Chapter 2

Home, he was finally home. It might be for only a week but still he was home. Sometimes he felt like he'd never see home again. The touring just never stopped. They were already half way into the Jersey tour and there was no seeming end. Who was he kidding, he loved it! Constantly go, go ,go! It was perfect for a hyperactive over thinking guy like him! Still, sometimes he just wanted HOME.

Richie knocked one time before swinging open the door to his childhood home and calling out in his big booming voice, "Ma!!!! ma!! I'm home!"

Joan’s head tilted as she watched the young woman working in the yard next door from her kitchen window. She seemed so familiar some how. At the sound behind her she smiled and called back. "In the kitchen Rich." She turned back to watching the girl, a memory nagging at her. Something about that girl was just too familiar.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" He stood behind his mother and peered out the window. A woman stood raking freshly cut grass into a pile. There was another smaller more petite version of her kneeled near the empty flowerbed diligently tugging the offending overgrowth from the too long ignored landscape. His eyes returned to the other one instinctively, as if something pulled at him. Shaking his head to dash the thought he continued to study her. She had long dark blonde hair that that was pulled back in a tight pony tail. The sun lit up streaks of pale as her head turned with the conversation he couldn't hear. He wondered if her hair was the explosion of sunlight he imagined.

The dirty short denim cut offs hugged her hips like a second skin and the tight tank top accentuated the slimness of her waist, and when she tilted her head to talk to the kneeling girl something deep in his belly tightened. If the profile was anything to go buy he’d bet his Fender she was beautiful. He let out a low whistle, "New neighbors?"

Joan nodded and tried not to chuckle at her sons whistle. He was always the flirt her Richard. "Seems so. I guess the Daniels family finally sold the house. Strange though, the girl seems familiar somehow." She turned and smiled up at her son. "So what brings you home today?"

" I missed ya! Besides I promised ya I'd clean up the yard and all that!" He grinned and hugged his mother tight before looking out the window again.

"Maybe I should go over and introduce us ma?" His eyes peeked interest as they always did when he saw a beautiful woman.

Joan snorted softly as she turned to gaze at her son. "Only if you keep the rock star toned down and under wraps. No monkey business with the neighbors ok?" She laughed at the look on his face. Telling Richie to not flirt was like telling him to stop breathing. "I doubt a girl out doing yard work is groupie material you know."

"Aw ma... come on.....I just wanna say hi." He put on his most innocent expression.

She shook her head and started to laugh. "That innocent expression quit working on me years ago son." Reaching into the oven she pulled the casserole out and swiftly settled it into a box. "But you can take them this and tell them welcome to the neighborhood."

He took the box and sniffed appreciatively "Smells wonderful ma." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You're the best ya know that?" He called over his shoulder as he exited the house.

She laughed and turned back to her dishes, knowing that the compliment meant, *I'm gonna flirt and I'm aiming for a date and ya can't stop me ma.* "Have fun Son!"

The door shut soundly behind him as he covered the distance between the two yards quickly. Stopping right behind the girl who had previously been raking, but in the scant few minutes between him leaving his house and hitting her yard had knelt to help with weeds, he smiled suddenly. She was even nicer on the close up, her hair was like the sun just like he imagined. "Howdy Neighbor!" he said cheerfully, and almost laughed out loud when both jumped and squeaked.

Shannon and Mel looked up at the exact same moment, both girls faces showing surprise but for two totally different reasons.

When Shannon’s eyes settled on the intruder she immediately recognized him and her eyes widened in shock! What was his name..... oh she knew... Richie? YES! Sambora! That was it!

He was in Bon Jovi. She'd recently started getting a bit more into that one band than any others. She loved the way they told a story with sounds and words, a perfect mix to cure whatever might be ailing you. If she had to pick a favorite band, they would be her choice! They were simply one of the best, and the fact that the man standing in front of her sister at this moment was hella hot, was just icing on the cake!

Mel glanced up and got an eyeful of black leather, her head tilting up to follow the line of a set of extremely long legs. Arching a brow she watched as leather turned into a black tee-shirt that fit rather nicely on a well formed chest and.. oh hell he had that hippy hair, long dark and all mussed perfectly. Jesus what was he a rock star wannabe?

"Nei...Nei...Neighbor?" Well shit the Samboras were gone and some hippies had taken over? God, she'd never go outside again.

Richie smiled mistaking her stuttering for star-shock "Yeah... I'm Richie..... My mom lives next door.. She asked me to bring this over and welcome you to the neighborhood ...." His words trailed off as he waited for the girl at his feet to supply a name.

She pushed up, then brushed sweaty hair from her bangs and studied the man standing there silently. Richie? His name was Richie? She shook her head as the memories threatened. Her Dork was a Richie, but this couldn't be him, Dorkus would never ever be a hippie.

"Your mother let you out of the house like that?"

Richie looked a bit confused as he looked himself over. "like... this? uh .. well... yeah I..." He shook his head wondering what was wrong with his attire. He held out the casserole to her as he looked her over yet again. She looked so damn familiar. He moved his gaze to the other woman, or was she a girl? He couldn't quite tell. She sat a few feet away staring up at him with her mouth open just a bit, dark brown eyes wide in surprise.

Richie decided to try turning on the full charm, no one could resist that. "So um.. you got a name Darlin'?" His voice dropped instinctively into a low huskiness that usually worked on any woman.

