Title: Like A Puppet, A Girl On A String
Author: Itisjustmyself
Rating: T for swearing
Word Count: ~2800
Pairing: past Lucy/OC, Lucy/Kendall
Summary: And really, she was still unsure how she had grown to love Camille and the guys so much, because she swore herself she'd never let anybody in, had sworn to never again get close to anybody, but they had broken down her walls and so here she was.
Author's Note: Just a little something I wrote today. This pairing gets absolutely not enough attention, they have amazing chemistry and the song was stuck in my head. Combined with the happenings in BTDouble Dates, this is what came out of it. Hope you enjoy. And this is not beta'd, so I am sorry for any mistakes.
Disclaimer: I don't own BTR or any characters mentioned, except for my OC Gerald. The credit for the song 'She's So Gone' goes to Lemonade Mouth, which is belongs to Disney. I do not make any profit from this and claim no ownership.

Like A Puppet, A Girl On A String

Meet us the pool? – K

Lucy couldn't help but smile when she read the message of the blond haired band member. In the few months she had lived at the Palmwoods, she had befriended the four guys and Camille. And really, she was still unsure how that had happened, because she swore herself she'd never let anybody in and here she was.

I'll drop off my stuff and be down in five. – L

She quickly messaged back and crossed the lobby, heading up to the third floor. When she had reached her apartment she placed her guitar in the living room and threw her bag onto the floor, before entering her bedroom. She changed into a black two piece swimming suit, added jeans shorts and pulled a black t-shirt over her head. Only when the fabric hit her knees she looked down and realized that it wasn't her shirt. In fact it belonged to a certain blond band member. It was his Incubus shirt that he had left here a few days ago before they went down to the pool. For a second she considered looking for a different shirt, but then she just shrugged and grabbed her phone and sunglasses. So what if it was Kendall's shirt? It was comfy. (The fact that it smelled a lot like the blonde had nothing to do with her decision. Nothing at all.) She pulled on flip flops and was out of the door of apartment 3B again.

"Hey." She greeted when she reached the sun loungers her friends were sitting on. "Hey, guys." She spoke and flopped down on the foot end of Camille's lounger. "Hey, Luce." The other's greeted back. "Where were you all morning?" Carlos asked curiously. "Met with my manager, we discussed the last details on my concert tomorrow evening. And before I forget it, I got you all backstage passes and tickets up in my apartment, if you want to come." Lucy answered. "Sure, we'll come. We want to hear that music of yours." James exclaimed. "Now, who is going to join me for a game of volleyball?" Logan, Carlos and Camille followed the pretty boy of the group to the pool, while Kendall leant back on his sun lounger. "You're not going over there to beat your friends, Mr. Competitive?" Lucy questioned. "Nope, I'll stay here with you." He replied. "By the way, that shirt you are wearing, I could swear I've seen it somewhere before." He laughed. "Well, you left it at the apartment, now it's mine." Lucy replied smirking. "Keep it. It looks better on you." Kendall answered. And Lucy cursed herself as she felt the blush creep up on her cheeks. She had sworn to herself that she would never fall for anybody again, and here she was, blushing like a love sick teenager, because a younger guy told her that she looked good in his clothes. Great, just fucking great.

"So, are you nervous about the concert?" He asked after a few seconds of silence. "Yes. I mean, I know it's not the first time that I am on stage in front of people, but it's the first time with my own songs and without the stupid violin, you know?" "Well, I never played violin." He chuckled. "But I know the excitement; it's like that before every single show we play." "Really? It doesn't get better?" "At least for me, James is never nervous, but yeah…" "Kendall, you are not helping." Lucy groaned. "Sorry." He laughed. "Actually, why have I never heard you play before?" "I don't know." Lucy replied. And in fact, it was rather strange he had never heard her play, they had spent so many evenings in her living room, talking, watching TV or listening to music, but neither one of them had ever played for the other. "But you haven't played for me either." "You've heard me and the guys sing countless times, you've been to at least five of our concerts." He answered. "Come on, both of us know that BTR is not the kind of music you normally write." "You're right." He admitted. "I know I am always right." Lucy answered smirking. "Well, then I guess it's time to cool you down a little." He spoke and picked her up from her place. "Kendall, don't you dare!" She squealed, because she knew very well what he was going to do. She tried hitting him, but he had the unfair advantage of being way taller and stronger and so she found herself lifted up from the ground. And she realized she was beyond screwed when all she could notice while he carried her towards the pool was how nice his chest looked. Seriously, she had sworn off guys, what was she doing?

