Last actual chapter guys, the next one will be an epilogue. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
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Chapter 21- Lucky
When they got back to the hotel there was a huge dinner set up. All their favourite foods. Pizza, spaghetti bolognaise, seafood and Greek. After their dinner they watched movies and listened to music and played songs and sang along. And for the first time in a week, everyone had a genuine good time.
-
The next morning Fletch had them up early and in the car. He took them halfway across London to a neat looking house with a For Sale sign out the front.
'What's this?' Danny asked as he got out of the car.
'A possibility for your new house,' he smiled, leading them inside. Inside it was homely. Nothing was falling down and the hall was painted a cream colour. The same as their old house. As the realtor showed them around, they began to feel sad again.
It was almost identical to their old one. Same amount of bedrooms and bathrooms and it had a special room off the kitchen that could become the music room. It didn't have a third storey though, it had a cool cellar instead, and the kitchen and living rooms were much bigger. The garden was well kept and had lots of shady trees and was huge. Dare they say it, it was better than their old house.
After they looked around the boys regrouped.
'I love it,' Dougie smiled.
'Yeah, but it's almost the same,' Tom said sadly, looking down at the carpet. It was almost the same colour as their old rug. A tear rolled down his nose and fell into the creamy carpet.
'Tom...' Harry murmured, hugging him.
'I'm not saying I don't like it, I'm all for this house, but I just wish we had our old one,' he sighed.
'I know. But we have to make do okay? It's all gonna be okay,' Danny whispered, hugging him too.
'We have to try and put everything behind us okay? Sure, it's gonna be hard, sure we're going to remember it a lot. We've all been through more than we should've had to in our lives, but it's gonna be okay. We'll buy a new house, write a new album, take a long holiday to somewhere exotic, buy things to fill our new house, have lots of movie nights and jam sessions and trips together to fun places. We're going to try our best to get back on track okay? And I think this house is the perfect place to do it,' Harry said and they all nodded.
'We'll take it,' Danny grinned to the realtor. 'When can we move in?'
'As soon as you want,' she smiled back. The four grinned at her and ran out to the car Fletch was waiting in.
'We're taking it,' Harry said excitedly.
'Great! I'll get that sorted out. How about you all go on a shop today and buy some things for it? Beds, couches and whatnot?' Fletch smiled. He looked ecstatic they'd found a house and that they were all grinning.
'Sounds good,' Tom smiled.
Fletch smiled back. He couldn't be more proud of the boys. Sure, he was proud of them; it was like they were his sons. When they performed and when they got number ones and when they got the World Record. But this made him prouder. They'd gone through so much and could still smile and look on the bright side. And they'd fought for something and got it. And Dougie had found himself a girl. He smiled the whole way to the shopping centre where he dropped them off.
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'I want a King bed!' Dougie exclaimed as they walked into the furniture store.
'I have a feeling it's not going to fit through the door,' Tom laughed as Dougie and Danny flopped down onto one of the display beds.
'I like this one already,' Danny smiled, lying back and putting his hands behind his head.
'Well keep it in mind. We all have to find one!' Tom exclaimed.
-
Soon after, they had bought four double beds, two couches and a small TV. The house came with a few pieces of furniture and they could make do with only those items for a while. They bought some food so they could make dinner for that night. The beds and couches were getting delivered to the house, so they did some window shopping in the shopping centre.
Dougie suddenly gasped. 'Look!' he exclaimed, running over to a shop. It was a pet shop and in the window was a litter of tiny Golden Retriever puppies.
'Can we get a puppy Tom? We're all talking about new starts and a puppy would be perfect,' Dougie said, kneeling down and putting his finger on the glass. The smallest puppy sleepily ambled over and put his nose to Dougie's finger. The other three smiled as they watched him grin as the puppy followed as he moved his finger over the glass.
'Please Tom?' he asked, standing up.
'Well...' Tom said, thinking.
'We'll look after it,' Danny said quickly.
'What about when we go on tour and record and stuff?' Tom asked.
'My sister will look after it, she loves dogs and it can come to the studio with us!' Dougie said, his eyes pleading.
'Come on Tom,' Harry laughed.
'Just look at his wittle face,' Dougie pouted, kneeling beside the glass again and making the puppy follow his finger again.
'Alright,' Tom laughed.
'Thankyou!' Dougie exclaimed, giving him a hug before going into the shop. Harry and Danny shrugged at Tom and followed him in.
'Doug, we have to buy stuff for it first,' Tom called as he followed them in.
'What do we need? A leash, food bowls and food, toys, a bed, and a collar?' Dougie asked, looking around the shop.
'Alright,' Tom said as Dougie, Danny and Harry raced around the shop, collecting all the things they needed. He laughed as he watched. They were like little children; so excited and talking about what colour collar and leash would suit the dog and having a very lengthy conversation about which bed to buy it.
'We got everything,' Dougie said as he bounced back over to Tom.
'Okay, go and tell the shopkeeper which one you want,' Tom laughed, still watching Dougie. It felt awesome to see him so excited and happy, trying not to think that a week before they were watching him get resuscitated in the front yard of their house. Tom shivered, pushed that thought to the back of his mind and followed the others to the counter.
-
'We'd like to buy a puppy,' Dougie said to the shopkeeper as him, Danny and Harry dumped all the puppy things on the counter.
'Alright, which one would you like?' she asked with a smile. Dougie's happiness was even becoming contagious to complete strangers.
'That one,' Dougie grinned, pointing to the little one.
'Alright,' she smiled, leaning down to get him out. She caught the little puppy and handed him up to Dougie who took him very carefully, cradling him in his arms. The puppy looked up at him with his big brown eyes. Dougie stroked the golden hair on the puppy's head smiling.
