Author's note: Alright guys. I'm back and, believe it or not, I am incredibly sad. I sat down this weekend and finished the entire story for which I plan to post in its entirety today. Wow! I have LOVED the reviews, and I look forward to starting my next story. I hope you guys enjoy the twists and turns I took and I really really hope that you guys stick with me for my next fan fic. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this one. Wow! I almost hate to see it end although I knew it had to some time. I have some great ideas for another fic, but I want you guys to throw some ideas at me too. Alas (wiping away tears of great sorrow), there's only three more episodes of Instant Star left before the hiatus and then we have weeks and weeks to fill the void before the next season. So hopefully, I can keep fresh enough ideas to keep us all enthralled until then. For my first two fan fics, I hope I have done them proud. Stay with me till the end of this one, and I'll have an author's note listing a few ideas for another one, and I would love to see you guys let me know some of yours at the end too. Lots of love to you. See you at the end of this. Smile. Please R&R.
Two days later...

We had traveled only a short way by hitching trucks before we came upon a hostel near the Swedish border. Tom was right. They weren't the most luxurious places in the world but they were fairly nice dormitory type rooms that accommodated us all. We could handle that. I was sitting on a bunk waiting for the rest of the guys to pick their sleeping cells before deciding to go to the window to look out. It almost looked like a block party going on down below as others from the hostel and the surrounding town strolled lazily through the shops in the square.

"You want to go down?" I heard someone ask from behind me, and I turned around to see Tom standing stoically behind me with his arms crossed against his chest. I stared at him before glancing back at the window before nodding.

"Yeah." I said suddenly before turning to follow him out of the room and down the hall. We met the rest of the gang along the way, and we all made our way into the square warily. We needed some relief from the constant traveling. Jugglers threw balls at our faces as we walked by and I laughed as Spied caught a ball and started juggling with them.

"A hidden talent, I see." I said to him teasingly as he quirked a brow and caught the last ball before handing them back to the guys who clapped and bowed to him with fake bravado. Spied did the same before sidling up to me and running a finger lazily down my arm.

"I have a lot of hidden talents, Harrison." He said with a seductive smile as I rolled my eyes, and tapped him playfully on the head.

"I'm just doing good if I can rub my stomach and pat my head at the same time." I said on a laugh as Jamie pointed to the center of the square. I saw Tommy throw Spied a look as I followed the direction of Jamie's finger.

"Look, Karaoke." Jamie said almost childishly as I grinned and walked over to the edge of the group. I knew what he was getting at.

"We should play." I said with a shrug. "When's the last time we played for something other than money or record deals. Let's just have some fun." I said on a grin as the guys of SME nodded.

"Let's do it." Wally said quickly, and I saw Tommy say something to one of the other musicians before the man handed me his guitar and motioned to the stage. This was going to be fun. Climbing onto the stage, we didn't even introduce the songs before barreling straight into the music. I looked carefully over the crowd, and smiled as I noticed people dancing along to the tunes. So, I hadn't lost my touch. Finishing up, we let Patsy take the stage to wake everyone up, and the people screamed and cheered as SME and I took the stage a second and final time. Oh, I was loving it. My cheeks glowed as we departed the stage, and I looked over to see Tommy smiling fondly.

"Just like old times, huh?" He asked as I nodded with a grin before mingling with the crowd, speaking as best I could with the Swedish people while learning about lives so different from my own. Spied laughed at a joke some old woman told him as she pinched his cheek, and I winked at him as he walked over to where I stood.

"I'm feeling special." He said as he rubbed the red mark on his cheek and I tugged on his arm before pointing to an arm wrestling match that was going on at the edge of the square by two burly men.

"Want to wrestle me?" I asked humorously. He quirked a brow as someone cleared his throat from behind us. I turned around to see Tommy looking at Spied and I with a frown.

"That wouldn't be fair, Jude. Why don't we make it more even? Feel like it, Spied?" Tom asked in a low tone as Spied narrowed his eyes before nodding. Fair? Yeah right. Nothing against Spied, but I've seen Spied's arms and I've seen Tom's, and I was betting on Tom's. I watched in mute fascination as they each took their place at the table and got resolutely into position. Why did I suddenly feel like a piece of bait? Wally and Kyle came to stand on each side of me while rubbing their chins gently before smiling at each other.

"Believe it or not, Spied's actually pretty good at this." Kyle said on a chuckle as Jamie and Patsy sidled up behind me.

"I'm still betting on Tommy." Jamie said in a sure tone as Patsy shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know." She said as she inclined her head towards Jamie. "I've always been kind of particular to the skinny guys myself." She finished with a wry smile before punching Jamie playfully on the arm. He just rolled his eyes at her before turning back to the match at hand. Both men were straining as they pushed at each others' biceps trying desperately to get the other one's arm down first.

"Getting old aren't we, Tom?" Spied asked derisively as Tom's jaw clenched visibly.

"Well, if you're going to put it that way, Spiederman, you can at least call me mister." Tom said as he took a deep breath and pushed harder at Spied's arm. Spied just raised a brow sardonically.

"Deference for the elderly, huh?" Spied said on a laugh as Tommy's grip suddenly pushed Spied's arm lower to the table.

"Well, you know what they say? Fine wine only gets better with age." Tom stated wryly as I lifted a brow with a small grin. He wasn't kidding there. Spied saw my smile, and he pushed hard enough on Tom's arm that he started to gain the advantage. Tom grunted, and I could see sweat beading up on both their brows.

"How many more minutes do you think they're going to last?" Wally asked from my right shoulder as I laughed softly.

"Until one of them breaks, I imagine. It's one of those he-man complexes." I said as Wally looked at me with a wry expression on his face. I shrugged in compliance. "What? It does the body good. At least they can say that they need massages tonight." I said with a shake of my head. Patsy grinned suddenly from behind me.

"Well, then, let's up the ante shall we." She said with such amusement that I could feel trepidation spread throughout my limbs. "Jude gets to massage the arms of the winner!" She shouted jovially as Spied glanced at us from the corner of his eye.

"I'll take that bet and raise you an entire body treatment." Spied said just as loudly as Tom's eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Oh, you're asking for it, String bean." Tom said with a sneer as Spied grinned devilishly.

"Depends on what you mean by asking for it?" Spied said with blatant innuendo as Tom suddenly seemed to retain a more vigorous stamina. Something told me Spied had just stepped over the line and into 'you better hope your grave is already dug' territory. I wasn't impressed. I could see Tom nibbling slightly at his lower lip as he pushed at Spied's arm roughly.

"What? Afraid she'll like it?" Spied asked in a whisper so low that only Tom and I could hear. I knew Spied still loved me, and I could seriously identify with his pain, but he had just stepped over the 'ex girlfriend' line and into 'I'm done sympathizing' territory. Coughing loudly, I distracted Spied enough that Tom gained the upper hand, and I silently cheered him on as Tom pushed his arm down to the table. The crowd roared as Spied shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly.

"Guess we'll have to have a re-match some time." He said as he offered Tommy his hand. Tom shook it in silence, and I shook my head knowingly as they each parted ways. Note to self: Keep an eye on those two.