Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: O.K. so it was more of a blind curve than a massive cliffhanger. What can I say? I take in strays and release crickets into the wild. I am not a mean person. But you enjoyed it, No? Also, I do not know if Lily has ever attended a dance, as I haven't seen all the eps, if so, once again, suspend such knowledge and happily read on.

Special thanks to rokjai and archforge who regularly review and no, archforge, sadly I do not qualify as either Trekkie or Treker, I barely rate a Tr. I just have fond memories of watching that show when it was in frequent syndication runs. And I still love Shatner in anything he does.

Because I Know You

Chapter Nine: Acceptance

Travis looked around his room wondering where to start. He had a little over two months before he would be leaving but he could at least box up items he would not be using in that time. His parents had usually waited until the last minute before informing him of the next transplant; he had never been on the front end of the preparations. He should have known one could not just pick up and leave for a foreign country so easily especially after the events in the States. Convincing his parents hadn't been as hard as he thought. They hadn't been thrilled that he would be dabbling in the music industry and were amazed that after all the times he had been uprooted that he himself wanted to pull up the stakes. He was still somewhat amazed by that himself but he told them he had gotten used to broadening his horizons living in many locations and they believed him.

It would be weird to live with his uncle. He wondered how long it had been since his parents had really talked to him. If they had, they probably wouldn't be allowing him to leave Roscoe. Bartholomew, a.k.a. Barty, Strong was part owner of a dance club in London and dabbled in introducing new talents to local recording labels. The newest talent usually meant some irregular personalities; at the very least it would be an interesting experience.

His uncle was as he put it, "tickled pink and polka dotted" that Travis was coming to stay, which is a very odd phrase coming from a middle aged man who stood at 6 foot 3 with well over 200 pounds of tattooed flesh. It left one questioning his orientation, not that there's anything wrong with that. Travis was looking forward to working with him in a state of the art recording studio. His heart gave a little twist knowing Lily would love to see it too.

The rational part of him kept nagging that he was jumping the gun but his heart knew that Lily was leaving; she would be accepted to the program. This way neither one of them was leaving the other behind; they were both just moving forward. He kept telling himself over and over that it was a positive thing. Even as he was thinking this he sat heavily on his bed, flung his legs up and let his head drop back against the wall with a loud thunk. He started repeating his latest mantra…I must not long for Lily…I must not long for Lily.

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Lily returned just before the start of school feeling both relieved and anxious at the same time. The nervousness she had felt about auditioning for such a prestigious slot was gone. It had gone rather well or maybe that was her imagination. She had proven skill with both the acoustic and her trusty electric guitar. They assured her that she would be using both but her studies in the structure of music would be done on the acoustic. Not much use for the whammy bar in a Julliard classroom she supposed. Now her anxiety was due in part to the waiting she would have to endure before receiving word of her acceptance or denial. It was to be expected.

The other reason for her anxiety rested in her pocket. She had developed a habit of keeping her hand closed around it, running her fingers back and forth along its folded edge. Her intuition was kicking in. Why would Travis have written such a thing, it was an odd little phrase. "Thanks for knowing me so well." She would not be relieved until she looked him in the eye.

Ray and Robbie had come to her house to welcome her home. Travis was suspiciously absent although he had emailed her twice to ask about the audition and to say he would be glad to see her Monday on the first day of school.

That day turned out to be a wild and hectic ride. She spent most of the morning gabbing with Audrey about all the shops she had been to. Ed and Ted were like gnats, she could not get rid of them nor convince them that Julliard really was not interested in "emerging boy band talent." Principle Waller had even embarrassed her in the lunchroom by announcing to all the students that Henry Roscoe High had sent forth an emissary, a shining example of the excellent education and moral upbringing that could be found in Roscoe. If he only knew that she was one fourth of the underground radio monkey he was striving to annihilate he probably wouldn't be so forthcoming with the compliments.

She didn't have a moment alone with Travis until they were walking to the RFR studio. She came along side of him and assumed his pace, the disintegrating gravel crunching under their feet in a grating cadence.

"I feel like I haven't spoken to you in forever."

