Author's note: We're back with another chapter of Taking the World by Storm! Like many other things, I had this idea on the back burner and now I'm finally writing it. Jack and Glen take the stage~! Since this fic is coming to an end (though it doesn't seem like it to me), Oz and Gil are going to need to start making ends meet before it's too late! Manami Nightray: The amnesia's not that strong, so Gil at least knows that Oz is his friend which is still a good thing. I like torturing my favorite characters, but I do tend to feel bad for them afterwards. Everything will turn out right in the end though! CatXtopia: It would be a little better if I was capable of writing lyrics though. A friend of mine came up with a great tune for the song, but I don't have the sheet music on me to show you guys (she tends to forget to bring it) which is a bit disappointing. Instead, I had to pick an already created song once again. Gil will remember for sure! He just needs something to kickstart his memory. Deko-gasu: I'll leave that image up to you. What do you think? Were Jack and Glen in a band in the past? ;D Gil's drummer position is only temporary, but yes that is quite the dilemma. Though Alice can be a little greedy (especially with her meat), I think of her as someone who does take Oz and Gil's feelings to heart even if she doesn't act like it normally.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except what I do own (Does that make sense?).

Chapter 17: Just Like You

Oz's POV

Much to our relief, the "problem" that came up during our last public concert had become old news as every band and reporter alike started working towards a much bigger event. With mere weeks until the big day, the replacements returned to their original posts, so that the member who hasn't been performing (Break) can get back into the flow of things. Of course, I did not forget to keep in mind my main priority and actually managed to finish composing a hopefully decent music score. I haven't tried performing it yet in front of people much less myself, but I can always figure that part out when I get there. There is just one last thing that I need to deal with.

"Oz, I need to speak to you. After practice and whatever else you need to do, hurry back to the apartment."

It was rare for Uncle Jack to be this serious and even rarer for him to insist that I hurry back to the apartment as soon as I was finished with whatever I've been doing after band practice. Slightly concerned, my mind wandered off as I sang causing my rhythm to be off and Elliot to express his displeasure in the form of various curse words. This continued for a whole hour of practice, so Elliot forced me to go put my thoughts in order until I could think straight again. Upon hearing this, Reim left the room, claiming to be informing Uncle Jack and Glen about something, while I took a step outside.

What is wrong with me? I thought that I've already made my resolve concerning what to do about him.

In the case that everything goes well with Gil, I planned on staying here and telling my father and Uncle Oscar my reasons for doing so. Hiding this secret from them would be pointless and would only be putting salt on the wound in the long run. Uncle Oscar is pretty understanding, so I'm not too worried about him, but father has never been kind. There were many possibilities of what could happen if I do or don't tell him the truth, and none of them were pleasant. I will be fine. Don't think about it. Everything will be fine.

An image of a young, crying Gil apologizing to me flashed in my mind along with his very earnest current self.

I can take it if it's for him.

"I was planning on saving this for later, but I guess it'll be moved up to now," a voice interrupted casually.

Snapping out of my daze, I turned towards the source of the voice and answered accordingly.

"Uncle Jack? I thought you were busy."

"This is more important, so I'm working overtime today," Jack replied as he took a seat on a bar next to me. "Gilbert Nightray, huh?"

I froze. How much does he know?

"This would be easier to explain with Oswald with me, but I guess there's no helping it."

"Oswald?"

"Glen's real name. The name "Glen" is more of a title of the head of the family," Jack explained nonchalantly. "That's not what I came here to discuss though. What are you going to do about Alice and Gilbert?"

So he knows. Well, it should be okay to tell him the truth. It's very obvious what kind of relationship he shares with "Oswald" anyway.

"I've made my decision. I'll go tell him before the start of Battle of the Bands."

"If you're anything like me, I'm guessing you'll be approaching this in a musical way?"

I kept my mouth shut. Although I had a relatively good relationship with Uncle Jack, I still feel a bit uneasy around him. His relationship with the Vessalius family has always been messy, so I only knew him through the time spent with Alice. Back then, I was too young to understand, but now I know why. After all, I'll be going down the same path.

Not needing an answer, Jack cleared his throat and simply stated the obvious.

One, I would have to be absolutely sure of this.

Two, I must be prepared for the consequences of being in this kind of relationship.

