FicWad

Duff

I packed Slash and I a bag while he called a few places trying to track down Mandy. We were friend with lots of other bands, so getting ahold of most of them wasn't a problem. We just had to find one person with a lead on her. In the back of my mind I knew this would make it to the press in some form. First the split second marriage, then leaking it was on the rocks, I kick her out, now I'll move heaven and earth just to find her. Not for me of course, for Izzy. And to think, a few days ago I wanted to fucking kill him. But I realized something, I was glad Slash cheated on me with Izzy instead of some random strange. I know Izzy didn't hurt him. Nor would he ever make him do something he didn't want to. And I believe Izzy did at least try to say no. No one knows better than I do that Slash is a hard fuçker to say no to.

Plus the whole thing with Izzy is what it took to open my eyes. Slash needed the dominate male in me to guide and protect him. I'm not saying he needs me to be his fucking dad, but he needed me to be his man. I never have given much thought as to what that meant. Now that I know, there's no way I'll never not be that for him again. I loved him and he was going to be mine forever. I wanted to someday do like Axl had with Izzy, put a ring on him and let him know I chose him to love above all others. However I just couldn't do that until the whole Mandy situation is resolved. And what's to stop Nikki from finding a way to keep me married to her? Or have her marry one of the other guys? Nikki's already proven that there's not much he insn't capable of.

Which is why I'm packing some shit for Slash too. No way was I leaving him here alone. Axl was gone to find Nikki, that left only Steven around to help keep an eye on things, that wasn't good enough for me to rest easy. So Slash comes with me and Steven gets to make excuses for us until we get Izzy back. Stevie's great at excuses, believe me, this is the perfect job for him.

My thoughts are interrupted by the tone of Slash's voice, "Really? Thanks so much man!" He hangs up the phone and turns to me, "She called from Houston yesterday."

"What band is she with?" I nod and ask.

"They didn't know, she didn't say," Slash shrugs, "I don't know if anybody's even playing down there, maybe she's with local bands."

"No," I shake my head, "she's too big time got that. She's gonna be around people with money to spend. She's gonna have to buy weight to make it back to Nikki."

"So what do you think? She hitched a ride with a band we don't know?"

I nod, "More specifically, a band that would have money and be in Texas." I test my hands on my hips and think. Who the fuck could she be with?

In the background MTV played their daily rotation. Three bearded men with hot girls were getting out of a car. The familiar driving sound of ZZ Top filled the air, "every girls crazy bout a sharp dressed man." Mine and Slash's eyes both pop up at the same time. We glance at the TV them back at one another.

Slash looks at me nodding, "ZZ Top,"

"Book us a flight to Houston," I nod and close my suitcase. I go over to Steven's room and knock.

He opens promptly, "Hey man, any word?"

"We think Mandy's down in Texas with ZZ Top. Slash is booking a flight to Houston. If Axl calls you tell him ok?"

"Yeah sure, what else can I do?" He asks.

"Well Doug's with Axl, so I imagine someone from Geffen will be sniffing around soon, probably Alan, you tell him there was a death...somebody close and we slipped out to go to the funeral. Tell him it's still on with Aerosmith, we'll be there."

"Yeah sure, but what if..."

"No fucking what ifs Stevie! Just tell them," I spout before returning to mine and Slash's room.

Slash looks up at me as he writes something down, "the first flight I could get out takes us to Lovefield in Dallas. Then we catch another plane into Hobby. Plane takes off Incan hour and a half."

"Ok, let's go," I nod and grab the suitcase.


Axl

I sat in a hotel lobby on a phone for the better part of an afternoon trying to track Sixx down. I had to call every venue trying to see when they were scheduled to play. What I found was a pleather of pissed off promoters. It seems as if five shows were cancelled while Nikki was busy terrorizing our lives. Now there were postponed dates and make up dates. Crüe was booked to play two shows a day for the next week. I finally managed to get their manager Doc on the phone. Apparently Nikki had put off one of these make up shows too. I was told he had the flu. Flu my fucking dick.

But Nikki was MIA and apparently Tommy too. My gut couldn't help but drop when i thought about Izzy being outnumbered. I knew Tommy had had a thing for Izzy since Izzy gave him some ass. All I can do is pray he can keep Nikki in line. Deep down I fucking knew that wasn't probable. Tommy was Nikki's leash trained fucking pet, hè would never go against Nikki. My stomach churns at what that means.

I pick up the phone and place a call back to put hotel. I teach Steven.

"Stevie, where's Duff?" I ask.

"Him and Slash are on their way to Texas, they seem to think Mandy's down there with ZZ Top," he tells me.

"Listen I hit a dead end. Nikki and Tommy have both went under the radar. They're together somewhere with Izzy."

"Probably on LA, Nikki's gotta score somehow, right?"

You know, for Steven to be a complete idiot he sometimes actually resembled someone with half a human brain. "Stevie, you're a goddamn genius! I gotta go!" I hand the phone up quickly and pick it fight back up and dial an LA number.

"Hello," her voice answers.

"Erin! Erin it's Axl! I need you to listen to me please!" I quickly shout into the phone.

"I thought you wanted to get rid of me, why are you calling?" She asks in a flat tone.

"Erin its time for you to decide, right fucking now, do you want to be with me, really be with me, or do you want Sixx?"

"Nikki and I are just friends..."

"With benefits," I huff under my breath, "I'm serious Erin, you have one fucking shot here to prove yourself to me. Do you want to be with me? Want the whole world to know hou belong to Axl Rose?"

"Yes," she whispers.

"All the fame and bullshit aside? You want me? Like me for me and not what I can do for you?" I gulp.

"Yes."

My heart pounds in my chest and I can't really believe I'm doing this. "Erin you can come back and stay and I won't chase you away again if you'll just help me now."

"Help you? Help you how?" I can hear the curiosity in her voice spark.

"Listen, Nikki has Izzy. Him and Tommy have Izzy, I think they may be in LA...Nikki's holding him hostage until we find fucking Mandy. He just needs her sround him all the tome to stay fucking high. A few nights ago Nikki jumped me with a fucking knife. Izzy got the drop on him with his gun and Nikki wasn't happy about it. Izzy gave him some smack and we went about our way. We knew he would come back at us, but he fucking tricked us! Now he has Izzy! I have to get to him, he's dry and he's gonna be getting dick by now...I have to..."

"Let me get this straight, you want me to help you find Izzy because he needs a fucking fix?"

Fuck. I guess it does sound kind of bad when I put it like that. "Erin it's not like that...I'm scared got Izzy ok? I don't fucking trust Sixx not to hurt him. Nikki's fucking cold and in the end only cares about number one."

"So you're telling me you'll be with me if I just help you save your boyfriend? You have some fucking nerve Axl..."

"Erin," I cut her off, "if you accept me then you accept Izzy with that. He's a part of me. He always had been and he always will be. He's the love of my life, my partner. He's not going anywhere, do you understand?"

"Sounds to me like it would be a full house with me always around."

"We'll sit down, all three of us, and just find a way to make shit work out...please Erin...I need you."

"For what?" She sighs into the phone.

"To find Nikki. You can actually come into contact with him. He thinks you're pissed at me and vice versa, right...so he'll never see me coming."

"I don't know..."

"You remember the night the cops came busting in and you ran? Izzy found you and got you out safe. The way I see it you fucking owe him one!"