DISCLAIMER: All characters and story world belong to SM. All lyrical references and quotes are property of their original artist. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: The fantastic four - BlahBlahBlah, OCDMess, WendyAnn, and Bikechick3 (I miss you!). The betas, validators and fic wife writers dream of!

Last chapter I asked what song reminds you of 'Sorry'. I liked all of your choices, great songs. Mine: REM – Losing My Religion, for personal reasons.

This is a song fic and so all of my chapters are based on songs, lyrics, or covers. All links are from YouTube.

Rasputina – You Don't Own Me
/watch?v=B0oxLybgEic

30 Seconds to Mars – The Kill
/watch?v=zMmQSEaS-w0

Superchick – Stand in the Rain
/watch?v=hZjRMa7Pmj4

Evanescence – Bring Me To Life (This version specifically for the long intro)
/watch?v=5qM-49wIkkA

Chapter 12 Part II
BPOV
Friday May 19th, 2006

The day of the show came quickly. I was in the dark blue dress Garrett had purchased for me and matching three-inch heels. I never took off the necklace Garrett gave to me. I played with it often, rubbing the stone very gently so as to not shatter it. When he caught me doing so, it made him smile. I was much better at handling things without breaking them, and when I rubbed the stone, it brought me comfort.

I triple checked my appearance in the mirror and sighed before turning to leave the motel. Garrett was already waiting for me in the SUV with the equipment. I slid into the passenger seat and nodded at him.

"Let's get this over with," I mumbled.

"Hey, chin up. You know I'll help you, just remember what we practiced with your shield. If you're feeling confident, focus your mind and keep your shield strong. If you start to waiver, let it go, and I'll help you stay focused on performing. I doubt you'll even need my assistance once you get comfortable." He smiled at me as we drove west to the club.

When we finally arrived, we parked on the side of the building by a small door. Garrett pulled out the keys but stayed in his seat. "Alright," he said as he took in a shallow breath. "We are going to go through the side door because it will be less of a shock for you. This is a vampire-only bar and they don't share our diet. The place is filled with the scent of human blood, which is served openly to its patrons. I know this may be a bit difficult for you, but there are no humans to attack for miles. Just keep reminding yourself of that fact, and swallow back the venom. We just went for a hunt this morning, so you aren't thirsty. Try to stay grounded and think of this as practice for playing in a human bar." He looked at me carefully, watching my reactions and expressions. "Will you be okay?"

I nodded and swallowed. I was terrified. I knew there was no one around for me to hurt, but I had never been surrounded by such a strong scent of human blood. I didn't want to mess this up for us.

"Alright, let's go." He reached down and squeezed my hand before getting out of the car. He pulled the equipment out of the back of the SUV and ran inside to set it down. He returned to my side quickly and held my door open for me.

I couldn't move. I was frozen in fear. I felt my shield dissolve quickly, and wished I could cry.

"Shh, Little-Bit, it's okay. Come on, you'll be fine," Garrett said softly.

I nodded slightly and swallowed once more. I slowly got out of the car and took his hand. We walked at a humans pace up to the side door and paused for a moment. I swallowed once more and nodded as I tugged on my lip ring gently. "Alright."

He opened the door and held it open for me. I froze in the doorway. The sweetest scent I had ever smelled seemed to float out of the building and nearly made me gag. I fought the instinct that screamed at me to drop into a crouch and growl. I struggled to remind myself that nothing here was a threat to me. Garrett squeezed my hand and smiled down at me. I took a moment to hold my breath before walking through the door.

Garrett followed me through the doorway and put his hand on my lower-back, guiding me towards the booth. There was a short man seated in one of the booths who watched us as we approached. He looked to be my father's age but had hair that reached his ears and fell in loose, sandy-blond curls. I could sense his gaze, and I was growing uncomfortable as he looked me over. I fought the urge to shiver and smiled at him instead.

"Maurice, this is Marie Phoenix. Phoenix, Maurice," Garrett said politely.