He pondered that statement. They hadn't felt forever yet, this absence had only been a taste of what was to come. "Better get used to it, your time will be scarce when you are studying at Julliard."

She jostled his shoulder a little, like two companionable horses in a pasture. "Well, I haven't been accepted yet and someone once told me Time is not so limited as one's ability to harness it." He smiled as she threw his love of quotations back at him once again. He would miss her; she kept him on his toes. She got to her point with her next question.

"Why did you give this back to me?" She had pulled out the ragged receipt. "It's an odd way to wish some one good luck."

He struggled for a moment for the right thing to say. He didn't want to admit that he thought he would be in London when she returned. "It wasn't for luck, I have complete faith in your abilities."

"Then what was it for?"

He decided to tell her the meaning of it, if not the motivating circumstances. "I just wanted to thank my best friend. I wanted you to know how much it means to me that you took the effort to really understand me."

She absorbed that information then said softly, "It's me who should be thanking you. None of this would have been possible if I hadn't known you."

It stunned him to realize that he had played such a large part in her early departure from Roscoe. It was a bitter irony that the one person that had made him feel at home for the first time in his life would be leaving because he had pushed for her success, an accidental altruistic act on his part.

They arrived at the station and Lily paused briefly before going in, letting out a long sigh. "I'm gonna miss coming here. RFR allowed me to be more free, anonymity has its advantages."

Travis smiled softly, he wondered if she realized that she had spoken as if she'd known the outcome of her audition. Her sense of self and confidence was an inspiration to him.

He spoke from the heart, "Yes, it does. But I think it's time the world got to know Lily Randall, she's worth knowing."

Her smile was radiant and she took his arm as if entering a grand ballroom from times long ago, "Shall we?"

Ray and Robbie were already in their places awaiting countdown. Lily took her place and donned her headphones as Travis brought the equipment to life. "We're on in five…four…three…two", he simultaneously pointed to Robbie and mouthed the word "one."

Lily's eyes misted as the show began as it always had.

"This is Radio."

"Free."

"Roscoe."

"This is Question Mark and I'm wondering…" he looked at Lily with a sly expression "can any educational administration take credit for raw talent and personal ambition?"

Lily rolled her eyes and thought, Here we go again.

The show gathered quite a few calls on the subject but then again Lily was constantly surprised by Robbie's uncanny ability to tap into the minds of the listening audience and find a short nerve. She looked around with pride. Of course Travis was there with his technical knowledge and words of wisdom. And Ray. Ray was the very heart of the people. He gave the listeners the feeling that they were right in the room with them. His open demeanor and biting humor giving the show just the right amount of levity required when tackling heavier subjects.

The show ended and Ray leaned back in his chair, testing the power of gravity against the tensile strength of the dilapidated chair. "So Lily, how do you plan to spend your last months in lowly ole Roscoe?"

She smiled, "As I always do, with just a little tweaking here and there."

Robbie cocked an eyebrow in her direction, "Tweaking? Is that even a word?"

Travis chimed in, "To alter, modify, or fine-tune."

Ray quipped, "What's gettin' tweaked?"

Lily held her head high, prepared for the scoffs that were about to be directed her way. "I, in all my years at the fine educational establishment known as Henry Roscoe High, have never attended one of its dances. Specifically, the up and coming Fall Festival."

Ray's tone was that of one speaking to a small child, "Lily, we don't do dances."

"Exactly my point. As an emissary of this school I believe I should have the total experience, including the infamous "high school dance." She looked around the group, "So are you with me or not?"

Robbie looked unsure, as if he was a toddler being asked to try asparagus. "Uh…what do you say Ray?"

Ray didn't miss a beat, "Whatever the lady wants, my man." He smiled at Lily; "I'll be there." He threw a wad of paper at Robbie. "And so will he." Robbie just sneered jovially at Ray.

Lily looked over her shoulder at Travis who was cleaning up his station, "And you?"

He smirked, "I would be honored to attend a social function with Roscoe's future musical ambassador."

