Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from outside this story. I claim only the plot, the characters, any places and such that I make up for the purposes of this story.

Chapter 25

Toronto Halls Inn Thursday December 31st Noon

Derek steps out of the bathroom fully dressed in well-worn jeans and a pull over gray fleece sweater hair damp from his shower slipping his watch on his wrist. He sees a note from Casey telling she is getting coffee and lunch from downstairs. He picks up his phone from the bed and answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Derek. I have a favor to ask," Jake says.

"What do you need? Don't you have a concert to get ready for today?"

"That's why I am calling. My buddy Miles is opening for me tonight and he is getting edgy. He is trying to write a song and is driving me nuts as he can't get it to work right. Plus my guitar player has food poisoning from the restaurant we went to for breakfast so I need a guitarist fast. I know we are supposed to meet up after the concert but would you be able to come to help us out?"

"I kind of had plans for today." Derek weighs what to do.

"Do those plans include lying in bed with Casey all day?" Jake teases.

"It might be part of the plan, not all of it." Hearing Jake laugh over the phone, Derek says "Shut it, Jake. Oh all right, I will ask Casey if she wants to come."

"Well how about I put your names on the list and I will see you later today?"

Derek turns to see Casey walking through the doors with two cups and a paper bag in her hands. He covers the phone with his hand and asks, "Do you want to go to Jake's concert tonight?" She nods and Derek uncovers the phone. "Sure Jake, I guess we can stay another night before heading home. We'll be there tonight. You have a guitar for me to use tonight right? Both of mine are back at my apartment in Kingston."

"Yeah, you can borrow Seth's. He won't need them. I think I can hear him puking again. I am just glad it isn't on the tour bus this time and my bass player is taking him to the hospital to get him checked out. Thanks D. See you tonight."

Derek hangs up his phone tossing his phone on the side table. He takes the coffee Casey hands him and takes a sip before putting both his and her drinks next to his phone. He tugs Casey to him and kisses her gently. Pulling away Casey smiling asks "How about we eat this and find something to do before we need to go meet Jake for the concert?"

Grabbing the bag, Derek sits on the bed leaning against the headboard. Spreading his legs apart, Derek pats the space in front of him. Casey crawls on the bed and snuggles into his chest. Derek picks up the remote and turns on the TV to catch one of the on demand movies while wrapping an arm her.

4pm Stars Arena of Toronto

Derek and Casey walk up to a security guard standing in front of the back entrance of the arena. "Hold up. Who are you?"

"Derek Venturi and Casey McDonald."

"ID's please." Checking their licenses, he checks their names off the list. "Go on in," he says before moving to help someone move an amp.

Halfway down the corridor, Jake comes out of a room on the left and looks relieved when he sees them. Clasping Derek's shoulder, he looks over at Casey and says "thanks for coming. Sorry if you get bored but I need to borrow him for a bit. Come on in."

Jake leads them in the room directly across from the one just came out of and they see a blonde haired man with boyish looks and startling bright green eyes sitting in a chair next to a table with crumbled up papers on it. "What?" He growls irritated.

Jake rolls his eyes. "Guys, meet Miles Green. My friend here is trying to focus for tonight but he is having women troubles."

Miles throws one of the crumbled pieces of notepad paper at Jake hitting him in the head. "I am not."

Laughing Jake sits on a sofa and leans back crossing his legs. "Oh really? So you finished that song and figured what to do about Jennifer?"

"Who's Jennifer?" Casey asks.

"Just a girl," Miles answers.

"Yeah a girl Miles has been seeing. Miles here writes all his own stuff and his timing is awful for doing this now." Seeing Miles turn back to the guitar in his lap, Jake winks at Derek. Pretending like he just thought of it, Jake holds up the guitar holds the guitar next to the sofa up to Derek. "Hey Derek maybe you can him with this song so we can go get something to eat before the concert starts."

Casey takes a seat next to Jake and settles in to watch. Derek takes the proffered guitar and sits next to Miles in the other chair. "I don't have much experience co-writing anything but we might as well try. What do you have so far?"

"It doesn't matter. It is complete rubbish. The songs on my last album that I wrote were all about drinking, parties, breaking up with someone and loving the simple and single life. I haven't written a love song in a long time."

"As someone once told me, close your eyes, relax and think about how she makes you feel." Picking up a pic, Derek asks "well what do you want to say?"

Miles waves his hands in air. "That's my problem. I don't want to rush this thing. I want to lay back and let it go on cruise control. I want to say something to her but I don't want to say anything before she does. What if it's too soon?"

Derek thinks for a minute and then starts playing while singing this,

"I don't wanna rush this thing
I don't wanna jump the gun
I really wanna say those three little words
But I'm gonna bite my tongue

Yeah, I'm just gonna lay on back
Leave it on cruise control
I'm gonna hold it all inside
Till the right time comes down the road

I got a feelin'
My head's a reelin'
My heart is screamin'
I'm about to bust loose
Bottled up emotion"

Looking up, Derek asks "how's that for a start?"

