Standard Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight or any of the characters from the story. All song selections have been provided by my amazing beta, NoWayWithWords. She is the greatest!

The song for this chapter is "Second Chance" by Shinedown.

Chapter 3 – Second Chances

Once I got my first good paycheck from the diner, I signed up for internet service. I was so excited to turn my laptop on and be able to have access to news, music, information, and email that I was literally bouncing in my seat.

It had been almost a month since I had moved back in with my Dad. I opened my email and started sorting through page after page of crap. Things were so crazy before I moved that I didn't have much time to check my emails, so there was a lot of it. Most of it was advertisements. I sorted through those pretty quickly and deleted them. I read a few emails from Angela. Her boyfriend, Ben, finally proposed and they were planning a wedding for the following spring. She asked if I would be her maid-of-honor. I replied with a definite "Yes!"

I read through an email from Alonzo. He had moved into an apartment with the blond. She still hadn't agreed to marry him yet, but he was happy anyway. He said Nate and Jessie moved into separate apartments and hardly spoke. He was still keeping in touch with both of them, though. I replied to him and told him how things were going with me.

I responded to a few other emails from friends and then came across an email from EC Entertainment. It was almost two months old.

Dear Ms. Swan,

I appreciate your honesty in regards to your unauthorized use of my licensed music. I understand that this was an unplanned situation and therefore I do not hold you liable for this one time error in judgment. I know the crowd can be rather intimidating when you are new to the stage. I watched the link you sent, as well as others I found online, and think you will do very well in the music industry. I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

Always remember to never stop reaching for your goals.

Sincerely,

E.C.

I read and re-read the email. Could this really be from THE Edward Cullen? An hour later, I decided that it was probably a publicist responding on his behalf. Edward Cullen is much too big to read and respond to his own emails like this. He probably has a room full of people responding to all of his fan mail.

I read through a few other emails and found one from a small record label saying that they had been trying to reach me but did not have a phone number. I picked up my phone and dialed them right away. I spoke with a guy named Mr. Whitlock. He told me that he had heard the CD and wanted to know if we would be interested in doing another CD under his label, Alice Records.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Whitlock, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity, but the band is no longer together."

"Ms. Swan, are you still performing? The reason I ask is because it's your voice that people want to hear. It's your face they want to see on stage. If you are still interested in performing and you do not have a contract with the band, we can still work out an arrangement."

"How? I doubt I would sound that good without a band."

"Simple, you sing with a house band."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. I don't really have any new music, though."

"Well, the first thing I suggest is that you get a release signed by the other band members so you can continue to use some of the music that you already have. We can re-mix a few of those songs and work on new ones. I have access to a library of music you can go through. If you find something you like, you can buy the rights to the songs. It's not as difficult as you might think. How about we get together over coffee and discuss it?"

"Umm, actually, I'm not in Seattle anymore. I moved back home with my dad, about four hours away. I can come up there on Saturday though."

"Ok, Saturday it is."

We made arrangements to meet for lunch on Saturday at a Vietnamese Noodle house that we both knew before getting off the phone.

-/MMI/-

I have to admit, I was a little leery about the meeting when I drove to Seattle that Saturday morning. When I told Angela about the meeting, she insisted that I spend the weekend with her and Ben since I would be there anyway. I was running a little late, so I only had time to drop off my bag and rush to the restaurant. If there was one thing I learned living in Seattle, it was that you don't leave things in your car where people could see them. Since my little car was in the shop, I was driving the old pick up my dad kept when I went away to college. There was definitely no room to hide anything in there.

I walked into the restaurant and started looking around. I had no idea what Mr. Whitlock looked like, but he assured me he would be able to spot me. I only stood there for a few seconds before I was approached by a petite lady with short black hair. She grabbed my hand and led me to a table in the back.

"You must be Bella Swan. My name is Alice. When my husband told me he was going to meet with you, I insisted that he let me tag along. I love your music. I saw you at the festival last summer. You were awesome! I told my husband, Jasper, that we needed to sign someone like you, you know, someone with a good voice and good stage presence. I'm so excited that you agreed to hear what we have to offer. Of course we don't have all the pull and power, like Volturi Records, but I think we do alright."

I think she would have kept talking if it weren't for her husband putting his hand on hers and giving it a little squeeze. He was tall and thin with a gentle face and shaggy sandy blond hair. Something about him seemed to just put me at ease.

