What Could, Should, and Will Be

by angellwings

Chapter One: Divine Intervention

It all started when Connect Three's album didn't sell like everyone expected it to. The label seemed to decide that Connect Three was old and over.

They also seemed to decide that Nate Gray would be better off alone.

Nate wasn't sure he agreed. He didn't want to hurt his brothers and he really loved working with them. Plus, things were going very well for him right now. He and Ella were finally one conversation away from a date. They'd been dancing around it for too long and he could feel the tension coming to a head.

But then the label started giving him these perks. Just him. Not Jason or Shane. Just him. It started with a meeting with Van Pador. Van Pador who was Ella's distant father. He'd never met him but he'd always admired the man's career and the sheer number of awards he'd earned in his lifetime. Van and Ella were complicated but that didn't stop him from respecting what Van had accomplished with his music career. Van had told him to take every advantage he was offered. Opportunity wouldn't wait around forever.

That started Nate thinking. Then the label started sending gifts. They sent him a car, a new guitar, tickets to sporting events…

Who was it hurting to accept them? All he'd told the label was that he was still considering it. If they wanted to give him gifts, well, then that was their prerogative.

"You know," Shane said with a scoff as Nate opened yet another gift. "The longer you accept those things the longer you let them think you might say yes."

"I didn't say yes."

"Yeah, we get that, Nate," Jason said with a sigh. "But what worries us is that you haven't said no."

"I like to consider all my options," Nate said with a huff. "I always have."

They both froze and turned to stare at him. "Wait," Shane said with a glare. "You're actually thinking about it? I thought you were just milking it for the gifts!"

"I don't know," Nate said with a guilty expression. "It's an interesting offer."

"Interesting?" Jason asked in disbelief. "I thought we were all on the same page with this? Didn't we say that no matter what happens we wanted to work together? Wasn't that what we said?"

"Dude, I was twelve," Nate told him. "It's not like I knew then where we would end up. Besides, even if we're not a band, we're still brothers."

"We are now," Shane said with a sigh. "But a few years of the spotlight can change you, Nate. Trust me. I know."

"I'm not you, Shane. I'll be fine," Nate said with a roll of his eyes.

"Bro, we're two apples off of the same tree. I'm just sayin', It's possible," Shane said in a warning tone.

There was a knock on the dressing room door and all turned to find someone tall, blonde, and leggy waving at them.

"Boys," she said with a smirk. "My name is Ilsa and I'm here for Nathaniel."

He blinked at her for a long moment and looked her up and down. She was gorgeous. She leaned against the door frame and then turned her dark eyes on him.

He cleared his throat and waved. He didn't quite trust his voice.

"I'm here to tell you that the label wants to take you out after the show tonight. Well, the label wants me to take you out tonight, really," she said with a laugh. "I'll pick you up here after the show, superstar, okay?"

He gulped and nodded mutely.

"Great! You've never experienced L.A. until you've experienced it with me. Trust," she told him with a wink. "Have a good show, boys!"

She turned and her stilettos could be heard clacking down the hallway for several minutes.

"Oh man, now you've done it," Jason said with a wince.

"What? What did I do?" Nate asked cluelessly.

"Ella's birthday bash is tonight, bro," Shane reminded him pointedly. "Remember?"

"Oh, right," he said thoughtfully. "Well, I'll stop by before we leave. I'm sure whatever Ilsa has planned is gonna go late."

"Stop by?" A new voice asked stiffly. "You'll stop by?"

Nate froze and immediately stood to face the new voice. "Ella!"

"Gee, Nathaniel, so glad you'll deign to grace me with your presence. How dare I get in the way of your night with Ilsa," Ella said dryly with a glare.

"Ella, that's not what I—"

"No, you know what, Nate. Don't bother. I don't need you to 'stop by.' I wouldn't want to force you to keep Ilsa waiting," she said in a clipped tone.

"Ella, please just—"

"You're walking a thin line here, Nate," Ella told him. "I know you talked to my dad and I know the label wants to lure you away from the band. I know my father probably told you no opportunity should be wasted. But, Nathaniel, consider the source. My father has nothing. He has no one in his life. It's just him, the label, and his music. Is that really what you want? To be all alone with your music?"

She paused and watched him for an answer.

He honestly didn't know how to respond. The thought of working on his own music with the producers the label could provide was actually very tempting. "I—I don't know."

Ella swallowed thickly and suddenly looked very sad. "That answer is as good as a yes." She backed away from him and he took a step forward but she held a hand up to stop him. "Don't, Nate. Not right now." She took a deep calming breath and then turned to Jason and Shane. "Have a good show, guys."

They waved awkwardly as she left and then gave Nate glances that clearly said they agreed with Ella and weren't thrilled with him either.

"Are you guys honestly telling me neither of you would consider this offer?" Nate asked them in a challenging tone.

"No, I would. But for a day. Not weeks. You've been thinking about this for at least three weeks," Shane told him.

"Look, Nate," Jason told him with a shake of his head. "We'll support you no matter what. Honestly, we will. But supporting you and agreeing with you are two totally different things. You either know your answer by now or you don't. It's time to quit dragging your feet. You're letting the gifts go to your head."

"I'm not!" He disagreed.

"Dude," Jason said with a sigh. "You just blew off Ella. You remember her right? The girl you've been in love with for the last several years. And you blew her off for a girl you barely know because Ilsa looks like Giselle. Before all of this," Jason said as he motioned to the car keys on Nate's vanity table and the new guitar in the corner. "You never would have done that."

"I told you, man," Shane said with a shake of his head. "The spotlight changes people. Be careful."

They left the room and headed for the stage. Nate lingered behind, confused and hurt. Was he really letting that happen? And, oh god, he really had blown off Ella, hadn't he? And on her birthday! Nate groaned miserably and then left the dressing room as well. He bumped into someone and then felt his foot step into something very wet.

He heard a wince and then looked down to see his foot in a mop bucket.

"Woops," the janitor said as she gripped the bucket and then pulled it off of his foot.

"Oh great!" Nate yelled. "Perfect. This is the worst night. Everyone's mad at me and I don't know what to do. I mean just because I'd be recording my own music doesn't mean I'd forget about them! Besides, what are we going to do if the label drops us? How would that work? I mean maybe it's for the best if we head them off at the pass, right?"

The janitor blinked at him. "Oh, darling, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, god, sorry," Nate said with an embarrassed blush.

"That's alright," she said with a kind smile. "Sounds like you're at quite the crossroads."

"I guess you could call it that, yeah," Nate admitted.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," The janitor told him as she patted his arm sympathetically. "I think something's about to come along to help you figure it out."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"Nate! Look out!"

He didn't know who screamed but he turned immediately to try and find them. As he turned the world went black and he felt like he was falling or floating. Maybe both. What the hell happened?