Kate stretched out, rubbing her hands over her swollen stomach. She and Sav had been married for several months when they’d gotten the unexpected news that she was expecting. That had been at the beginning of the Euphoria tour’s last leg. Now they were home again, six months later and they were delighted with the pregnancy. And Ricky was actually pleased at the thought of a little brother or sister coming into his life. Kate had never realized anyone could be as happy as she was!

She sighed, getting up off the couch unsteadily in her pregnant state. Joe was dropping by for dinner and said he needed their help with something, so Kate headed for the kitchen to get their food ready. Sav walked in just as she put steaks under the broiler and slipped his arms around Kate’s belly, pulling her close as he whispered, “How are you tonight, luv?”

“Wonderful!” she smiled, turning into his arms. She snuggled into his neck, kissing him gently as he rubbed her ever sore back.

“So, any ideas on what Joe wants us to do?” she asked quietly. Sav shook his head and said, “He hasn’t told me any more than he’s told you. I’m worried about him though, he seems really preoccupied lately.”

“Talking about me behind my back,” came Joe’s soft laugh from the doorway. “Don’t deny it, I already heard you.”

“Well, you’ve had us worried, okay, Joe,” Kate said quietly, crossing the room to give him a quick hug. “How are you, anyway?”

“Better, now that I’ve made my decision,” Joe answered, staring at the floor. “Let’s eat and I’ll tell you what’s up.”

Sav and Joe helped her set the table and get the food out, then they sat down quietly. Sav and Kate stared at Joe expectantly as he dug in. He looked up and said abruptly, “What?”

“Well,” Sav answered, “are you gonna tell us now?”

He looked at the two of them and realized they’d been waiting on him to tell them what his problem was. Putting down his fork, he looked at Kate and said, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. About what you said about Kim. Her baby. For a long time, I couldn’t decide if I should try to find out what happened to it or not, but I’ve got to know if it’s okay. I mean, hell, we don’t even know if she had a boy or a girl, much less where the baby is now. It’s been driving me nuts thinking about it. I’ve got to know.”

“Somehow I just knew that was what was bothering you,” Kate said softly. “But her parents won’t be any help. I already called them and they denied she was ever pregnant.”

“Damn,” Sav replied quietly. “How can you deny the existence of your own grandchild?”

“I don’t know, but obviously they can,” Kate answered. “I was thinking of going to see the aunt she was supposed to be staying with, to see if she’ll tell me anything.”

“Do you know where she is?” Joe asked anxiously.

“Actually, last I heard she was here in Ireland, but that’s been twenty years ago. Who knows if she’s still here or not?” Kate answered. “I don’t know how to find her.”

“Have you tried the net?” Joe asked, already pulling back his chair to head for the computer.

“No! Damn, I forgot it!” Kate said with a small laugh. “Joe, sit down and eat and we’ll look after dinner, okay?”

“Yes, MUM,” Joe laughed. The meal passed quickly as Kate tried to remember everything she knew about Kim’s aunt. Joe waited for Kate and Sav to finish their meal impatiently and as soon as they were done, Sav started cleaning up while Kate led Joe to the computer.

They searched for about an hour before Kate finally stumbled on a name on the web that could be Kim’s aunt, Kathleen Davis. It was on a historical society webpage and she was listed as a active member. Kate called the number and asked for the woman’s home phone number, saying she was a friend of the family. Once she got the number, she dialed it quickly and a young man answered.

“Hello, is Kathleen Davis available?” Kate asked cautiously.

“Yes, ma’am, one moment,” the man answered, then Kate heard an elderly woman pick up the phone and say, “Hello?”

“Ma’am, I’ve got a rather strange request for information. I had a friend in school named Kim Roth who had an aunt by your name. Would you happen to be related to her?” Kate asked, crossing her fingers.

“Why, yes, Kimmer was my niece. Terrible tragedy what happened to her!” the old woman sighed.

“Ma’am, would it be possible for me and a friend to come see you tomorrow? I’d really like to find out what happened to her,” Kate asked.

“Certainly, my dear. What did you say your name was?” the woman asked.

“Kate Savage, I mean, it used to be Kate Monroe,” Kate stammered.

“Oh, Kimmer used to talk about you all the time, luv!” Mrs. Davis said quickly. “Can you come around two o’clock?”

“We’ll be there, ma’am. And thank you,” Kate said quickly. “Have a good evening.” They rang off and Kate turned to Joe. “Two o’clock tomorrow, okay, luv?”

“Thank you, Katie,” Joe sighed. They sat around for a couple of hours, discussing what to do the following day, before Kate finally had to call it a night and head for bed.

Sav had decided to go with them, just in case Kate needed him. Joe slipped on his baseball cap and shades, not wanting to be recognized on this trip out. When they reached the address Kate had gotten from the historical society, she knocked quietly while Joe and Sav waited behind her. When the door opened, a tall young man with white blond hair answered instead of the elderly woman Kate had expected. She heard a quick inhale of breath coming from behind her as she asked, “Is Mrs. Davis available? She was expecting us.”

The young man eyed Sav for a moment before saying, “Yes, please, come in. Aunt Kathleen, your guests are here!” he hollered ahead of him as they made their way into the sitting room. She heard Joe mutter, “Jesus, that’s got to be him!”

“Don’t assume anything yet, mate,” Sav whispered in return. The younger man led them in and said, “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

“Please, come in and sit down,” Mrs. Davis said quietly. As they sat down, she asked, “So, what did you need to know about our Kimmer?”

“Well, it’s rather awkward to ask ma’am, but we needed information about the child Kim had when she came here,” Kate asked quietly.

“Ah, my Stevie,” the elderly woman said quickly. “That was him that let you in, luv.”

Kate saw Joe’s head start nodding, as if to say, “Told you so.” She shook her head slightly at him, then turned back to the older woman, asking, “So, she named him Steve?”

