Hey guys! There's a couple of things that I need to say and they're kinda serious/sad/angry/whatever so I thought I'd get them over with at the beginning, and then my authors note at the end would be a happy one :) So if you guys wanted to skip forward, totally understandable.

The first thing; there's been some real negative reviews going around. Everyone gets them, it's going to happen. It totally sucks, but it's unavoidable. But some people have been going out of their way to leave insanely long, detailed descriptions as to what they hate about stories and, come on, that's just unnecessary. I try to just delete flames and not think about them, they suck and sometimes I get a little pissed off and discouraged, but I try to ignore them. Sometimes it really gets to writers though, and they get mental blocks and choose to stop writing. Can we please just be nice? Constructive criticism—absolutely, but there's a difference. Remember we write for free, and for fun! Come on, everyone!

The second thing; I try not to mention world events on here or even on my social media account for several reasons. But I did want to say I was so upset when I heard about Christina Grimmie dying! I have listened to her on YouTube for years, and I was actually listening to her the morning that I found out she was shot. It's so horrible. I think what freaks me out is I've just listened to her for so long, and she's the same age as me, and it just so scary...It's just not okay :(

Also, there's only four chapters of this left. The song left in this chapter is The Fighter by In This Moment.

Monica hadn't delivered by the beginning of show.

Letty was trying to swallow back her worry, but even Dom wasn't helping. First her make up was done, Gisele and Mia trying to distract her as her eyes were lined and her lips were painted. Then her hair was fluffed up, little braids put in and tied together while the rest of her hair was free. Then she was dressed, in a pair of skin tight leather pants that made it hard to breathe, a lacy black bra and then a white singlet, that was torn and ripped and pretty much made sure her bra was on full display once a light fell over her.

Usually, Monica was flitting around the place, bouncing from each of the band members dressing rooms and making sure everyone was pumped for the show.

But she was a no show.

"Okay, should this be worrying me?" Letty asked, wringing her hands as she looked over at Dom. He took in a deep breath and let it out heavily through his nose as he looked over to where Brian was standing with Mia, the pair of them in deep conversation. "I mean, there's nothing that has come up when I googled my name—" Dom let out a short laugh that cut her off. "What?"

"You googled yourself?" He snorted. Letty narrowed her eyes, but she couldn't stop the wry smile. The smile smoothed off his face and Dom put his hands on her arms. "Letty," he began. "It's all going to be okay. I get that you're freaking out, but you know what? Even if the shit hits the fan, I'm not going anywhere." Letty felt a heaviness in her stomach and there was an unexpected pressure behind her eyes. "This stuff happens. It's life—sometimes life fucking sucks, and unfortunately for you, the sucky stuff in your life is going to go on display for a lot more people to see. But that's what your friends are here for, and that's what Monica is for, and your fans out there?" Dom pointed toward the thick curtain that separated them from the audience. "I mean, I've seen the messages they've put up on your fan pages, and they've all been supportive."

"People are fickle though," Letty sighed. "They flip easily."

"I think that you just need to have a little more faith in them," Dom told her with a light squeeze. "And hey?" He shrugged and gave her a small smile. "If all else fails, I have absolutely no problem with packing up and heading to the Dominican Republic to live by the beach with no electricity and no Internet. You know, as long as there's Corona's in the fridge and you wear these teeny, tiny bikini's." Letty laughed again, sounding a little more lighter this time.

"That kinda sounds amazing," she stated with a tilt of her head.

"Hell yeah," Dom grinned at her, leaning forward to kiss her hard on the mouth. She smiled back at him and reached out to put her hand to his lips, which now had a faint pink glow from her lipstick. Their opening band was almost over and Letty took in deep breaths, staring down at the ground, Dom's hands still warming her skin. Not so many years ago, getting stuck in a position like this, she would have drowned it all out with a needle and alcohol. She had powered through it, and she was doing better now, and Dom made it so much better.

Dom was one of the best things that ever happened to her.

"You have no idea how good it is having you here with me," Letty breathed, looking up at him. Dom's smile made her heart squeeze in a way that stole her breath away.