She took the box, the scent of homemade lasagna hitting her full on, a slight smile of appreciation filtering into her eyes. "Yep I have a name." Just not giving it to a hippie on first meet. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as her sister stood there mouth agape. "Sis? HEY Squirt!!!"

Shannon jerked out of her daze and finally rose from the ground. She took a step toward her sister automatically reaching out for the casserole and whispered none too quietly "Mel!!! That's Richie Sambora!" Expecting her sister to register the name that went with poster of the band hanging in her room.

Mel whipped around, her brow furrowing as she intensified her perusal of the man before her. Shit, He had dark brown droopy eyes, those silly goofy puppy dog eyes. He'd made her life hell until she was sixteen, ok he'd made her life exhilarating then destroyed it all in one go. Taking a step back, she tried to breathe and couldn't. Common sense fled as as memories flooded her, her voice nearly vanishing as she spluttered, "Dork?"

Shannon shot her sister a look of bewilderment. Why was she calling him names?

Richie jerked as if slapped, he hadn't been called *Dork* in ages, not since high school. Not since that metal mouthed geek Melanie Daniels had dumped him......his eyes damn near bugged as he almost whispered "Metal mouth??"

Startled eyes winced. No one ever called her that but him. Dear Jesus, the dork still lived next door and he'd went hippie rock star glam. She turned to Shan, her sister’s words finally settling into her brain. "Yeah its Dork. Hey how'd you know his name?"

Shannon looked back and forth between Richie and her sister as if watching a high speed tennis match. Melanie KNEW him? HIM?? How? "Everyone knows his name Mel!" she exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn't understand why her sister was being so rude, Melanie was never rude.

Determined to make up for her sisters crudeness she shakily spoke as she looked up at the hulking form of one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen "I'm sorry Mr. Sambora... um.. Richie... Mel's just ... well we've been working hard the last few days getting this place livable and I think she’s forgotten common courtesy....are you thirsty?? Would you like some tea? Why don't you come on in and have a drink, we can show you what we've done to the place" She tried her best not to gush and fawn but failed miserably. Shooting her sister a bit of a scowl she motioned her head toward the front door silently begging her to come in and be cordial


Melanie ignored her sisters silent pleading and turn to face Richie "So got that name on a wanted Poster finally Dork?" She slipped to the side barring the way to the front door. I can't let him in, God I can't, Jesus, they still live here? "What did it this time? Crash another car into another field or what?"

It took Richie a moment to realize the other girl must be the baby.... what was her name? Shawna? Shannon... Shay!! That was it... Shay.....the baby with the towheaded Shirley Temple curls.... the cute one, he smirked to himself then inwardly groaned as he took in Mel's stance barring the open door. Metal mouth sure had changed. She was no longer the mealy mouthed geek...

Ok, Sambora she never WAS an ugly little geek. You just called her that to get back at her and you know it!

Still, now she was damn hot! Not that he would ever give her the satisfaction of knowing that though, not after the torment she'd put him through there at the end.

"You know damn well it was Jimmy Malone driving not me," he snorted.

A brow lifted, "Still having problems with selective memory? Damn, I could of sworn I saw your surprised expression when you plowed into home plate that day." Damn near scared me to death, thought you'd killed your fool self. Godddd.

Richie scratched his head letting his memories take him back, the day was warm and Jimmy had bet him he couldn't drive around the bases at twenty miles an hour. Home plate loomed then he'd skidded into the fencing behind it. Damn near jarred his brain loose at that. "Oh shit! .... uh.... yeah I guess that time it was me..." He shrugged.

Shannon stood still holding the door open listening to the conversation in shock. She knew him? God she knew him THAT well? I'll be damned.

Her grin widened as she leaned into him, one slender finger reaching out to flick the end of his nose. "Still giving them the old one two line? Once a dork always a dork right? HEY how’s that," she snorted and laughed, "Accordian doing ya?"

Her eyes widened when her sister reached out and flicked him on the nose. She touched him! She gasped then finally disappeared into the house to deposit the casserole on the table and wonder at the knowledge that her sister.. her only sister knew one of the Bon Jovi members and never told her!

Outside Richie relaxed a bit and leaned his lanky frame on the porch banister his lips curled up into an impish grin "Accordian.... ahhh I gave that up... was bad for my image ya know?"

She propped the railing up, one hip bracing casually against the wood as she muttered, "You had an image?" She straightened and forced her voice to go cold. "Oh yeah that's right, you decided to fracture the guitar. Never could figure out how those guys let you in the band you were in back then. Shit I hope you at least learned to play a little since then."

Richie gaped at her for a moment "Learned to play a little?"

She lifted a hand and brushed hair back from her eyes. "I remember hearing you practice, you hit more bad notes than good. Hell the poor guitar was crying from abuse and you know it." Why am I tormenting him? Hell it was thirteen years ago, we were kids for god sakes! Dammit why does his very presence turn on that stupid anger?

Richie's grin slid off his face. Her looks might have prettied up a bit but her demeanor was still as sour as her puckered metal mouth had been all those years ago.

"Still single Mellie?" he smirked "I remember senior year.... ya know you owe me for your year book title: Girl most likely to run a convent. Melanie Daniels yep." His barb had nothing to do with her physical looks, oh no, it had everything to do with her iciness, he still wondered after all these years why she'd gotten so cold.

Her back stiffened at the words, a dangerous glitter entering her eyes. Her voice grew dangerously soft as she fought with the urge to just slap him. No need for him to know the words were truer than true. No need at all. "Wouldn't you like to know?"