Chapter 121 - Words Can't Say

"What's going on here?"  Monica asks Richie as she walks up the driveway of his parents house.  "Who's here?"  she makes a motion with her hands, noticing all of the cars parked in the driveway and on the road.  Richie greets her with a hug and a kiss.

"Hey baby girl.  How are you?"  he smiles from ear to ear.  Admiring the sweet girl that is in his driveway.  The little sister that he's never had and the only one that he will ever want.  He misses her and she misses him.

"Good, good.  How are you?"

"Fucking fantastic.  What brings you by?"  his arm goes around he shoulder, as he escorts her toward the back door.  

"Is my hubby here?"  

"He's out back with the guys." Richie tells her, holding the door to let her in.  

Together they walked through the house and out the patio slider where Jon was sitting poolside with a beer in his hand.  When he sees Monica he gets up to meet her.  A kiss and a smile, "Hi."  

"Hey."  she says through her smile, happy to see the man that she hasn't seen in 4 hours.  "What are you guys up to?"  She looks around the yard and sees the band, except Tico, and the small road crew that they have come to depend on.  

"Drinking beer and having fun. What are you doing out and about?"  he leads her to an empty patio chair.  She takes a seat.

Monica is always polite and has enjoyed getting to know the new guys, so in her true fashion she gives a generic, "Hi guys!'  with a wave of her hand.  They all responded, telling her hello and asking her how she is.  After a little small talk with some of them, she gives her attention back to Jon and the band.  "You guys didn't forget about the premier tonight, did you?"  She looks at Jon, and then to the others.

David laughs at her, "No Mon, we didn't forget.  We're here to get drunk so we can sit through it."  He's only joking and she knows it.

"Fuck you.  I'm glad I left those bad parts of you in it."  she winks at him, "You wait Mr. Rashbaum, the world is going to see you in true Rashbaum fashion."

Dave stops laughing then.  "Please tell me you took those parts out?  Please??"  he winks at her, with a crooked grin.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see - but I'm being serious, are you guys going to get into the city in time?"  They all made comments but in the end, they all assured her that they would be there and they would be on their best behavior.  However, she felt like she needed to ask, "Do all of your parents and loved ones have tickets, from what I'm being told - It's sold out."

She was genuinely concerned about everyone special to them being there if they wanted to be.  This was a big day for her, for them and she wanted it to be prefect.  Jon leans over and rubs her knee, "Mom and dad are meeting us at the theater."

Alec added, "Yeah, so are mine - Jessica is coming too."  Jessica is Alec's flavor of the week, that's lasted a few months.  Monica likes her, but doesn't like the way that she parents her 1 year old daughter.

"Is she bringing Samantha?"  Monica blurts to him, not thinking at how insensitive it sounded.  She didn't plan for children to be there, and she didn't want any there.

"No, her parents are taking her for the night."  Alec kind of snaps back at her.  

"Mine are in Europe and won't be able to make it.  I'm sorry Monica."  David starts to say, as he watches disappointment come over Monica's face.  

"Really?  I was hoping to see them." she tells him, a little sad that they won't be in attendance.  

Over her shoulder she hears, "We'll be there sweetheart.  We wouldn't miss this for the world."  Monica turns around and sees Richie's mom standing there with a glass of lemonaid.  Monica gets up and hugs her second mother.  

"Ma, how are you?" Monica kisses her cheek, "How's dad?"

"We are fine dear, just fine.  Richie tells us that you have been busy with your film.  Are you excited?"

"I have a serious case of the nerves, but I'm glad that I'll have all of my loved ones there."

"Fans too, right?"  she throws in there, reminding Monica that this was a make or break night.  They sold tickets for 250 seats in the theater.  The proceeds from the tickets will be donated to a local soup kitchen in the theaters neighborhood.

Monica shakes her head, "Yeah there will be fans there.  Not fans of mine, but fans of the band."  Monica chuckles thinking that her fans base is limited to her family and friends.  "it's going to be crazy."

"Well, like I said - we wouldn't miss it for the world.  Adam and I are going in with John and Carol, so we'll see you there."  She hugs the young woman before leaving the back yard, but before she takes her exit, she softly says, "You get some rest dear, it's going to be a long night for you."

Monica takes pause.  That's catches her off guard and she quickly looks at Jon.  Jon looks back at her with a puzzled look.  

Mrs. Sambora takes her leave and Monica mouths to Jon, "Did you tell anyone?"

"Not a soul, babe.  I swear!" he calms her, "I have said nothing to no one."

"Promise?" she questions.

He laughs at her, "Honey, I promise." Monica takes her seat, back in her band of brothers, nothing that Tico was missing.  She knows that he's on vacation and has very little care about what she releases for the documentary, but he's missed just the same.  The relationship that the two of them developed over time has been one of mutual respect on a level that was brotherly/sisterly - not quite to the level of what she had with Riche, but Tico is her brother just he same.  

"I wish T was here." she admits with a slight smile, "This won't be the same without him."

"He's here in spirit and he wishes you nothing but success."  Richie reminds her, feeling her heart ache.  "You can give him a copy when he gets back."

"True.  It would just be nice to have everyone there."  she pouts a little and gets herself over it quickly.  After a slight lull in conversation, she stands up, "OK, I"m going to get going.  I'll see all of you in the city tonight."

Jon stands and takes her hand, "Wait, where are you going?" 

"I'm heading into the city.  I have an appointment at Paul Mitchell for my hair and I have to pick up my dress at the Versace studio.  Want to go with me?"  she coyly asks her husband, thinking he might want to stay and hang out with the guys.  They have only been home for a few days and relaxing downtime was something that they all were missing and needing.  

Setting his beer on the patio table Jon tells her, "I'll go."

"Babe, you don't have to."

"I'll go with you.  Come on, it will be fun."

"There is no time for fun.  It's noon now and the documentary thing is at six o'clock, there isn't much time at all."

Jon rests his lips on her forehead, "We just need to swing by home to get my clothes and we can go."

"Then we have to drive."  she kind of protests, she wasn't really in the mood to deal with traffic over the bridges and through the city.  "I was just going to hop on the train an go."

"We can take the train, but wouldn't you rather drive home when were done?"  he slides his hand down her arm, grabbing her hand.  "Whatever you want."

With her half assed smile that he's learned means that he's winning, she says, "We can drive, but we have to go now."

They say their goodbyes to the band and crew.  Stopping at home, Jon runs in and grabs his clothes that he planned to wear along with everything else that the up and coming superstar might need.  Monica runs in and grabs a few last minute items that she thinks she might need and before they know it they are in the car and on their way to the city.  

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The documentary that she shot is lightly named Bon Jovi - A Rockumentary.  Raw and Real:  Behind the Scenes.  Really the only one of it's kind.  She managed to get several hours of film and several photos cut down into a two hour film.  Her edits were few and her vision was caught.  She only made two run throughs with edits and felt that the rest of the footage and photos were perfect.  She was more than pleased with her final product and she knows that everyone else will be too.   

When she did her final run through with her best friend/agent - Julia told her that she had a friend that had a theater and that Monica should make this a whole production.  So they did.  In 4 days they managed to secure the venue and get it advertised on the radio.  Tickets were sold at the theater box office and it did sell out in just the couple of days.  

Bon Jovi made it to the big time, but really have no idea just how big they are.