“Yes, luv, Stephen Joseph, to be exact,” the woman said, then paused. “I’m sure, since you were such a good friend of hers, you know the circumstances of his birth. Kimmer wasn’t sure who the father was, so she named him after both the men it could have been.”

“Ma’am, maybe I should introduce my friends here. This is my husband, Rick, and a very good friend of ours, Joseph Elliott,” Kate said, waiting to see if the woman made the connection. And obviously, the woman’s mind was sharp as a tack as she zoomed in on Joe.

“Should I assume then that Kate isn’t the one interested in my Steve?” she asked softly.

“Yes, um, well, yes and no,” Joe replied quietly. “The other man that could have been his father, well, he was a good friend of ours as well, ma’am.”

“But you are the Joseph in question, I assume,” she stated quickly.

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” Joe answered.

“And you’ve finally come to find out what happened to Kimmer’s son, right?” she said, her voice going flat as if she was angry about the years that had passed before he’d come to inquire.

“Mrs. Davis, Joe didn’t even know about the boy. My parents sent me to the States not long after Kim came here and she never told anyone,” Kate said in his defense. The woman seemed to relax a bit at that. Kate continued, “Joe just found out about it a few months ago.”

“Ah, well, considering her parents won’t even acknowledge him, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Mrs. Davis answered. “When Kimmer died, I told them she had kept the baby and that he was here, with me. Her father just sat there and said he didn’t know what I was talking about. My own brother, I couldn’t believe it!” The old woman sat for a while, then asked, “What about this friend of yours, the other one who could be Stevie’s father? Is he looking for my boy as well?”

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but he died about eleven years ago,” Kate said quietly. “He died without ever knowing about the baby. I’ve got to ask this, is that Steve’s natural hair color?”

“Yes, Kate, it is. He’s never been one for doing strange things to his hair,” Mrs. Davis answered. “He spends a lot of his time playing that rock music though. I managed to get him an old acoustic guitar that he’s taught himself to play by listening to others.”

“God, he’s got to be Steve’s son then,” Joe said quietly.

“Joe, luv, you play guitar as well,” Kate reminded him. “And his hair doesn’t mean for sure he’s Steve’s boy.” She turned to Mrs. Davis and pulled out a photo they’d brought with them of Steve Clark.

“Is this the other man?” she asked in astonishment.

Confused, Kate said, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Kate, luv, would you go to Stevie’s room and ask him to come down here. And make sure you look around in there when you do?” Mrs. Davis asked. Sav helped Kate to stand up and walked up to Stevie’s room, knocking softly on the door. They could hear the guitar being played even through the door and Sav just smiled at that. Stevie opened the door and let them in with a smile, still staring at Sav rather intently. And the first thing they found on the wall was a huge picture of Jimmy Page. As they opened the door further, they found what the old woman had wanted them to see. A very large picture of Steve Clark, guitar slung low as always, hanging on the wall behind the door.

Sav smiled when he saw the picture of Steve and asked, “So, you’re into Def Leppard, mate?”

“Yes, I am,” Stevie said tentatively, “Mr. Savage.”

“Ah, so I’ve been spotted as well, have I,” Sav said with a smile. “Please, call me Sav or Rick. When you say Mr. Savage, I look around for my father.”

“Well, thank you, Sav,” the boy said slowly. “Did Aunt Kathleen need me for something?”

“Yes luv, she asked us to come get you,” Kate answered as Sav picked up Stevie’s battered guitar. Then Sav said, “Wait, Katie luv, I want to hear him play first.” He handed the boy the guitar and said, “What do you know?”

“Um, basically, anything of yours from Adrenalize on back. The rest of the albums I’m still a bit spotty on,” Stevie said with a bashful smile.

“How bout “Foolin”,” Sav asked finally. Stevie picked up the guitar and tore into the beginning of the song, bringing a quick nod from Sav. Then he said, “That guitar will never do though. We’ll have to see about that.” Then the three of them headed down to the sitting room where Joe was still talking to Mrs. Davis.

“You needed me, Aunt Kathleen?” the young man asked curiously.

“Stevie, sit down luv,” Mrs. Davis said quietly. “These people may have some information you’ve always wanted to hear.”

“What’s that?” Stevie asked quietly.

“Stevie, what has your aunt told you about your father?” Kate asked softly.

“She didn’t know anything to tell me,” he said slowly. He looked at Joe and said, “Could you remove your glasses, sir?”

“Go ahead, Joe, he already knows who I am,” Sav said.

Joe pulled the glasses off his face and looked at the boy. Stevie smiled and nodded, saying, “I thought so as soon as I saw Sav. What did you need to tell me, Mr. Elliott?”

“Joe, please,” Joe said quickly. “Well, first thing you need to know is that we didn’t know you existed until several months ago. Kate had been sent to America by her father not long after your mother told her she was pregnant, so she was never able to tell us about you. When she came back into our lives, she told us Kim had been pregnant instead of the story she’d put out about going to stay with a sick aunt.”

“I’ve told you how your grandparents reacted when they found out she hadn’t put you up for adoption, Stevie. They were adamant that no one know Kimmer had ever had a child,” Mrs. Davis said softly. Stevie nodded and turned back to Joe so Joe could continue his story.

Kate stepped in and said, “Did you know your mother wasn’t sure who your father was?”

“Yes, ma’am, Aunt Kathleen told me that when I asked about my father when I was thirteen,” the boy answered. “She only knew I’d been named for the two men it could have been.” He looked at Joe strangely, wondering if this man was responsible for his middle name.

“Well, there’s no really easy way to tell you this, luv,” Kate said quietly, “but there’s a slight possibility that Joe here may be your father.”

“But as much as I would like that, I don’t think it’s true now that I’ve seen you,” Joe piped in. He turned to Sav and Kate and said, “He just reminds me too much of him.”

“You know who the other man was?” the boy asked, wondering if he might finally get the answer to his lifelong question.

“You’ve got a poster of him on your wall, mate,” Sav said quietly. “Steve Clark.”

