I threw my phone away and walked upstairs to see Jane. She was ecstatic, jumping up and down on my bed and squealing. I sighed wearily.

"Oh great. You've joined the Lonely Grey Cells club as well. Wonderful." I rolled my eyes and sat down on my big, pink, fluffy beanbag.

She stopped bouncing and stood looking at me, her hands pressed against her mouth, "Guess what!" She shrieked.

"What? Wait. Let me guess, Darcy jumped off a cliff!" I squealed, feigning great excitement. Jane gave me her best big sister look, "Ella!" She reprimanded, before grinning like the Cheshire Cat again and giving another little hop of excitement.

"Anyway! Charlie is hosting a party!" She said, clapping her hands.

Wait.

"Who are you and what have you done with Jane? When have you ever been this thrilled about a party." I said disbelievingly, giving her a dumbfounded stare.

She sighed, "Elle, I'm excited because he's only hosting it so that I can meet his parents in a social environment. He didn't want it to be all awkward like it usually is." She paused, a blissful smile reaching from ear to ear and then suddenly a tiny wrinkle appeared inbetween her eyebrows, "Not that his parents are nasty or cold or cold or-" I held up a hand to let her know that I kinda got the drift.

Then Jane's face brightened yet again, "By the way, Charlie said it would be sooo amazing if you could do the music."

I raised a sceptical eyebrow at her, "If the rest of the family isn't coming then I will. If they are, Jane, you will not get me there even if you had bacon." She gave me a look back, I sighed, "OK, you probably would, but I won't do the music unless the family doesn't come with."

She dove on top of me, hugging me tightly, and I staggered back with the force of her weight.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! THANK YOUUUUUU!" I swear my eardrums had burst. I couldn't breath either.

"Can... not... breath... Jane." I gasped and she scampered back to the bed, screaming into the pillow.

Wow.

Jane hugged Charlie tightly, "Thank you so much for inviting us!" She gushed, even though she knew the party was for her.

Charlie grinned, "Nonsense." He paused, looking appreciatively at Jane's rose pink sundress and rumpled hair, "You look gorgeous." He said softly, taking her by the hand. I coughed and Charlie looked up quickly at me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm such a terrible host, but I've got an unusually distracting distraction." He took my hand as well, "Thanks a million for doing the music. Everyone was so excited to hear you were singing." Charlie looked around and leaned in conspiratorially, "To be honest, I think they're relieved that I won't be singing."

I laughed, "Charlie! You're a wonderful singer! I've got your albums in the car."

"If you say so. Right, it'll be ten minutes until it's your turn at the mic, if you still don't mind. By the way, Ella, you also look amazing as well." He said, before Jane dragged him off into the crowds. I scoffed, I had gotten dressed at the last minute, throwing on a salmon pink dress that came to just above my knees, a long woollen grey cardigan and some ballet flats (find the link in my profile to the piccie!).

"Hello."

I jumped and looked up at Darcy, who had managed to sneak up on me without me realising it.

"Oh, uh, hi." I paused and he just stood, looking at me. Socially retarded much?

"Are you going to say something or are we just going to be standing here like two idiots?" I said, taking in his rather nice appearance. He looked very casually masculine in a white oxford shirt, black dress coat and black jeans.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry," Darcy flashed me a disarming grin, taking me aback, "for the other day, I mean."

Before I could reply, Charlie burst through the crowds, "I have been begged to let you come on early. Is that OK with you? I tried to but-" I waved my hand, "Think nothing of it, Charlie." I walked over to the makeshift stage and climbed the stairs, a hand caught mine and I gasped turning to see who it was. Darcy looked up at me with an intense expression and I just looked at him, climbing onto the stage. He dropped my hand and walked away, flexing his hand, as if to rid it of my touch. Weird.

As Ella began playing, Darcy recognized the opening notes for Skinny Love. He loved this song, when he had still been getting over his parent's deaths and what had happened to Georgiana, he had listened to it while drinking brandy in his study.

Then she opened her mouth.

