Together Burning Bright

Andy was pacing around the kitchen, his socked feet slipping against the tile and it was a good thing his eyes were on the floor-otherwise he would have missed his daughter completely. It was now February- 17th to be exact-and the record had been released that very morning on iTunes and in stores. Dess was down in her lair, working on a project for work and Andy was up in the kitchen, bottle in one hand and the cordless phone in the other. It was only ten in the morning-Virginia time-and he knew that it was only seven out in LA.

As he paced, Andy smiled as Arabella crawled all over the place-it was getting harder and harder to keep up with the little sprite these days. She was now crawling-everywhere and she was also starting to get into everything. They’d spent a pretty penny baby-proofing the house and it had paid off as they could pretty much let the baby go wherever she wanted to get to. Andy looked down, smiling as he noticed that Aria had flopped down, her diapered butt sitting against the cold tile floor. Andy bent down, picking up his daughter and she giggled as she reached for her bottle.


“You want this?” He asked and Aria only giggled as she reached for it more, her chubby fingers wiggling and she got a determined little pout on her lips.

“What do you say?” Andy asked and the baby only smirked at him as she opened her mouth and moved her lips slightly. She had been nearly forming words for a week now and Andy was trying to get her to push out something for him…anything.

“Ba-bo-fa!” She squealed and Andy only shook his head, his pierced lips coming to rest against her forehead as he forked over the bottle and nearly jumped out of his skin as the phone in his hands began to ring.

“Andy Biersack.” He stated and Andy’s face pulled into a smile as Ashley’s voice was on the other line. He listened quietly as Ash talked to him and soon enough he was hyperventilating as Ash finally got to what mattered. How was their record doing so far?

“We’re number ten?! Are you serious?!” Andy was practically shouting and Aria was giggling, her bottle having fallen to the floor where Crow was currently batting it around like some kind of toy.

“What’s going on?” Someone asked from behind him and as Andy turned around his smile grew. Dess was standing in the doorway to her lair, her blonde and faded pink hair piled on top of her head and she had blue paint all over her cheeks. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a flannel shirt and Andy said nothing as he passed the baby over to his wife and walked off towards the den.


Dess knew that Andy had been pacing all morning-having gotten up with the baby at around six and he hadn’t been able to sit still. The preorders for their record were high in number, but it would only get them to the number fifty spot on the top one hundred. Dess knew it didn’t really matter to the guys-they loved their music and what they did too much to let the politics get to them. But still-number ten was really exciting and the album hadn’t dropped overseas yet.

The little family was home for the winter-the Europe Tour having wrapped up only a week prior but Dess knew it was only short lived. Soon enough the guys would be out in LA, shooting another video for the album and then it was a small stint in South America. Home by the end of April for Arabella’s first birthday and then it would be time to get ready for Warped Tour.


“Do you want a snack munchkin?” Dess asked the small girl in her arms and the baby cooed and giggled as the two of them walked over to her high chair. Aria was getting so big-she was going to probably be tall like her father and Dess knew that was going to be difficult at first.

“What do we say?” She asked as Dess moved to the counter, grabbing for a banana and as she peeled it the baby just laughed. They had been talking to her and asking her things for over a month, trying to stimulate her brain to see if she would start talking sooner.

So far nothing…

“Ba…” The baby said and Dess opened her mouth, mouthing the word ‘banana’ to see if Aria would mimic her.

“Ba…” She was still trying and Dess only smiled as Aria kept her mouth open and she slipped a mashed up piece of the fruit in between those tiny lips. The baby was determined-she babbled constantly and sometimes Dess wondered if Arabella and Andy hadn’t come up with a secret language.

“Thanks man! Yeah, yeah Bells is doing great and so is Dess. Yeah, yeah we’ll be out in a few weeks for the shoot. Yeah I’ll talk to you later…bye.” Andy was walking back into the room, a smile on his face as he approached his wife.