"Are we ready?" Leon asked, coming up behind Letty and throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"We're ready," Letty nodded over at him, grinning as she looked across at Brian and Mia, who were walking over to her. Han and Gisele were coming up the steps, and Gisele pulled up her camera from the thick strap that was around her neck. She snapped a few photos and Dom cringed.

"Get over it, buddy," Gisele laughed. "Everything about this show get's caught on this camera. When you're all old and decrepit, you'll thank me for it. You can look back on these photos and see how hot you used to be."

"Yeah, yeah," Han nudged her in the side. "You just like stalking the lot of us."

"Could be a little of that thrown in there as well," Gisele smirked. Letty swallowed and looked over at Brian one last time.

"No sign from Monica?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing," he shook his head and made a sympathetic face. "I'm sorry, Let."

"It's okay," Letty forced a smile, although it didn't look anywhere near as fake as it had looked a few years ago. "It's okay. We've got this."

"Yes," Brian reached over to chuck her lightly under the chin and grinned. "We do. We've all got your back, okay?"

"Yeah, Let!" Leon chimed in, before giving her a cheeky look. "Besides, I've always wondered how hot you were under those clothes." Letty shot him a horrified look while Dom just shook his head and gave Leon a playful glare. "Kidding, kidding," Leon quickly assured her, kissing her temple quickly. "Now, let's get out there, and kick ass!" Han nodded, and the two boys walked toward the stage. Dom gave Letty a kiss for good luck and then Brian grabbed her arm.

"I have no idea where Monica is," Brian said to her in a hushed tone. "But she text me about half an hour ago, and she said that you should address the audience."

"What?" Letty's eyebrows shot upward. "She didn't say anything to me—she barely trusts me to sing without her being there, and now she just wants me to make up some speech about a very public fuck up?!"

"It doesn't have to be a speech," Brian murmured. "It's just like when you hype up the crowd, or we're talking on stage to keep everyone involved. Just be yourself." Letty rolled her eyes.

"Well, that sounds like something Monica would never say," Letty muttered. Brian grinned.

"Well, that's what I'm saying, and Monica text me. So if she doesn't like what you say, she can blame me," Brian told her. Letty pursed her lips and then nodded. "Doesn't need to be a speech," he repeated. "Just don't pretend that it didn't happen. And the words you had with the interviewer the other day—that didn't really work, and you know it. So...Say something."

"Right," she nodded. Brian gave her a minute and then Letty nodded again. "I got this."

"Okay. Oh, and we want to start with Fighter," Brian grinned and then ran out onto the stage in front of her, Letty taking in one last breath and sending off one last prayer that her manager would be there soon and then ran out after the rest of her band. The audience was already hollering and screaming out to them, and there were spotlights spinning around, glancing over the stage and then out over the audience. The boys were already in their places, waving and smiling out at their fans.

It was as though being back on the stage was sending her in the completely opposite direction than it had the other night. She had felt panicked and almost trapped the last time she had been on the stage; like she was performing for the first time all over again, and she was just waiting to screw up. But tonight she felt better, and as the deafening roar of her audience and their intro music rushed over her, the electric feel that skimmed over her skin made her calm.

There was a fifth person back on stage with them tonight, Cindy, who was set behind her piano for their first song. Clearly, even though she was the last one to know what song they were opening with, the boys had planned it all in advance. It was a good thing she knew this song back to front.

I don't need you to save me
I don't need you to cure me
I don't need you
And your antidote
For I am my disease

"Shit!" Monica appeared next to Dom, a thick folder in her hand and her phone in the other. Dom glanced at her, his eyes dropping down to her hands and the phone—the electronic might as well have been glued there, it was as though it never left her palm.

"Did you get everything sorted?" Gisele asked quietly.

"Yes," Monica gave her a tight smile. "Did you expect anything less?"

"Well we were getting a little worried when you didn't show," Dom's words were curt and Monica didn't even bother to look at him as she scoffed under her breath.

"Mr Sex Tape? You don't get to put your two cents in here just yet," she said to him. "You're part of this mess, remember?" Dom didn't look happy, but he kept his eyes on Letty, and his mouth shut. Mia gave her brother an encouraging rub on the back as she watched the band.

It was incredible, really.