"You'll have to forgive my sweet Alice. She tends to get a little excited." He extended his hand to me. "I'm Jasper Whitlock. I'm glad to finally get to meet you in person."

I shook his hand. "Bella Swan. It's nice to meet you too."

The waitress came over and took our orders. Jasper wasted no time getting down to business. He handed me some papers to look through detailing the extent of the proposed contract and then took the time to explain it all while we ate.

Basically, he wanted me to sign a contract with him to make one CD, do a bunch of telephone interviews to promote it, and perform a minimum of 5 concerts. The locations and size of the venues were still to be determined.

According to the contract, he had the rights to approve and reject what songs made it on the CD and he would decide when and where the 5 concerts would be held. Any additional concerts would be open for discussion. He would cover the studio time and any other costs associated with making the CD. He would provide a house band for me. If I chose to buy any songs to record, I would have to pay for that out of my own pocket.

When it came time to tour, he would rent a bus and pay for the gas. If there were more than two nights between gigs, he would cover the cost of a hotel; otherwise I would sleep on the bus. I would have a small allowance for food and drinks. He would not pay for alcohol. Smoking was not allowed on the bus, but that wouldn't be a problem because I didn't smoke anyway. I would have to buy my own clothes, do my own laundry, do my own make-up, style my own hair, and provide my own entertainment while we were on the road.

In return, I would get paid royalties for CD sales and I would get a small percentage of the ticket sales from the concerts. The number didn't look very big, but I wasn't going to complain. He was taking a big risk investing in me when he didn't know if I was going to make it or not. He said that most companies make artists agree to do two or three CDs but he didn't like to do that because he didn't want my love of music to become a burden. His hope was that my CD would do great and make us both a bunch of money. When I was ready to make the next CD, he hoped that I would consider coming back to him and signing another contract.

"That all sounds pretty good, but what's the catch?" I asked.

"Well, first you have to get your old band members to sign these waivers." He handed me a few more papers. "Second, you will need to work on some new songs. I am hoping to start working on the CD soon, so you would have to come up with several songs pretty quickly. And last, but not least, when we start working in the studio, you will need to have a place to stay here in Seattle. I can promise you that it won't be done in one day and we can't rearrange the recording schedule around your day job. You need to be available when we need you. I know you have bills to pay and need to keep your job, so I will try to give you enough notice to work something out with your boss, but if your boss is not accommodating, I'm afraid this will take priority."

"I understand. I don't think it will be too much of a problem. Unfortunately, there aren't that many jobs available in Forks, so I shouldn't have any problem getting someone to cover my shift. They could all use the extra money. As far as having somewhere to stay, I could always ask my friends if they would let me crash on their couch when I need to be here. I don't think they will have any problem with it."

"What about the music, Bella?" Alice asked.

"I am great with lyrics. I won't have any problem with that at all. I've never tried to write the instrumental parts of a song, though."

Jasper paid the bill and said, "Do you read music, Bella?"

"Yes. I played the piano for ten years then switched to the acoustic guitar."

"How long have you been playing the guitar?"

"Almost seven years."

"Then you shouldn't have any problem with the guitar parts. Why don't you give it a try and see what you come up with? It doesn't have to be perfect. When you start working with the band, they will make suggestions and we can tweak the songs a little. Since you don't have your own band yet, I suggest you keep it simple."

I left the meeting feeling pretty good about everything. Jasper suggested we wait to sign the contract until I had the releases signed by the old band members and had some time to think about the songwriting. I thought that was a good plan. I told him I would call him when the releases were signed.

Before I left the restaurant, I called Alonzo. I explained my situation over the phone and he agreed to sign the paperwork. He wasn't the one that actually wrote the music anyway. He said Nate wrote the music and Jessie wrote the original lyrics. I drove up to his work so he could sign the papers. He gave me Jessie's number but said that Nate's phone had been turned off.

Jessie didn't give me too much shit about signing the papers since we didn't use any of his words anyway. When I asked him how I could find Nate, he shrugged his shoulders and told me that he hadn't spoken to him in months. After much begging on my part, he finally gave me his father's phone number.

