A/N: So here's chapter two! This wee chap is focused on dougie and lara, because how dougie parts of is a little more complicated, so will need more explaining.. capishe:L? also, I always feel intimidated to write Dougie's part just because he's so… amazing and wonderfully weird, I mean how can I put down his perfection in words? Right, anyway…
Chapter Two
"Please Dougie, I look a mess!" Lara begged her fiancé desperately.
Dougie rolled his eyes, then looked at her sincerely, "You look beautiful"
Lara blushed, even after being with Dougie for thirteen years he never failed to make her feel like a giggly school girl.
"Dougie" she sighed happily, then leaned in to kiss him passionately. They really were deeply in love. She caressed his chin, looking deep into his startling blue/green eyes. His eyes flickered to the road for a second.
A loud car horn beeped at them.
They snapped apart, "You really shouldn't kiss me when I'm driving" Dougie teased as he waved his middle finger at the furious driver now over taking them. Their silver Hyundai sped along the busy road towards the centre of London.
"You were stopped at a red light" Lara pouted stubbornly, sinking low in her passenger seat.
"Yeah for like two seconds" Dougie laughed then ruffled her soft brown hair, "Anyway it was a good kiss, even if it were the death of me"
Lara smiled, "Well, to repay me you could take me home to get changed?" she batted her eyelashes, giving him the puppy dog eyes.
Dougie bit his lip, and then gave in as her eyes grew larger "Fine but you better be quick! Personally I like what you're wearing just now" Dougie jutted out his chin stubbornly.
Lara grinned, "I'm not going to turn up to Danny and Georgia's for dinner wearing paint splattered dungarees Dougs"
Dougie shrugged.
They arrived at their house which was only a few blocks away from Danny's, no more than a ten minute walk. Lara hopped out, promising Dougie she'd only be a minute.
Dougie cut the engine and sat in silence. He closed his eyes. Lately he had been tired a lot. Maybe it was just as he was getting older. Now no one's saying thirty seven's an old age but after the stressful and energetic life he's lead, it would be no surprise. Being in the band was extremely tiring; he was either jumping about on stage or travelling around the world.
Dougie looked around him, admiring his neighbours new hedge artwork. Lara got on with the neighbour well; she was an old lady, about sixty years old, a retired artist although she still enjoyed decorating her house and large garden. She had helped Lara with many pieces of sculptures before, something she specialised in. Her latest hedge design was a ballerina, and Dougie, having no art skills whatsoever was in awe of the elegant ballerina before him that she had somehow conjured.
Dougie tore his eyes away from the artwork and checked his watch. Lara had been ten minutes already. He sighed before heaving himself out of the car.
He walked up to the grand door, and opened it slowly, trying not to make a sound. He gently shut it behind him then crept along the hall. He tiptoed up the stairs, one by one until he reached the top. He was just about to bound into their bedroom and scare the life out of his fiancée when-
"Lara, what's wrong?" he frowned, entering the bedroom.
Lara was sat in the corner of the room, caressing a piece of paper in her hands, her eyes wide with shock. Dougie edged closer to her, slightly frightened by her stillness. It was like she was out of it, hypnotised or something which is one thing he certainly couldn't handle. A big phobia of Dougie's is of the loss of minds.
"Lara say something?" Dougie was serious now, as far as he was concerned this was not funny.
He sat down next to her, gently shaking her.
Her eyes slowly refocused and he let out a sigh of relief. A slow grin spread across Lara's face. She jumped up and started to dance about, waving the slip of paper around in a crazy state.
"Dougie, wait until you hear!" she screeched, looking like a banshee.
Dougie stayed sat on the floor, staring at Lara, still hung in confusion, "Hear what?" he asked impatiently.
"I've been asked to present my art work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York!" she gushed, turning red with excitement, "Do you know how famous that place is? Do you know how many famous art pieces lay within those doors?"
Dougie blinked, "Ehh... Can't say I do. Where did you say it was?"