She looked pleadingly at Kendall, hoping he wouldn't throw her into the pool, but it didn't help. Seconds later the cool water hit her body and she gasped as she came up again. "Kendall!" She shouted playfully. "I am so sorry." He smiled and leant over the edge, extending his hand to pull her out and this was a huge mistake. Although she was smaller than him, she managed to grab onto his hand and pull him into the water. When he came up again, he rolled his eyes. "I guess I should have expected that." "Yes, you should have." She smiled back, before pulling herself out the pool. "Smoothies?" "Sure." He answered and followed me towards the park, both of us dripping wet.

We were on the way back towards the pool area, both of us slowly enjoying a smoothie, when I caught sight of him. "Shit." I exclaimed, looking around in panic. I needed a way to escape, I had to get out of here, I had to… "Lucille, it's been ages." He spoke as he reached us. "Hello, Gerald." I answered coldly. "But, love, what on earth did you do to yourself? You look horrifyingly ugly." He said as he looked me up and down. "Excuse me?" Kendall butted in. "And who are you? Lucille, come on. You shouldn't waste your precious time with something like that." Gerald grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her away. "First off, we'll go and make you presentable again and then we'll head out on a date. I am sure there's a good restaurant somewhere here." "Gerald, let go of me!" Lucy shouted angrily. "And I am sure my boyfriend wouldn't like us going on a date." She really didn't know why she blurted that one out, what was she thinking? She didn't have a boyfriend, but Gerald was able to make her panic so easily. He was everything she detested about her past self, everything she wanted to forget. "Boyfriend? As if anybody would look at you twice the way you dress and act, Lucille." Gerald answered her mockingly. "Have you recently looked into a mirror? You are ugly." Here they were going again, once again he was tearing her down, pulling her to the ground and making her hate herself. She had never been perfect enough, not as a girlfriend, not as a daughter, not as a musician. She felt the tears roll down her cheek, once again she was crying about the guy she swore she'd never shed a single tear on again. "Somebody that would not tear her down like you do, asshole." A voice besides her suddenly exclaimed. Lucy looked up and was faced with a burning look in Kendall's green eyes. "And now let go of my girlfriend, would you please?" She was shocked, what was Kendall doing? Why was he helping her? "Please, she was mine first. And this is just a phase she is going through; soon she will be my Lucille again." "Let go of her." Kendall was dead serious and stepped closer to Gerald. He was a good head taller and looked ready to bite the other's head off. Lucy watched as Gerald visibly grew smaller and nodded. "Y…Yeah, okay." He stuttered and let go of Lucy's wrist. "I never want to see you near her again, understood?" "Yes." Gerald replied and stormed off, leaving a crying wreck behind.

"Lucy." Kendall whispered softly and pulled her closer. "Don't cry." He placed his hands on her cheeks and started to wipe the tears away. "Please. He's not worth it." Lucy looked up at him, tears still running down her face. She wanted to believe Kendall, she really did. She wanted to believe that Gerald wasn't worth all the hurt she had gone through, but it was easier said than done. "It's just… I was over him…. I was okay again and then… then he comes back… and I am this crying mess again." She stuttered. "Don't believe him, don't let him tear you down." Kendall whispered and pulled her closer, hugging her against his chest. "Don't I'm going to get you all sticky with make-up." "I don't care." He replied softly before leading her over to a near-by park bench. "You aren't ugly, Lucy. Never believe that." "Yes, I am. He's right." "No, he isn't. Remember when your parents were here and I sung 'Cover Girl' to you? I meant every single word, Luce. You are beautiful." "No, I am not. I should be a perfect blonde Barbie and playing the violin like I am supposed to, but what am I really? A fucking mess with dyed hair that wears only black and tries to play a fucking guitar; I am nowhere close to beautiful." It had all gone so well, she'd been so okay, and then he came back and here she was again. Tearing herself down because she believed every single word he said. Kendall pulled her head up from his chest and drew her chin up, making her look at him. "No, you aren't a perfect Barbie. But Luce, perfection doesn't exist. Everybody has their mistakes and I think you are beautiful because you aren't like those plastic girls all around here. You are you and that's what makes you so amazing. You're not fake, you're real." Kendall spoke, his eyes were blazing with emotion. "Lucy, you are the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen." She wanted to believe him, so bad. "But… You are just saying that because you pity me." She couldn't let a guy get this close again, she couldn't let anybody tell her all those things and then tear her down again. "No, I am saying that because I can't stand to see you crying. I don't like it when you are hurt, Luce. I love you and it breaks my heart to watch you like this. And I have a really fucking huge ass problem because I am sounding like that glittery vampire guy. See, now I made you laugh." And he really did, she couldn't help but smile at his words. "I love you too." She whispered. "That's good." Kendall smiled and then he leant in. The kiss was wet from her tears and awkward due to their positions, but it was the best kiss she had ever received. No there were no fireworks and her foot didn't flop, but it was perfect in their own way. She felt happy, happier than in such long time and this warm fuzzy feeling slowly rose up in her chest. Maybe not all guys were like Gerald; maybe she could let Kendall in.

