I'm so excited about this chapter, I can't even put it into real words. I know its going to make some of you mad, but rest assured, it's all been thought out... for several days. I thought about this chapter for several days. I'm so proud of what it holds and what it means for rest of the story. Some of my favorite chapters are going to come from this one.

Anyway, thank for you the reviews. They mean everything. Also, to the person who reviewed who called themselves cantloginsorry please, if you do have an account, please log in if you can because I want to message you. I need to tell you something and I want to thank you more privately as you gave me the push I needed for this chapter.

Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Ally drove to the shelter the day of the concert feeling excited, nervous, and everything in-between. It was going to be such a productive and filling day for the group there. The night before had been a good one for the group as well, as they crowded around the rec area with pizza and homemade smores. Nerves were on an all time high, but so was the pure excitement that happened to be running their veins.

Ally knew they could do this. Trish knew they could do this. They could only hope the group believed they could too. It seemed as if this were true. They were all talking a mile a minute, exchanging last minute ideas, and preparing for what was collectively being called "the greatest day of their messed up lives". She had to laugh when she heard this. Rocky should not be in change of people. Things like that happened.

But it didn't matter. They had worked hard for this. Them as single people, and together as a group. They put aside many differences and problems to form a band that might not be perfect, but was honest and true. They had survived terrible things in their lives, and while some were still hurting, they were pushing through every day and trying to work toward becoming more then their pasts. She admired this, and was thankful for the chance to get to know such a great group of people. This included her co workers.

Trish had made a shelter that was literally falling apart from the inside, and changed it into something that was slowly becoming a great place for those who may not fit in to call home. And Ryland was working wonders with each teen, pulling them aside and doing things Ally only wished she could. She needed to sit aside with him one day, and just learn. There was a lot to learn from that man.

Even Jackson, who had been released from the hospital and was resting at home, had helped a lot. It was him who helped in the very beginning to pull it all back together, and even despite their differences and his judgment being clouded by his own problems, he loved what he did and he honestly cared about each one of them.

Ally sat in front of the shelter, staring at it. Her mind wandered back to her very first day, the day she came in, a young and scared girl trying to earn some volunteer time, seeing the craziness the place brought, and the raw and real problems some faced each day. Things you would never think about because for most, it isn't a reality.

She remembered walking down the hall, not really sure what she was supposed to do. Her smile widened at the memory of seeing Riker for the first time. Head down, hands in a notebook, not watching where he was going, it was their first of many encounters that almost ended with one of them going down on the floor. He went to catch her, but she didn't need the catching, and was very confused to when he didn't say a word. He just smiled at her, this odd smile she didn't understand at the time.

She didn't see that smile for months after that, and even when Marie had explained why he didn't talk, she didn't see the boy she met on that very first day. She didn't see that boy for months. She happened to be pulling up like she was right then, and had heard a guitar playing. Music was and always had been her passion, and she went to investigate.

It was just past the last frost, and the ground was finally done being frozen. Riker was sitting under a tree, his hands over an old acoustic guitar. He was alarmed to see her, and had stopped playing the moment she showed up. He stood, defensively holding his ground, as if ready for a fight.

"I never knew you played music," she said carefully. She knew that stance well. That was how he was with most of the people in the shelter.

He glared back at her.

"Listen, I didn't mean to interrupt. You see, I didn't know who was playing and it was so good, I had to come look. I never meant to scare you." He didn't move. He didn't dare stop staring at her. Ally was at a loss. She was right, she was beginning to see. Marie, that was. He was impossible to crack.

And then an idea hit her. She ran away for a moment, back to her car where she had left an old guitar of her own some time ago. She grabbed it, and ran back, noticing he still hadn't moved. She carefully sat down near the tree, and tried to remember the song she had written at one point that was close to her heart.

Made a wrong turn once or twice

Dug my way out, blood and fire

Bad decisions, that's alright

Welcome to my silly life

He stared at her, his head leaning to the side, but he didn't move.

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood

Miss 'No way, it's all good'

It didn't slow me down.

