Disclaimer: Once again, I don't know or own anything.

Author's note: This chapter was difficult to write and possibly the longest I will write. (Eleven pages!) I really was out of breath, just putting myself in Lane and Dave's shoes. Please give me feedback. I've got open ears. I think a lot of Lane and Dave's relationship develops over this chapter and I hope I'm doing it right.

"You better not scare her away," Dave warned Zach and Brian, "Zach, don't you dare go on your Matchbox Twenty rant and you, Brian, don't pull out your inhaler… Just hold your freaking breath." They were assembled inside the music store. Sophie had shown them where to set up. Lane would be arriving any second now.

"Dude, you're the one with the sweater and the collar." Zach suggested. This was so typical. So not serious. Didn't they realize that if they acted weird or stupid or too emo or whatever they would freak Lane out?

"Her mom's totally against rock music and she's not gonna want to be our drummer if we suck, it'll be too much of a risk for no real return," he urgently replied.

"Don't sweat Dave, it's cool. I don't get why you're so nervous." For once, Brian seemed completely confident and genuinely looking forward to meeting her.

"Dude, I'm not so sure having a chick in the band is a good idea… I mean, what if she can't handle it?" Oh, no. She could handle it.

"Zach, we're an amateur high school band, what's there to handle?"

"All I'm saying is that chicks are high maintenance. And this one goes to church." Before Dave could reply, Lane appeared through the door. She was wearing a purple sweater and a pair of jeans. She looked really sweet in Dave's eyes. Zach mumbled, "See what I mean?" under his breath, but Dave nudged past him and bounded forward to greet Lane.

"Hi Lane! Whoa, a free rehearsal space." She beamed at him.

"Yeah. And we're lucky; Mama's in Hartford today and we can practice as loud as we want." Lane didn't seem to notice Zach's intensifying coughs, as she walked in and sat down at her drums. They were bright red. "So what do you want me to play?" She was oozing confidence and Dave was just enjoying the show. She sounded so professional.

"Before you play, why don't you come over here and meet the guys?" He offered.

"Um, okay." She stood up but promptly tripped over her stool. Dave and Brian rushed over to help.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked, pulling her up as Dave lifted her from the back. Dave was somewhat pleased to be so close to her. He immediately banished the emotion.

"I'm fine. Sorry… I tripped. When I was learning how to play the drums, I kept accidentally hitting myself in the face… and I don't know why I just told you that," she seemed a little flustered now. Her cheeks were a little flushed. She handed her drumsticks to Dave.

She smiled slightly uncomfortably and offered her hand to Brian, "You are?"

Brian wheezed a little, and said, "Brian… I play… bass." He was nervous now, Dave wondered whether Brian had ever shaken hands with a girl. She smiled graciously at him and proceeded to Zach.

She held out her hand, which he refused to take. "This is a band."

"I'm aware," she said with a smile; Dave was impressed by her sportsmanship.

"So, like, we're hardcore. And we intend to get somewhere someday. Soon," he said, "and if you're too… sweet and girly and too delicate for certain aspects of this um, band… thing, you're gonna hold us back. And we can't afford to be held back." Lane stood and listened.

"Uh. Huh," she seemed slightly uncomfortable but covered it well. Dave shot daggers with his eyes at Zach. After all, he didn't mind how sweet and girly Lane was and was sure it wouldn't hold them back. She seemed a little bit lost, looking at her hands, and turned to Dave, "So, yeah. What should I play?"

"I don't know. Any recent developments, as of yet?" he asked. He addressed Zach and Brian, "She does a great rhythm to The Clash."

"Yeah, well I just got some XTC down…" she supplied.

"XTC? As in 'We're all light?" asked Zach, in disgust, "You like mellower rock, huh?"

"I like all rock. Classic mostly," and Dave knew he would not want to be on Zach's end of the conversation, because Lane looked like she was going to kick something soon. "Drumsticks, Dave," she demanded. He quickly handed them over, slightly frightened but fascinated. She sat at her drums and said, "Brian, gimme the base notes for 'Behind Blue Eyes.' Dave start strumming." They rushed to obey. Zach just kind of stood there.

"Well… I don't know this well, but um… I'll do my best," said Brian, apologetically. She smiled, knowingly.

"Just play."

They played, a little hurriedly on the first verses. Zach awkwardly sang into the mike, to keep the time. They came to the middle of the song, at the guitar solo. She started a fierce beat, pounding down. Dave almost faltered in his playing.