Stevie slumped back in his chair in disbelief. He looked first at Joe, then Kate and finally Sav, who were all three nodding silently. He stood up and headed into the kitchen just as Joe was about to say something to him. Returning with a pint of lager in his hand, he took a long swallow before looking back at them. “You guys are serious, aren’t you?”

“Very,” Sav answered quietly. “Of course, they’ll have to run some tests to find out exactly which one of them is really your father, but either way we’ll make sure you’re being taken care of from now on.”

“Ma’am, if I can ask, how did you end up caring for Stevie?” Joe asked.

“Kimmer was planning on going back to Sheffield and finally telling her boyfriend the truth, hoping they’d be able to work things out. The day she died, she told me she was planning on finally telling him the next day, but that obviously never happened.” Kate’s eyes teared up, missing Kim all over again.

Sav looked at the elderly woman and asked, “Mrs. Davis, do you mind if we take Stevie out for a while?”

“Oh, no, go right ahead,” she answered quietly. The young man slipped into his jacket quietly and waited for Sav to help Kate up off the couch before heading to the car. When they took off, Stevie sat silently as all this information sunk in. He didn’t notice anything as the car pulled to a stop and the others got out. Stevie stepped out and found himself in front of a music shop that specialized in high priced guitars. He looked at Sav, who only smiled at him before waving him in.

Sav encouraged Stevie to look at any guitar he wanted to and watched as the boy headed straight for a beautiful black Gibson Les Paul. All three of them watched as he ran his fingers over the strings, smiling broadly at the feel of the instrument. Sav laughed, remember that the Les Paul was one of Steve’s favorite guitars as well. He went straight to the cashier and paid for the guitar as well as an amp and case, then told the clerk to pack it up for him. When the clerk headed towards Stevie, the boy said, “Oh, I’m just looking really. I can’t afford this one.”

“It’s just been purchased by the man standing at the counter, sir. I’ve got instructions to pack it up now, so if I may?” the clerk answered. Stevie turned and found Sav and Kate smiling at him from the counter. He was flustered, not expecting such a generous gift from a total stranger. The staff hauled the guitar and a Marshal amp to the car while Joe was still in the store.

Sav pulled Stevie in for a hug and said, “Welcome to our family, mate.”

There were tears in the boy’s eyes as he whispered a strangled, “Thank you, Sav. This means a lot to me.”

Joe emerged from the shop carrying a very strangely shaped guitar case as well. He handed it to Stevie and said, “It’s only fitting you should have something like this as well.”

Stunned, Stevie opened the case and found a Gibson double-necked guitar in it. Overcome by his emotions, the boy sat down on the sidewalk and cried. He felt Kate put her arms around him as she whispered, “Steve was one of their best friends, and if he was your father, you’re part of their family now, luv.”

They gathered up the weeping young man and got him into the car, wondering suddenly how he was handling all this new information. Stevie looked out the window, thinking things over. That morning, he woke up an unwanted bastard, raised by a loving aunt on her pension checks because his own grandparents wouldn’t even have anything to do with him. Now, suddenly, these people had accepted him in a way his grandparents never could have. His head was spinning.

Sav pulled into a pub and they walked in quietly, knowing Stevie’s head had to be full of all sorts of confusing thoughts by now. As soon as they sat down, Stevie ordered another pint of lager and downed it quickly trying to steady his nerves. Sav shot Joe a look, wondering if Stevie always drank that quickly. Joe turned to Stevie and said, “Better slow down, mate!”

Stevie looked at him, wondering what he was thinking about him. He really didn’t want Joe and the others to think he was a total sot, what if they decided he wasn’t worth their time? Pushing away the second pint the waitress had just delivered, Stevie looked at them and said, “Sure, didn’t really want it anyway.”

“So, Stevie, tell us a little about yourself, luv,” Kate said quietly, trying to rid the table of the tension that had suddenly appeared.

“Well, I’m teaching myself guitar, but I know Aunt Kathleen has already told you that. Auntie K has been wonderful to me, better than those other people I’m related to. She took me with her to Sheffield once and my grandfather slammed the door in her face. I think I was about nine when that happened,” he said slowly.

“Jesus,” Sav said with a sad shake of his head. Joe was pissed and Kate nearly cried at the pain in the boy’s voice. Joe blurted out, “How can anyone fucking do that to a kid?”

“I don’t know. They’ve just never accepted me,” Stevie said quietly, reaching for his pint of lager again. He took a long swallow and said, “Um, when did you want to do this test, anyway? Guess we should really make sure mom wasn’t out having a really good time and forgot to tell Aunt Kathleen about someone.”

“I’m sure she didn’t, luv,” Kate said quietly. Over the next two hours, Kate, Joe and Sav told Stevie what they all remembered about Kim and told him a lot of things about Steve and the band that he’d never known. And watched as he put away pint after pint of beer. No one said anything more to him about it, but several glances were exchanged and they all knew this was something they were going to have to keep an eye on. By the lack of effect the alcohol had on him, it was obvious that he was used to drinking as much as he’d done that night.

When they took Stevie home, by an unspoken accord Joe and Sav took Stevie into his room with his new guitars while Kate talked to Mrs. Davis. “Ma’am,” she asked, “does Stevie drink a lot?”

“Well, I’m not sure, to be honest,” she answered. “I’ve smelled it on his breath often enough, but he never acts really drunk.”

“The reason we needed to know,” Kate replied, “is that Steve Clark was a severe alcoholic. In fact, that was part of what killed Steve. He died of mainly because of an overdose of alcohol and pain killers, so we’re worried that if he was Stevie’s father, Stevie may have inherited the tendency to become an alcoholic as well. They’ve already lost one friend to that, they don’t want it to happen to Stevie as well.”

“Oh my, I didn’t know that!” Mrs. Davis gasped. “I’ll have to have a word with Stevie about it!”

Kate yawned and said, “Well, I’d better go haul the boys out of his room. Here’s our number, tell Stevie he can call us anytime. And the same goes for you, ma’am. Any problems, just call and Sav or Joe can help.”