And finally, three, I would have to make my decision known to Alice, Uncle Oscar, and...my father.

"I didn't have this kind of support when I went through this, but I am aware of your relationship with Zai. Oscar will, without a doubt, continue to support you. I understand that I wasn't there for you then, but I will make up for it now no matter what happens."

At that moment, Glen appeared with his usual serious expression etched onto his face to back up Jack's promise and to tell him to get back to work. With a nod, Jack told me to heed his words before hurrying back to his office while Glen sighed as he took Jack's spot on the bar.

"Did Jack tell you about how all this happened?" he questioned in a gentle voice as he flashed a small smile.

I shook my head. No one spoke of Jack's frivolous and supposedly "rash" actions in the Vessalius house. The only thing that slipped out was the fact that he had gone off and done something disgraceful with a Baskerville. At the time, I thought they were referring to Lacie until I found out that despite her flighty nature she is very loyal to her husband, Levi Baskerville. After a brief silence, Glen folded one hand over the other to prepare to tell his story.

"Jack, Lacie, and I were just like you, Gil, and Alice. However, the only difference was that Jack was in love with Lacie from the very start..."

I began to picture the memory to the best of my ability in my mind while Glen narrated in his usual monotone voice.

Jack and Lacie met when she found Jack alone in an alleyway cold and alone. Glen did not explain in detail what Lacie had been doing there, but he did mention that she cut his hair and then gave him one of her earrings symbolizing the possibility of a reunion. He strongly believed in that reunion to the point of sneaking into the Baskerville manor simply to see her. Little did he know that she was a captive "princess" living only for the family and nothing else, but that didn't matter to him. He came every day and he and Glen became acquaintances along the way.

What happened next is what led to their relationship accompanied by an equal amount of trouble in more ways than one.

It all happened so suddenly. Lacie admitted that she was aware of Jack's feelings for her and that she had no intention of returning the sentiment which complicated things between the two of them. Jack loved her to the point of obsession while Lacie decided to play along with the previous Glen's experiment by marrying him and bearing his children. Everything was all a game to her, so Glen couldn't help but pity Jack who would give up everything if it meant being with her.

Over time, Lacie did grow to truly enjoy the previous Glen's company and did not mind spending her life with him and her twin daughters meaning that Jack's emotions would spiral downwards into despair. Glen went quiet after that as his eyes grew solemn and melancholic. He skipped over this next part as well, covering it up with "he went to me for comfort", and began to talk about how he was able to convince him to love her from afar since she is still alive and happy. It was difficult to get Jack to break away from her to settle for friendship rather than a romantic relationship, but it eventually did happen and he ended up spending much of his time with Glen rather than being caught between the girl he loved and her husband.

After a very awkward turn of events involving a slip of the tongue and some pestering from Jack, they did end up going out despite the issues that same-sex couples tend to go through. What made things worse was that they were both of noble families, so the possibility of trouble approaching did end up happening. Jack became the black sheep of the Vessalius family while Glen's life was controlled carefully so that they would not meet.

"Oz, you are very fortunate to have people to make this easier in the case that you do decide to go down the same path. We had to break away with our own power. Lacie and Levi were on our side, so we weren't entirely alone, but due to the fact that they were part of the reason why we were in this situation, it became easier to say that we fought through this on our own," Glen explained solemnly. "What I'm trying to say is: Choose wisely and don't hurt Gilbert or my niece. Make sure to end things cleanly. Before Gilbert and Vincent were taken in by the Nightray family, Jack and I often visited them at the orphanage, so they are like sons to me."

I nodded firmly. There's no doubt in my mind anymore. I will definitely go through with this. With that thought in mind, I mentally thanked Glen and Jack as I hurried back into the practice room with every intention of balancing my "work"life and my love life. There was only half an hour left of practice so Elliot was clearly pissed off by my decision to choose now to return, but I was able to pull my weight enough to satisfy him and keep a fight from breaking out. All that was left to do was to perfect the song as much as possible, and then figure out how to get Gil away from Vincent.

It'll be alright.

That's all for this chapter. I won't say anything else since the last few chapters (this one included) will be released together. Sorry for the inconvenience once again and thank you so much for the reviews!

-11 days left-