His dad seemed like a nice old man. He was much older than my father. He gave me the address to Nate's new apartment but told me he wouldn't be home until later in the evening, after 7 pm. I drove back to Angela's and spent the afternoon reading and re-reading the contract. Angela got on her computer and looked up any information she could find about recording contracts to see if I was being screwed or not. She didn't have much luck finding anything because most people kept that information private. She did find a news article about a musician that got screwed by a record company. They detailed his contract in the article. Mine was much better than that, so I thought it might not be too bad.

I left Angela's place just before 7 pm and headed toward Nate's apartment. He was living in a dumpy apartment complex on the shady side of town. I found his apartment and was relieved that he was home when I knocked. He looked surprised to see me.

"Bella? What the hell are you doing here? This isn't a safe place for you to be wandering around. Come inside."

When I stepped through the door, I surprised to see that his apartment was practically empty. The only furniture he had was an old beat up recliner in the center of the living room. It was dirty and had holes in it. It looked like something he picked up on the side of the road. There was a lamp with no lampshade sitting on a cardboard box beside the chair, and a small TV on the floor against the wall.

Nate looked around nervously. "Umm, you can sit on the chair if you like. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Thanks, Nate. How have you been?"

I felt like an idiot as soon as I asked the question. He looked horrible. His lips were dry and cracked. Obviously he had spent entirely too much time outdoors. His clothes were dirty and he smelled like sweat. His hair, that he usually kept short and spiked, was gown out and greasy looking. His brown eyes that used to sparkle were now dull and lifeless.

"I've been better. I got a job pushing a lawnmower for a landscaping company. It's not my dream job but it will help with the bills. Hopefully I will be able to keep this job for awhile."

I'm sure that I gave him a strange look. "Why wouldn't you be able to keep the job?"

Nate looked down at his shoes as he answered, "If the people in the neighborhood find out about my criminal record I will be run off of this job too."

"I don't understand. I know you got picked up for drunk driving. Why would that keep you from doing landscape work?"

Nate looked me in the eye and I could see the pain hidden deep inside. "They didn't tell you the whole story. After the concert, Jessie and I took two girls to a party. We had a few drinks. Jessie got fucked up and refused to leave. The girl I was with was practically humping my leg; she was so ready to get out of there. She had done some coke and was horny as hell. We took off and were on our way to my place but she couldn't wait. She started going down on me on the fucking highway. I knew I was too drunk to concentrate on driving while I was having my dick sucked, so I pulled over and we climbed in the back of the van. She was fucking insatiable. She kept screaming for me to go faster and give it to her harder. She wanted me to pull her hair and bite her neck. It was crazy. Even after multiple orgasms, she still didn't want to stop. Hell, I don't even know how long we fucked, but finally she fell asleep, so I got back in the driver's seat and attempted to make it home. I was three miles from my exit when I got pulled over. They found her passed out in the back, practically naked. They hauled me in. I knew I would get busted for DWI but I didn't expect all the other shit." He closed his eyes and winced, as if it were too painful to remember.

My curiosity wouldn't let me walk away without knowing, so I had to ask, "What other shit?"

"It turns out the girl was only seventeen years old. She told her parents that I got her drunk and made her do the coke. She said I took advantage of her and tricked her into having sex with me in the van. When the doctors examined her they found some bruises from my hands and a shit load of my semen. So, along with the DWI, the DA charged me with statutory rape, giving alcohol and controlled substances to a minor, and a bunch of other bullshit charges."

"Oh my God! That is total bullshit! I saw the girl at the concert. She looked like she was at least 25."

"I know. That's what I tried to tell them but when she showed up in court, she was wearing a little pink dress, barely any makeup, and had her hair in a ponytail with a pink ribbon. She looked like she was fifteen!"

"That is seriously fucked up."

"That's not even half of it. I don't know if you knew this, but my day job was a school bus driver, so I lost my job right away. With the DWI, I couldn't get another driving job, so I got a job as a doorman in one of the high-rise apartment buildings downtown. After the trial, the court made me register as a sex offender. On my file it says that was charged with statutory rape and indecency with a minor. The management company found out about it and fired me because they didn't trust me with the kids in the building. I got a job as a janitor in the mall but they fired me when they found out about my record because too many kids hang out at the mall. I have been jumping from job to job ever since. It seems like every time I think things are going to get better, someone finds a way to throw my record back in my face." He wiped a tear off of his cheek. "You know, all I ever wanted was to make music. I get my one big shot and it fucks up my entire life. I have lost so much more than just a few jobs. I lost my pride, my friends, my family, and my dreams."