It was like nothing Darcy had ever heard. It was the voice of an angel, he couldn't believe that this was the same person singing. It was a crime that she hid her ethereal voice with her usual rock style. As he watched her, crouched over the piano and singing so beautifully, Darcy felt a stirring of an emotion he couldn't name.

I finished the song and everybody applauded as I walked off stage. I was going to find someone that I really didn't want to. I was trying to find William Darcy, because I needed a male backing vocal and a pianist while I played the guitar.

I saw him standing by a small group of people and walked over to him quickly.

"Darcy, I need to call in on that favour you owe me."

He looked up, surprised, "We can't exactly record a song here, Ella."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not stupid. I wanted to sing a song for Jane and Charlie and I need backing vocals and a pianist so that I can play the guitar. You won't need to do the single with us."

Darcy rubbed the back of his neck, sighing, "OK, I'll do it." I nodded thanking him, giving him the sheet music and then walking back to the stage.

"Hey everyone. The next song is for Charlie and Jane." I said, slinging my guitar over my head. I turned and gave Darcy a look that asked him if he was ready to start. He nodded and started to play the intro.

(Insert lyrics for A Thousand Years by Christina Perri)

I finished to a roar of applause and Darcy and I bowed and walked off the stage.

I turned to Darcy, "Thank you for doing that. I know that Jane worries about being in a relationship and the impact it'll have on my family and I think it would've been reassuring for her. Knowing that I approve, I mean."

He glanced at Charlie and Jane who were making there way over to us, "I understand." He nodded at me, "Goodbye." Then he stalked off. Jane reached me and wrapped in me in a bear hug.

"Thanks, Ellibear." She whispered in my ear, I hugged her tighter in response. Charlie gave me a more reserved hug and a peck on the cheek, "Cheers bub." I laughed and they went back to Charlie's parents, who had apparently taken a shine to Jane.

Everybody did.

I got bored and told Jane I would be going.

Where, I didn't know.

I wandered around the town until I found a small independent coffee shop. I walked in, ordered a white chocolate mocha and sank into one of the squishy sofas, pulling out my dog-eared copy of The Phantom of the Opera. Breathing in the sweet scent of my mocha, I smiled into the mug. Mocha + coffee shop + favourite book = Ultimate relaxing evening.

Until I put my mug back on the saucer and looked up.

Darcy looked questioningly at me as I looked, wide-eyed, up at him.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Are you stalking me?" I asked suspiciously and he raised an eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same thing... You're the one who sat at the same table as me in the same independent coffee shop out of the hundreds here."

I shrugged, "What can I say? Fate has it in for me."

He sighed and put his newspaper down, glaring at it as if it hadn't served it's purpose, not of being a bad read, but in hiding him from civilization.

Darcy looked back at me, the corner of his mouth curling in a half smile, "You performed well tonight." He said, leaning back into his chair.

I looked at him, not believing what I had heard, "The William Darcy, formerly of the opinion that I could go jump, now likes my music?" I said cynically and he looked a bit startled, the tiny crease appearing again inbetween his eyebrows.

"I never said-" I held up a hand to stop him, "Saying that Justin Bieber is better than me is basically the single worst insult I've ever heard in my life. And believe me, I have heard many insults in my life."

His face dropped somewhat, "Seriously?" He said, sipping from his huge bathtub mug.

I nodded, pulling my new iPhone from my pocket and texting Jane to tell her where I was.

I'm staying at Charlie's house. Nothing dodgy is going on, his parents have a surprise for me. Call a taxi and I'll pay, I'm sorry for bailing on you :) Xxx

I clicked off the text and then my phone bleeped. I tapped the screen.

It was dead.

I slammed it down on the table, rubbing my forehead in frustration. Darcy looked confused, "What's wrong?" He asked, peering at my phone.

"Jane's staying at Charlie's and my phone's dead." I said and the giggled when I saw his face, "Not like that! Jane would never do that, his parents had a surprise for her tomorrow. She has the keys and now I am stuck." I curled up on the sofa, laying aside my book and yawning softly.