The difference between Letty tonight and the last time she was on stage were polar opposite, and Dom couldn't be prouder of her.

You don't want me to hurt you
You don't want me to bite you
You want don't want me
Or my aching soul
For I will only fall

And rise again
Your venomous heroine
Cause I'm a survivor
Yeah, I am a fighter

Gisele was gnawing away on her lower lip, her fingernails digging into her arm, not able to drag her eyes away from her friend on the stage. Her whole body was strung tight and Dom had to reach out to put his hand on her shoulder, because she was making him nervous. She gave him a worried smile before looking back out onto the stage.

"She's bounced back well," Monica mused.

"She's strong," Dom muttered back. Monica was quiet for a moment before she looked over at him, and the expression on her face was a little softer.

"Some of that's on you," she commented. "Yes, she's strong as hell, but you helped get her back out there."

I will fall and rise above
And in your hate, I find love
Cause I'm a survivor
Yeah, I am a fighter

I will not hide my face
I will not fall from grace
I'll walk into the fire, baby
All my life I was afraid to die
But now I come alive inside these flames

Dom couldn't get rid of the grin that had spread across his face.

She was magnetic.

This was the Letty he loved.

The shakiness she had been experiencing last night and this morning, it was completely gone. Her voice was strong and carried out over the enraptured audience, the spotlight settled on her and her band, the four of them playing maybe the best he had ever heard them play. She wasn't moving, her hands on either side of the microphone that was in front of her, but her stage presence was powerful, and there wasn't an eye in the arena that wasn't resting on her.

I will not hide my face
I will not fall from grace
I'll walk into the fire, baby
All my life I was afraid to die
But now I come alive inside these
Live inside these
Live inside flames

When she finished the song, the crowd went crazy, jumping up and down and waving their hands in the air. Letty grinned and looked over her shoulder at her band, who was grinning back at her. Her eyes turned toward the side of the stage, where she caught Monica's eyes. The agent gave her a nod and a thumbs up, and she let out a relieved sigh, her eyes looking back out to the crowd. She took in a deep breath, unhooking her microphone and stepping closer to the edge of the stage. She soaked up appreciation on her fans before she lifted the microphone to her mouth.

"Okay, guys..." she began, and then let out a short laugh as that just drew more hype from the crowd. "Thank you so much," she murmured.

"You guys are incredible!" Brian shouted into his microphone. Letty waited a few more minutes before speaking into her microphone again.

"Thank you!" She yelled into her phone. "We just want to say that we're so glad you're here! We're now officially halfway through our tour!" She broke off to walk a few steps to her right, looking down at a group of girls who were wearing shirts with their band name printed over the front. She grinned pointedly at them, and they squealed amongest themselves. "This whole experience has been so amazing, and I'm so glad that we've been able to share it with all of you." She took in another deep breath and pushed her hair behind her ears. "There's something that has happened recently, which I'm sure you're all aware of," she gave it a few moments to sink it. "Now, I first just want to say thank you for your support. You're all incredible, and I want you to know that the it means a lot to know that we have all of you behind us." There were more cheers. "And the second thing I want to say is that this will be the only time I address this matter. What happened was a private video between my partner and a previous girlfriend of his. What happens now between him and I now, is a private matter between us." Brian couldn't help but smile at how well she was doing; her voice strong and steady. "But I do want you to know that things are still good between us—he's amazing, and I'm not planning on letting him go any time soon." As she finished her sentence, she looked over at Dom, who was smiling back at her.

"I love you," he mouthed at her, and the way her eyes widened and her smile stretched, letting him know that she was feeling the same way.

Happier authors note! I promise! A lot of people keep recommending War of Hearts by Ruelle in the reviews. I do love Ruelle, and I love that song, although it's not my favourite by her. Thought that I would just recommend it though, since obviously lots of you guys love it! Other ones that I'm in love with at the moment Ritual by Adam Jensen and Rust by Stalgia. Also a cover of Justin Bieber's Sorry by Our Last Night.

Let me know what you guys are listening to! I want to know!

Also, there's been a few more questions about my updating schedule. It's on my profile, people. Check it out.

Leave a review, make my day, and I'll send you a preview :) xx