When they pulled back a while later he hugged her close again, burying his face in her hair. "I really do love you." He whispered softly. "I love you too." She replied. "But, now we gotta go." He said and rose from the bench pulling her up. "Why?" "Well, you have to write a song for tomorrow night. You have to show that ass that he can't do that to you anymore." He answered as if it was obvious. "Okay, then let's go. But you are helping." Lucy smiled.

The next evening she found herself standing on stage, the guitar tight in her hands and a microphone stand in front of her. She turned slightly and looked to her left, catching Kendall's gaze. She had forced him to come on stage for her first show and so he now was her guitarist. He looked at her and nodded, signaling to go on and so she took a deep breath before looking out in the audience. Most of the concert was done, this was going to be her last song. "So, this next one is a rather new piece. I actually wrote it yesterday night. It means a lot to me and I want to dedicate it to a certain someone, you know who you are." She caught Gerald's gaze in the audience as she spoke the words and then placed her fingers on the correct chord to start the song. "This is 'She's so Gone'.

"Insecure, in her skin
Like a puppet, a girl on a string
Broke away, let her fly
If you want her back, gotta let her shine
So it looks like the joke's on you
Cause the girl that you though you knew"

Gerald was smirking at first, looking up at her, sure his message had gotten through, but what he didn't know was that she finally was totally over him. He would no longer tear her down. Never again.

"She's so gone
That's so over now
She's so gone
You won't find her around
You can look but you won't see
The girl I used to be
Cause she,
She's so gone
She's so gone"

She belted out the faster part of the song, listening to Kendall's guitar playing all the while. It really helped that he was here, he gave her the power to do this. She was rather sure, she would have never done this without him. He brought out a whole new side to her, a stronger, more self-confident version of herself.

"Here I am, this is me
And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be
Are you shocked? Are you mad?
That you're missing out on who I really am?
Now it looks like the joke's on you
Cause the girl that you though you knew"

Lucille, the violinist was gone, gone forever and never coming back. Lucy had taken her place, the girl that dreamed of becoming a rock star, that dressed in black, dyed her hair and that was in love with Kendall. Her life would be better, she knew it. She could trust Kendall, she loved him and he loved her. They were ages from perfect, both of them, but they could overlook the imperfections and overcome all problems and really, that was what counted the most. She was living the life she wanted now, not the life Gerald or her parents wanted her to live. This was who she was and anybody who couldn't accept this could screw her. She had all the support she needed.

"She's so gone away, like history
She's so gone
Baby, this is me"

By now Gerald was white as a ghost. He understood and saw how his control was slipping. He no longer had any power over the girl up on stage. In those few months they had been apart, she had changed. She wasn't the insecure little girl he used to know. She was stronger and no longer trying to be perfect like she was meant to be. She wasn't living right, she was horrifying. He couldn't work with this, she was a wasted case. No use in trying.

"She's so gone
So long
She's so gone
Gone, gone, gone."

Lucy threw her head back and hit the last note. The song was over. She could hear Kendall laughing behind her. "Thank you Gerald, you thought me to be who I really am. And now, fuck off." She spoke into the microphone. "I never want to see you again." And then she watched the guy she hated most storm out of the arena. Seconds later she felt an arm around her waist and Kendall pulled her into a steamy kiss.

Lucille would have pulled away in shame, PDA wasn't appropriate. But Lucy didn't really care and kissed back, she was herself and nobody else. Over where the times of hiding behind an image somebody else had picked out for her, it was her time to explode, like a firework and prove everybody that ever doubted her wrong. She could do what she wanted and nobody would stop her. She would achieve her dreams and lived the life she wanted to.

Lucille was gone.

Because now it was Lucy's time to shine.

Reviews are love :)