“Thank you, Kate,” she said softly. Kate walked towards Stevie’s room and heard them discussing Def Leppard’s music.

“I know they were only actually together for two albums, but those are the best two you guys ever put out,” Stevie was saying.

“You know,” Joe was saying, “Those albums took so long to do, I never really thought about it. It was only two albums, but there were eight years or so that they were together. And it was some of the best stuff we ever did.”

“They really were a team,” Stevie said quietly as Katie walked in the door.

“Gentlemen, I hate to interrupt, but I really need to head home,” she said with a smile. “We’ll see you soon, okay Stevie?”

He beamed a bright smile her way and said, “I hope so. I’ve really enjoyed myself.” The three of them hugged the young man and said goodnight, then headed for the car.

“So, what’d she say, luv?” Sav asked finally.

“He’s been drinking, but she doesn’t know how much,” Kate sighed. “But what the hell do we do about it?”

“I’m calling Phil. He’ll be able to help if it’s really a problem,” Joe said quietly. “And I know he’s still trying to deal with what happened to Steve, even if he doesn’t talk about it.”

As they pulled in to the driveway of the Savage house, Sav leaned back and said, “We’ve got a problem, mate.”

“What’s that,” Joe asked.

“They’re going to need Steve’s DNA to rule him out or confirm him as Stevie’s father. And if that boy’s drinking, I don’t want him around Barrie. At least, not yet,” Sav answered, opening the door and letting everyone into the house. Joe thought for a moment and said, “I’ll call one of Steve’s brothers. It should be close enough for them to check it out. Joe headed for the phone and Sav pulled Kate into his arms as they listened to Joe’s quiet conversation.

“Kevin thinks we should at least call their mother, but he thinks Barrie may be okay now. He’s learned a lot from Steve’s death,” Joe said sadly. Sav sighed and said, “Call them, Joe.”

Beryl was overjoyed at Joe’s news. She wanted to start the testing as soon as possible so they could find out if Steve really had left a son behind. So Joe called Stevie and told him they’d go in the following morning to get things rolling. Then Joe had to call Phil and tell him what they’d found out so far. Phil decided to get on the next plane for Dublin so he could meet the lad. He was rather miffed at Joe for not telling him earlier that there was a child that could have been Joe’s or Steve’s, but Joe told him they’d decided to keep it quiet for a bit.

When Joe got everything set up, Kate headed for bed, begging off because her pregnant body was just to tired to stay up any longer. Joe gave her a quick hug and she kissed Sav quickly, then went to her room and crawled into bed.

Sav jerked awake the next morning to the sound of someone playing his keyboards. He slipped out of bed without waking Kate, threw on his robe and headed downstairs to investigate. When he went quietly into the music room, he found the source of the music. His long brown curly head bent over the keyboard, Ricky sat playing a complicated piece by Mozart that left Sav floored. Kate had told him that Ricky played, and he’d heard him once or twice, but nothing like this! His recent change to a music major seemed well merited. He waited until Ricky had finished the song and said, “So, what are you doing home from school?”

Ricky jumped and spun around, scared half out of his wits. “Shit, Dad, you just scared the hell out of me!”

“Well, I’m not generally used to finding wandering pianists in my house,” Sav said with a smile. “Now, tell me again why you’re home?”

“There was a lot of fighting going on at school, three white guys beat up a black kid, and they were afraid the place was gonna blow up in riots. So they cancelled classes for the week,” Ricky explained.

“This early in the semester? Bloody hell!” Sav answered. Sav thought for a moment and said, “You know, mate, you may have come home at just the perfect time!”

“Why’s that?” Ricky asked curiously.

“Well, we’ve got another lad that’s in your kind of position. Just discovering he might be part of our little family,” Sav answered. Ricky laughed and said, “Boy, Dad, you really got around, huh?”

“He’s not mine!” Sav exclaimed and watched as Ricky nearly fell on the floor laughing so hard. Sav said calmly, “He may be Joe’s or Steve Clark’s.”

That silenced Ricky, knowing that Steve may have been the one. Suddenly it wasn’t a laughing matter anymore. He apologized and told Sav he’d do whatever he could to help the kid.

“Actually, mate, he’s a wee bit older than you. By a few months,” Sav told him. “Now, let me go get your mother. Someone’s going to have to get Phil from the airport.”

“Oh, no, that’s how I got here. Joe was there to pick up Phil, who just so happened to be on the same flight with me,” Ricky informed him. “Nearly decked Joe when he got there, something about some guy named Steve. Oh, wait, is that the same kid you were talking about?”

“Yeah,” Sav chuckled. “Phil was pissed about being kept out of the loop on this one. Guess I better look out when I get there, huh?”

“Well, they got things worked out in the car on the way here,” Ricky answered, “so I don’t think there’s gonna be any more trouble.”

Sav walked upstairs and woke Kate up gently, telling her that Ricky was home and it was time to get up to go to Joe’s house. She got dressed quickly and the three of them piled into Sav’s car. Joe and Bobbi had breakfast waiting on them and as they sat down to eat, Phil started asking questions.

“So, how long of you known about this, Sav?” Phil asked.

“Um, the beginning of the Euphoria tour. The night Kate showed up at the hotel, she told me and Joe about it,” Sav said sheepishly. He ducked out of the way of Phil’s fake punch and headed for the table, helping Kate down beside him. Before anyone could say a word, there was another knock at the door. Puzzled at who else might be showing up this early, Joe went to answer it. Kate could tell something was wrong as soon as Joe walked back into the room, followed by an older couple. She saw Phil and Sav stiffen involuntarily, then Joe introduced the couple as Barrie and Beryl Clark. Phil crossed the room and hugged Beryl warmly, before heading back to the table without saying a word to Barrie. Beryl spoke up, saying, “So, is he here?”

Barrie put his arm around her, trying to keep her calm as she said, “If Steve had a child, I need to see him. Please!”

