know what happened."

"I got them as a kid, okay? My brother liked to smack me around every now and then. Is that okay with you?" I exclaimed in a hushed voice. I didn't want the guys to know about my past. I knew they wanted to help but it was my business. E.J wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. I glanced at him from the corners of my eyes. Deep down, I understood his concern. I just didn't know how to explain it to him. "They're part of my fucked up past. That's why I ran away in the first place. I couldn't take being there anymore."

E.J didn't say a word. I don't think he knew what to say. I heard someone entering the room and my head whipped in their direction. I frowned when I saw Corey and Clown standing there, eyes sympathetic. I bit my lip and hung my head. I guess my secret was out in the open now. Footsteps echoed around me and the couch dipped as someone sat next to me. I didn't look up from my staring contest with the floor. Then I felt gentle fingers lifting my head. My green eyes found his blue ones and I tried to break his gaze.

"You didn't need to hide this from us, Sid. We wouldn't have judged you." he stated softly. I didn't say anything. I had no idea what to say. I had wanted to keep the scars a secret. I wanted the scars to fade and go away. Instead I found they showed more now that I was eating every day and gaining weight. They reminded me every day what I went through.

"You're not alone, kid. Each of us has scars. Some are visible. Some are not. But we all got them." Corey piped up. I looked over at him, wondering what he knew about scars. He smiled, walking further into the room. I watched his every move. When he was close enough, he knelt before me. I looked at Clown with questioning eyes. He pointed back to Corey. "Watch my eyes." Corey closed his eyes and then reopened them. At first I was confused then I saw the scars on his eyes lids.

"What happened?" I asked quietly. Corey smiled sadly. I had never noticed the scars before. But now as I looked closer, I saw they marked Corey's body like they did mine. His were just more faded.

"Life happened. Mom's numerous boyfriends like to shove me around. The ones on my eyes came from rings. Others came from paddles, belts, shoes. Name it; I probably got hit with it." Corey explained, resting a hand on my cheek. "Scars don't define us. They just remind us of the struggles we went through."

I felt tears stinging my eyes. Sniffing I looked away. "I don't want to struggle anymore." I whimpered. Corey and Clown frowned, shaking their heads. Corey wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face into his shoulder. I didn't care how it looked or how old I was. I wanted to bawl my eyes out. Corey rubbed the back of my head comfortingly, not saying anything. My hands gripped the back of his shirt tightly, kneading it between my fingers.

"You don't have to, Sid. Not anymore. You got us now. We'll protect you from anything." Corey soothed; his breath hot against my ear. I hiccupped, head swirling from the tears. I always hated crying; it left me with a headache afterwards. Corey pulled away from me slightly, rough hands wiping away the trail of tears on my face. "Cry now but let it go. Don't let the scars define you."

I sniffed again, nodded my head. Corey smiled, pulling my head towards him. He pressed his lips to my forehead in a tender brotherly kiss. I smiled despite the tears still falling from my eyes. Corey thumbed them away, smiling wider. Clown rubbed my head gently, a soft smile gracing his lips. I wiped my eyes with scared fingers. E.J stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder again. I looked at him expectantly. He smiled, scribbling one last note in his folder and stuffing it into his bag. "You're cleared, Sid. Have fun on stage."

I smiled, my lips quivering slightly. Corey ginned, gripping my shoulder tightly. Clown laughed, walking back to spread the news to the rest of the guys. I heard some cheering and blushed. Corey laughed, hauling me to my feet. He hugged me once more, then handed me my shirt. I pulled the shirt back on and smirked when I left the sling on the couch. "C'mon kid. Let's put this shit behind us."

---

I sighed and splayed my hands across my taunt stomach. Corey had been right. His nacho dip was one of the best things in the world to eat to celebrate. And give someone a massive case of gas. Jim grinned, scooping the rest of his onto a chip and devouring it whole. I groaned, silently glad that I didn't have a bunk next to him. With a laugh, he pushed his plate away from him. "Matter, Sid? Full?"

