Author's Note;

This is a sequel to the fiction Because You Loved me. Although it can be read separately from it, I think it's better to read the prequel first because it means you know the characters far better, and can get into the story more. The prequel is only 13 chapters, so it doesn't take long to read. I hope you enjoy this. )

Chapter 1

It never failed to amaze Becca how quickly the time passed. Hours felt like seconds, weeks like hours, and months like days. She could scarcely believe that she and Dougie had been together a year. It had been a year filled with laughter, and love; a year that had floated by effortlessly without as much as a passing glance at unhappiness. Becca never quite understood how she and Dougie continued to get closer. It seemed impossible that it could happen, and yet every time it did she would look back on how they were before, and see it as a natural progression.

Becca had moved from university accommodation to her own house with Jess in Colchester, which Dougie had helped to pay for, and they spent all of the free time that they had in each other's company. When she had holidays, Becca would travel around the country with the boys, becoming a perpetual support act for McFly on their tours. The shackles of fear that had previously held her down were well and truly gone, and the sometimes timid girl of old had been replaced with a confident and determined young lady.

Despite this, the record company had failed to offer Becca any sign of recording contract, based on the fact that they claimed that they "didn't know how to market her". Even so, Becca was having the time of her life performing on stage, so her disappointment failed to make an obvious impression.

Becca crossed out what she had scribbled down on the sheet of paper that lay on her lap, took a sip from her mug, and placed it back down on the coffee table. She looked out of the window of the living room and into the garden, which was a tangle of greenery. On the other side of the room Jess tapped repetitively on the arm of her chair, whilst flipping through a copy of Heat.

"This magazine got rubbish you know Becks." She mused.

"Yeh? I thought you might be getting bored of it...what with all the tapping." She said pointedly.

Jess looked down at her hand, which was still moving, seemingly of its own accord to an inaudible beat. "Oh!" Jess said stopping quickly, "Sorry about that." She flashed Becca a smile, which her friend rapidly returned.

"How's the writing going?"

"Oh not so good," said Becca casting her eye down at the mass of crossed out lyrics, "I can't really think of anything to write about at the moment. And I'm not sure what style to write either. Like...what genre."

"Hmmm..." Jess mumbled as she drunk her coffee. "I think you just have to go with what you feel at the time, and then it's luck from there."

"Yeh I guess so."

A loud wrapping disturbed their conversation.

"I'll get it," Jess said jumping from her seat at the sound of the door.



A few moments later she walked back into the room followed by Dougie, who sat on the arm of the sofa next to Becca and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"Hello you." He said smiling.

"Heyyy," she said giving him a squeeze, "You alright?"

"Yeh I'm okay" he said sliding down the arm of the chair and fitting snugly next to Becca. "What'cha up to?"

"Oh...I was just trying to write...but I haven't really got into it yet." She closed the notebook in her hand and threw it onto the table. "So what brings you here, Mr. Poynter? ...other than wanting to see your wonderful, wonderful girlfriend?" She asked with a smile.

"Well I have some news!"

Becca wasn't quite sure that she liked the expression on Dougie's face. It was as though the news that he had wasn't going to be altogether good.

"...go on?" she said hesitating

"Well Fletch has organised a European tour...for four months."

Becca raised her eyebrows slightly in shock. It took her a few moments to regain herself and respond. "...oh that's brilliant Dougie!" she said managing to draw on all of her acting skills to sound enthusiastic. "European domination!"

"Oh thank God!" he said sounding very relieved, "I didn't know how you were going to react, to be honest!"

"...well sure...four months is a long time, but just think how quick the past year has gone! I'm sure..." she gulped, "...I'm sure that it'll fly by! And it'll probably help my writing as well...cos I won't have you floating around my brain the whole time. I can write about missing you" She laughed somewhat falsely.

"Good to know I'm broadening your ideas for writing." He said grinning.

"So...when do you leave?" she said holding his hand. She didn't want him to go. After so long in each other's company she found it difficult to imagine how they would manage without each other, especially over such a long distance.

"Soon...a few weeks." He looked into the piercing eyes that he now knew so well. Her reaction had been disappointingly upbeat to the idea of being apart for so long, but Dougie didn't want to bring the mood down, and so played along. "It's gonna be awesome!"

"I'm sure it will be" Becca said with a smile.

For the first time in their relationship, they had hidden their true feelings in order to protect themselves. Their hands clasped together desperately, telling a thousand words that their lips refused to impart.