Chapter 3: When you try your best but you don't succeed.

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

Dannii had spent all week working with her three girls and in her words, they were all 'brilliant'. They knew every word of their songs and were all on key. She believed that this was the week that was going to make a difference. Make her girls shock everyone and be the best on the night.

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Her face flooded with tears, her mind flooded with thoughts. She'd ruined her dream. She was unsure whether or not it was based on her song choice or Rachel's lack of likeability, but she knew it was down to her to make sure that this didn't happen. But it did. She couldn't bring herself to believe it. She tried her best, she knew she did but she just struggled to get her mind around it. Rachel was gone and it was all her fault.

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

She rode in her car silently, the music in the background being ignored by her mind. Her eyes followed through the windows, watching each street lamp as it went past. The bright orange light shining down at her. Yet she was off in another place. Still keeping her thoughts with Rachel. After the last few weeks, she knew that Rachel couldn't cope with being in the bottom one more time. Maybe this was all for the best. Maybe it wasn't. She just didn't know. Her hand moved under her eyes and wiped the new, and old, tears on her face.

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

"Dan! I just heard the news. How are you doing?" Her boyfriend, Kris asked, not bothering to say hi to her.

"Hi to you to." She tried to lighten the mood in any possible way. "Yeah. I guess. I just can't believe that happened to her. Not now. Not this far through the competition."

"I know, babe, I know." He could hear her tears and sobbing down the phone. "It's not your fault. You can't change her public view overnight, Dan." He tried to console her, "It was just her time to go."

"Now you sound like she's dead!" Dannii fumed down the phone.

Kris latched onto her annoyance and decided that she needed to rest and to think before he spoke to her, "Dan. Darlin'." He tried to sound sweet. "Go rest. You need it, you still have two acts that you need to be dedicated to. Please." He could tell she just nodded but was in to much of a state to say 'yes'. "Okay, I'll speak to you in the morning. Night Darlin'." He blew a kiss down the phone before hanging up.

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

She lit the final candle in her bathroom. The few miniscule candles lit up her bath perfectly. She sucked in a deep breath, smelling the vanilla scent coming from the large white tub. Her mind latched onto the smell. It was luxurious. Dropping her silk bath robe, it slid down her body slowly and dropped to the floor at her feet. She picked one leg up and let it down slowly into the warm water. Wincing slightly as the heat rushed to her body from where it was once cold. After her body had adjusted to the sudden heat, the she sank her left leg in, followed by sinking in her whole body.

Her head fell back on the back of the bath, relaxing her whole body into the water. Her eyes shut as she let the soft music playing in the background float into her head, filling it with soft soothing words. Suddenly, she remembered everything, it all blocked out the lyrics of the calming songs and let the memories of Rachel's gutted face flood back in her mind. She remembered how she felt Rachel's hand tremble within hers when she found out she had to sing again. The three times she whispered in her ear that she couldn't do this, she really couldn't, and the way Dannii had reassured her that she had to, she'd be fine.

Opening her eyes, Dannii felt herself well up. Her cheeks grew red and flustered again as the soft jewelled tears slid down her face, dropping into the water. It slowly added to the calm clear liquid, drop by drop. Dannii knew the salt from her tears would ruin the vanilla scent in the bath, but she couldn't care less. She let Rachel down and she couldn't do it again, not to another one of her acts.

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Once she'd slowed down her once waterfall like tears, she exited the now cold water of the bath. She searched for the towel and once she found it she dabbed it all over her pale frame to dry the wetness from the water. Her hand retrieved the silk bath robe and wrapped it around her tiny body once she was finally dry. Slowly, she pushed her lips out as she forced out air to blow out the small flames around the window sill.

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tucking herself into the large, double bed, Dannii looked over at Kris' side. She wished he was there. She needed someone to cry into. Someone to tell her it was all alright. But she made him go. It was all her fault. Again. If she wasn't being so snappy with him, he would have still been on the phone right now. Maybe she should call him? She pondered for a while, before deciding against it. She didn't want to interrupt his work, not now. She slipped her hand over to the switch on the desk, tapping it lightly, she switched the lamp off. The room succumbed to darkness. Her body was overwhelmed by the large blanket for another time, as she lay her head against the pillow, shut her amazingly blue eyes and fell asleep slowly.

Title - Fix You, Coldplay