During the middle of the night, Maria fluttered her eyes open and saw Elwood, still without the shades, sleeping peacefully and with his arms around her still. She tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't. She felt so happy and joyous about what she had experienced.

Wow...I'm not a virgin anymore...

She kept her promise to herself that she would save herslef for the person she loved and that's what she did exaclty and she felt no regrets. Elwood stirred gently and opened his eyes because of a dream he had. Maria noticed his green and brown eyes ans smiled at thier beauty.

"It's so nice to see them" she said quietly "Theyre as pretty as the moon"

"As are you" he replied just as quietly

He leaned and kissed her tenderly. He definately didnt want this to be a one night stand with her. Both he and his love cherished their moment...

Until the alarm went off.

Both of their eyes snapped open and they groaned in dispointment. Maria looked at the clock and it read 4:30

"I dont wanna get up." she complained. "We didn't even sleep that much!"

"We have to." Elwood said "We need to get to Chicago to drop off that money."

"I know...I just wish they didnt have to open so early in the morning!"

After a few seconds of laziness, Elwood and Maria finally got up from the bed and got dressed so they could pick up Jake. They got thier suitcases and walked down the hallway, still feeling like zombies for not getting enough sleep. The couple finally arrived at Jakes door and found Candace the bridesmaid sneaking out of the room. She looked up and spotted them.

"Oh uh...hi." she said awkardly

"Hi." they said in unison awkwardly as well.

She quickly got her shoes on and departed down the hall. Elwood went inside the hotel room and found Jake sprawled on the bed, still in his boxers.

"Oh god!" Maria exclaimed while she rolled her eyes from the sight.

"Jake...Jake!" Elwood called out while shaking him.

"Whuh?" he muffled

"We gotta go!" Maria said with a yawn

Jake groggily got up. He too looked like he didnt get any sleep. The couple knew why, but they didnt want to tell Jake that they didnt get much sleep either. After they got their stuff together, They walked sleepily down the hall, hailed a taxi and went to the Las Vegas airport.

"Hey Six strings" Jake said with a yawn "I noticed that you've been walking funny."

"I'm sorta sore" she said "I guess it was because of last night"

Elwood blushed embarrassingly, knowing full well what Maria was talking about. Jake, thankfully thought otherwise.

"Well, we did have one hell of a gig yesterday. I can see why you're sore and tired. I'm feeling sore too, but only because that Candace chick really did know how to move in those sheets"

"Too much Jake" she said in monotone.

They arrived at the airport and made their way to their terminal.

"Does the band know we're leaving?" maria sked

"Yeah they know, theyre just arriving earlier"

They quickly arrived in thier airplane and flew the 4 hour flight back to Chicago to pick up the Bluesmobile. They arrived in Chicago, where they called a taxi to pick up the bluesmobile at the car garage. Once the bluesmobile was picked up, the thre musicians sped off downtown to the Cooks county office. Elwood looked at his watch "8:45"

"15 more minutes until it opens" he said outloud to his brother and girlfriend.

"We should be there on time!" Maria said

They finally arrived at the building and sped inside, desperately looking for the office until Maria found a map.

"Here, it's on the fourth floor!"

They quickly found an elevator and pressed the button to go to the top and went inside. Once the evlevator lifted them up, Maria felt a calming sence of accomplishement.

iThank god, we're almost done paying off those taxes/i

As Elwood looked in front of him, wating for the elevator to stop, he felt Maria's hand in his and her head on his shoulder. He glanced at her and smiled gently. Jake also noticed and snickered quietly.

bing

The elevator door opened and the trio quickly jolted out to the tax office. They ran and ran until they found the specific office and burst through the door. A man about in his late thirites with huge glasses glanced up at them.

"May I help you?" he asked, curious about the pretty woman and the two suit-clad men.

"This is where you pay taxes right?" Jake asked

"Yeah"

Elwood fished his suitcase for the 5 grand and handed it to him "This is for the St Helen's of The Blessed Shoud Orphanage in Callumet City Illinois"

"Five grand. It's all there man" Maria said with a small smile of accomplishment.

The taxman got the 5 grand, made a few calucations and finally wrote the recite and handed it to Elwood.

"Here's your reciete and now the Orphanage's taxes are paid in full." he said

"Thank you sir" Elwood replied politely "Have a good day"

The trio left quietly and once they arrived back at the elevator, They cheered happily and loudly in triumph.

"We finally got that of our shoulders!" Jake cheered "Let's go back to tell the Penguin and rub it in her old face!"

Maria laughed and hugged both brothers.

"This has been an interesting ride, hanst it?" she asked

"Oh yeah" Elwood agreed "Alot fo unexpected things happened, but it was for the best" he added with a smile.

The Brothers and Maria hopped in the blues-mobile and drove off to Callumet City to confront Sister Mary, to prove they have made thier move towards redemption. They parked the dodge on the curb and spotted some movers reposessing some items.

"Gentlemen" Jake began confedently "I'm afriad your services are no longer needed."

He got the reciete from Elwood and showed it to them. The movers looked at it and then looked at each toher. They shrugged and began putting their stuff back into the building. The trio smiled smugly as they stepped into the orphanage and went up the familiar creaky steps to Sister Mary's office. Elwood knocked three times.

"Who is it?"

"Jake, Elwood and Maria" he responded

After a few moments of silence, Sister Mary opened the door with an angry look on her face.

