Love And Other Drugs

"Thank you so fucking much Raleigh!" Luxe called out into the mic one last time before placing it back in to the stand. Luxe didn't want to leave the stage and although her breathing was ragged and she was sweating, she wanted to stay out here forever.


Mads had come up from behind her, tossing out her drum sticks while Lulu, Char and Pixie all tossed out their picks in to the audience. Luxe just waved and blew kisses at her fans and then her heart sank as she looked towards the side of the stage and saw three people standing there-two who she did not want to fucking deal with right now. Her parents were standing there, clapping like idiots while Andy just stood there, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her walk towards him.

Luxe knew she was a mess and all she wanted to do was to go back to her dressing room, get this absurd outfit off and then take a shower. But by the look on her mother's face, Luxe knew that wasn't going to be an option. They had met Andy and now the real reason for why they were here was going to come out. Luxe stopped at the edge of the stage, smiling at Andy as he came to her, kissed her on the cheek and then grabbed for her hand. It was for show as there were people watching, but deep down Luxe felt like maybe he meant it.


"Great show darlin'!" Her mother shouted at her and Luxe only nodded her head and looked up at Andy. His blue eyes were tired and his grin lopsided.

"You really rocked it out there pumpkin." Her father said and Luxe only smiled, nodding as she stood as close to Andy as possible. He couldn't leave her here with them, no matter how much they still disliked one another he couldn't leave her.

"Thanks guys. I take it you met Andy." Luxe said as she took a towel that Char was handing her and then looked towards her parents. Her mother was wearing a ridiculous amount of blue eye shadow, her greasy blonde hair stringy and hanging limp down her shoulders.

"We did! He seems like a wonderful young man." Her mother said, smiling coyly at Andy who only cleared his throat and kissed the top of Luxe's head.

"I'm gonna go find Alex and have a word. I'll be right back." Andy said as he walked away and Luxe only nodded. Great.


Luxe only stood there with her parents, the silence between them awkward but she knew it was only a matter of time. Her father looked nervous, his long brown hair tucked behind his ears and his eyes were darting all around. Christ-dilated pupils...they were fucking high as kites standing here. Luxe said nothing and continued to towel herself off and then her grey eyes met her father's and she knew it was coming.

Before he could speak, Luxe held up a hand and smiled.


"Save the parent-child reunion. Why are you here?" She asked and her father only smiled, his crooked teeth covered in saliva and other residue.

"To see you of course darlin'." Her mother said as someone on the road crew passed by and Luxe only shook her head.

"Cut the shit." She said and her parents both sighed and her father began to come closer. They were around other people, but it was dark backstage and so no one was paying much attention to them.

"Fine. We want in." Her father said matter of factly and Luxe just continued to look at him.

"You want what?" She asked and suddenly her father was coming at her, one of his hands gripping her shoulder while the other pushed her up against a wall. He snarled at her and soon enough her mother was at her side, the Mommy Dear routine obviously gone.

"Money you little bitch."

"Fifty grand." Her mother added and her father only smirked, nodding his head so that his nasty hair fell in to his face.

"No fucking way! I don't have that kind of money and even if I did...I wouldn't give it to you." Luxe spat and then her head fell back as her mother's palm connected with her cheek.

"Don't you dare fucking talk to us like that you little shit. We raised you...kept you alive." Her mother said and Luxe only rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...barely." The singer quipped and then winced as her father gripped her shoulder even tighter. She was beginning to not be able to breathe-she was starting to panic.

"Look, either you give us a pay off or we go public. I'll let everyone know exactly who Lucinda Abernathy is...not some famous singer, but just a little girl from backwater North Carolina who slept her way to the top. Now...how about that check." Her father was in her face, the tip of his nose brushing her own and Luxe felt like she was going to be sick.


Luxe felt sick as she stood there and then suddenly her father was being pulled away from her and Andy was standing there, his hands on either side of her face. Her mother screamed, running at them, but Andy quickly turned and stuck his foot out, tripping her so that the older woman went flying. Luxe was stuck there against that wall, unable to move and barely able to breathe. Her father was coming at Andy and with a quick punch to the gut, the older man was down on the ground, scrambling to get up.


"You need to leave. Now." Andy said, his teeth clenched together as he moved to stand beside Luxe, holding her close. She was shaking, but so was he and Andy felt his hands shake themselves in to fists.

"But-" Her father began and Luxe almost screamed as Andy rushed towards the man and wrapped a hand around his throat. Andy had long fingers and he was much stronger than he looked.

"No. Leave and don't ever fucking contact her again or I will kill you. Understand?" Andy said and her father nodded as Andy let him go.