"When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool…"

Dave could tell she was in her element. She was smiling and pounding and they didn't sound too bad. But it was amazing. The beat and the sound… It was so much better. He suddenly had a greater appreciation, even more than before, for the Who. And even Zach sounded okay.

"If I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat."

The band seemed to derive greater power from the drums. The song slowed... and eventually ended. He looked around at his band members. They were equally in awe.

"Dude, Lane that rocked," Zach said, holding out his hand. She shook it, smiling.

"It definitely did," Brian concurred.

"You're in," said Dave, "well not like I didn't know that before. Just… now it's official…" She was covered in glee.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" She hugged him. Dave hugged her back awkwardly, smiling a little too big. Brian gave him a thumbs-up sign behind her back. She was little and was easily surrounded in Dave. She smelled sweet, slightly orange-y. She awkwardly let go. She looked shy and eager to change the subject. He could feel the heat radiating from her.

She looked over at the other bandmates. Brian was examining his bass and Zach was awfully close to her drums. "Please don't touch my drums!"

Zach looked scared and stepped back. "Yes Ma'am!"

"I think you're gonna be great. Just wait, soon you'll be running us. Too bad we're a democracy," he mused, "and that drumming. It was… great. It really was." He could feel himself glowing, but she was smiling and looked like she was about to giggle.

"Away from my drums, Zach!" She marched over to her drumset.

Brian walked over. "I like her."

They played a couple more songs before Lane said she had to leave otherwise her mother would patrol the neighborhood again.

"Well I better pack my guitar," said Zach.

"Me too. With my bass, I mean," said Brian. They shrugged on out. Lane and Dave were alone. Lane surveyed the ground for a second. Dave stared at her. "So…" they both said.

"Thank you David," she said, oddly formally.

"Oh and thank you… um, Miss Kim." She smiled and grinned. "You're great. As a drummer and a bandmate." But not anything more…

"And you are too. A guitarist, I mean. And bandmate. So, anyway, I gotta go."

"Bye Moon." He grinned and strolled off towards the car. Lane stared off after him.

Lane grinned as she reorganized the chairs. She could barely keep herself from smiling. Lane's mother walked in and looked on in quandary as Lane hummed.

"Why are you smiling?" Lane immediately stopped smiling. Let the interrogation begin.

"No reason, Mama."

"No boys, no candy?"

"No Mama."

"Okay." She marched out.

I'm great. She repeated in her mind. I'm amazing and he likes me… His band likes me, I mean. And I'm in! I love music! I'm Moon! I love the Who, I love Behind Blue Eyes, and I love Keith Moon.

"Oh my god! Is that a tattoo, Dave?" Lane was definitely in her element. She'd just finished a grueling practice and had triumphantly mastered an amazing drum solo, which the entire band had commended her on. She was giggling and in a state she didn't usually let anyone else in on. It was like dancing.

"Yes," he said, smiling; he liked seeing her look at him like that. He lifted his sleeve up to show an electric guitar.

"Wow, that's so Rancid of you," she got up real close to see it, "When'd you get this?" Why Lane? He thought. Why must you dangle yourself in front of me? It was all he could do to keep himself from doing something that would make her mother sic wild animals upon him.

"I had to force him into it," said Zach, revealing his 'Rock'n'roll will save your soul,' imprint on his arm. Lane was impressed.

"Whoa, Brian do you have one?" He blushingly unveiled his Snoopy. She grinned at him, "You guys are so lucky. Why'd you get them?"

"For you, of course," said Dave, with a small smirk. She laughed.

"I don't know if I'd want a tattoo… I'd really love to dye my hair." Dave raised his eyebrows, bemusedly. He imagined it.

"I'd love to see it." He blushed a little and didn't notice Lane doing the same.

The rehearsals carried on for a week. So far they had Fell in Love with a Girl by the White Stripes, Gigantic by the Pixies and You Really Got Me by the Kinks. Dave didn't know how they could get this much done in only a week's worth rehearsals. The only issue was the inconsistency of sound. One day they could crank it up, but the next day Dave could barely hear himself, let alone the rest of the band. He didn't want to complain. After all, Lane had provided this amazing space and she was so sweet and so good for the band. But he could feel his bandmates getting restless and holding in their obvious annoyance.

