Chapter Ten.

"You were the one who kissed me, Robbie."

"I know, but you didn't pull away," he reminded her.

Cat folded her arms uncomfortably. "I did."

"Eventually."

"Robbie, I can't do this." She rested a hand on her forehead.

"Why not?"

Cat looked at him. "I have a child now, I can't hand my heart around meaninglessly anymore. Evanna needs stability. She can't get to know you then you fly home to England like it never happened."

"I won't, not this time. You could come with me," he suggested bravely.

"I can't do that to her."

He frowned at her. "She has her grandparents there; you could work the West End in shows. They love you in England."

"Robbie, I've seen the two girls on your phone, they keep ringing you during lunches and the way you smile… I can't compete with that."

Robbie burst into a fit of laughter.

"What's so amusing?"

"They're my agents; they're in a civil partnership, Cat. They're lesbians."

Cat suddenly turned a shade of scarlet. "Oh."

"Why are you so against us, Cat?"

She shrugged. "Somebody has to be."

"Why? Why can't we have our chance at happiness, Cat?"

"Because it won't be like that, will it? It'll be one of those endings were it seems so happy to begin with but then it goes sour and I end up alone again," Cat shouted unintentionally.

He watched her, silently drinking in her presence. "I understand."

"It's not that I don't love you, I do, Robbie. I love you to the point my heart feels like it might jump out of my chest and I need you but I've learnt not to think about you. I can't tell myself it'll happen when I know deep down it won't."

He didn't reply, instead he nodded. Cat sat down on the sofa and cradled her head in her hands. Robbie stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Tori and André want to go to Karaoke Dokie like we did back in the day."

"Are you going?" she asked, confused of how he could act like the previous conversation hadn't just happened.

"Yeah, they wanted you guys to come as well," he announced with a small smile. "I have a little surprise for you guys afterwards."

Cat tilted her head. "What is it?"

"It's a little tradition from England for this time of year."

…

"Why am I here?" Jade sighed, looking around the place they used to come every week. She picked up her glass, drinking from the little straw. She pulled it back, flicking the small umbrella. "What is this? It's acid green. You're making me drink tacky cocktails, really?"

"They're non-alcoholic," Cat laughed. "What do you expect?"

Beck kissed Jade's head. "You'll live."

"I'm glad you could all make it." Tori grinned, resting her drink on her bump.

"It's like old times!" André smiled back.

Cat raised her glass to the middle of the table. "To us, we've made it through the good times and the bad, but now we're back together."

Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink. They all tried not to pull sour faces at the taste.

"How about somebody sings?" Robbie proposed.

"I'm not singing." Tori sighed. "I feel like a beach whale."

"You're a beautiful beach whale, Tor, definitely the prettiest in the ocean." André winked at her.

Jade lent back onto Beck's arm which was behind her head. "Cat, it looks like it's you because I'm comfy."

"But…" she protested weakly.

Jade held a hand up and gestured to the platform. "The stage is yours, Miss Valentine."

Robbie dragged Cat over to the DJ booth, leaving her there to choose a song.

The DJ nodded, star struck. He pulled the microphone to his mouth. "We appear to have six celebrities in the house tonight and we're honoured to have the wonderful Cat Valentine to sing for us right now."

The room erupted with clapping.

"So here we have it, Cat Valentine singing Down, a song she has composed herself."

Cat wrapped the microphone on the stage in her hand.

"I don't know where I'm at

I'm standing at the back

And I'm tired of waiting

Waiting here in line, hoping that I'll find what I've been chasing."

She looked over to where Robbie was sat, she didn't want to think about him singing this song because it was a song was a lost hope.

"I shot for the sky

I'm stuck on the ground

So why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down

I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?

Never know why it's coming down, down, down."

"She's never lost it, has she?" Beck whispered to Jade.

"Lost what?"

Beck smiled at her. "The raw emotion she sings with."

"I'm not ready to let go

Cause then I'd never know

What I could be missing

But I'm missing way too much

So when do I give up, what I've been wishing for."

