Disclaimer: August Rush does not belong to me (unfortunately), but to Warner Brothers and its affiliates. Believe me, if it did belong to me, I would not be writing fanfic about it -- I'd be travelling the world and hiring that Jillian lady from "The Biggest Loser" to be my personal trainer (she's so mean, but she gets the job done!).

Suggested songs: "Catch My Disease" by Ben Lee (for the 1st part), and "Suffocation Keep" by The Slip (for the 2nd part)

The first thing Lyla noticed as she woke up was that she was incredibly warm. Rarely did Lyla wake up warm, even in the summer. Rather than trap and amplify her body heat, every comforter she'd ever owned seemed to sap the warmth from her bones and leave her cold and aching in the morning. But this… this was different.

And it was all emanating from the solid chest at her back and the strong arms holding her body closely.

For a moment, Lyla panicked – who could she be so intimately tangled with?

And when the memory of the previous evening flashed through her mind, she relaxed into the arms of her beloved, holding back tears of disbelief and joy. Her little boy – August – was alive and at the moment, only 10 blocks from her apartment. She had found him the night before, along with –

She rolled over awkwardly, trapped by the iron bands of muscle in Louis' arms. He relaxed his grip on her slightly, and she pulled back enough to see his innocent, sleeping face. He had one of the most handsome faces she had ever seen; he had a strong, defined jaw line that said that he was stubborn, but full lips that seemed vulnerable in his sleep. The years apart had done nothing wrong to his perfect face or his idealistic, loving nature. Long black lashes closed over the most intense pair of blue eyes Lyla had ever seen, and his soft brown hair stuck up goofily in a few places. She reached a hand up to stroke that soft cheek, smiling at the slight stubble around the edges of his jaw. Leaning forward, she placed a light kiss on his brow, and then hesitantly wrapped her own arms around him. She snuggled into his warmth, burying her face into his chest and breathing in his unique scent – leather, the ocean, a pleasant cologne she had never smelled before, and something that was inarguably just Louis. Everything about him seemed to send her in an emotional frenzy; all at once, she was comforted, terrified, excited, soothed, and…

She shivered against him, not at all cold.

Aroused.

She had been sexually frigid for years, an ice queen of epic proportions – justifiably so, as the only man she'd ever been with had been ripped from her the next day, and the product of that perfect night had been thought dead for the last 11 years. Lyla was relatively a stranger when it came to anything sexual, so the feelings were embarrassing and entirely new. The only thing that ever left her feeling the way she did at the moment (and it was nothing in comparison to how she felt at that moment) was the memory of their night together so many years ago.

Lyla's heart was pounding in her chest, years worth of repressed sexual urges finally surfacing. She licked her lips and closed her eyes, trying desperately to fall back asleep and ignore her body's needs. She could hear his voice against her ear, breath tickling the shell, as he asked if she needed anything else. She shivered again, making an odd, high-pitched noise as she entangled her legs with his and hiding her face completely in his chest. Lyla could feel the smooth, steady beat of Louis' heart against her face and hear the deep, even breaths he was taking in his sleep. Suddenly, he seemed to stir and both changed, becoming mildly sporadic for a moment and quickening. She looked up slightly at the sound of his chuckle, peeking between the curls of her wild, blond hair.

"Hiding, are we?" He asked, his accent especially rich and his voice rough from sleep. Another delicious shiver wracked her frame, and he seemed to smile sleepily at her. "Now, now – that jus' won't do, my love." With two fingers, he lifted her face from his chest and gently kissed her forehead. His lips were soft against her skin, and the aching want and need seemed to rise even more so from her.

Be reasonable! She scolded herself. We've only just become reacquainted, and now you have your son to think about! If her libido could speak, it probably would have settled with a light snort, and then continued wreaking havoc with her emotions.

As if he'd mind! It seemed to say. He'd be willing to go to the moon and back for you – a roll in the hay, figuratively speaking, would probably ease some of the awkward tension you two have going on.

Louis seemed unaware of her internal struggle and had settled with running his fingers through her curly hair and placing kisses along the tips of each of her fingers. "You're so lovely in the morning light," Louis whispered softly, placing another kiss on her fingertip. "You bewitch me with your beauty." Lyla's cheeks grew pink, and she tried to turn away in her embarrassment. He chuckled and pulled her to him. "No escaping now, lass. You're mine." Another excited shiver ran through her, and finally Louis took notice. "Are you cold, love? How much tighter must I squeeze you? What can I do to warm you up?"