This time they would be rehearsing London Calling, possibly Dave's favorite song from the Clash. He'd always thought this, even before he told the band they'd be practicing it and Lane burst out, "Oh my god, that's my favorite Clash song!" It was obvious… they were soul mates. Don't think that Dave. Bandmate, not girl. Bandmate, not girl.

Despite these constant mental reminders, he couldn't place aside his feelings. He decided that it wouldn't go away, so if she did feel the same way… not that she would, but if she did, they would proceed. But if she didn't, he'd get over her. It was the only way. Just if she didn't like him… Well maybe he'd be able to write a good song about it. And so, he planned that today, after rehearsal, he would do something to the effect of telling her that he was, y'know, in love with her. Something along the lines. This was still new, and he couldn't ruin it completely.

God, this was so bad. Today was a soft rehearsal day and it was really impairing their playing. He'd sidled around it in the back of his mind, but now, as he watched her drum, quietly, avoiding the cymbals, it was so clear and burned on his mind. Wait, it was his cue to play. Not that he could hear it.

After a couple bars, Zach started singing. But it sounded bad.

"Whoa... You guys, it doesn't sound right," he said.

"Sounded good to me!" chimed in Lane.

"No, it's wrong. Something's missing." He glanced at Lane.

"Yeah! Volume," said Zach. A little insensitively, Dave might think.

"We can't play any louder, guys."

"We've got to!" argued Zach.

"That's the agreement. Free practice space, but we have to play quietly." Actually, it was we can't play loud or her mom will hear us. But Dave wouldn't point this out. He'd rather play quietly and keep Lane in the band.

"Just try and live with it, Zach," Dave told him. He didn't like Zach yelling at Lane.

"Dude, Brian's breathing is louder than the song."

"I've got a deviated septum. All the women in my family and me have it," said Brian, so unhelpfully.

"Well it's throwing me off!"

"Hold your breath, while we're playing Brian. There. Problem solved," she said, as if this was actually a quick fix, "Okay come on now, let's rock," she looked really cute as she counted off, "1, 2, 3-"

"Wait," said Zach, god couldn't he just live with it? "The bottom line here is that breathing should not be louder than a rock band. Am I right or am I right?"

"You're right." Brian concurred. Zach glanced at Dave. He needed to unite the guys against Lane. Solidarity, man.

"Rygalski?" God, Rygalski could not side for Lane. He knew that Dave had some kind of soft spot for the chick, but this was an issue. And they were a democracy.

"Well-"

"WE NEED TO CRANK IT UP!" Zach was standing dangerously close now, and Dave was scared for his life. He knew Zach would never touch a girl, but he might hurt the guy defending her.

"Just listen harder, that'll make it sound louder," said Lane, not ready to give up.

"Can't we turn it up at all?" Please Lane, I'm working with you here. She seemed immovable.

"Well…" Poor Lane, she looks like she's gonna cry. Dave really didn't want to see that. "Maybe we could possibly, turn the amps up from 3, to say, 3 and a half, but that's it." Well Dave could go for that.

"Forget it." Zach was taking off his guitar stap and putting down his guitar. Dave could feel his perfect rehearsal getting unwound and he was sure Lane was feeling the same way too.

"Zach! Come on. We just got started!" Dave plead.

"Dude! Lawrence Welk cranked louder than this! It's a waste of time." He was getting ready to go. Lane burst out of her seat.

"Zach, no! You don't understand! We can't play louder. See, my mom has this special antenna that can pick up non-Christian music being played within a football field's distance of our house and she'd immediately come looking for me, to shield me from the perversion!" Whoa, she looked so adorable when she talked fast.

Zach turned away, and Brian said, "If Zach's going, I'm going." Lane turned to him and continued.

"Wait, no, Brian! I'm not exaggerating! Once, a guy in our town named Kirk was practicing Bohemian Rhapsody with his band, the Kirk Gleason Five, and my mom shut them down so fast that the band fled without their instruments and never came back with them. To this day, Kirk can't listen to Queen without tearing up." My god, is she bouncy…

"Sorry," Brian said apologetically. He and Zach seemed to get how much it meant to Lane, but couldn't play under the conditions set.

"Having a free practice space was cool and all, but not like this," explained Zach, gently.

"We should just rent a space in Hartford," Brian suggested.

"Hartford. Connecticut?" She looked over at Dave, who concurred, sadly.

"It's not that far." Zach pointed out.