She started to cry and Barrie pulled her into his arms, saying, “She’s been, well, upset and excited since you called last night. Losing Steve was really hard on her.”

She could see Phil almost biting his tongue to keep from snapping at Barrie at that moment. Finally, Ricky broke the tension a little by walking up to Barrie and shaking his hand, saying, “Steve was one of the best guitarists I’ve ever heard. All their fans miss him.”

“Thank you, son,” Barrie said quietly.

Beryl finally looked up and said, “Joseph, where is the boy?”

“I’m supposed to pick him up in thirty minutes,” Joe said slowly. “We’ve got an appointment with the doctor in two hours.”

“Are you bringing him back here?” she asked. “I’d like to meet him before we go to the office.”

Joe nodded, saying, “I thought that might be for the best. But Beryl, just don’t assume anything yet. We don’t know that he’s Steve’s son yet.” He looked at the others and said, “I’m gonna head out and bring him back here. Take it easy.” That last sentence was sent Phil’s direction.

Kate headed for the bathroom as Joe walked out the door. When she returned, the tension in the room was unbearable. Phil was glaring at Barrie, who said, “I realize I made a lot of mistakes with Steve. I was stupid and didn’t see what was going on.”

“Well, I’m not going to let it happen to this boy!” Phil said angrily. “He may have started drinking already and by God I’m not going to lose him too!”

Kate crossed the room and put a gentle hand on Phil’s arm, whispering, “Phil, no one wants the same thing to happen to Stevie. We’re all going to watching, to make sure it doesn’t.”

“I know it’s too late for my son, but I’m not going to watch my grandson go down the same road,” Barrie said quietly. “I have learned from my mistakes.”

Joe returned at just that moment, followed by Stevie. The boy was staring around in wonder at the house. He’d never been in a place as big as Joe’s. When he saw Barrie and Beryl, he looked at them leerily, not sure how to act. He’d never had any good experiences with a grandparent, so he didn’t know how they were going to feel about his sudden appearance in their lives. Beryl walked across the room and said quietly, “Steven?”

“Yes ma’am,” he answered quietly. Beryl looked him over, trying to find signs the boy either was or wasn’t Steve’s son. Her hand went to his white blond hair, so like her son’s had been. He gave her a shy smile and Beryl almost squealed. That was definitely her son’s smile, shy yet warm. She hugged Stevie quickly and said, “If you are my grandson, well to our family. We’ll know soon enough, but til then feel free to call me anytime.” A tear fell from the corner of Beryl’s eye as she sat down and let Barrie talk to Stevie.

Soon enough, it was time to head out for the doctor’s office. Sav, Kate, Ricky and Phil stayed behind at the house while Joe took the others to the office. Phil looked at Sav and asked, “Why did you guys call Barrie? We all know that he helped Steve right into the bottle! And if this kid’s heading the same way, Barrie could be the worst person for him to be around.”

“We didn’t want to, but they can’t determine who Stevie’s father is without Barrie and Beryl’s DNA to compare his to. And Kevin says that their dad has changed a lot since, well, since Steve. So all we can do is cross our fingers and pray,” Sav said quietly.

“Maybe Steve didn’t die in vain, Phil,” Kate said calmly. “Barrie may have figured out what he did wrong.”

“Fat lot of good that does Steve now, luv,” Phil said crossly. “I don’t want his son getting hurt by his father!”

“No one does, Phil. Now come one, let’s get some work done while we’re waiting,” Sav said quietly. Ricky followed the older men into the studio while Kate helped Bobbi clean up their mess. When they finished, Kate wandered into the studio to see what the men were up to. To her surprise, she found Ricky jamming with Sav and Phil, pounding away at a keyboard like there was no tomorrow. She slipped quietly into a chair and watched them until they heard the others return from the doctor’s office. Kate made her way slowly into the living room, where Barrie was talking to Stevie and telling him all about Steve as a child. Beryl came over to her and asked, “So, how long til that little one makes its appearance, Kate dear?”

“About a month and a half, ma’am,” Kate answered, rubbing her hands over her stomach. “And I’ll be glad when it’s over!”

“Ah, I remember that time, dear,” Beryl said with a sympathetic smile. “Is this your first one?”

“No, our second. Only it’s been over twenty years since the last one, so I guess I just don’t remember it very well,” Kate sighed.

“Oh, was it that young man I saw here earlier?” Beryl asked and Kate nodded. Then Beryl asked, “So, how is Richard doing as a step-father?”

“It’s a very long story, but Sav is Ricky’s father. He and I were together at the same time as Steve and Kim, Stevie’s mother,” Kate explained.

“Oh, my! Well, I suppose congratulations are in order for Richard then,” Beryl said with a smile. Just then, Sav, Ricky and Phil came in and Ricky headed over to where Stevie sat. Kate watched as the two young men talked, then Ricky came over and said, “Um, Mom? Stevie and I are gonna take off for a while. Give me a chance to give him the low down on how things go around here.”

She saw Sav give a small nod, so she nodded and said, “Okay, luv, take care!”

The boys took off and not long after Sav took Kate home. By early evening, Kate was exhausted, so she headed for bed and left Sav up to wait for Ricky. She woke to a loud crash at about midnight and ran downstairs, only to find her son passed out and Stevie trying to get him up to bed. Sav came running in and yelled, “What the fuck is going on?”

“Um, he’s not much of a drinker, is he?” Stevie said quietly.

“He never has been,” Kate said angrily. Sav put a quieting hand on her shoulder, then said to Stevie, “He’s not old enough to be drinking in America, so I don’t think he does.” Kate was fuming! Her son was laying there, drunk as could be! How could Sav have let him go out with Stevie? But Sav simply looked at Stevie and said, “Call your aunt, she’s worried about you. Tell her you’re staying here for the night.”

Stevie put his head down and said, “Yes, sir.” Then he headed for the phone on the end table.