"I'll take you home." He said. He gulped down his coffee, stood up quickly, and picked up his bag. I started to protest, but he waved them away and walks out of the café.

"It's fine, I don't have any pressing appointments and feel like a drive." Darcy said as I ran after him, "Besides, you're the only one around that has more than just a few grey cells."

I glanced up at him, while he kept his gaze fixed ahead, "Is that your way of saying that I have some sense?"

He shrugged and turned around a corner into a car park. I looked around and was wondering which car is his, when he slid his keys out of his pocket and clicked it.

The Audi R8 that I had been admiring flashed it's lights and I stopped, "Is this your car?" He looked around with a 'yeah so?' look on his face.

I squealed and hopped in the front seat, breathing in the smell of genuine leather, Darcy slid into the seat next to me, "Eager much?"

I rolled my eyes, "This is my favourite car. Ever."

He laughed, "Why don't you buy it? It's not like you don't have the money."

"I don't like buying expensive stuff, I feel conceited when I step out of the shop and see a poor person." I said, folding my arms defensively.

Darcy started the car and cruised out of the entrance, "So you think I'm conceited for buying an expensive car?" He said, while directing the car around a roundabout.

"Yes and do you know where you're going?"

"We went to your house to pick you up and drop you off. You think I'm conceited?" He asked, gripping the steering wheel tighter so that his knuckles paled.

"I believe I answered that question."

Darcy sighed and turned to look at me, "I'm not conceited."

"DARCY!" I screamed, he looked back at the road and swerved back onto the right side of the road, breathing in sharply.

"I'm sorry." Darcy apologized and I nodded silently, still gripping the leather seat. He pulled into our road and I was dropped off in silence.

"Goodnight, Ella." He said, before pulling off.

"G'night, Mr. Jerk-face." I whispered, unlocking the door.

(Insert lyrics for Heartlines by FATM)

We bowed to the roaring crowd and walked off the stage, grinning from the exuberant reception of our new song, Heartlines.

A man stepped out to talk to us and I stopped. He looked familiar and then I remembered who he was, "Joe!" I cried, grinning wider.

Joe Wickham laughed, reaching out to kiss me on both cheeks, "You told me you were Rose! I couldn't stop laughing afterwords, I'm a big fan of yours." He stepped back, squinting at me, "Awesome outfit!" Joe said, looking at my Indian leather warrior chief outfit.

He gestured to my feather headdress, "May I?" I nodded, "Thanks, I need a souvenir that's not from the gift shop!" Joe said, twirling the turquoise feather between his index finger and his thumb.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and I turned to find Holmes standing next to me, "Who's this, love?" He asked, sending an angry look over to Wickham, who looked confused.

"Holmes, this is Joe Wickham. I met him on holiday, if you could call it that." I said, frowning at him and shaking my head ever so slightly.

He grunted a 'hello', but didn't shake the hand that Joe offered him. I looked heavenward and prayed silently that Holmes would stop behaving like a Neanderthal.

I looked back at Wickham who was squirming under the wrathful gaze of Holmes, "So why haven't you texted me?" I asked and Joe snapped to attention.

"I lost it..." He said, looking sheepish and I sighed sarcastically, "I'm a wonderful musician whom you admire and you go and lose my number. I feel so loved!"

Joe gave me a sly smile, "I can rectify that." He said and I laughed with him, before Holmes started marching me off.

I looked around, "Hey, wait- Holmes!" I yelled, trying to pull free from his arm that was now tightening to fix me there.

Holmes glared at me, "I don't want to you to see him again, Ella, he's not a good sort to be with."

I stared, open-mouthed at him, "And who are you to decide that!" But he just carried on glaring and walking faster.

I sighed and allowed myself to be shepherded out of the concert hall.

A/N: This chapter may've been a bit weird because I had writer's block, so sorry 'bout that! Anyway, the songs are from Florence + The Machine and Christina Perri, love them sooo much. Especially FTM... I'll be using a lot of her songs during this story!