She spun around in her chair, "Great! Cause I got the cutest little strappy sandals in New York. Oh, oh! And they had the best earrings…." All three boys closed their eyes in mock agony at having to endure anything "girlie." She waited until she had their attention. "Gotcha!" She ducked for cover as all three pelted her with anything handy.

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The time flew by so fast and the foursome stayed busy to burn off the nervous energy. They even pre-recorded some show segments so Shady Lane's departure from RFR would not coincide with Lily's, if indeed that came to be. Travis did not have the heart to tell Robbie that RFR would only be half of its usual self just after Saturday's Fall Festival dance. His flight out was the following Thursday. When asked who she was taking to the dance, Lily told them she was taking her best friends, all three of them. Robbie had even turned down Kim when much to his surprise she turned the tables and asked him out. The four friends were treasuring every moment, each show of RFR, sharing vanilla sodas at Mickey's and making bets with each other on who could find the most unusual CD placement in Mickey's original and quirky sorting system.

Friday, when Lily arrived home, her parents were waiting for her. Her dad's rigid posture and her mother's clasped and wringing hands signaled that the answer had arrived. The envelope was on the dining room table. She had a vague sense of being Indiana Jones about to pick up the obviously placed but dangerously booby-trapped treasure. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and picked up the envelope. It was rather large and quite thick. She had always heard beware the skinny envelope for therein lies rejection; her hopes rose. She looked back at her parents, they anxiously nodded and she ripped it open.

She was accepted. Accepted. Lily let it sink in. She was going to New York to study music. Lily Randall was now a student in the prepatory program for Julliard's School of Music. She turned to her parents. "I'm in!" Her father whooped and twirled her around as he had when she was a tiny girl. Her mother couldn't stop crying. After they settled down they read through the information together. She could start music instruction immediately if she could find a tutor for her other studies or she could wait for the following semester when a full academic slot became available. After much deliberation with her parents she decided to use the money that her singles had earned to pay for the tutor. She figured the more musical instruction she got the better she would be.

She went up to her room to email the guys. She knew Ray would be over as soon as he heard the news, her ever-faithful best friend of many years. She'd be leaving him next week. She'd be leaving all of them. She was determined to make this dance count. Everyone she knew and loved would be getting a hug and a dance from Lily Randall, including Ed and Ted, without them she would have failed Physics. Her mind drifted to Travis, she had no real way to thank him for all he had done for her. He had told her once to have no regrets. She only knew one thing. She was going to kiss him, no brush of the lips, or chaste experimental peck, a kiss to rival all kisses. Only then could she leave with no regrets.

A/N: Coming up. Aahh, a last dance, the last chance…for romance. Shoulda been a song. Mostly fluff but hopefully good fluff, a setup if you will; the best is yet to come. (Hopefully.)

And who else but me would require a special disclaimer for her author's notes? I don't own em folks, I'd give up anything if 1013 and Carter could bring em back.

Further adventures in the quest for feedback:

The room was eerily calm and strangely blue in the otherworldly glow emitted by the PC in the corner of the room. Two people rifled through the various belongings looking intently for something but for what they weren't sure.

The taller of the two, a lanky but handsome man, stopped by the computer, "Hey Scully."

"Yeah?" The petite redhead walked over to him; closer than partners in a government law enforcement agency had any right to.

"Take a look at this. She wrote stories."

"So? There are a lot of undiscovered writers out there."

"Lots and lots of stories. About TV shows. And books. And movies."

"It really is quite common, Mulder"

"Yeah, but where's the money in that?"

"Need I remind you that you are a lowly government employee." His expression of disgust relayed his concession of the argument.

"So why do they do it then?"

"For the recognition, the fifteen minutes of fame. Without feedback there would be no progress, no innovation. Feedback is vital to all areas of life, whether if be an intellectual opinion on the written word, our sense of taste and smell to discover potable drink and viable food, or our erogenous zones to further the age old miracle of procreation." She noticed his glazed expression and the fact that he was staring at her lips. "Are you listening to me, Mulder?"

"Let's do it, Scully!"

"Excuse me?"

"LET'S REVIEW!"