I extended my hand over the table, but he didn't return the gesture. After an awkward moment, I dropped my hand and ran my palms along my hips. I shrank back further into the safety of my mind and Garrett eyed me suspiciously. I was completely closed off to him, and I knew he didn't like it.

"We don't often allow newborns to play here. They tend to be aggressive and cause problems. I hope that you can behave tonight, Phoenix," Maurice said coldly.

I nodded and forced a polite smile. "Of course, Sir." I crossed my ankles and bent my knees, giving him a subtle curtsey to show my respect, holding back my snide comments.

"Phoenix is extremely controlled for her… age. I've never come across a newborn like her. You have my word, Sir; no problems shall arise tonight by our doing," Garrett assured him. He eyed me suspiciously, but didn't break his polite demeanor.

"You have three songs, or twenty minutes. I do have other talent lined up for the afternoon with full sets, so please be respectful about the time constraints. The floor is yours in five minutes," Maurice said.

Garrett and I both nodded and thanked him in unison. I curtsied once more and spun to face Garrett. He squeezed my hand and led me back to the stage where we set up the equipment. I was fighting the urge to run, but I held onto my shield, refusing to let Garrett sense my weakness. I could feel him watching me out of the corner of his eye as he tuned his guitars.

"Alright, all set, Little-Bit?" he asked.

"Sure." I nodded. I swallowed back more venom and took a shallow breath, trying to get accustomed to the burning in my throat.

"You'll need to let me in for the first few songs. Please, Little-Bit, we've been over this. I'm here to help," he said.

I nodded again, taking a deeper breath and felt the weight on my mind slowly fade. I locked eyes with Garrett, waiting for him to nod when he could sense that I was strong enough. Once he nodded, I took note of the pressure on my mind and tried to focus on keeping it there.

I moved the keyboard to the side so I wouldn't have to look at the crowd while playing. I wanted to hide as much as I could get away with. Garrett raised his eyebrow at me and I hung my head. Alright, I won't hide, but I don't have to sing to them either.

I leaned against the edge of the stool with my back to the crowd. I could feel their eyes on me as I took another deep breath. The burning was starting to subside, but I still had to swallow constantly. The long notes of the opening reverberated throughout the room. We didn't introduce ourselves or speak to the crowd at all. We liked the mystery of being unknown and felt the music was the important part. We agreed we would introduce ourselves after the first song. Opening with a cover made it easier on me than dealing with the emotions of our own song right off the bat.

I rolled my shoulders and sighed as the music filled the room. I can do this.

"You don't own me, no… I'm not one of your little toys," I sang quietly. I closed my eyes and let Garrett tug at my decision to keep going. I hated the feeling of not being in control, but when I was singing, I felt like I was freed of my burdens.

I heard the crowd mumbling behind us about recognizing the song. I still felt completely shy, but I wasn't being booed off stage, and that was a relief.

"Don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say." I was quickly gaining confidence as I continued. I looked at Garrett who was grinning from ear to ear. I grinned back at him and sang the next line louder. "When I go out with you, don't put me on display."

The crowd was whispering about my shyness. A few of them said that they wished I would turn around, but I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I swayed as I sang, rolling my shoulders during each line. I could feel confidence rising in myself, and I had to fight to not put up my shield.

"I don't tell you what to say, I don't tell you what to do. Just let me be myself, that's all I ask of you," I let the last word linger as I swung my entire body in tandem to the beat. The crowd was hooting occasionally, but nothing too distracting or inappropriate. I raised my voice with the next verse as the song built up to the climax.

Garrett was playing louder and faster to match the tempo shift. At the peak of the song, I took in a deep breath of air, filling my lungs and letting the burn in my throat roar to life once again. Garrett stopped playing, letting the silence linger for a brief moment before strumming the chords louder than before. The crowd began to cheer as a wide grin crossed my lips.

I stood and turned around to face the crowd. "I don't tell you what to say, I don't tell you what to do. Just let me be myself, that's all I ask of you!" I cried out. I swung my hips as I bent my knees, lowering myself slowly before swinging back up. I flicked my tongue over my lip ring and smirked as I took a step towards the crowd, filled with confidence. I felt like I was declaring my freedom, and the audience was cheering me on.