Mistaken, always second guessing

Underestimated, look I'm still around

His body seemed less defensive, but his face remained guarded.

Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel

Like you're less than, less than perfect

Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel

Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me

He walked toward her, grabbing guitar and starting to play softly, adding to her own music with his eyes glued to hers. She had stopped singing at this point, and was just continuing the beat as he watched her. They played until their fingers hurt, and even then, Ally had to smile.

I didn't know you played. He quickly wrote on a page.

It's not a side I show of myself often, she wrote back with a smile.

Why? You're good. I would think people would love to see you play.

"I could say the same for you." She motioned to the paper. "Would you prefer me to write?"

No, I prefer hearing your voice. Someone should at least have that option.

Ally grabbed the notebook and flipped it to a new page. "You may not have that option, but you have the option of showing other things. Things that make you just as great as someone who does have the option to talk. If you want, I'll listen." He seemed hesitant still. "It's a new day. It's a new page. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Ally smiled as the memory faded and voices from that very moment flooded her mind. She saw a group of people running her way, all excited in their matching outfits and rockstar personas. She laughed as she got out of the car, grabbing each in a hug, still thinking about the day that Riker finally let her in as she grabbed him into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered into his ear. He leaned back for a moment, giving her a look of confusion. She simply shook her head and pulled him back in. "Just know that I am. And that's all that matters."

He shook his head too, as if not to question her and they made their way inside.

"So, we have a bit of a crisis."

"And what's that?" Ally asked, noticing everyone was there and seemed ready.

Rydel stepped forward with a sign. "I lost my voice," Ally read out loud. "Oh no."

"We can't do the duet that Austin and Rydel planned to do." Rocky sighed, looking a bit annoyed. "Well, we have one option. It's totally up to you, but this song is great. They've been practicing and I think your voice would be a great fit, Ally."

"What?!"

"Come on, we need someone to cover the song," Rocky begged.

"Guys, no."

"What, what?" Austin also asked.

Rocky pushed him. "It's just one song, and it needs to be a male and female duet. You're the only hope. It's too good of a song to give up on. Please, Ally? For us?"

No one else seemed to object, minus the look of confusion on Austin's face, but Ally looked past that. Even Riker was giving her a gentle nod, telling her to give that talent of hers a chance. Rocky was pleading, on his hands and knees with a stupid grin on his face for her to do it, and how could she say no to that?

Finally, she caved. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll learn the words on the way there. It'll be fine. I won't make you give up a song. How long until we leave?"

Trish came running into the room. "Now! We're late."

Ally looked up in shock, grabbing the group and telling them to make sure they got everything. Within minutes, everything was piled into Ryland, Ally, and Trish's cars, and they were on their way to the beach to do their very first show. Nerves were starting to show at this point, Ally noted as she watched Austin look around the car nervously, his eyes flickering from Rydel to Riker and back again. Rydel was playing with a bracelet and Riker was tapping his leg. They were scared.

"You guys are going to be great," she promised them.

Riker looked at her with a smile. The others were in the next car, and Ryland was driving the remainder of the things needed in his.

It was definitely summer in Miami, as they unloaded the things from the car, and began lugging them toward the stage which seemed miles away, but it really wasn't. Ally still hadn't gotten a chance to see the lyrics of the song, but wasn't worried. She was great at learning things quickly. They dragged guitars and equipment all the way their, meeting up with the director of the place and learning they would be on in less than an hour.

The beach looked great. There were tables of food and drinks everywhere, and prerecorded music was blasting through the large speakers at the stage. People were swimming and laughing, chasing each other with water guns, or playing beach games. Ally smiled. Despite her hatred of the beach, she had to admit it looked great.

Austin glared at the water. "Glad I'm not in there today."

"Next time, we don't try and impress," she told him with a laugh.

"Oh, whatever," he laughed too. He changed his expression a second later. "Are you sure you're okay with doing this song? I mean, I get if you don't want to."

"Why not?" she answered. "It's important to you guys. I'll get over it."