I can think of something, her body responded. Lyla flushed an even brighter red. "No, no I'm fine." Prude. Louis lifted her face to his and smiled, his eyes full of love and devotion. Lyla's breath caught at the sight, and slowly she responded with a beatific smile of her own. Looking into those eyes was disarming at times, and she quickly found herself lost in them. His eyes informed her of the depth of his adoration for her, that love at first sight was possible, that –

Lyla forcibly tore her gaze from his, willing herself not to get caught up in the silly romance again – not when she needed to focus on her son. Louis was definitely in the picture, she reminded herself with glee, and there would be time to focus on the romance after they'd spent some time getting to know their son.

"What's—" Lyla's voice came out as a mere croak, and she cleared it quickly before trying again. "What's on the agenda for today?" Louis smiled.

"We're going to visit our son, of course." He said, smiling. She smiled at the thought, picturing his happy face. "After they kick us out," Lyla chuckled. "We can spend some time looking around New York – look for a new home, get to know each other a bit more?" Lyla blushed, knowing that her love for this man was ridiculous by all normal accounts. She barely knew anything about him, and yet she knew that he was made for her, just as she was made for him. Maybe some time together would be nice… especially if a judge was going to grant them any sort of custody.

Is true intimacy simply knowing everything about the other person, and in turn, them knowing everything about you? Lyla was sure that that wasn't necessarily so. The way he looked into her eyes… it was like he could see her very soul. It was hard not to feel connected to someone who understands the way she thinks, works, ticks... Even so, there were things about him that she wanted to know, and not just because she felt obligated to know his favorite food or his favorite memory growing up. She wanted to know because she wanted to understand him completely; she wanted to anticipate his needs and know exactly what a certain gesture or facial expression meant.

Lyla wanted to know Louis completely.

With that thought, Lyla pried herself free from Louis, placed a daring (but gentle) kiss on his cheek, and got out of bed. She offered to make a pot of coffee for the two of them, which he graciously accepted, and the two proceeded to make their way out of her bedroom. As she was pouring the ground beans into the filter, she felt his hands grip her waist. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his strong arms around her, kissing the top of her head. She relaxed into his arms, turning her head and nuzzling her cheek into his chest.

"When do you suppose we should visit August?" She asked softly.

"As soon as we're both showered and dressed." He replied, his voice loud and rumbling against her ear.

"Where… where will you, uh, stay?" Lyla cleared her throat, suddenly feeling choked up and extremely shy.

"I can stay here, if you want." He ducked his head down to speak in her ear, and she shuddered. "Still cold?" He asked, the humor apparent in his voice. This… this teasing, this… whatever it was that he was doing, it was making her resolve a bit harder to hold. Remembering August, she was able to reign herself in – she'd gone 12 years without sex, hadn't she? 12 years without this unbearably attractive man, hadn't she? She could go a while longer. – She could!

"I'm fine." She said, her voice a bit shaky, but definitely stronger than before. "And I would…" Lyla took a deep breath. "I would like you to stay, if you want to." She could feel his grin against her hair, and felt herself smile in response.

"How about you shower up, love? I'll see what I can make you for breakfast, and then we'll head over to see August."

"What about you?" She asked. "Don't you want to shower?" She turned in time to see his face fall a bit.

"Yeah, I would… but I'd rather not see Marshall this early. I wouldn't want to put you in his infuriating presence, either."

"Is he really so bad?" She asked, feeling sympathetic. His frown deepened, and he stared at something across the room rather than look her in the eye.

"Sometimes." His voice was quiet. "Sometimes he's like a real big brother. Sometimes he gives me real advice and keeps his gob shut. But most of the time… he's blunt to a rather obnoxious point. He's pessimistic, but is bloody happy when he rains on your parade. He loves picking fights and he loved bullying me as a child. At times, I can't help but hate him a bit, but at the end of the day… he's just my idiot brother, and I have to let it go." Louis then lowered his gaze to meet hers, and continued. "He'd be awful to you if we were to go over there now, and I have better uses for these hands than to fight him." Lyla smiled tentatively and wrapped her arms around him.