"Yeah, or maybe, how 'bout France? We could practice in France, too, or Iceland?" She was losing it. And they couldn't have that. Dave took her arm and started to drag her out.

"Lane…"

"The moon's probably available! We could crank it way up on the moon!"

"A word please?" He gestured one minute to the band and pushed her through the door of the music store.

She ran out into the street to get out of earshot. "Dave! Talk to them! You're the leader. That's flat-out insubordination going on in there! They should be flogged, heel-hogged, strung up from the highest yardarm!" He just watched her as she talked, waiting for it to pass through her. In the small problems he had watched Lane face, it was best to let her get it out of her system.

"You know I can't."

"Why?"

"Because we're supposed to be a one-for-all band, like the Clash or U2." He only wished he it weren't. "It's a democracy." People usually responded to the soothing voice but in this case…

"Democracies are overrated. Now get in there and kick some butt!" Lane only wanted his help. He was the only one who could defend her from the other bandmates. And Dave knew that she couldn't always stick up for herself in a group full of guys.

"That's not how it works!" God, she was beautiful.

"I'll fix Brian's deviated septum- I'll ram one of my sticks up his nose!" Okay, she couldn't get violent, especially not with Brian. Aunt Louise had called Dave the only smooth-tempered person capable of rock'n'roll, which definitely came into play here. He was calm, even in frustrating situations, which he couldn't say for Lane at the moment.

He grabbed her shoulder. "Lane! Think about this, do you really believe this is working?" She seemed calmed by his touch. She sighed and saddened.

"No… it's not working. We sound like a bunch of wankers!" she resigned, admitting defeat. She had her guard up and now, she was letting it down. In front of Dave. But he wouldn't attack her, she reminded herself.

"We need a real practice space. We need to be able to really play." He gestured toward her. "Wouldn't you like to actually be able to hit both cymbals?"

"Yeah." She looked very sad. He took in her look.

"Okay then, we need to do this." She looked worse now. She let out her breath.

"I know… I just don't want to leave the band." She explained, looking tearful. This hit Dave like a ton of bricks.

"WHAT? You can't leave the band." Did she feel unwanted? "That's not what anybody wants, especially me." He couldn't let her do this! "Lane, listen to me- you're perfect for us, it's working!" They were both breathing very fast now. Lane couldn't leave after watching him admit that. She just couldn't. She sighed again.

"So, I have to figure out a way to rehearse in Hartford, two or three nights a week." She seemed to be convincing herself. It's the only way I can stay in, she reminded herself. So she could play with Dave. And the band.

"Yeah, that's not so tough," he said, soothingly. She was calm now, and it only took Dave's blood pressure rising severely.

"No, it's not so tough. And maybe, at the same time I'll attempt to master quantum physics, and throw Sanskrit in there too." At least, she was being good humored about it. She needed to do all she could to stay in the band, to keep Dave happy.

"Do your best. Not with the Sanskrit thing, that's pretty worthless," No offense or anything, "but with the band." They were quieter now.

"I'll try."

"There's no way you're gonna become our Pete Best," he said smiling at her, "there's no way." She smiled back.

"You're sweet." It was an oddly perfect moment. They were both a little anxious.

"We should get back in there," Dave reminded, returning to his senses, though he'd really rather spend his time out here, with Lane.

"Okay, um, I'll be in, in a minute." He made a face that wanted her to come in sooner as he turned to go in.

He opened the door, and heard shuffling noises of Brian and Zach running toward their seats. "Were you listening?"

"Dude, you guys were out there for like ever."

"Seriously, guys, go easy on Lane. She was considering leaving the band."

"Leaving?" Brian looked scared.

"I talked her out of it."

"So where is she?" asked Zach.

"She needs a minute," he said, "You guys were like attacking her! Who are you, anyway, Eminem?"

"Dude, it's not fair. I told you having a chick in the band was a bad idea, and what if one of us started to like her?" Dave looked very angry. "All I'm saying is that, once you're on tour, you gotta go on, whether you're screwing the drummer or not."

"Okay, listen Zach. There will be no screwing." warned Dave.

"You just wait 'til you've been on the road nine months..."

"I'm warning you, shut up Zach." Dave felt ready to punch him, even though he'd never punched another human in his life.

Luckily, just then, Lane walked through the door, because Dave would have a tough time explaining why he'd punched Zach to her.

A/N: That's it for this chapter! R and R please!