Sav gave Kate a look that said he was going to handle this and got her to help get Ricky up to his room. Then he said softly, “Kate, luv, I asked Ricky to go out with him for just this reason. I needed to know how much the boy was drinking. Now I’ve got my answer and I’ve got to talk to Joe and Phil about it.”

“You let OUR SON go out and get drunk, just to find something out?” Kate hissed. “How could you?”

“Because I knew Stevie would never loosen up around the rest of us,” Sav answered calmly. “But with Ricky, he could let go. Now, you can handle Ricky however you want, but the rest of us will have to deal with Stevie.”

“Oh, I’ll handle Ricky, you can believe that!” She answered quietly.

“Don’t worry, luv, we’ll work this out,” Sav said quietly, then gave her a gentle kiss. “Now, back to bed with you!” Kate sighed and headed back to her bedroom, where she tossed and turned, trying to decide how to deal with her son. She finally made up her mind and then fell quickly to sleep.

In the morning, Sav woke Kate gently and said, “Joe and Phil are coming over this morning, so rise and shine, my love.”

“I’ll get breakfast started,” Kate said with a sly grin. She dressed quickly, then went down and made their food, paying careful attention to what she made for Ricky. As soon as it was finished, she grabbed a pot and wooden spoon and headed for Ricky’s room. She opened the door quietly and walked over to Ricky’s sleeping form. Then, as hard as she could, she banged on the pot with the spoon and yelled into Ricky’s ear, “TIME TO WAKE UP!!”

Ricky jumped up, trying to cover his ears to block out the tidal wave of loud sounds his mother was putting out. His head was throbbing and his stomach was churning as Kate put her hands on the bed and bounced it up and down.

“Breakfast is ready, luv!” Kate yelled into his ear.

“UGH! Mom, I’m not hungry at all! I think I’m going to be sick!” Ricky said, looking pretty green.

“OH, NO!” Kate said loudly. “You’re eating and that’s it!” She nearly dragged him down into the kitchen and sat him down, putting his plate in front of him. Ricky blanched when he saw the greasy bacon and runny, greasy eggs on his plate. He looked to his mother and said, “Mom, I can’t eat this!”

Sav came into the room and took his place at the table, then said in a stern voice, “Oh, yes you can, Ricky.”

Ricky took one look at his father’s face and sighed, lifting his fork as slowly as possible. He closed his eyes as he brought the fork filled with egg to his mouth, dreading what was going to happen when the slimy eggs hit his tongue. He managed to gag down the first bite, then shot his mother a nasty look. He couldn’t believe she was doing this to him.

It took all of Sav’s will power not to smile at the look on Ricky’s face as he bit into the egg. He looked at Kate, suddenly glad she hadn’t been his mother!

With Ricky’s third bite, his stomach went into revolt and he ran for the bathroom, barely making it there in time before his breakfast came right back up. When he made it back to the kitchen, Kate motioned for him to sit down and finish eating. He shuddered, but did as he was told.

He had to run for the bathroom three more times before he finished the meal. Once he was done, Kate said, “Considering the fact that I’m, well, very pregnant, I need your help around the house for a bit. The bathrooms all need to be cleaned, especially the toilets.”

The boy put his throbbing head into his hands and said, “Please, Mom, don’t make me do that!”

“Ricky, your mother said she needed your help,” Sav answered for her. “Get to it!”

Ricky sighed and said, “Yes, sir.” He walked slowly towards the bathroom, then turned to Kate and said, “I’m sorry about last night, Mom. It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not,” Kate said softly. “Now, go back to bed, Ricky. Sleep it off a bit more.”

Ricky looked at her in surprise, but wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He took off for his room without saying another word. Kate smiled at Sav and said, “I don’t think we’ll have many problems with that again.”

“I know I wouldn’t be drinking if my mother had done that to ME!” Sav said with a laugh. Just then, Joe and Phil showed up and Sav wasted no time in telling them what she’d done to Ricky. Both men could only laugh at the idea, agreeing it would have kept them from getting caught drinking as well.

When Stevie got up, he found himself facing Sav, Joe and Phil, as well as Kate. Kate looked furious, but the others merely seemed to be concerned. Joe motioned for Stevie to sit down by them while Sav put an arm around Kate, keeping her quiet.

“Stevie, this is a friend of ours and I’m sure you know who he is. Phil Collen,” Joe said quietly. Phil leaned across and shook Stevie’s hand quickly, giving the boy a reassuring smile.

“You were Steve Clark’s best friend, weren’t you, Phil,” Stevie asked.

“Yes, I was,” Phil answered sadly. “That’s why Joe and Sav asked me to come here, to meet you. And guys, you’re right, I’m almost positive he’s Steve’s now that I’ve seen him.” Joe and Sav simply nodded, letting Phil control the conversation. “I would have done anything for Steve. And that includes looking out for his son, all right, mate?”

Stevie looked at Phil, wondering where he was heading with this. Phil saw the look on the boy’s face and knew he had to tread lightly on the topic he was about to bring up. Looking down at the floor, Phil asked quietly, “Do you know how Steve died, Stevie?”

“Yes, sir. An overdose of alcohol and prescription medication, if I heard it right,” Stevie answered.

“You’re right. But it wasn’t something that happened overnight. Steve had started drinking long before I’d even joined the band. And he drank hard. There was no stopping him. He was in rehab for the first time before I’d even met him, around the time the band fired Pete Willis for the same thing. But Pete was a nasty, mean drunk from what I’ve been told. Steve? He was your best friend when he was drinking. And when he sobered up, he’d cry and say how he’d never do it again. But he always did. He was an alcoholic, pure and simple.” Phil finally looked up at the boy and said, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m telling you all this, aren’t you?”

“Actually, yes, I am,” Stevie answered slowly.

“Kate talked to your aunt and she says you’ve been drinking quite a bit,” Phil replied. “We’re all worried you may have inherited Steve’s gene for alcoholism, and we want to help stop it before we lose you like we did Steve.”