"I'm young, and I love to be young. I'm free, and I love to be free. Free to do whatever I want; to live my life the way that I please!" I held the last note as the song faded out. The crowd stood while applauding. I looked towards the back of the room where Maurice was seated saw him clapping as well. I felt like I was on top of the world.

Garrett crossed the stage and leaned into me. "Great job, Little-Bit. I'm so proud of you. Let's keep going. I have faith in you," he whispered in my ear.

I smiled and nodded back at him, swallowing the venom in my mouth. I made it through the first song, but can I manage to get through one of my own?

"Thank you for staying and giving us a listen. We are Beautifully Sacred. This is Phoenix, and I'm Garrett. It's our pleasure to be performing here today. These next few songs are originals, so we hope you enjoy them as much as you liked our cover," Garrett said to the crowd.

I returned to the keyboard, sitting on the stool at an angle that only revealed my profile to the crowd. The fabric of my dress fell and the entire side of my thigh was exposed. I stood back up and moved the stool away. I guess I'm standing.

The intro to our next song began and I smiled. I felt like it had been years since that fateful day in the record store. I was amazed even then at how well our musical styles worked together. I drew in a deep breath and cleared my thoughts. I focused on the pressure in my mind, allowing Garrett to persuade me if he needed to. I knew this song could be dangerous to play. Hell, all of our original songs were emotional and could be dangerous for me to play. We were playing with fire, and we knew it. I felt like my self-control was on trial, not our musical talent. What I wouldn't give for Jasper right now.

I felt Garrett tug at my core, pushing me to sing. I nodded, closed my eyes and sang the first line.

"What if I wanted to break? Laugh it all off in your face. What would you do?" My fingers glided over the plastic keys of the keyboard as Garrett sang the harmony between my lyrics. As we moved into the chorus, I pulled all of my strength together and cried out the words. I would never forget how I felt when he walked away from me that night. I had wanted to dig a hole for myself and never move again. I wanted to hide my heart away from the world, but he had taken it with him and all I had left was a vacant spot where he belonged.

"What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life!" I screamed. I had been so angry, hurt, shocked, and devastated when he left. I had clawed at the dirt and pleaded with the sky to bring him back. I apologized for everything and anything that I had done that night.

We worked our way through the song and I managed to hold it together for the first half. I was terrified of the bridge, however. As we reached the climax of the song, I stopped playing the keyboard and grabbed the microphone from the stand. I walked towards the front of the stage and looked out at the audience. Most of them were clapping along with the rhythm or swaying back and forth, but a few were standing casually and just observing. I rocked forward and backward to the beat as I cried out the peak of the song.

"Look in my eyes. You're killing me, killing me! All I wanted was you!" I took a deep breath and tried to hold myself together. When we first created this part of the song, Garrett had sung it. This time, however, I would be the one laying my heart. His words mirrored my feelings, but we each had our own story behind it. He hadn't shared much of his past, but I knew he had been through a lot.

"Finally found myself fighting for a chance. I know now…"I closed my eyes and collapsed to my knees. The back of my dress hung limply as the front fell between my legs. I screamed out the last words to the bridge, pounding my fists on my thighs. "This is who I really am!"

I rocked back and forth to the rhythm. "Come… break me down. Bury me… bury me. I… am… finished with you…" I whispered as I wrapped my free arm around my ribs. I stood up and took a deep breath. I looked back out at the audience. Nearly everyone looked shocked or impressed. "What if I…" I grimaced slightly as we finished out the song, lingering on the end note.

"Thank you," I said quietly as the audience applauded.

I slowly got up from the floor and walked towards the center of the stage, placing the microphone back on the stand. I glanced at Garrett who still had the same grin plastered on his face. I moved the keyboard to face the audience while Garrett switched to his electric guitar. We needed the programmed tracks on the keyboard for the last two songs. I was nervous about playing them because they were so new, but Garrett assured me we would do fine. Garrett nodded at me, showing he was ready and I pressed down on the keys.