"Don't you remember what I told you three?" she asked

"We know Sister" Maria said "Thats why we brought you this..."

Jake showed her the reciet and she looked at it with squinted eyes behind her specs. Once she read the amount and what the money was used for, she looked up at them wide eyed, in bewilderment.

"You mean...you...?"

They nodded proudly and for the first time since they could remember, Sister Mary smiled and cheered for joy.

"Thank you, you three! I underestimated you entirely!" she exclaimed happily "I guess you three do have concences."

"Jake still needs to work on his." maria joked

"Hey!" he protested

Sister Mary scuttled her way past them and cried out to the other nuns

"Sisters! We are saved!"

The other nuns cheered and spoke happily while Jake, Elwood and Maria heard some kids cheer as well. They looked up and smiled at each other, in triumph over not losing their childhood home. After many cheers and compliments from the children, Curtis and the nuns, the brothers and Maria left.

"So...what do we do now?" Maria asked once they left the orphangae "Music-wise?"

"well we could scope around town to look for for gigs..." Jake began

"Let's go check downtown" Elwood said

The brothers and Maria went to many different venues for thier gigs until they heard a voice.

"Hey, aren't you Maria Valens?"

She stopped in her tracks and riased an eyebrow in confusion. She turned slowly and found a man dressed professionally like if he was an agent

"Yeah thats me."

"I'm Pete Rossenburg. I've been looking for you guys everytwhere! Dave wasn't so specific about where you would be."

"Dave? As in..newlywed Dave?" jake asked

"Yeah! He's a buddy of mine!" Pete said "I was at his wedding and I saw you guys perform. You guys were incrdeible espcially you maria. You really know how to use that guitar."

"Thanks"

"I asked Dave where you guys would be because... I want to sign you to our label and tour around the states."

Her eyes grew wide in surpise "Me?"

"Yeah! I have great connections and I can get you the best gigs of your life!"

"That's..amazing! So, what about Jake and Elwood?" she asked excitedly

He frowned a bit "Im sorry, but this label is only for rock N roll, not the blues"

Her eyes darkened

"Thats bullshit!" she argued "If you're signing me up, then sign them and the rest of the band up!"

Jake and Elwood looked alarmed with what she had said.

"Uh, can we talk to you in private please?" Jake asked her as he scooted away from Pete awkwardly.

"You dont have to do this for us." Elwood said once Pete was away from them.

"No, I want to! You guys have potential as much as I do and I am not gonna continue with my music life without you guys!"

"But this is a good opportunity for you!"

"And I wanna share it with you! Is that such a crime?"

"You shared an important moment with us already! Now its time for you to have your own moment"

"So thats how its gonna be?" she exclaimed angrily at Elwood "this is how its gonna end? 'Thanks for playing guitar for us and helping us save the orphanage, now scram?'"

"We do appriciate what you did with us, but we're not telling you like that!" Elwood argued "I want the best for you, even if it means leaving the band! I'm willing to let you go, just to see you happy!"

He sounded hurt, but he was being truthful. He did want her to suceed, even if it meant sacrificing her spot in the band.

"And I know you want this. I can see it in your eyes" he told her quietly

Maria sighed sadly, holding back tears.

Elwood's right.

"I do want this...but I love you guys"

Jake hugged her gently, which felt a bit weird for him to do "I know...but hell, when we have our turn at fame, we can tour together!"

She smiled sadly at him and began to get glassy eyes when she looked at Elwood. The very first man she had ever fallen in love with.

"Don't be sad" he comforted as he held her tightly "Everythings gonna be okay. You'll be happy and we can still keep in touch when you tour. I'll be waiting when you come back"

He gave her a gentle kiss, trying not to show he was as heartbroken as she was. She closed her eyes and approached Pete.

"Ok" she said sadly "Where do I sign?"

She looked and signed the paper at the bottom, officially signing her way out of The Blues Brothers band, and onto her solo career.

A week later, after her arrangements had been made and after she said goodbye to the band, Maria made her way through the airport terminals with her carryons in one hand. jake and Elwood escorted her to her gate number until her gate was called for boarding. She looked at the brothers sadly and got up from her seat.

"Well...I guess thats me"

"Bye" Jake said quietly.

She gave him a big, tight hug and kissed him on the cheek. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was gonna miss that kiss and her company. He had grown to love her like a sister, despite his doubts about her from when they had first met. Maria let go and focused on her true love. Elwood took off his shades and revealed his sad-looking eyes to her. The eyes he had hidden from her until the previous night. The tears began to flow down her cheeks as she hugged him tightly and he embraced her. He gave her a passionate kiss...

FINAL CALL FOR GATE B6!

She stopped the kiss and Elwood bit his bottom lip gently, still wanting to kiss her longer.

"Bye Elwood." she said quietly "I love you"

"Love you too"

She turned and made her way into the terminal and boarded inside the plane. Jake sighed a bit

"Alright man." he told Elwood "Let's g-"

He stopped once he saw Elwood stare outside the window. He stared outside until he saw Maria's plane fly away out of sight. Jake watched him with pity. He knew his brother truly loved that woman and he felt really bad for him. Elwood put on his shades and faced jake.

"Ok" Elwood said in monotone, concealing his feelings "Let's go"

AN:This isnt the end of the sotry, just so we're clear ok? It sucks what happened but still stay tuned for the rest of the story