AN: So. This chapter was not exactly what I wanted it to be. I had planned to have it out sooner and it doesn't actually meet my expectations, but it's here and finished so hopefully you all enjoy. It was originally supposed to be longer, with two additional scenes, but they were cut due to being random surplus that while gave us a closer look at some of the characters, didn't really move the plot along or add anything to the chapter that wasn't already present. So here is chapter two, which I'm not entirely pleased with, but rest assured that better, funnier, and shippier things lie ahead in the next few chapters!

And as a side note, I am not a song writer by any means, so any "original" songs featured in this story will be listed in the author's note. The song used in this chapter - and that will be used in the next - is Perfect Christmas by S Club 7

"I have some concerns…"

That was not what Gustavo had wanted to hear upon showing his new girl group – who was still in search of a name – their first song. Turning the mic on to yell at the short redhead behind the glass he cried, "What kind of concerns?!"

Delia stared at him, unblinking, before stating "It just appears that, even with all four of our sheets here, we don't have a full song."

"Also it's all about Christmas?" Auden replied "Not that Christmas isn't lit, but it's not even October yet."

"It's a demo." Gustavo attempted to explain, "And if it works then we're going to air it in November which is the perfect time for a Christmas song!"

This time it was Brooke who spoke up "That still doesn't explain why we're missing lyrics."

"That's because…" he paused, not sure how much of the truth to tell the girls in the booth, before finally admitting "…it's supposed to be a duet with Big Time Rush."

"Isn't a duet two people?" Brooke questioned "This would be an octet, right?"

"And if they're on this track why aren't they here?" Callie questioned.

"They're a very popular very busy boyband." Gustavo replied in his best attempt to remain monotone. Why did these girls feel the need to question literally everything? "They'll record their vocals later. But they will shoot the video with you."

Auden raised an eyebrow before questioning "So are we even getting our own first single or are we just hood ornaments for your boyband?"

"Are you actually going to sing or are you just going to question my every move?!" Gustavo cried.

There was an audible sigh before the girls started up again.

Brooke sang softly and sweetly; "Hello friend, it's me again
I just called to tell you,
Even though I miss you so
I've been thinking of you
All my dreams are coming true, at last...oooh"

There was an abnormally long pause as they waited for the next musical cue. Auden stood glaring at Gustavo, Brooke twiddled her thumbs, Callie was braiding the ends of her hair, and Delia was awkwardly swaying from side to side.

Eventually, Auden finally counted to the bar where she was supposed to start singing;

"The greatest gift that there could be
Wrapped underneath my Christmas tree
Would be the same my whole life through
I'd spend the perfect Christmas with you
Though the winter seems so long
My faith in love has kept me strong
So if I had a wish come true
I'd send the perfect Christmas with you"

There was another long pause again, before Callie finally reached her cue
"The perfect ending to a wonderful year
Would be celebrate the good times with you here
Cuz I know
For sure
I never wanted anything more"

Auden was able to go right back into the chorus, thankfully.

"The greatest gift that there could be
Wrapped underneath my Christmas tree
Would be the same my whole life through
I'd spend the perfect Christmas with you"

Delia had finally gotten to her cue

"So when you ask me what I mean
To me the Christmas is complete
Boy can't you see"

However, the awkward pause before Auden got back into the chorus was so noticeable that Callie visibly cringed

"The greatest gift that there could be
Wrapped underneath my Christmas tree
Would be the same my whole life through
I'd spend the perfect Christmas with you
Though the winter seems so long
My faith in love has kept me strong
So if I had a wish come true
I'd send the perfect Christmas...

And if I had one wish come true...

I'd spend the perfect Christmas here..."

As soon as she finished singing, Auden screamed "Gustavo what the FUCK?! Are you seriously giving one of those boyband asshats the big finish to our first song?!"

"To be fair," he inhaled, before admitting "Technically it's their song, and you're going to be featured on it."

"Wait, for real?!" Callie asked, suddenly a lot more upset "So when are we going to be working on our song for our album?"

"Soon!" he promised.

Delia was the next to speak – but to Gustavo's pleasant surprise, it wasn't directed at him, but rather, her bandmates. "This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I honestly think that it's an ideal way to grow our fanbase, people will recognize our name before our own first song debuts-"

She was cut off by Auden "But we're always going to be tied to Gustavo's fucking pet project! We shouldn't be the girls who sang with Big Time Rush that one time, we should be our own thing. Which reminds me, how is that name coming along?"