Garrett started to play after the first line and I smiled at him. "She never slows down," I whispered. "She doesn't know why, but she knows that when she's all alone it feels like it's all coming down."

My voice filled the room as I belted out the chorus. Garrett had written the song for me, and singing it was liberating. He told me to find my strength, and never let it go. Little did he know, he was my strength, and I wasn't ever letting go of him.

"So stand in the rain; stand your ground! Stand up when it's all crashing down." As I took a deep breath to finish the chorus, the crisp ring of his chords rang out. "You stand through the pain, you won't drown, and one day what's lost will be found. You stand in the rain." I repeated the chorus as the song reached its peak.

Some of the vampires in the crowd were grinning and moving to the music. Garrett was playing harder and faster than before, truly enjoying the execution of the song.

As I pressed the last note, a smile spread across my lips. The crowd cheered, and I couldn't help but feel amazing. Three down, one more to go.

"Thank you, this will be our last one. We are Beautifully Sacred, and thank you for joining us this afternoon," Garrett said quickly.

I smirked as I thought about our last song. There was a lot of power and energy behind it, and it made me excited. I adjusted the microphone so it was closer to the keyboard. I imagined this song being played over a real piano when we wrote it, but the small keyboard was all we had room for.

I pressed down gently on the keys, making a repetitive melody that sounded eerie and reminded me sitting in the empty Cullen house as it rained outside. I began to sing out non-words, letting my voice and the sounds of the keyboard fill the room. Garrett smiled as he watched me bellow out the wide range my vocals were capable of as a vampire. I could sing decently before, but my range had become rather incredible after the change, and I was very thankful.

A few people in the crowd started cheering as I reached the high notes and held them. I slowly crawled back into my mind, shutting Garrett out entirely. This song was filled with strong emotions for me, but I knew that I would be fine. It was about my change, and my decision to either live or die. It had little to do with Edward, and more to do with my new life.

I changed the melody on the keys as I stopped singing. I let the notes linger in the room before fading into a faster rhythm; the effect was haunting. Garrett's grin grew wider as he continued to watch me play. I gave him a wink as my confidence grew.

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?" I whispered over the haunting notes. I was still locked onto Garrett's eyes as I sang. "Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb," I sang louder. I pressed down on the keys with more force, making each note crisp and powerful.

"Without a soul, my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it…back…" I grinned widely as I pressed the last key and took a deep breath. "Home." Garrett smirked and struck the strings with force as he joined the song. I grabbed the microphone off the stand and strutted to the front of the stage.

"Wake me up!" Garrett sang into his own microphone.

"Wake me up inside!" I sang directly after him.

"I can't wake up!" he sang louder. I repeated my same line as before as I walked towards him.

"Save me!" he screamed. I leaned my back against his right side and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Call my name and save me from the dark!" I cried out. We sang back and forth for the chorus, sharing the vocals.

"Save me from the nothing I've become!" I sang with a smirk. I left his side and danced across the stage, swinging my hips to the music.

This song was our anthem to each other. He had saved me, brought me out of the darkness and into the light. I had sunk so deep into a depression that I hadn't known who I was anymore. When I was changed, I wanted nothing more than to die. I felt like I had nothing left to live for. He helped me see that I have so much I could live for. I may never be complete, but I could have a life.

There was one line that was for Edward because I would always and forever consider him to be my everything; my love. As we finished the second chorus, I stood center stage and closed my eyes. "Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling." I shuddered and gasped, dropping to my knees. The whole in my chest ripped open as I saw Edward's face perfectly in my mind.

"Only you are the life, among the dead!" I screamed out, holding the last word until I had no air left in me to sing. My head fell into my hands as I shook. My heart is dead without you.

Garrett sang his solo with a deeper voice than usual. I threw my head back up and gasped for air to sing the next line.

"I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems, got to open my eyes to everything," I sang under his vocals. I stood quickly and walked back towards him as he finished the next line. I touched his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Don't let me die here," I whispered.