Dess was currently sitting in one of their kitchen chairs, facing Arabella, who was eating a banana in her highchair. The two girls were laughing and giggling loudly and Andy couldn’t be happier in that moment. The band’s hard work had paid off-they were number ten out of the top one hundred and Ashley said that their numbers were still climbing. Everyone seemed to like the new record and the new songs, which was good as it had been a labor of love to get everything done on time. Andy set the phone down on the counter, crossing his sweater clad arms over his chest as he walked over towards his wife.


“She talking yet?” He asked and Dess only laughed as she fed the baby another piece of fruit and turned slightly. Her moss green eyes were filled with laughter and Andy was happy to see that Dess was in good spirits. She had gotten tired over the course of the tour and Andy knew it was going to be even more tiring come the summer time.

“What do you think? She’s trying though…she’s very determined.” Dess said and Andy only smirked down at his daughter, sticking his tongue out at her and soon they were playing a game of peeka-boo.

“Like father, like daughter…” He said as Aria giggled and then yawned. She would probably lay down for a nap sometime soon and then maybe Andy and Dess could have some time to themselves.

“Can you say dada?” Andy asked as he bent down and soon enough the baby was in his arms again. She giggled, reaching out to place her tiny fingers on Andy’s nose. He was wearing a stud in his nose-Aria liked to tug on things and she had almost tugged his nose ring right from his skin. Lesson learned.

“Dibo.” She said, her face scrunching as Aria scowled and Dess just laughed as she stood and tweaked the small girl’s nose.

“Can you say mama?” Dess asked and Aria just giggled as she clapped her hands together and the couple shared a kiss. Their little family was so precious and it was so nice being home together for a change.

“Mal…” She was still scrunching her face and Dess knew that the baby was trying, but it was going to be slow going. Dess noticed that Andy had gotten his phone out and was pointing it towards Aria’s face. She caught site of the camera and smiled wide as Andy stuck his tongue out at her again.

“Arabella! Bells…say daddy! Say…daddy!” Andy was teasing her now and Dess just laughed as Aria clenched her fists and then gummed down on her tiny bottom lip.

“Da-da…da-da…” Andy’s mouth dropped open and he almost let his phone slip from his fingers. Did she just say what he thought he just heard her say?

“Did she just…” Dess stopped as Arabella reached out and placed her tiny hands on either side of Andy’s face. She smiled, her mouth wide open and Dess noticed that Andy had tears in his eyes.

“Dada!” She said again and Andy only laughed and brought the baby to his chest and hugged her tightly. Dess felt his arm tug at her, snaking around her shoulders as he pulled her in for a hug.

“…she said dada…she said her first word…” Andy said, his voice low as Dess just nodded her head and kissed his neck.


The small family all stood there, hugging and laughing as Aria repeated the word over and over. Dess knew this was only the start-once she began to really talk there would be no stopping her. Bells had already proved to have her father’s lungs when it came to screaming. She only hoped that Aria wouldn’t develop his love of long winded conversations and the love he had at hearing his own voice.

Only time would tell.




The makeup trailer was two things-hot and loud. It was now March and Andy, CC, Jake, Jinxx and Ashley were all on set of their new video for the album. Dess and Arabella were also there, as well as a newly pregnant Ella, who was currently watching Aria crawl around with wide eyes. The baby had grown so much and now that she was crawling and saying some small words-Dess only knew it was a matter of time before things really got going. Andy was currently at his makeup table, working on his hair, which was black once again and finishing everything up.

They had all been in LA for two days and while Dess was enjoying the time away-they had gone to Disneyland the day before-she missed being home. Soon enough they would be leaving for South America and of course taking the baby along with them. Everything was so hectic and at times Dess just wished they could stay home. She had loved their time home over the summer-spending nights alone with Andy, even though they were short lived as Aria wasn’t sleeping soundly then. Now the tiny girl was sleeping through the night and had a nap every single day-no matter what.

Another trait of Andy’s that Arabella had picked up was his crankiness when she got tired. So naps were essential, as were keeping a good stock of baby puffs and ‘nanners-which is what Bells called them. She was talking more and more and could now say mama, daddy, Ashy, Pinx-Jinxx, CC, and Cake-Jake. Everyone loved hearing her talk, but of course Dess had been right in thinking that once the little girl got going she was never going to stop. She would babble and talk to herself constantly and sometimes Dess would get up in the mornings to find Aria standing at the side of her crib, talking quietly to no one.