The boy slumped back in the couch, touched by their concern and angry that they thought he might be an alcoholic. He finally jumped up from the couch and turned to the others, saying in a low voice, “What right do you have to think that of me?”

“Stevie, we’re worried, that’s all,” Joe said quietly.

“Mate, I’d like you to come stay with me while we wait on the test results,” Phil said, looking up at the boy. “That will give me the chance to get to know you. And yes, I want to make sure you’re not drinking as badly as I’ve been told. I won’t be over your shoulder constantly, but you might like the chance to get to the States, maybe let someone show you all the things he knows about guitar playing...”

The anger faded as Stevie’s eyes lit up, the possibility of learning to play a guitar from Phil temptation enough to wipe away any concerns about being watched constantly. Then a thought crossed the boy’s mind and he said regretfully, “I can’t. Aunt Kathleen needs my help. She can’t make it on just her pension.”

“Don’t worry about it, Stevie. We’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” Joe answered for all of them. “We’d all like to see you go out with Phil for a while, until we get the results back. By then, we should be ready to get back in the studio here in Ireland.”

Stevie looked at each of them, seeing their smiles of encouragement, and finally said, “Oh, okay. I’d love to, really, Phil.”

That decided, Phil took the boy home to tell his aunt the news. The next day they flew out to California. Phil kept them updated on the boy, who as it turned out went into alcohol withdraw soon after arriving. It scared Stevie, but not near as much as it frightened Phil. Phil couldn’t help but remember the nightmare they’d all been through with Steve and he cried himself to sleep many nights, wondering if he’d be strong enough to save Steve’s son. Stevie was forced to see exactly where he was heading, but unlike Steve, he didn’t have a family pushing alcohol in front of him. Phil had finally called in a professional to help with the boy’s problem. The counselor said to let him stay at home, out of rehab for the moment, but started the boy going to Alcoholic Anonymous every week. If there were any relapses, then the next step would be checking him into a clinic to deal with his problem. Within three weeks, the boy was dried out and playing a guitar as well as his father had at twenty. And he was determined to stay straight. Whenever the urge to drink hit him, he thought of his father and how his life had ended far too soon. Instead of giving in to his cravings, Stevie started to follow Phil’s routine and even took up marital arts. Soon he was learning to spar with Phil when they weren’t doing anything else.

Sav and Kate withdrew Ricky from school in America and he came to live with his father full time. He’d chosen a school in Dublin where he could continue to study music and still be close to home. He was sitting in the makeshift studio room, playing a song he’d been writing with his father, when Kate walked in and in a rough whisper said, “I need you to take me to the hospital, Ricky.”

“Mom? Are you okay?” the boy asked quickly.

“Yes, luv, I’m in labor. It came on really fast! Call your father at Joe’s house and tell him to meet us there,” she answered, her face contorted as another contraction came over her. Ricky put a hand on his mother’s shoulder, trying to comfort her as best he could, then headed for the phone. He dialed Joe’s number and let it ring several times before turning to Kate and saying, “They’re not answering! Now what do I do, Mom?”

Kate doubled over, the next contraction much harder than the last. She looked at her son with pain-filled eyes and said, “Get me to the hospital! Now!”

Ricky bundled her into the car, listening as the contractions got more and more frequent before they even left the driveway. It was twenty miles to the hospital, so all Ricky could do was pray as he drove quickly over the Irish roads. He picked up his mother’s cellular phone and tried Joe’s house again, with no luck. Finally, once Kate could think for a moment, she told Ricky to call Joe’s cell phone. Sav had left his at home that morning, thinking they still had three more weeks at least until the baby would make its appearance.

On the third ring, Joe answered and a panic-stricken Ricky told him what was happening. Then Joe heard Kate scream to stop the car, the baby was coming right then and there. Ricky pulled the car over and told Joe were they were. As it turned out, Joe and Sav had gone to a pub that happened to be on the way to the hospital. Joe told Sav what was happening and they told Ricky they’d be right there.

Sav and Joe ran for the car, speeding to the spot Ricky had described. While they were driving, Sav called an ambulance and gave them directions to Kate’s location.

Within five minutes, Sav and Joe pulled in behind Kate’s car. She was still in the passenger seat, laying back and trying not to scream so that Ricky wouldn’t be frightened.

“Kate? We’ve got to get you out of the car, so I can try to help you,” Sav said quickly, trying to stay calm for her. But inside, he was a bundle of nerves. What the hell could he do to help her?

Joe brought a blanket from his car over and they helped Kate lay down on it. Sav helped her out of her lower garments and thanked God she’d worn a dress that night. At least it was some kind of covering so Ricky wouldn’t go completely into shock.

“Ricky, stay out by the road and flag down the ambulance,” Sav called, praying they got there before the baby did. “Joe, you want to hold Kate’s head or come down here and catch the baby when it comes out?”

“Um, I think I’ll hold her head,” Joe said quickly. There was no way he was going under Sav’s wife’s skirt! He moved up to Kate’s head and lifted her gently, so that she rested in his lap. Sav kneeled between her thighs and realized he was in trouble. The baby was already starting to crown! All Sav could do was tell her as firmly as he could to “Push, Kate! Push!”

Kate bore down with everything she had left. Joe held her up, just like he’d seen done on television but never thought he’d have to do in real life. Then Kate slumped back into his body, saying, “I can’t, I’ve got to rest!”

“Come on, Katie, we’re almost there,” Sav encouraged. “Please, baby, you’ve got to keep going!”

Kate felt another contraction hit and pushed with all her might. Sav could see the baby, this close to being out, so he put his hands around the head and helped. With in a second, the head was out and Kate was gasping for air as she laid back into Joe. They heard Ricky scream that the ambulance was there, just as Kate started to push again. Sav held on as the baby’s shoulders got completely out of its mother’s body, then the entire child slipped into his hands. Stunned, he sat there, not sure what to do next. The baby didn’t cry or anything, just laid silently in its father’s hands.