'Hey, can I have a hold?' Harry asked.
'Sure,' Dougie smiled, passing him over.
'Hello puppy,' Harry whispered, as he began to go to sleep in his arms.
'I want to hold him!' Danny exclaimed. Harry laughed and passed the now half asleep puppy to Danny who grinned and whispered inaudibly to him.
-
They paid for the puppy and got his papers and took all their shopping out to the car park to wait for Fletch, who arrived five minutes later. Tom was holding the puppy who still didn't have a name. He was asleep.
'I thought I said to buy furniture! Not animals!' he exclaimed, rolling down the window.
'No one can say no to Dougie,' Danny smiled as he got in the front.
'Anyway, it'll be good for a new start,' Harry shrugged, getting in the back as Dougie piled all their bought things into the boot.
'Is the house in our record label's name now?' Tom asked. He was sitting in the back with the little puppy on his lap.
'Yup, you can sleep there tonight and everything,' Fletch smiled.
'Brilliant,' Tom replied with a grin.
'We've taken the liberty of getting all your things from the hotel and taken them to your new house. It turns out that there was no furniture that the previous owners wanted, so a lot of stuff came with the house which is lucky,' Fletch said and they all nodded.
'Lucky,' Dougie echoed softly.
'What?' Danny asked, turning in his seat.
'Lucky. That's the perfect name for the puppy,' Dougie smiled.
'Lucky. It has a nice ring to it,' Danny said thoughtfully.
'Yeah. And it's perfect. We're lucky we're all still here and lucky we're still a band and still loving each other,' Harry said and everyone laughed.
'Lucky it is then. Do you like your name mate?' Tom asked, bending down to Lucky's eye line. Lucky lifted his head and yawned before lying it back down on Tom's leg. The whole car laughed as they pulled up to the house. Their house.
'All your beds are set up, everything's ready boys,' Fletch said as the boys got out.
'Thanks Fletch. For everything,' Tom smiled, handing Lucky to Harry.
'No problem. If you need anything, call alright? We're always here. I'll let you get settled in,' Fletch smiled, starting the car. The boys waved him off as he drove along the quiet road.
'So let's go choose our bedrooms!' Dougie exclaimed as he picked up a few bags of shopping before bouncing along the garden path and into the house. There was already a lot of furniture already inside. Cabinets, stoves, ovens, microwaves, bedside tables, a dining table. Dougie Danny and Tom ran up the stairs to choose their rooms.
Harry honestly couldn't care less about which room he'd get. He smiled at Lucky as he put him on the living room floor. Lucky walked a few steps and lay down, looking up at Harry and wagging his tail.
'Come on mate, are we gonna go find a new bedroom?' Harry asked brightly, picking up his bag of things from the pile beside the couch. Lucky stood up and scampered over to the stairs, looking up at Harry once again, expecting him to carry him up the stairs. Harry laughed and carried him up.
Dougie and Danny were already bouncing up and down on the beds in the first two rooms. Dougie had gotten the biggest room, something he seemed pretty proud of. Danny had chosen the room with the biggest bathroom. Harry carried Lucky across the landing to the next room. Tom was sprawled on the bed. He gently put Lucky beside Tom who sat up and started playing with him.
Harry pushed the next door open. There was a bed inside. It was the smallest bedroom, but somehow it intrigued him. He put his small bag of things from the living room on the bed.
This was his room.
He smiled and lay down on the bed as well. He listened to Dougie and Danny's excited cries as they explored the rest of the house and took Lucky outside to investigate his new garden. His door creaked and in walked Tom. He sat down beside Harry who sat up.
'I like your room,' he smiled, looking around.
'You just wait til I get all my posters up,' Harry smiled and Tom laughed.
'You alright after yesterday?' Harry asked.
Tom nodded. 'I will be. It's good to know they'll be locked up now and won't be terrorising us.'
'I agree.'
'Harry?'
'Yeah?'
'I never thanked you properly for saving me yesterday. Without you I'd have a hole in my head. So thank you,' Tom said quietly, tears springing to his eyes.
'No problem mate,' Harry smiled, reaching over to give him a hug.
Tom hugged him back, smiling.
'Did you really think that Mark stole your stuff?' Harry asked as Tom pulled away.
Tom shrugged. 'To be honest I have no idea. I'm glad I'm not friends with him anymore.'
'I would be too. We have to look out for each other now. If we see each other getting it on with a messed up psychotic bitch, we'll intervene?' Harry asked and Tom laughed and nodded.
'I reckon we're going to be okay,' he smiled and Harry nodded.
'We are. It's not always easy, but we're here forever, aren't we?' Harry smiled.
'Hey, that sounds alright for a song...' Tom trailed off.
'I think I smell a hit coming on,' Harry laughed.
Tom laughed too and hugged Harry. 'Imagine if you were going through this alone,' he whispered.
'I don't think I'd be here anymore,' Harry whispered back, hugging Tom tighter.
'Let's be the same forever. I have a feeling we'll be friends even when we're yelling at kids to get off our lawn when we're seventy,' Tom giggled and Harry nodded.
'Come on, let's go see what the two nutters are up to with this puppy,' Harry smiled and together they ran down their new stairs and out to the backyard where Danny and Dougie were throwing a tennis ball for Lucky.
'Thanks guys,' Dougie said as he tossed the ball, bouncing it into the tall, shady tree in the corner of the yard.
'For what?' Danny asked.
'Being there. For each other, not just me,' Dougie replied.
'Awwww!' the three chorused, hugging the short bass player and tackling him to the green grass, tickling him until he begged them to stop.