Quickly the couple disappeared out of sight and Andy was at her side, his hands coming to rest against her cheeks. She was still shaking, her breaths coming out ragged and quick-she was having a panic attack. Andy grabbed her around the shoulders and soon enough they were walking down a dimly lit hallway. Where was he taking her? Luxe wanted to ask, but she was afraid-of the answer and of him. Finally they stopped at a door and Andy opened it, looking both ways before leading her out.

They were outside, the cold air biting at her cheeks as Luxe followed behind Andy until finally she realized where they were going. The Black Veil Brides bus was off in the distance and silently Andy led her on to the vehicle and they quickly walked to the back. Luxe noticed that Andy stopped by his bunk, grabbing for a small radio and then they were in the back lounge. He left her standing there for a moment and Luxe noticed that she was shaking now that he wasn't holding her.


"What are we doing?" She asked, her teeth chattering and Andy only smiled as he gathered up a blanket, stood on the couch and pushed open the escape hatch on the ceiling of the lounge. The room was filled with cold air and Luxe only smiled softly as she took his hand.

"Escaping." He said to her as he held out his hand and she took it. Slowly he placed his hands on either side of her waist and with everything he had, he lifted her up towards the open hatch. She was smaller and lighter than she looked and in a matter of minutes the two of them were on the roof of the bus.

"Look, Luxe-"

"Lucinda." She was looking at him, her small frame covered in his black Batman blanket and Andy only stared at her, confusion lacing his gorgeous blue eyes.

"What?" He asked and Luxe only smiled and bit down on her lower lip.

"My name...is Lucinda." She said with a soft smile and Andy only looked at her. This felt like something not many people knew and deep down he was happy that she had told him.

"Okay, well Lucinda-about tonight..." He stopped as she pressed a finger to his lips and smiled at him.

"Thank you Andy." She said and Andy only smiled and bit down on his lip, sucking his lip ring in to his mouth.

"I just...I don't get how two people could hate their own child so much." Andy stated as he looked away from her and up towards the sky. It was cold out, but the night was clear and he could see the stars as they twinkled down on them.

"Yeah well my mother wasn't the kind of mother to cut the crusts off of my sandwiches when I was little. She was too busy cooking meth in our kitchen for that shit." Luxe said matter of factly and Andy winced. That sounded rough and really shitty.

"What about your dad?" Andy asked and Luxe only laughed, her blonde head coming to rest on his shoulder. The music coming out of the radio was playing softly and before answering Luxe listened to the words.

You make it hard to smile because
You make it hard to breathe
Why do you do this to me?

"Yeah. Jason Abernathy-con artist and drug dealer extraordinaire. Not around much, but when he was...I was his little play thing." She said sadly and Andy growled deeply. He pulled her closer and while usually he would stay away from Luxe, this new insight made him feel more protective over her.

"Luxe I-" He stopped and smiled as she looked at him.

"Lucinda...I'm really sorry that that happened to you." Andy said and Luxe only smiled.


It was nice hearing her name again-no one called her that anymore and somehow coming from Andy's lips it made it all better. Sighing she closed her eyes-coming up here had really worked to get rid of her panic attack and it was also nice, being up here in the silence. Luxe never would have thought Andy would come to her rescue like that-she thought he still hated her and would of just let her parents take advantage of her. Now here they were sitting on top of his bus in the cold, sharing a blanket and talking about the past.


"It's okay. You know I never really fit in, when I was a kid. Nope. Never fit in with the country kids, the drug dealers liked my dad but thought I was a loser and the popular kids...well they just made fun of me." Luxe stated and Andy only smirked and nodded his head. He knew how she felt-he had been a loner himself up until forming the band.

"I spent most of my time in the library-books were my friends." She finished and Andy only smiled and looked down at her. Her face was red and splotchy, her grey eyes tired and her makeup was wearing off. She never looked more beautiful.

"You and I have a lot more in common than I thought." Andy stated and Luxe only looked up at him with confusion in her smile. How were they alike?

"How so?" Luxe asked and Andy only laughed and pulled her closer.

"I was the same-a loner who took solace in a library. Books and music were my friends when I was a teenager." He said and Luxe giggled and looked up at the sky. It was so peaceful up here-she would have to do this more often.

"Maybe if we had gone to the same school we actually would have been friends." She stated and Andy only smiled as he reached down and took her small hand in his large one.

"Maybe...maybe..." He said as they both grew silent and looked up at the sky.


They may not have been friends at first, but as he sat there holding her hand, Andy couldn't deny that he and Lucinda were friends now and he would do anything to keep it that way.

Notes

No wonder Luxe has a hard time trusting people-her own family tried to take advantage of her. But of course Andy was there...shocking us all by saving the day.

Review<3

This will be the last update before Christmas. I may update on Christmas Day, but I make no promises.