"There must be something more!" he growled fiercely. Garrett closed his eyes. It looked like a wave of pain had washed over him. Was he remembering something from his past?

I spun around and leaned against him again, closing my eyes tightly. "Bring me to life!" I screamed over the music. We began the chorus once more as I rocked back and forth to the music. I stomped my foot harder than I intended to and snapped the heel of my shoe. I kicked off both of my shoes, shrinking three inches, and walked across the stage as I continued the song. We sang back and forth, sharing the lines and speeding up the music.

The entire crowd was moving with an incredible amount of energy. I was awestruck. A grin spread across my face as we finished the last chorus and ended the song on a hard note. I looked over at Garrett and saw he was just as smitten with that. I ran across the stage, barefoot, and leapt into his arms. He had to spin the guitar to the side so I wouldn't crush it between our bodies. I buried my nose in his neck and held him tightly. His chest rumbled as he laughed. I squeezed him tighter and he groaned.

"Oomph, Little-Bit, you're crushing me," he said.

I jumped off of him and looked down at the ground, embarrassed. "Sorry…"

He laughed again and grabbed my hand. "I can still picture your blush. I miss it sometimes," he said quietly.

I stared at the ground, even more embarrassed as I mumbled incoherent words. He chuckled and pulled me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"You did amazing, Little-Bit. Amazing. I'm so proud of you." He lifted my chin and looked into my dark red eyes. I blinked and looked away as I chewed on my lip.

"Thanks, Garrett," I mumbled.

"Don't mention it. Come on, let's get our gear off the stage before we run over twenty minutes."

I nodded and ran to the side of the stage where I had left my shoes. I grabbed them and started wrapping up the cords quickly as Garrett took the bigger equipment out to the SUV. Within seconds, the stage was cleared. Someone cleared his throat from behind us, causing me to jump.

"I just wanted to say how impressed I was with your show. I also wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It wasn't fair of me to pass judgment on you simply because of your age. I hope that you will accept my apology, and my congratulations on the excellent performance," Maurice said.

I was completely shocked. He was apologizing? I hesitated for a moment before I extended my hand. He shook it politely and smiled at me before releasing his grip.

"Of course. I can understand your feelings towards those who are newly changed. Apology accepted, and thank you for the kind words," I replied. I looked up at Garrett who was standing beside me. He was looking down at me with a genuine smile.

"She has extraordinary control, as well as talent. Thank you, Sir, for giving us both the chance to play here tonight," Garrett said.

"It was my pleasure, Garrett. I would like to speak to you both, if you have a moment?" Maurice asked.

"Of course. We're in no hurry," I replied.

"Excellent. Well, I just wanted to say how talented you both are, and that you're welcome to play here anytime. I have a few bands that play here regularly, and would like you to become one of those few." Maurice looked at us both closely, waiting for our reaction.

I gasped and looked up at Garrett, shocked. He was grinning and nodding his head. I looked back at Maurice with my mouth still hanging open. I shut it quickly and swallowed the venom pooling in my mouth. The scent here is overwhelming, but if we want to play anywhere with humans I'll have to get used to it. I nodded eagerly and smiled.

"Thank you, Sir. You don't know how much that means to me, to us," I said quickly.

"Let's just say I have a knack for knowing true talent when I hear it, and you guys have the potential to go far. I don't want to sound too forward, but I could see you topping charts with that last song of yours. If that's what you want, anyway," Maurice said.

"I… I don't know. I don't think we want that kind of fame. I mean, please don't get me wrong, we really enjoyed performing today, but I don't know if we would do well with that kind of popularity. I see us making albums, and maybe doing small gigs," Garrett explained.

"Ah, yes. The music is your focus, not the media attention. You remind me of another band I've signed that plays here regularly. They too simply enjoy playing live and making music. Well, either way, I would like to extend an offer to the both of you. I have a record label and production studio. If the two of you are interested in being signed, I would love to hear more of your music and discuss contracts. I don't offer this to many that play here, so I would appreciate you being discreet, but should you ever be interested, call me." He handed Garrett his card with a grin and bowed his head at me.