The small girl could stand with support and she could crawl, but there was no walking. If someone held out their hands and helped, Aria could waddle back and forth for a bit, but soon she would get frustrated, huff and then plop down and cry until Andy or Dess picked her up. Dess was now sitting on one of the couches, talking to a two month pregnant Ella about all things baby when there was a loud giggle and Dess looked up. Andy was facing where Aria was sitting and he was bent over, his hands against his knees as he called out to her.


“Come on baby girl…come to daddy…” He was patting his knees, a bright smile on his lips and Dess only laughed as Bells called out to Andy loudly.

“Dada!” She had her hands out in front of her, wiggling her fingers back and forth as Andy turned back to face the mirror.

“God she is so magical Dess. She’ll be one in a month right?” Ella asked and Dess sighed-God a year had flown by so quickly for them all.

“I know! It seems like yesterday I was popping her out and Andy was refusing to hand her off to anyone. Actually…he still refuses most days.” Dess laughed and smiled as she looked down at her daughter. Aria had gotten herself to a standing position by using the table and was now bending her knees as she laughed loudly.

“He is utterly in love with her…” Ella said and Dess only nodded as she watched her daughter.


Arabella was slowly taking a step, her fingers still gripping the edge of the table. This was nothing new-she had been doing this for a week, but then she would get tired and sit back down. Dess watched silently, her moss green eyes on Aria as the baby took another step and looked around. Andy’s back was to her and Dess watched in silent awe as Arabella carefully let go of the table edge. Ella let out a low squeal, but Dess just quietly shushed her as she pulled her phone out and aimed it at the small girl.

No one was paying attention except for the two girls and they both watched with huge smiles on their faces as the baby wobbled slightly but kept walking. There was maybe only a few feet between Andy and the table, but it felt like a mile for Dess as she watched her baby girl taking her first steps. Finally CC looked down, his brown eyes growing wide as he looked from the baby and over towards Dess. She just held up a red painted nail to her lips-she wanted this to be a surprise to Andy and she knew his reaction was going to be priceless.


“We almost ready?” Someone said from the doorway and everyone turned their attention to Jon, who was standing there with a clipboard in his hands. Dess just shushed him and everyone’s eyes were on the baby as she finally reached her father’s pant leg.

“Dude…” Ashley ribbed Andy in the side and the singer looked at his best friend and then looked over his shoulder and down. Arabella was standing there, her smile bright and wide and Andy felt his heart stop. Did she just…did she just walk?!

“Holy shit baby girl!” Andy laughed as he bent down and picked up Aria and held her to his chest. She placed her hands on either side of his lips and squeezed, giggling at the effect.

“I caught it all on video!” Dess said as she finally stopped recording. The look on Andy’s face had been priceless-shock, realization, amazement, joy and then pride. She walked over to the two and kissed Andy on the cheek and she fluffed her fingers against Aria’s soft blonde head.

“Oh my God…” Andy was speechless as he kissed Dess and then rubbed his nose against Aria’s. The baby laughed, clapping her hands together and Andy felt pure joy enter his body.


There was nothing like watching someone that you helped make and then nurture begin to develop in to the tiny person that they were destined to be. Life had been hectic for the couple and their child-touring with a baby was not something they had been ready for and it had been a learning experience for all involved. But as time went on they had developed a routine and the guys loved having a baby on board.

Life was hard, but the pay off was so great and as the little family stood there in that room and laughed and smiled over Aria’s accomplishment, everyone else knew that that’s what they wanted…needed…in their own lives.

Notes

Talking and walking! My my how time does fly by fast. I know you guys have more reviews in you and I would hate to have to stop posting this as much since we are getting to the best part of all. This is almost over people-twenty more chapters to go!

Review<3

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PS. Also please check out my brand new story Land Of F.E.A.R!