I nodded, resting my head against the back of the couch. Joey laughed, his smile hidden behind a soda can. I stretched out, loosening my belt around my waist. Corey saw my movement and his face broke into a huge smile. "Jeesh, kid. If I knew you were going to complain, I wouldn't have made the damn stuff."

"No! You gotta make it. It's so good." I exclaimed. The guys laughed, shaking their heads. Paul burped loudly at the side of me and giggled at the noise. Craig shook his head, slowly eating. I watched him, wondering how anyone ate nachos slowly. Jim, Joey and I nearly inhaled ours. Corey and Chris ate them at a slower pace. Clown opted out, ordering a pizza instead. Mick was still sleeping, amazingly.

Craig followed Paul's burp with a belch of his own. Paul clapped a hand to his shoulder with a grin. "There ya go my silent fellah. Let the noise roll of the tongue." Craig smiled, chest heaving as another one followed. I roared with laughter. Paul's body shook with silent laughter. I saw the tears rolling down his face and more laughter came out.
"I don't know what's so funny. It's just a burp." Craig mumbled, rolling his eyes. Joey whistled, hair falling into his eyes. He shoved them away and smirked. Craig shook his head. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Hey! I take offense of that." Clown exclaimed, tearing his eyes away from the television screen and his pizza. "I am not going to be grouped into the same category as the rest of these morons."

Craig gave the oldest member a bored look. Then he smiled. "Fine, you can have a group all by yourself." Clown smirked triumphantly. I saw the devilish smirk on Craig's face and knew he wasn't done yet. "You can be the old idiot group."

The bus grew silent. Everyone's eyes bounced between Clown and Craig. I bit my lip to keep my laughter in. Paul pinched his lips together, face red from laughter. Then Chris giggled a sound so low it was almost missed. My head snapped over to him. His face was red and looked like he just admitted to murder. I laughed, soft and careful. Joey joined in, rocking from the laughter tearing through him. All at once, everyone broke into an uncontrolled laughter.

"Oh shit! That was priceless." Corey wheezed. I looked over at him, laughing more when I saw him draped over Jim's shoulder. Jim was laughing behind him, hands pressed to his face in attempt to muffle the laughter. Clown flipped of us, a smile gracing his own face. The gesture just made us laugh more. "Oh stop it, you."

I smirked, wiping the loose tears from my face. Craig grinned, nodding his head. I leaned into Paul, shaking my head lightly. "I take it back. You aren't always boring off stage." I admitted. Paul grinned, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me tight to his chest. I hugged him awkwardly, breathing in his unique smell of cologne and cigarettes. I yawned slightly, feeling tired out from the laughter. Jim saw the yawn and frowned. I smiled at him. "I'm not tired."

"And Joey's not short." he retorted. Joey glared at him, kicking him hard under the table. Jim yelped in pain, arm reaching down to rub the abused spot. I chuckled, yawning again. Jim groaned as he massaged his injured leg. Joey smirked cockily. Jim's eyes narrowed as he stretched across the table and roughly mussed Joey's hair. The small drummer screamed in protest, flinging sideways and off his chair. Jim grinned, sticking his tongue out at the fallen drummer. "I win."

"Do you guys always have to be this loud?" Mick grumbled. I looked up at him from the corners of my eyes. His hair was slightly messy and he left his headphones on his bunk. I noticed the tired look on his face and frowned. The tour really was taking a toll on him. He looked like he could've stayed asleep. Mick looked down at me, a small smile growing on his face. "See you got rid of the sling, kid. Feel better now?"

"A lot better actually. Now I get to go onstage with you tomorrow." Mick's smile grew. He nodded, stepping over mine and Paul's legs to get to the refrigerator. He withdrew a bottle of water and closed the door with a dull snap. Conversation picked up lightly as he settled on the couch behind me. He rested heavily into the cushions as he swallowed almost all of the water. I nestled back into Paul's arms. "How come you slept all day?"

"Got to rest up if I got to watch you onstage tomorrow. Better be alert when you're running around." Mick laughed softly. I grinned, shaking my head. I heard the couch squeak and then Mick's huge hand on top of my head. He rubbed the back of my head and laughed. "Don't worry kid. I won't hurt ya on stage. Clown might though."