"Uh… thank you, Sir. Thank you!" Garrett said, surprised.

"Oh! One more thing. If one of my signed bands needs an opener, would you two ever be interested in something like that, if it wasn't too large of a venue?" he asked.

Garrett and I looked at each other. I wasn't certain I wanted to be moving this quickly, but I knew a chance like this didn't come along every day either. Garrett could probably sense my indecision and turned back to Maurice.

"Would they be vampires as well, or humans?" Garrett asked.

"Like us, most likely. I rarely sign a human band, let alone have them tour with our kind," he answered.

I nodded. "That sounds fine then."

"Excellent! How about I get your number so I can give you a call if any openings arise and in the meantime you two work on finalizing a track list for a CD. We can sit down and discuss your options when you have enough content," he said.

I couldn't believe it. We were being offered to be signed after our first show. I looked around the room as Garrett was writing down his cell phone number and our email address. There were a few of the audience members hanging around by the side door, watching us.

We finished up with Maurice and headed for the car, but the group at the door stopped us.

"Hey, we just wanted to say you guys had some great songs. We do cover songs here once a week, and you guys are one of the best original bands we've seen in a while," the taller one with long, black hair said.

"Yeah, you guys were great. If Virulent Disease didn't already have an opening band lined up, you guys would have fit perfectly," the shorter one with dirty-blond hair said.

"Uh, thanks…" Garrett said slowly, waiting for their names.

"Oh, I'm Jameson, and this is Christophe," The blond said.

"B-Marie Phoenix," I said, almost slipping up. "This is Garrett." We shook their hands and smiled politely. I really wanted to get out of the bar if this conversation was going to take any longer; the smell of human blood was a bit much when I wasn't being distracted by performing.

"So, we heard you are still a newborn, Marie. When did you change?" Christophe asked.

"Call me Phoenix, please, and I changed a little over four months ago. Listen, would you mind if we took this conversation outside?" I asked quickly. I was swallowing constantly and panic was starting to rise.

Garrett glanced down at me, narrowing his eyes as if he was trying to peer into my mind. I nodded and looked back at the door, and back up at him. He got the point.

"Yeah, let's go outside where it's less crowded. I'm sure the next band will be starting soon enough," Garrett said casually.

As we walked outside, I heard Maurice behind us at his booth.

"What do you mean they had to cancel? They're due to play in ten minutes," Maurice said, sounding upset.

"Well Sir, they said they had a disagreement and wouldn't be able to make tonight's show. Shall I call another band to fill in?"

"Yeah, I guess we should. Shit. Well, give Virulent Disease a call, they live close by and should be able to make it. Tell them we can work out an arrangement for payment once they get here."

The door closed behind us and I looked up at Garrett. He shrugged and wrapped his arm around my waist. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean air and his woodsy scent, and smiled.

A/N: First, special thanks goes out to Simple . Luv for her review that mentioned 'Stand in the Rain' back on Chapter 4. This chapter is dedicated to you, and your amazing friend whose strength should be admired, and courage should be applauded. I truly hope things get better for your friend; you are an amazing person to her, I'm sure.
I listen to all of the songs people suggest in their reviews that answer my chapter song questions, and sometimes, like in this case, I use them.

Bella's Dress and Necklace can be seen on my profile! Check them out. Also, if you're into AH twi-fic, check out my new fic, Memories Left Behind.

So, any guesses? I love to hear your theories – sometimes you guys are closer than you think! Next chapter is split between Edward POV and Bella POV, but I will be posting it as one chapter.

Also, to those asking, this story is plotted for around 25-27 chapters, with an Epilogue still in debate. Half way there, folks!

Song question for the Chapter: Name a song that gave you chills when you first heard it, either due to vocals, or lyrics, or performance if you saw it live. I want physical chills and awe, people!

Teasers for pleasers, my sweets. You please - I'll send a tease. ;) Just ask for it.