Next Chapter will be the last of this "season" so I'm making a second "season" as we speak. That's right a sequel. It just seems like a right time for a break in between and then I'll come back for some views later in their lives. Comment/Review on your thoughts. I'd love to hear 'em

Disclaimer: Same as always.

Songs used: Stuck in the Middle- The Burning Hotels

Read, Review, ENJOY.


Homecoming For Now

Ashley POV

Thank God, we're home. I missed Spence so much and Lucy and Wiley look like love sick puppies. Alex and Arden haven't really been the same since our first night. They don't even cuddle anymore…which is really strange. We got through all of our concerts, apparently Alex and Arden can act because they seemed exactly the same on stage.

We get home and Lucy and Wiley take off for the house, pushing each other over to get to the door first. It's kind of adorable. Arden, Alex and I all take the bags inside and are met with Lucy and Ky making out on the couch and Bridget shoving Wiley into the wall while passionately kissing her . Jesus…I wonder what kind of greeting I'm getting.

Then I see her. My love. Standing there with a huge grin on her face. She runs over and jumps into my arms. Oh, how I missed her. God, it just made me value what I have with her so much more. I want her now and forever. We collide into a heated lip lock. When we surface, dazed from the kiss, we grin at each other and I wrap my arms around her, "God, I missed you so much babe…I can't believe that we only have this week…which'll be spent mostly in the studio….and then we have to go for another 3 weeks…I don't know if I can survive without you for that long, baby…"

She smiles, "We'll be fine baby…I missed you so much." She pecks my lips. "How's the Ardex situation?" Yeah I call her every night so she's up to date on everything.

I sigh, "Not good…" I hear a door slam as we're walking upstairs. I see Alex sitting next to Arden's door with her face in her hands, obviously frustrated.

Spencer and I walk over, "Laxxy? You ok hun?"

"What the fuck do you think, Ash? Huh? She's being fucking unreasonable and won't talk to me since dinner at my parents…" Ouch ok, no need to be snappy. She sighs, "I'm sorry Ash…It's just…I'm worried and frustrated all at the same time and it's fucking with my head. I'm gonna go and write another song for the album…we only need one more right?" I nod. We've got "White Lines and Red Lights", "Until the Day I die", a cover of "Glycerine" by Bush…we just threw that in there because we all liked the song and it's a crowd pleaser on tour, "Wait Another Day", "Jason", "Cross my Heart", and I convinced Coop to sing "Pony (It's ok)" for a bonus track. So we just need an 8th track, which hopefully Coop can get done by tonight so we can learn it and finish the album this week.

Spencer and I walk away, "Poor Alex…" She opens the door to our room. "Wonder what she's going to write about…" Yeah, me too Spence.

"Yeah…she's good at putting feelings into songs…you should hear her newest one, babe…it's kind of cute, were putting it on as a bonus track."

She smiles, "Yeah…I'll so be the first to get a copy of that album."

"Why get the album when you have the real thing?" I raise a brow and grin.

She flops onto our bed, "Hmm…good point…" I crawl ontop of her and kiss her tenderly before yawning. "Aww…someone's tired." I nod sleepily. "C'mere…" She opens her arms and I snuggle into her before drifting off to sleep.

I wake up hours later and see that it's 6 pm, Spence must be doing school work or chatting people up. I stretch and walk into Alex's room. She's passed out with her pages of her notebook scattered around her and Moose over her face. I gently pull Moose out of her grasp and put him in his case. I brush some of her hair out of her face, "Coop…wake up, bud.."

She groggily responds, "Bunnies…chainsaws…." I chuckle…the fuzzy bunnies with chainsaws reoccurring dream is adorable…

She opens her eyes and smiles, "Good…evening?" She grins.

I smile, "Hey Coop…" I suddenly remember a part of the conversation that she had with her mother. "Uh…can I ask you something?"

She looks at me curiously, "Yeah, of course…"

"When we listened in on your conversation a week ago with your mom…you mentioned a car accident…" She inhales and closes her eyes.

"Right…another part of my life that I used to hide because it just never came up," She pauses, running her fingers through her hair. "Uh, my birth mom was killed in a car accident."

I'm shocked, "So…Mama Coop is…"

"My step-mom, but I honestly don't think of her that way. She may have not given birth to me but she raised me and Mikey with my dad since I was 3 and he was 1." Wow…must've been hard to hear people say that she looks like her mom all the time, because they really look related.