I went over to where he was sitting on the floor and held him while he cried.

Once he regained his composure, he looked up at me. "Enough about me, how are things going for you, Bella?'

"They're looking up, I think. That's kind of what I'm here for. I have an opportunity to sign up with a record company and make a real CD. They want me to re-record a few of our songs and need you to sign a release saying I have your permission to do that."

Nate smiled. "That's great, Bella. I'm proud of you. Which record company?"

"Alice Records. They are pretty small but they are willing to work with me. They want to make a CD and set up five concerts for me. They say that there may be a possibility to do more concerts but we won't know until the CD is recorded."

"That's sounds almost too good to be true. What's the catch?"

I laughed. "I asked the same things. Basically I have to get you to sign this paper." I handed him the paper so he could look it over. "I have to adjust my work schedule around their recording schedule, and I have to write some more music." I could feel myself cringe when I said the last part.

"You made a face. What's the face for? You didn't have any problem fixing up our songs. You should be great at writing music."

I shook my head. "I'm good with the words but I don't know about the rest." Suddenly, inspiration struck me. "Hey, Nate, I have an idea. How do you feel about helping me write the music for my next CD? I will give you credit for it inside the CD cover so you can get some recognition. We can work out some kind of a deal. I'll find out how much people buy songs for and pay you, but I can't afford to pay up front. You will have to wait until I start getting some money. Unfortunately that might take a little while."

Nate was smiling from ear to ear. "That sounds great. I can write the music parts and sell you the songs so you can add the lyrics. We can work out the money situation but I have a few additional requests."

"Ok, shoot."

"If you are playing in Seattle, you have to give me at least two front row tickets and let me come back stage to say hi."

"OK. I will guarantee two tickets and backstage passes. What else?"

"If you are nominated for some kind of music award for a song that I have written, you have to let me go to the awards ceremony with you."

"I think that can be arranged. Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Ok. I'll talk to my contact at the record company and find out how much money people get paid for selling songs. Once I find out, how will I be able to reach you?"

"Why don't you just leave me your number? I will call you every Wednesday to see what you've found out and let you know how I'm coming along with your music."

"That sounds like a good plan."

We talked a little more about how neither of our lives were going as we expected and how we hoped the music would help straighten things out for the both of us. He told me that the hardest part about his entire ordeal was the way his father and brother seemed to turn their back on him. It was very sad that one error in judgment on his part and multiple lies on the part of the girl had ruined his life.

As I got in the truck to leave, I made a promise to myself to help him out in any way that I could. He was a good man who didn't deserve the hand he had been dealt. It was 8:30 at night when I arrived at Angela's. I used Angela's computer to send an email to Jasper letting him know all the forms had been signed and telling him about my plans to keep using Nate to help write songs. In the email, I asked for Jasper's advice regarding how much I should pay Nate. I made sure to point out that I wanted to be fair to Nate because he was a friend who was having serious financial problems. I didn't expect an answer, so I shut the computer off as soon as I sent the email. Ten minutes later I received a phone call from Jasper.

"Hey, Bella, I got your email. I'm surprised you got all the signatures so quickly."

"Thanks, Mr. Whitlock."

"Please, call me Jasper."

"Ok, thanks, Jasper. I didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"I carry a Blackberry, so I get my email wherever I am. I had a quick question regarding your friend. You said he wrote all the music for your previous songs?"

"Yes. He wrote all of the instrumental parts. His brother wrote the original words but they sucked, so I changed them completely."

"What position did he play in the band?"

"He was the drummer."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's his problem? I have heard him play. He's pretty good. Does he have a drug problem or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Honestly, I really don't feel comfortable going into detail about it without his permission. I will tell you that he hooked up with a woman after our last performance and she turned out to be trouble. She talked him into doing a few things and then lied to the authorities about it. He ended up getting arrested and now he has a record that will haunt him the rest of his life. That record is making it extremely difficult to hold a good job."

"So it's not an addiction problem?"

"No, not at all."

"And he doesn't have problem with fighting?"

"No. He is extremely easy to get along with. Why do you ask?"

"The current drummer for my house band is getting married. She hasn't told me yet, but I am pretty sure she's already pregnant. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but she has mentioned in the past that she would like to stay home when she has kids and stop traveling around so much. The guy she is marrying easily makes enough money to support the family without her financial contribution."