Tori looked at the girl on the stage, the emotion pouring out of her. She thought back to the day they told her Trina had died in a car crash with Cat's brother and his wife. She remembered crashing to the floor. She wondered if Cat had done the same or if she'd held it together for Evanna. She had been emotional, the younger Cat, but Tori questioned if that had helped her deal with the situation she had in front of her.

"I shot for the sky

I'm stuck on the ground

So why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down

I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?

I'll never know why it's coming down, down, down.

Oh I am going down, down, down

Can't find another way around

And I don't want to hear the sound, of losing what I never found.

I shot for the sky

I'm stuck on the ground

So why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down

I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?

I never know why it's coming down, down, down."

Cat finished, she smiled knowing that was the first time she'd ever sang a song she'd wrote herself. This is what she wanted to do. She wanted to touch people's hearts with her music.

"Thank you."

She stepped down from the stage.

"I had no idea you wrote songs." André frowned. "Little Red that was…"

"Amazing," Tori finished his sentence.

Jade smiled at her. "You did it once again, Cat."

"After that beautiful performance, I think it's time for my surprise."

Cat picked her coat up. "Come on then."

…

A bonfire in the back yard of his parent's house raged, Beck kept chucking more wood on it.

"So what is this in England?"

"Bonfire night, it's about Guy Fawkes and the houses of Parliament," Robbie replied. "He tried to blow it up but he failed."

Jade frowned. "Basically it's their 4th of July?"

"Yeah on the firework aspect, pretty much."

Cat watched the flames dance. "The kids would have loved this."

"They would have been dancing around the fire chanting." Jade laughed at the idea. "We'll celebrate it with them next year, maybe in England?"

Beck's lips found her ear and he whispered. "Fly to England and have a fire with two kids and a baby, Jade? That's crazy even for us."

Tori had André's jacket draped around her shoulders. "What about the fireworks?"

Robbie smiled. "Patience, Mrs Harris, they are ready!"

The rockets began shooting into the sky as the guy Robbie had hired set fire to them; they exploded into sparks of colour. Cat walked over to Robbie.

"You really thought of everything."

"I wanted you to enjoy tonight."

She looked at him. "Just me?"

"That's not a crime, is it?"

He watched the sky.

She looked back up to the display. "Thanks, Robbie."

He felt brave all of a sudden; he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She didn't move, she simply rested her head on his shoulder and watched the fireworks paint the night sky with pastel colours.

…

Tori and André left for their new house before eleven, Jade and Beck offered to stay around until Cat wanted to go home but she knew they need a night to themselves after the day they'd had.

"Are you sure?" Jade looked at her best friend. "We don't mind waiting."

Cat nodded. "I'll stay in Robbie's hotel room while he stays here for the night. Honestly, it's sorted."

"Thanks Cat, I think we just need to talk things through."

"You'll sort it out."

Jade smiled at her, squeezing her hand.

They left after saying goodbye to Robbie. Cat remained sat on the sofa.

"I'm so tired. I was taking the kids to the zoo this morning."

"You should have called me, I would have come with you," Robbie offered.

Cat laughed. "I can handle three kids, thanks!"

"I wasn't saying that; I just really miss the zoo…" he said with a sarcastic edge.

"I've missed you."

He smiled at her. "It's nice to hear you say it."

"I mean it."

He sat next to her. "What film should we watch then?"

"You pick, I think you'd hate the romantic comedies I like."

"No, I like those. I've been trained by Lucy and Annie to like them."

Cat grinned. "I think I like these girls already."

"They've always wanted to meet you."

"They've heard about me?"

He blushed. "I may have mentioned you a few times."

"You never change, do you?"

"Neither do you."

"I guess it explains why I can't stop loving you." She sighed deeply.

He looked at her.

"Won't you stay with me?"

I like Bonfire Night. And big fires. And fireworks.

I just wish I had someone to enjoy them with to be honest.

So yeah, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

Love always,

Chasing Midnight.

(The song was Down by Jason Walker, really pretty song. Funny thing is after this chapter was posted, I found a guy who I thought was great and we went to a bonfire. Yeah, it's just a shame he was an idiot.)