"I don't have time for this." Gustavo grumbled into the other end. "I just need you ladies to give me some clean vocals before I have an aneurysm!"

A few hours later, Callie was on her way for her "date" with James. She had dressed up for the press, but not enough to make an effort to impress him. As far as she was concerned, he was still an airheaded dirt bag who was so far up his own asshole she was surprised he was walking upright. But she was doing this for the group. They needed the publicity, and she was the face.

She'd already been sitting at the outdoor café where they were set to meet when she heard the absolutely cringe worthy sound of his voice "Well well, aren't we looking lovely today?"

Her eyes never left the menu in front of her as she replied as stonily as possible. "Let's just get this over with."

James pouted as he moved to the chair across from her, sitting down. "What's with sour voice? I'm beautiful, you're beautiful, the day is beautiful…"

"Is being beautiful all you care about?" she asked, finally darting her head up to look at him, her menu slamming down in front of her as she did so.

"No." he replied with a shrug, before adding "But it is super important. I mean, look at me." Slowly he leaned in towards her and gave his head a short shake to the left as he whispered "Don't look at the camera, but definitely play your good side to it."

"Listen," she spoke as calmly as she good, eyes still focused on her menu. "I really don't want to be here. I want to spend as little time with you as possible because we are not going to get along."

"Not with that attitude!"

She sighed, moving to rub her temple. "There are tons of girls just as superficially pretty as I am that I'm certain would love to hear you talk about how great you think you look…"

"Why are you like this?" he interrupted.

There was a pause, as Callie slowly raised one of her eyebrows to ask "Excuse me?"

"Seriously. Okay, I get that we don't have compatible personalities or whatever and that you don't want to date me but I've barely said anything and you just keep yammering on about how you don't want to be here. Like I could be a great guy. We could be best friends but you'd never know because you already decided you don't like me."

Crossing her arms over her chest she replied "You haven't exactly given me a lot to work with."

"You haven't given me the chance to!" he argued.

Callie sighed, ultimately deciding that maybe she had been a tad unfair. "I've just got a lot on my mind, okay? I just moved from my hometown and I have a new job and I'm living with three girls I've never met before and now I'm 'dating' someone I would never actually date in a million years. It's a lot to take in."

"Okay but you don't need to take it out on me." He whined, slinking down farther into his chair. "Let's just have some lunch and then you can take a nap or something."

Meanwhile, Brooke was trying to avoid both Delia and Auden to no avail. On the one hand, Delia thought that being featured on a Big Time Rush track was a good thing – the boys had a fanbase and it would get their names out to their target demographic. Auden meanwhile didn't think that their initial career launching point should be tied with anyone, that their success should come from their own talent and their own sound and their own marketing. That way no one could say they ever owed their success to anyone else.

And to be quite honest, it was getting to be a little too much for Brooke to take. Both girls made some very serious points, but they'd started fighting for her opinion. Both wanted Brooke to side with them, and all the poor girl wanted was a moment of peace and quiet. With her headphones in, she was walking along a trail at a park not far from where the girls were living. She was so caught up in the stress of the situation and trying to lose herself in the music that she didn't hear the voice calling to her, or the arm trying to flag her down, until she stopped moving to skip the next song that had come up, and the boy running behind her ran smack into her.

"Oh my gosh," he gasped right away, taking a few steps back, but resting his hands on her forearms "I'm so sorry Brooke I was trying to get your attention and…"

"Carlos," she interrupted, with a warm, genuine smile on her face, "It's okay. I wasn't paying attention. It's my fault."

His voice was whiny, but the tone was still genuine and pleasant as he argued "But I still feel really bad for literally running into you like that. I could've stopped running or something!"

"I promise," she assured him, gently moving one of her arms to rest on the boy's shoulder, "it's fine. What were you trying to get my attention for anyway?"

With a smile and a shrug he replied "Just wanted to say hi! We didn't get off on the best foot the other day and you looked a little lonely."

She cracked a smile as she explained "I was trying to get a minute to myself, actually. Delia and Auden aren't exactly agreeing at the moment and I just kind of needed a breather."

"Oh." He replied, his face falling a little as he apologized "I'm sorry for bothering you then. I can go. It was nice talking to you."