"You can shower after me and then put your grubby clothes back on." She suggested. "That is, if you don't mind smelling a bit girly for today." He chuckled. "After we visit August, we can pick up your things and bring them back here… you can shower again with your own things, if you want."

"It's a good idea, love. But I'm still making you breakfast – care for an omelet?"

--

When August opened his eyes, he immediately began to cry. He awoke to the sight of a mattress and wooden slats, and that was when he knew that he was back at the orphanage. He was trapped – he'd be picked on by the bullies, alone in a world without music. A world where he could not create it, could not write it down; a world where Juilliard did not exist, a world where guitars, pianos, cellos, trumpets, drums, and all other magical things did not exist.

And worst of all?

A world without his parents.

"They're probably dead!"

Wizard was probably right… and a dream as perfect as the one he'd had could never be a reality. A larger wave of despair washed over him, and he began to cry harder. August wasn't one for tears, as sensitive and sweet as he was. He was far too optimistic, and he preferred to block out all negative thoughts and emotions. Even when he felt utterly alone in a cold and friendless world, he had found solace and release in the music… the music that his parents had unknowingly given to him.

But those parents had never cared; why else had they never tried to find him? He had waited for 12 years, 4 months, and 5 days…

"August?" A kind voice interrupted his despair, but he quickly shut it out.

"Please go away." He whispered, still sobbing. A hand hesitantly touched his hair, and he grabbed onto it, clutching it to his chest for dear life. "I hate waking up to a nightmare!" He cried, feeling years of repressed tears, self-doubt, and utter loneliness finally surfacing. Another hand was gently rubbing his back, trying to calm him down.

"August?" August tried to shut that voice out; his wonderful dream was coming back to haunt him. "Please, excuse me, that's my son – August? What's wrong, sweetie?" The hand he'd been holding left, as did the hand at his back. Just as he was about to burst into a fresh wave of tears, someone sat on the bed next to him and pulled him into their arms. A gentle, lovely perfume filled his nose, and he looked up with bleary eyes. Golden curls filled his vision, and though pessimism had been fueling his disbelief all morning, he couldn't help but throw his arms around who he hoped was his mother. He continued to cry, trying to work through his grief and his fear, and the arms around him never let go. A hand was running its fingers through his hair, and he felt himself slowly calming down. August felt the bed sink a bit more as another person sat down behind him, and the scent of leather and something… grown-up, something manly, assailed his senses. He felt the woman holding him scooting into those waiting arms, and the three of them held each other. Several minutes passed before August had finally stopped crying, and instead was sniffling and rubbing his eyes. The arms around him relaxed, and he looked up into the beautiful green eyes he'd been dreaming of.

His mother.

Tears filled his eyes again as she smiled warmly at him, and he turned to see the handsome face of his father looking at him questioningly.

"I…" He hiccupped, and wiped at his nose with his arm. "I thought that it was all a dream."

"What did you think was a dream?" His father asked softly. August hiccupped again and rubbed at his eyes.

"Everything – Juilliard, playing the music, Wizard, the concert…" He paused, feeling the sadness fill his belly. "You and Mom…" He said the last part so softly that both Louis and Lyla had to strain to hear him.

"We're real, August." Lyla said, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. "We're real and we're here, ready to make this family work." He flashed her a small, tight-lipped smile.

"We're not going anywhere, son." Louis said, and Lyla heard something in his voice that she'd never heard before; it was more than love, it was… something fatherly. It was tender, parental, and so reassuring that she couldn't help but be reminded of her mother – before she had left them, that is. The tone he had taken was what she had been longing to hear from Louis, and her heart swelled with deep affection for him. "Yer Mum and I promised that we'd be back, or did'ja forget?" He smiled lovingly at August, and August couldn't help but answer with a bright smile of his own.

"Maybe a little." August admitted, his smile dimming slightly. "Last night was just too good to be true." His mother squeezed him in her arms, and he felt her kiss his cheek. His face reddened a bit before his smile brightened again. He let out a nervous giggle and turned himself so that he could hug her in return. Louis laughed lightly and ruffled the boy's hair. August loosened his grip on his mother and leaned over to hug his father, who wrapped his strong arms around him.

"I'm so lucky to have found you." His father's rich voice was comforting, and August couldn't help but relax into him completely. "What a little miracle you are." Louis reached out to pull Lyla into the hug, maneuvering them both into his lap. "I have a family." Louis said softly, pressing a kiss to both Lyla and August's foreheads.