Joe saw the look on Sav’s face and knew something was wrong. Kate was laying back against Joe, too tired to notice anything at that moment. The paramedics rushed over to them, cut the cord and whisked the baby away almost instantly. Sav could see them doing CPR on the tiny body as the first medic rushed it back to the vehicle. The other medic helped Kate to deliver the afterbirth before getting Sav and Joe to help load her onto the gurney. They slid Kate into the ambulance and took off, rushing her and the newborn to the hospital while one of the medics was still working on the child.

Sav slumped down on the ground, sobbing. Ricky rushed over and put his arms around him, asking, “What’s going on, Dad?”

“The baby! It isn’t breathing, Ricky,” Sav cried, turning into his son’s arms. Joe put his hand on Sav’s shaking shoulder, trying to comfort him but to no avail.

“I must have done something wrong! God, did I just kill my own child?” Sav sobbed.

“You did the best you could, Sav,” Joe said quietly. He pulled his friend to his feet and hugged him tightly to his body, saying, “The doctors will do everything they can to save it, Sav. Let’s get you to the hospital. Kate’s going to need you!” He bundled Sav and a crying Ricky into his car and drove to the hospital as quickly as he could.

As soon as Joe pulled into the emergency parking area, Sav jumped out of the car and ran for the ER. Joe and Ricky got there a second later and found Sav talking to the nurse. He finally walked over to Joe, tears in his eyes as he said, “They can’t give me any information yet. Jesus, Joe! What have I done?”

“You did everything you could, Sav. You’re not a doctor, for God’s sake!” Joe said roughly. But he was holding back tears of his own, trying to be strong for Sav and Ricky. He pulled Sav into his arms and held his shaking body as Sav continued to cry.

A few minutes later, a young doctor came out and looked around the waiting area, asking, “Mr. Savage?”

Sav’s head shot up and he said, “Right here!” Jumping up, he looked at the doctor and said, “How are they?”

“Your wife is waiting for you, sir. If you’ll just come with me?” the doctor said quietly. He led Sav back to a cubicle and pulled back the curtain. There, laying on the bed, was Kate holding a small bundle in a blanket. Sav saw the tiny fingers curled around its mother’s hand as Kate cooed down at the child.

“How is she?” Sav asked quickly.

“She’s fine now. I guess there was some kind of blockage that kept her from breathing right off, but they got it cleared away almost as soon as we got in the ambulance,” Kate told him quietly. Sav pulled Kate and the baby into his arms, holding on to them as if he never wanted to let go. Kate could see the silent tears starting to flow down his face as it finally sunk in that his daughter was alive. He looked into her eyes and kissed her gently, then realized that Joe and Ricky still didn’t know what was happening. He said quietly, “I’ve got to go let the others know what’s going on. They still don’t know if she’s alive or...” He couldn’t finish the thought, but Kate smiled up at him and said, “Go on, luv. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Sav walked slowly out to the waiting area, still thinking about almost losing his second child there on the road side. Joe took one look at his face and thought for sure the baby was dead. Sav saw him, looking so sad for his friend’s pain, and did the last thing Joe expected. He smiled.

“She’s okay, mate!” Sav said quickly.

“Kate? We knew she’d pull through! But what about the baby? Is she...” Joe asked, but Sav stopped him and said, “She’s alive, Joe! She’s beautiful and healthy and alive!”

“Jesus, you gave me a scare!” Joe said, finally giving Sav a smile in return. “Do they know what happened?”

“There was a blockage in her throat. That’s why she wasn’t breathing,” Sav said slowly. “But it’s gone now and she’s going to be fine.”

After hugging Joe and Ricky, Sav headed back in. They moved Kate to her room upstairs a bit later, where Ricky and Joe finally came in to see her.

Kate and the baby, whom they’d named Elizabeth, were released from the hospital three days later. Sav took them home and settled them in while Ricky continued to work in the studio with Sav. The rest of the band returned to Ireland a few days later and just had to stop in to see the newest member of the Leppard family. Phil brought Stevie back with him and the boy was all apologies for what had happened before he left. With Steve and Phil’s examples in front of him, the young man said he had already chosen whose footsteps he wanted to follow in. Phil slipped an arm around Stevie and gave him a smile of approval.

Ricky and Stevie still hit it off quite well and the two of them closeted themselves away for hours at a time in Sav’s music room. They sat down at dinner one night in front of everyone and gave their elders their news. They were going to form a band of their own, as soon as the found a drummer and a bassist. Everyone was ecstatic and full of advice, which surprisingly enough the boys took to heart.

Finally, after all the waiting was done, the paternity tests came back. Joe took Stevie and the Clarks to the doctor’s office to get the results. There were no surprises in store for the small group when the doctor announced with a ninety-nine percent certainty that Steve Clark was Steven Roth’s father. Beryl cried while Barrie hugged the boy. Joe sat back, a bit disappointed at the news. In some small part of his mind, he’d held a little hope that maybe they’d been wrong about who Stevie’s father was.

As soon as life settled down again, Stevie got time to know his grandparents and uncles. He stayed with them on weekends, learning everything about his family. And he got the chance to learn exactly what life was like in the studio as well, watching as the members of Def Leppard went back to work on their next album.

Def Leppard was scheduled to be part of a big concert line up during September of 2001. Several big name bands were included in the show. But the night before the concert, Phil got an urgent message from his ex-wife, saying his son was severely ill and that he needed to come home right away. At first, the band thought of simply pulling out of the concert altogether. But Phil stepped up and said he had an idea to save the show. The band met together and decided to go with Phil’s plan rather than cancel their appearance.

That night, as they stepped out onstage, Joe took a moment to let the audience know what had happened. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got a bit of disappointing news tonight. One of our guitarists, Phil Collen, was called home because of a medical emergency regarding his son. But rather than cancel out, we’ve gotten a replacement guitarist for this one night only. We’d like you to make him feel very welcome here. His father was one of our best friends and someone most of you knew of, Steve Clark. So, here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Stevie Roth!”