She continues, "Uh…I was in the back seat and some guy ran through a red light smashing into the driver side corner of the car. The airbag deployed and it hit her in the chest so hard that she internally bled to death. I was 2. No one really knows what happened except for 2 year old me…" That's gotta be a burden on someone…she probably doesn't remember anything. "So yeah…I have a few photos but we don't discuss her except when I have family reunions on her side…which is few. No that we don't want to…its just an awkward subject to bring up…so yeah, that's my sad story. I don't bring it up because I'd rather not get pity looks and I'd rather be the person we all know, the goofball…its sometimes the only thing that keeps me from crying."

"God, Coop..I had no idea…But, I'm glad though that you're the person you are today because of it…" She grins and nods. I engulf her in a tight hug and she giggles a bit.

I hear a knock and look up to see Arden.

"Hope I'm not interrupting but dinner's ready, oh and Coop you better have had a song written…or were you busy?" She sneers out looking at me. I so don't like my sister right now…and she has really bad timing.

Alex shakes her head and looks sad staring at her bedspread, "Uh..Yeah, I've got one…we'll be right down Ard…" Arden huffs and storms off. Alex sighs, "You do realize she called me Coop…." Oh shit…she's right, there's something wrong with that picture. "Whatever, let's get downstairs and eat. I've got a song to perform." She gathers up her papers and Moose while I follow her downstairs.

Once dinner's over I walk over to Spencer who's washing dishes. Spence smiles and me and I grin back, winking. "Ah, so my lovely chef…you've outdone yourself…I'll do the dishes…you cooked…"

She smiles, "Thanks babe…I'm a little tired anyways…"

"Alright, just head out to the living room and make sure Coop is ready for her song pitch." She nods and kisses my cheek, walking off.

I walk into the livingroom a few minutes later and see Lucy and Ky curled up in the recliner, Wiley and Bridget sitting on the floor, cuddled up with pillows, Arden laying on the couch with her eyes closed and Spencer waiting for me on the loveseat. I take my seat and motion for Alex to go ahead.

She clears her throat, "So, I wrote us another song, I was inspired by my current situation and you all know about it so yeah…Here's "Stuck in the Middle"" Arden glances up at her and then looks away.

I got in, you got out

I walked in, you walked out

As usual I'm stuck in the middle

I'm closer to closure

Admitting that it's over

As usual I'm stuck in the middle

Now you know

That you control everything

As usual I'm stuck in the middle

And now I'm drowning

In myself again

Yes, I'm drowning

In myself again

She slows her tempo down and sings staring at Arden who still won't meet her eyes.

Wide at night, I am dead

Wide at night, I am dead

Wide at night, I am dead

Wide at night, I am dead

Who knows how, I got out

Who knows how I got out

As usual I'm stuck in the middle

You showed us, you choked up

I told you, that you were messed up

As usual I'm stuck in the middle

Now you know

Now I control everything

Now as usual I'm stuck in the middle

Now

She throws Moose next to Arden on the couch and walks off, scoffing and rolling her eyes.

"Good job, Ard…you successfully pissed off the unpissable Coop…makes for a good song, but your relationship is pretty much non-existent right now." That'd be Wiley. Normally that'd be my comment but I'm still shocked how I got thrown into the song a little. I mean she's stuck in the middle…between us. I look at Arden and she's staring back at me. We both look away and I snuggle farther into Spencer.

"So down to business…good enough for the album." I get a collective mumble for yes. "So it's settled…I'll work on the music and we'll start the album tomorrow. Get some rest guys."

"Guys, I'll take Coop…I'll meet you in the room later, Bridge." Bridget nods and Wiley and they both make their way upstairs.

"Ash, I'm gonna go upstairs…you should talk to Arden…" I nod and kiss Spencer on the cheek before she follows Bridget and Wiley upstairs.

"Night, guys…" Lucy and Ky walk upstairs. I walk over to the couch and pick up Moose before sitting down next to Arden.

I sigh, "Ard…what's this really about? Tell me, please. You're hurting Coop…and she doesn't let things affect her normally but your really getting to her…she's really vulnerable right now..."

She looks down, "I'm jealous…I've always been jealous that you've known her longer…you know her family…you were her first kiss…"

"But you can't help that Ard…She didn't even know you…you weren't even a possibility…"

"Yeah, I know…but my emotions don't seem to…"

"You know…the only thing that's hurt her so far is that you called her 'Coop'.." She looks up at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Really?" I sigh and nod. "Wow…I knew it was something that mattered to her…but not that it would hurt her more than anything else I've done…"

I stand up, "Arden…you need to fix this…or we're going to lose her…and by we I mean all of us…"

She nods, "I'll try…"

I shake my head, "No Ard…you must…"

I walk upstairs and see Wiley trying to talk to Coop who won't say anything, just stare at the floor. I sigh, Arden you better hurry, she's pulling away.