"Why didn't you guys find me before?" August asked softly. Lyla sighed, looking pained.

"There was… a mix-up at the hospital." She said softly.

"A mix-up?" August repeated, confusion drawing his eyebrows together. She nodded. "What kind of mix-up?"

"I got into an accident the night that you were born, and there was a mistake at the hospital. They told me that you had died, but you didn't. The hospital put you in the orphanage after that…"

"You thought… you thought that I was dead?" August asked, the pain in her face causing his chest to tighten. His mother nodded.

"I was informed of the mistake a few months ago… and I've been looking for you ever since."

"Dad? What about you?" Louis looked away for a moment, his gaze haunted to August's eyes.

"I… I didn't know that you were ever alive, August. Yer Ma never got to tell me that she was pregnant with you."

"Why?" Louis pressed his lips together, looking thoughtful.

"We got separated by accident and I couldn't find her again. I searched for her everywhere… I waited and waited… and I found out last night that she'd been waiting for me, too. I found out about you last night."

"And you're not going to leave? You aren't going to get separated again?"

"Not for all of the gold and jewels in the world, son. There's nothing that could keep me away from you two, now." With those words, the fear and anxiety that had been festering in August's heart seemed to melt away. "Now… onto other matters…" August perked up, listening. "Yer Ma and I have been discussing where we might live once we get things settled in court…"

"Could we… could we stay in New York? At least for a little while?" August begged, looking at his parents with wide eyes. "The city is big and scary, but it's full of music and inspiration… And there's Juilliard – I still want to go to Juilliard, if I can." They both smiled at him.

"We thought that you might say that." His mother said, a playful tone in her voice. "We just wanted to make sure that you wanted to live here before we bought a place for us all to live." Abruptly, Louis released them from his loving arms and moved off of the bed. He stood up, and helped both Lyla and August do the same.

"Let's go for a walk around this place – you haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you?" August shook his head. "A growing boy needs food." He declared, and Lyla began to giggle. She and August exchanged amused smiles, and both Louis and Lyla grabbed one of August's hands. Together, they walked to the mess hall, discussing their favorite food (some of Louis' choices had Lyla and August gagging), whereas Louis and Lyla were shocked that August didn't care much for candy and most other sweets. Lyla's choices were all fairly normal, though a few of her choices were questionable (things like "soffrito rice" and "Grey Meal"). In the end, they all had a good laugh, and August was just pleased to get to know his parents a little better.

August's breakfast wasn't quite up to the caliber of Louis' omelet (according to Louis), and he promised that August would be eating much better than "barely decent" food when he was allowed to come home with them. Their visiting hours were far shorter than they would have liked, and August started to cry when they had to leave.

"We'll be back to see you again tomorrow, August." His mother promised.

"We have so much more to learn about you… would you like it if I brought my guitar?" Louis asked. August nodded vigorously, tears being replaced with a smile. Louis wiped a few of August's tears away with his thumb and pulled him into a tight hug. As he pulled away, he pressed a kiss to August's forehead and passed him to his mother. She too hugged him tightly, but she kissed his cheek and nuzzled his nose with hers before stepping away.

"I love you!" August called to them as they started to walk away. They turned, smiling brightly together.

"We love you too!" His mother yelled joyfully.

"See you tomorrow!" His father called.

Though the loneliness returned after they had faded from sight, it wasn't nearly as deep or profound as before. August had a family – he had a mother and a father who loved him and longed to know him in the same way that he longed to know them. He went to bed early that night, though it took quite some time for him to get some sleep. The thrill of the day still lingered, and he could hardly wait for what the next day would bring.

A/N: Hello everyone! I am SO sorry for the wait -- ffdotnet has been having issues when it comes to uploading my stories. I tried uploading on 4 different computers and nada, so I'm sorry! Also, thank you all so much for the reviews! They really cheer me up, and I've been having some bad days lately; lost my job, lost the man I love... it's a wonder that I can still write fluff, lol. Still on the lookout for a beta, so I apologize if this chapter has mistakes. I'll be combing over it again in a few days when my head is clear of this story (I find it easier to fix things when it isn't so fresh in my memory). Please review and I hope to have another chapter out soon!

Always,

-Ammi