My eyes flashed over to Clown. His smile was an answer alone to me. I groaned, snorting. "I don't want to put him in a nursing home already. That wouldn't be nice." I quipped. Mick chuckled, rubbing my head again. Clown glared down at me, playfully kicking my sides. Paul smirked, blocking Clown's foot from my body. "Stop trying to cheat. We'll settle this on the stage."

Clown snorted, shaking his head. "Please. I will end you on the stage." I grinned, biting my tongue. I knew it would be an interesting time on stage with the guys. My eyes slipped shut again, Paul's warmth nearly putting me to sleep. The noise lowered slightly but not much. I grumbled, burying my head deeper into Paul's stomach. He laughed, draping an arm over my ear and blocking the rest of the noise away. I smiled, feeling sleep tugging at me gently.

Mick's feet disappeared from behind me and I barely noticed the change. Then I lifted into the air before I could protest. I exclaimed in surprise, looking around wildly. The guys laughed and I found Mick's smiling face looking down at me. I glared, crossing both my arms over my chest and jerking my head to the side. Mick chuckled, the noise sending vibrations up my back. "Ah c'mon Sid. It's not like you didn't expect it eventually."

"Usually I'm asleep before you start manhandling me. I was under the assumption that I floated to wherever I wanted while I slept. Now I know the truth!" I explained. Mick snorted, shaking his head. A few loose strands fell across my face and tickled my nose. I brushed it away with a smirk. "Damn thing's always getting in my face."

"Are you referring to Mick or Mick's hair? Mick's hair is grouped by itself." Joey piped up. I looked at him, single eye brow arched in the Rock impersonation. Joey smiled, blue eyes glinting with humor. I just shrugged, hands opening. Joey shook his head, his loose beanie moving around slightly. "My hair's still better."

"He's such a prima donna." Mick mumbled against my ear. I felt the smile on his lips and covered my own smile. Joey narrowed his eyes at us. We just looked back innocently. He growled, flipping us both off. Then he flipped his hair over his shoulder with more flare than usual. Mick snorted. "My point exactly."

I smiled, shaking my head. Mick adjusted my weight in my arms and I looked down at everyone. I didn't know what to say or do. They just smiled at each other and at me. I shrugged, resting my head on Mick's chest and yawning. Corey stood, walking over to us. I eyed him sleepily. Mick crouched slightly, bringing me eye level with Corey. The singer smirked, leaning forward to kiss my forehead once again. With a wink and a flash of the scars again, he rubbed my head. "Rest up, Wilson. You got a lot of work tomorrow."

I nodded. Mick turned away. The guys called their goodnight at our backs. I mumbled back to them, though I figured they wouldn't hear them. Mick lowered me to the floor, opening the curtain to my bed. I looked at it with a frown. I sat on the edge, removing my shoes and jeans. Mick climbed back into his bunk, punching the pillow back to a comfortable shape. I watched him, switching my shirt for a baggier one to sleep in. I waited for Mick to settle in his bunk before climbing in with him. I smirked, resting my head on the corner of his pillow.

"Can I help you?" Mick asked, laying down and tucking an arm under his arm. I shook my head, yawning once again. Mick sighed, yanking his blanket up and covering the both of us. I smiled softly, pressing my back into his chest. His spare arm wrapped around me lightly. "You know eventually you will have to sleep in your own bunk."

"Psst. No way. Not when I got eight other beds to sleep in. You guys keep me warm." I mumbled tiredly. Mick chuckled, the back of my head vibrating. I buried my head into his pillow and yawn deeply. For a moment, I felt wide awake. "You'll make sure I don't mess up right?"

Mick snorted. I felt him press a kiss to the back of my head and smiled. "Don't worry, Sid. We'll all be there to help. And keep you from hurting yourself or someone else." Mick said softly. I nodded, eyes dropping close once more. Mick must have sensed me starting to sleep because he dimmed the lights and yawned himself. "Sleep tight, kiddo. You join the 9 tomorrow."

"I was already part of the 9. Since you guys found me."

"True."