"NEW YORK DOUGIE!" Lara collapsed beside him, still grinning away, "This is so huge!"
"Just calm down, take some deep breaths and explain it all. I'm really, really lost and your kind of starting to scare me"
Lara laughed, correcting her breathing before flattening out the letter before them.
"Right, basically these people-" she gestured to the paper, "- noticed my work in an exhibition and say they would be really grateful if they were to feature some of my pieces in their museum!"
Dougie frowned, still not quite understanding, "But a museums for like old stuff, isn't it?"
Lara rolled her eyes, "Not always, you can have modern museums. This is an art museum though. Most of the pieces in it are done by artists that passed away decades ago, although there is one or two sections on modern twenty first century work"
"Ahh!" Dougie looked enlightened, "I get it"
"They say they would love to meet me, and there's a conference meeting on May 12th. That's only two months away! If I'm willing to present my work I have to go over at some point in December to help set it up and promote it"
"Oh my god Lara! I'm so proud of you! This is the kind of break you've been waiting for in years!" Dougie bundled his soon to be wife in his arms.
"I know!" she squealed.
"So are you going to go to the conference meeting?" asked Dougie.
"Definitely! Can you imagine? This is going to be such an amazing year!"
The couple sat in each other's arms for a while.
"You know I'll be coming with you, right?" Dougie broke the silence.
Lara snorted, "Don't be stupid Dougie; you're working on your twelfth album! You can't just take a break!"
"Lara, I want to be there for you. This is your time to shine; this is what you've been waiting for your whole life! Don't you even think for a second I'm going to miss it!"
"Would you really come?" she asked in shock, starting to feel emotional.
Dougie raised an eyebrow. She grinned, "Thank god! I would have hated to fly out to New York on my own!"
"You better call them, it says at the bottom to let them know on their contact number if you can make it or not"
Lara picked up the landline phone and started dialling.
It was only a few seconds before a friendly American voice answered.
"Hello, it's Lara Carew-Jones here, I was posted a letter through the door about the Metropolitan Museum of Art wanting to see my work? It said I was to call on this number to let them know if I could make the conference meeting in a few months"
Dougie listened intently to the small talk between the two. Grinning away as Lara and the Museum finalised details. It looked like in no less than eight weeks he would be jetting off to New York. In that moment he felt an overwhelming amount of pride for his Lara.
Back at Danny and Georgia's…
Danny blinked.
Harry blinked.
Tom fidgeted.
"I'm sorry to spring it on you… although it hasn't been just a snap decision, I've been thinking about quitting for a while now"
Harry frowned; his forehead creasing so bad it looked painful.
"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked.
Tom sighed, "I thought it would pass. I just didn't think it would actually ever come to this…"
Harry shook his head slowly, "Is it something we've done? Are you being pressurised into quitting? I honestly can't see where your coming from!"
Tom licked his lips nervously, "No-ones pressurising me, or threatening me or paying me! I'm doing this of my own accord. I've had so many good offers lately about launching my song writing career, it really is a big dream of mine. Mcfly, the whole music industry has been great but... it becomes draining. I don't think I'm cut out for it anymore"
"Song writing? That's why you want to leave? Tom, you can't be serious, that's a step down, an amateur job! Nowadays nobody cares or even realises who writes songs, it's all about who actually sings it. How would you cope with people taking credit for your work?"
"Harry it's something I feel passionate about. I would be willing to lose my celebrity status for it-"
"Hey guys!" Dougie shouted, bounding through the front door.
Danny, having been quiet for most of the time, just managed to whisper, "I don't think we should tell Dougie"
Tom and Harry nodded, and then turned to Dougie, embracing him in a big hug. Lara laughed before joining the girls. For all Dougie knew, Mcfly was still Mcfly, and would be until forever ran out.
please review me lovlies:) sorry for the lack of updates, but my life lately has revolved around homework, detention and ALOT of birthday shopping. I know, what a life;) haha xx