He seemed doubtful still, but nodded anyway. Trish whisked them away for a moment, leaving Ryland with Kelly and Taylor who had shown up minutes after they arrived. They chatted for several minutes before the first band got onto the stage, introducing themselves as Hollywood Ending and breaking into an upbeat song.

"Are you going to look at that song now?" Ryland asked Ally, who had forgotten about it again in the craziness.

She gasped. "Oh! Thank you for reminding me. I almost forgot."

She pulled it out of her pocket and began to read it. It was really good. She would have to thank Rocky later for giving her such a great song to sing to. He really was such a great writer. And it was something slower for him, which she liked. But she couldn't help but think the song seemed oddly familiar for some reason. Within a few minutes, she had her parts down and was eagerly awaiting the band's start.

Hollywood Ending's set was great. The boys were high energy and they seemed to love the crowd. Ally thought they would go somewhere fast if they kept pushing it.

"Ally!" Rocky came running up to her. "We're on in a few minutes. This is insane. I wish we could do this everyday. Anyway, we're going to need to backstage in a few minutes. The duet is the second to last song and we're only doing five, so we need to make sure you're ready to go when we need you. Okay? Besides, you've got to see the beach from behind the stage. It's freakin' sick!"

Ally said goodbye to Ryland and the others, following Rocky from where he had come.

Ally watched as people began to switch the instruments and prepared for At Nerves End's set. The others were standing around, looking nervous yet excited and all eyes were on the crowd that had formed during the first set. It was all on them now. The others had started the show, and they were going to have to live up to such a great opener. She didn't have a doubt in her mind they would.

"And next up, we have another homegrown talent. They're five very talented musicians, and we're excited to say we're their very first live show! No pressure!" The crowd laughed. The group exchanged looks. It was almost time.

"Wait!" Austin said. "I have an idea. Remember that line from the song we wrote a while go, Rocky?"

"Which one?"

"Ready, set, rock."

"Oh, yeah."

"Let's go on to that." He smiled widely. "At the count of three, put your hands in and we'll shout it. It can be our signature."

The group agreed and as the man continued to praise them, Austin started, "One, two, three…"

Ally watched with a smile.

"Ready, set, ROCK!"

"And now, without further ado, AT NERVES END!"

They started with a song that Rocky had written called Crazy 4 You, which was high beat and very catchy. They were rocking the stage and the crowd seemed to love it. Despite only two males to back up the chorus, the song sounded great live, and when it ended, Ally was trying to not have tears in her eyes. At the very beginning, all had been nervous. You would have never guessed it was the same five people at the end of the song. They were smiling, dancing, and laughing as they prepared for the next.

"This is a cover. We're big fans of Maroon 5 and our drummer has a very special person in the audience today. He wants to sing it to her." Rocky smiled and motioned for Ratliff to come forward. "Come steal her heart, bro."

Ellington walked up nervously, his eyes scanning the crowd until they fell on Kelly's, who was grinning ear to ear. She was dancing along with the background music, but her eyes never left his. He looked toward everyone else. "Hi. My name is Ratliff, and I'm going to be singing a song for you today."

Ally was full crying at this point. Her heart was so filled with pride for the group in front of her, and seeing Ratliff in front of a crowd, singing to someone he liked a lot, and her singing the words right back to him, was something else. Her eyes were filled with tears as well. They seemed to sing the song together until the end,

"Driving slow on Sunday Morning… and I'd never want to leave..."

Ratliff smiled widely. "Can I ask someone in the crowd something quickly, if you don't mind? We haven't made it official yet, so I'm asking you now. Kelly Voosen, will you be my girlfriend?"

From the crowd, as Taylor picked her up so everyone could see her bright red face, she nodded.

He grinned and went back behind the drums, his eyes gleaming with excitement. She gave him a thumbs up from the side of the stage. He mouthed thank you to her, and went back into place.

Rocky smiled. "Austin, I do believe it's your turn to introduce the next song."

"I guess you're right," he agreed. "This next song was written by everyone on this stage right now… and it's called A Billion Hits. We hope someday, we can say that will be us."