"You don't have to leave." She found herself saying before her brain completely registered the fact that she was talking. "I just kind of needed to get away from those two for a little bit. You're not stressing me out like they are."

"What are they fighting about?" he asked, moving to sit on a nearby bench "If you don't mind me asking, of course!"

She followed, sitting on the bench's opposite end as she admitted "It kind of has to do with your band, actually."

"Is it about who's the cutest?" Carlos asked, "Cause then the right one is whoever said Logan."

With a light chuckle and a slight eyebrow raise she let out a slightly confused sounding "No?" before explaining "We're going to be featured on one of your songs before we get our own."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Carlos asked, his tone curious but optimistic.

Sighing, Brooke began twisting a strand of her long blonde hair that was currently tied into a ponytail around her finger. "Well Auden thinks it's a bad thing. She thinks we should get famous on our own merits first and that we shouldn't be tied to another act. But Delia thinks it's a good thing because it will get our name out, so when our own song does come out people will already know who we are and they'll be more likely to buy it."

Carlos' smile faded slightly as he replied "Well that's what Auden think and that's what Delia thinks but that's not what I want to know. What does Brooke think?"

The blonde was taken aback slightly. Neither Auden or Delia had really asked for her opinion, but rather for her unwavering agreement. She hadn't really given it much thought. "They both have valid points. But in the end shouldn't it be about getting our music out to as many people as possible?"

Carlos nodded, stating "I think so. But that's just what I think. I can't tell you what to think, cause I'm not you. Only you're you."

"Hard to argue with that." Brooke smiled.

Grinning even more than before, Carlos offered "Maybe Auden and Delia will think so, too."

The following day the girls were back in the studio with Gustavo. "Are you actually going to cooperate today, or should I just send you home early?"

Delia was the first to speak. "I'm more than willing to cooperate, and I apologize in advance for any outbursts that may come out of my bandmates."

Callie then spoke "Let's just get this over with."

"Hold up," Auden cried, "I still want to know what the exact plans for us are. Are we still just decorations for those Big Time Assholes or are we actually getting our own song with our own name any time soon?"

"We're. Working. On. It." Gustavo snarled, already regretting his decision to include Auden Cassleman in his new girl group line up, wondering if it was still early enough to kick her out and replace her.

Not realizing the mic was still on, Callie muttered "I don't even care at this point as long as it keeps me from seeing James Diamond's stupid face any longer than necessary."

"What even happened on the date?" Brooke inquired.

"He was an asshole who told me I needed to take a nap." She replied rolling her eyes.

"Maybe he has a point." Delia replied.

Whipping her head around to face the shortest member of the still unnamed girl group, Callie replied "Well that's easy for you to say. All you ever seem to do is suck up to Gustavo and suck up to his precious boyband, especially James."

"With all due respect," Delia replied, her tone dangerously cool and even "some of us actually try to get a decent's nights sleep and would be able to if someone didn't sing so obnoxiously loud in the shower at three AM and went to bed at a decent hour like a more civilized human being."

"Literally no one asked you Delia!" Auden screamed.

"ENOUGH!" Gustavo bellowed from behind the glass.

He was about to yell even more at them before he was totally taken by surprise, as the girls were all interrupted by a suddenly very aggressive Brooke. "Seriously, why are all of you like this?!" she asked "We've been given such a huge opportunity here. Do you know how many people would die for the opportunity just to show up in a Big Time Rush music video, let alone sing with them? So maybe James is a little insufferable, but so are all of you! All I want is the chance to make music. It's all I've ever wanted to do. But I can't do that if the three of you are just going to yell at each other all the time! How will you be able to tour and do photo shoots together when you can't agree on something that's literally a once in a lifetime opportunity?!"

There was a long pause, before finally, Callie broke the silence, her voice uncharacteristically small. "You're right, Brooke. You're so, so right. I'm so sorry. I don't know why I've been acting this way. But you're right. We need to get our act together. And from now on, I'm going to give being professional my all."

"I agree." Delia nodded. "And I'd like to extend my deepest apologies for my own behavior. It was wildly inappropriate, the absolute last thing I want is to make life difficult for any of you."

Auden merely nodded, offering a small "Same."

"So." Gustavo spoke from behind the glass. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, shall we take it from the top?"

The girls looked at each other, and for the first time, nodded in perfect sync. "Let's do it."