Jake stands satisfied his plans are working out. "That sounds great, you two. Casey, want to come with me to go see if the pizza is here while they work on this?" Casey kisses Derek on the cheek before walking out with Jake.

Feeling excited now, Miles starts to sing picking up where Derek left off.

"It's more than a notion
It starts with an "I"
And ends with a "U"
I got a feelin'
Are you feelin' it too?"

"I guess I've all but said it now
So much for hopin' you'd go first
Don't leave me hangin' out here on a line
Baby, it's your turn
Say you couldn't sleep last night
Swore that you could feel me breathe
Had you wantin' me there by your side
Yeah, baby I know what you mean

I got a feelin'
My heads a reelin'
My heart is screamin'
I'm about to bust loose
Bottled up emotion
It's more than a notion
It starts with an "I"
And ends with a "U"
I get a feelin'
You're feelin' it too"

Derek smiles and sets the guitar down. "How about we go see if there is any pizza left and we can work on this more later?"

"Thanks Derek. Remind us later and we can show you where Seth's guitars are at." They head to the room where all the food is kept together.

8pm On Stage

Mark smiles as he looks over at Katie bounces up and down her seat in anticipation. "Miles was really good wasn't he?"

"What? Oh yeah, sure. There's Jake!" Katie screams causes Mark to cover the ear closest to her.

After a couple songs, Jake says to the audience, "How's everybody doing tonight? I thought I would take a second to introduce my band here." After introducing the other band members, Jake strides over to Derek and puts his arm around his shoulders. "Most have been with me since the beginning but tonight we have someone different on the electric guitar. Seth, my usual guitarist is sick so my friend here is helping me out. This here is Derek Venturi. He wrote a couple songs on the album, including this next one."

Jake moves to center stage putting the mic back in its stand. Derek waves to the crowd before they start playing the opening notes to Relentless.

10pm Backstage

Jake and Derek tiredly walk off stage towards where Casey is stand. Casey takes the guitar in Derek's hand and sets it on a stand. Noticing how pale he is, she wraps her arms around him. "You okay?"

Shaking a little as the adrenaline rush wears off, Derek squeezes her to him and rests his head to hers. "That was the largest crowd I have ever played in front of. Good thing I wasn't singing too, right?" he whispers.

Jake's manager walks up to the three of them surrounded by band members and roadies starting to pack up. "Hey everybody. I have a couple people you are supposed to meet."

Turning around they see Mark and Katie standing next to him. Jake ambles over to them and takes Katie's hand. "Hi there. Are you Katie? I hear you are a big fan." Numbly, Katie shakes his hand and nods. Casey laughs and asks "Katie, do you have your camera? I can take a picture of the three of you."

Miles walks to stand to Derek and says "what's going on? Are they coming with us tonight to the party?"

"Hi, I'm Mark. You write your own music right? I really liked your show. I made sure to pick up your CD before we came back here." Mark shakes Miles' hand. "Could you be in the picture too?" Miles moves to stand with them as Casey snaps the picture.

Jake blinks rapidly in response to the flash from the camera. "Hey yeah, do all of you want to come to this party Miles and I are going to? It's in the VIP room of a club here in Toronto. We just need to finish packing away our stuff for the roadies to put back on the truck before we can go."

"Sounds great to me. Hey Mark, you want to grab that guitar and come help me and Jake with his stuff?" Derek asks following Jake.

Miles turns to the girls as Mark goes with them. "Can you two come help me out?"

As they walk towards where Miles' stuff was being kept, Casey asks "Is Jennifer going to be there tonight?"

"Not till later. She had to work today and couldn't catch an earlier flight. She will be meeting us there."

The Hot Spot 11:30pm

The group walks past the velvet ropes and to the VIP room. Mark leans towards Derek and says, "This is amazing D. Who do Jake and Miles know to get in here?"

"Actually that would be me. Hi Miles. Who are your friends?" a pretty black haired beauty with a slight stocky build asks sliding up to Miles.

Miles leans over and kisses her on the cheek. "Everybody, this is Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Mark, Katie, Casey, and Derek."

Jennifer looks confused then she brightens. "Nice to meet you all. My dad is friends with the owner here. Oh wait a second, I recognize you two. You play hockey for Queen's University right?"

"You've seen our games?" Mark asks.

"I went to a game once this season with my dad when I was in the area for work. He is a pro-hockey scout and asked me to come with him. I played hockey all through university so the game was really great to go see. Right now I am interning with the Toronto Marlies so I haven't had time to go to a game just for fun in a while." Janice shrugs her shoulders then picks up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "Follow me, I staked out a table over this way."

This group follows Jennifer and Miles to circular table with black leather cushioned benches around it. After everyone has gotten a glass from a waiter, Jake makes a toast to a great year and hopefully amazing CD sales and winning games in the New Year.

**** End of Chapter 25****

BTW: The Toronto Marlies are the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliates.

The song used here is I Got A Feelin' by Billy Currington. Thanks for reading. Hope you like it. As always, sorry for any and all spelling and grammar mistakes. Nasty snow storm in MI means my plans were cancelled and I had the time to write two chapters and start another.

Up Next: Start of a New Semester