"What makes you think she's pregnant?"

"She has completely stopped drinking coffee, she started complaining if people smoke around her, and she has spent almost every morning for the last couple of months throwing up in the bathroom."

"You're right. She sounds pregnant to me too."

"I think she doesn't want anyone to know until after they are married next week. I might be wrong. She may just be really nervous about the wedding, but I want to have my bases covered, just in case."

"I don't blame you."

"So I was thinking about your friend, Nate. If he is as good a song writer as you say, and he can play drums really well, he might be pretty good to have around."

I felt my chest clinch. I knew this would be something Nate would love, but I didn't want him to have to go through the rejection again if Jasper had a problem with his record. I knew I had to break down and tell Jasper the rest of the story. I figured it would be better if I said something than for Nate to have to live through it again.

"Jasper, you don't even know how perfect Nate would be for the job. I think you would really like him and he would seriously appreciate the job, but there is something you need to know first."

"I'm all ears, sugar."

"The woman I told you about… The one that talked him into doing something stupid… She took him to a party and he got drunk. She did some cocaine in the bathroom with a bunch of girls then convinced him to leave with her. On the way to his place, she persuaded him to pull over on the side of the road and have sex with her. After they were done and she passed out, he was driving home and got pulled over for drunk driving."

"So that's what he is ashamed of?"

"No, he admits that he shouldn't have been driving, but there's more. When the cops found her in the back they took her in, too. It turns out that she was only 17. She lied and said he got her drunk and drugged her, so he could trick her into having sex with him. That is total bullshit. I was there before they left the concert and she was all over him. I could have sworn she was older than me. I would have never guessed she was so young. Anyway, now he is listed as a registered sex offender and is on probation. Every time people find out he is a registered sex offender, they fire him. They act like he is going to run around molesting children or raping women. It's awful."

"So he drove drunk and had sex with a woman without finding out how old she was?"

"Yes, but she made it sound much worse."

"But you don't believe her."

"Correct. I know she's full of shit. He is a good guy. Yes, he shouldn't have been drinking and driving. That was wrong on his part, but there is no way he would have suspected she was 17. Even if she wasn't 17, he would have never made her do anything against her will. It's just not in his nature."

"You make a great character reference, Bella. I think I'd like to meet this friend of yours. I can't officially hire him until my drummer tells me she is leaving, but I would like a chance to discuss it with him anyway."

"You would do that? You would hire him knowing what's on his record?"

"Of course, Bella. Everyone deserves a second chance. We all have our demons; some people just have it worse than others. When good people get a second chance, it changes their whole lives. They become much more humble and appreciative. Someone may have been a shitty employee before, but when they hit rock bottom, suddenly their outlook on working changes. They know what is at stake if they fuck things up again."

"That makes sense."

"Do you have his number?"

"No. His phone has been disconnected. He is going to call me on Wednesday to check in. I can have him contact you then."

"That will work. I'm not in a hurry yet. When he calls, ask him if he would like to meet me for dinner. I'll take him out for steak. I remember when I was down on my luck, I really missed steak."

"So you have had hard times in the past?"

"Like I said, we all have our demons. Mine almost killed me. Alice's cost her her childhood. That is what has driven us to try to help people as much as possible. Maybe someday I will tell you my story, but it's getting late and I have a lovely wife waiting for me. Good night, Bella. Don't forget to give Nate my number."

"I won't. Thanks for everything, Jasper."

"You don't owe me any thanks. I haven't done anything yet."

"Yes, you did. You listened and didn't judge. That's what matters the most."

A/N: Well, it looks like things might be improving for our little rock star! I know, some of you are wondering where Edward is. I promise, their paths will cross again soon enough. She has a few things to accomplish first.

Things have been crazy again this week and I have not had a chance to respond to the reviews for this chapter yet. I'm going to work on it as soon as I post this chapter. Better late than never, I guess. Just a reminder, if you are interested in hearing the music chosen for each chapter, you can click on the link in my profile page. NoWayWithWords is posting them on a YouTube playlist.

Ok, I really must be going. For all of my fellow Americans, Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a safe holiday, eat good food, and spend quality time with your friends and family. They are important.

If you like this chapter please let me know by posting a review. Thanks!