Ally didn't see too much of the song, other than the fact that Austin could dance his ass off. The director had begun to set her up for the next song, and she was preparing herself to go onstage and hopefully do a good job. There weren't really any nerves, more so high hopes that she could do the song and do it the way the band had originally thought of.

"Thank you so much!" Rocky yelled suddenly. "That was A Billion Hits. Now, this next song requires a very special guest. Help me welcome one of our best friends, Ally Dawson to the stage! Normally, Rydel would sing this song with Austin, but today she can't, so Ally is filling in." Ally stepped onto stage and waved to a crowd of at least 500 people. She couldn't help but gasp. Who would have thought?

"This song was written by the bass player in the band. He's unable to say it himself, but he's a badass song writer, and even better bass player! Give it up to Riker!"

Ally swallowed. Riker wrote this song? Wait a second…

"Okay, so here we go."

Ally didn't have a chance to stop anyone, even when Riker gave her a look. Austin tried to say something to her, but it was too late. Rocky had begun the opening guitar notes.

Ally swallowed again, and decided she had no choice.

"Right from the start, you were a thief, you stole my heart. And I, your willing victim." Ally looked to Riker, who was staring at Rocky and Ally, his face shocked. She had no idea this was going to happen. It was obvious who the song was about. But it was just too late. "I let you see the parts of me, that weren't all that pretty. And with every touch, you fixed them."

Austin walked her way, putting an arm around her. He whispered he was sorry in her ear.

"Now, you've been talking in your sleep. Uh oh, things you never say to me. Oh, oh, tell me that you've had enough of our love… our love…"

They began to sing together, "Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough." Ally swallowed at the next line in the song, because she had said it to Riker at one point when trying to calm him down in the early days of their friendship, "Just a second, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again… It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again."

Austin moved closer to her, and even Ally had to admit that the song felt good to sing. It was such a power ballad and was a beautiful song. But it pained her to know that it was probably about her. She tried to forget this and focus on the sound of Austin's voice.

"I'm sorry I don't understand, where all of this is coming from. I thought that we were fine."

"Oh, we had everything," she sang.

"Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everything, and it's all in your mind."

"Yeah, but this is happening," she continued.

"You've been having real bad dreams, oh, oh. You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh, there's nothing more than empty sheets, between our love… oh, our love… our love."

"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough, just a second we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again. It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again." The problem was the crowd was getting into it, and they were killing it, so they also got into it. Austin was belting out notes she had never seen him sing before, and she felt more confident singing than she had in a long time.

Ally sighed to herself and continued, "Oh, tear ducts and rust…"

"I'll fix it for us."

"We're collecting dust."

"But our loves enough!"

"You're holding it in…"

"You're pouring a drink!"

"Nothing is as bad as it seems…"

All eyes were on Ally. This was her moment to hit the high note. She took a deep breath and looked out to the crowd and then sang, "We'll come clean!"

"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again. Its in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again… just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again. It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again. Oh, we can learn to love again."

"We can learn to love again…"

"Oh, oh, that we're not broken, just bent…"

Ally didn't know what Austin was doing. He had been continuing to move toward her during the last chorus, his eyes determined and smiling at her. He was sweating, and breathing heavy as he put his mic near hers, and they sang the last notes of the song,

"And we can learn to love again…"

Ally went to close her mouth, a huge smile of pride on her face, as someone's lips were placed on hers. It was such a shock, it didn't even occur to her that it was happening until it was over, and all she could do was stare at the blond before her in surprise until a sound broke them apart.

Riker had just slammed his bass onto the stage, and stormed off, leaving nothing but shocked faces and opened mouths behind him.

No words could be said, as the moment that happened the crowd erupted into applause, as if it were a live music video, and not a song gone wrong. Ally looked around her, not sure what to do. Rocky was staring at her, not understanding what he had done, really. Rydel looked confused. Ratliff looked the same. But Austin knew. Not only did he know why the song was important to Riker, he also knew he had just done something that was going to change everything.