Ok, I know it was taking me forever to update this, but allow me to tell you my week. I got in a car Sunday night around midnight after church and drove until Tuesday afternoon a little over 3,000 miles across the country. Then on Thursday we got back in the car and drove back those 3,000 miles back to where we had been, not arriving until Saturday. AND THEN…we had a crazy Sunday where I didn't get home from church until about 2am. Needless to say, I haven't had much opportunity to write, much less update due to the fact that I have been switching off with my parents every few hours to drive and crazy awesome church services.

But now that that's over…EPIKAOS!

"A'right," Aster said as he wiped his face off with the towel hanging around his neck "remember the steps, and this time Tooth please try ta stay on beat."

"Sorry," the girl shrugged with a giggle as she stretched muscles already sore from standing for so long behind her piano during their music practice.

"Ok," the Aussie shouted turning back to the microphone and pumping his fist "everyone follow me, and one…two…THREE!"

Aster and North went back to back, each leaning on the other as they started the song off with a wild dual guitar solo. After about four beats Jack joined in, and Tooth not too far behind him, while Sandy polished his mixing capabilities.

A week had passed, and the group had somehow and inexplicably been scheduled for nonstop practice. North and Aster had been scratching their heads over it, especially considering that all practice sessions had to be signed up for by the group themselves, and so the sudden influx of extra practices were a tad puzzling. But the band had just written it off as just their agent squeezing in more practices for the upcoming show, which could be a decisive step up in their career should they rock the house, and just went along with the extra slots. Jack hadn't slept the entire week since talking to Pitch, only managing to grab a few paltry hours of rest per night at the very most, and he could already feel the negative effects on his body.

The boy crashed his drumsticks on the instrument in front of him, sweat pouring from his brow due to the hot lights shining overhead, and his brain whirled as he became lost in his own thoughts. Would Pitch really do something so crazy just to get them to break up? The mere thought made the pale boy feel queasy, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to take that chance. Pitch was many things, determined, shrewd, and most of all he had a hatred for them and their band to the point that he had fallen into the depths of insanity over his zeal to see them fall. And now because of that insanity, it was all up to Jack to save his family by messing up his routine, and shattering any chance of their future in the music business. Jack couldn't choose, didn't want to choose, but he knew that it was more important to keep their family together than to chase the dream of fame on the stage. At the same time though, he couldn't bear to see the looks of disappointment that everyone will have after he messes up the show. Would they even look at him the same way?

Jack felt his chest tighten as he considered all of this, and suddenly the lights began to wobble and his vision swam in and out of focus. Taking deep breaths, Jack tried to continue, but felt his drum sticks slip from his fingers, and fall to the floor. North glanced up as soon as he heard Jack miss a beat, knowing that that was extremely unusual for his little brother, and his eyes widened at the way the small boy was slumped forward in his chair. Dropping his guitar and rushing over, the Russian youth grabbed his sibling, tilting him up so to look at him squarely in the face. Jack avoided his older brother's gaze, shame coloring his pale face, gritting his teeth against the feeble trembling in his limbs. North bit his bottom lip before giving a sigh.

"How about we take a break?"

"Is everythin' ok with snowflake?" Aster asked his green eyes narrow with concern.

"I'm fine," Jack mumbled as he stood up and began to walk away in unsteady footsteps "I'm just tired from all the extra practices, if I take a nap I'll be fine."

The group watched the boy wander off stage and Tooth felt an unhappy sigh slip past her lips "Is he going to be ok?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," North cast blue eyes to the floor as they began to sting with tears, and sat down on one of the many speakers on stage "He's been so quiet lately…and has been avoiding me…I'm worried."

"Do you know what's wrong?" Sandy signed as he sat down next to North.

The blond youth shook his head "No," he answered in an agonized croak "I wish I did, but I do not." North bent over, placing his head in his hands as he grit his teeth so hard they creaked audibly "This is not normal!" he practically shouted.

"Naw," Aster sighed sitting on the other side of North and placing an arm around his shoulders "naw it ain't normal, Jack never acts like this an' I can't say that I'm not worried about the ankle biter. But ya can't keep beatin' yerself up like this. He'll come to us when he's ready ta talk, and hopefully it'll be before he collapses, but we can'tforce him ta talk. Ya know what he's like."

"Yes," North sniffed fiercely rubbing the tears from his eyes and wiping his nose on his shirt "he is stubborn, and will run away if I try to force him to talk. You are right Aster," the youth gave a decisive nod and stood up grabbing the Aussie into a quick tight hug and then releasing him addressed the rest of the band "it does no good being negative. I will just have to wait for Jack to come to me himself."

"Don't worry mate," Aster smiled slapping North's back affectionately "we're a family, and Jack is a little brother ta all o' us, yer not alone and neither is he, we got yer back."

"No kidding," Tooth burst as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around North's neck dangling from his immense height "so stop trying to act all macho, and let us help. We adopted each other when no one else would adopt us, and we stick together no matter what."

Sandy grinned as he gave North's shoulder a comforting squeeze, and the Russian youth gave a heavy swallow past the ball of emotion lodged in his throat "Thanks guys."

…

Jack stumbled through the back stage heading towards their RV, his only thoughts being to lie down and try to strangle at least a thirty minute nap from his day. But that sweet hope died before it could even be born when suddenly a dark figure stepped in front of him.

"Hello Jack,"

Jack felt his shoulders deflate and a resigned sigh slipped past his lips "Hey Pitch,"

"So have you been thinking about my offer?" the dark man sneered.

"Yeah," Jack whispered hoarsely as he cast bloodshot blue eyes to the floor "I've been thinking about it."

"So do you have an answer?"

Jack opened his mouth to answer, then paused "…No…" he answered slowly "I…I need more time to think…if it's all the same to you."

"It's fine," Pitch shrugged "you don't have to answer me now, take all the time you need, in fact you don't even have to say a single word. Wait to tell me your answer when it's time for your little solo, then I'll see."

Jack felt his chest heave as he fought down a sob "Yeah," he croaked as he turned around and began to walk away "…Whatever…"

Jack didn't expect North to be back at the RV, wondering as he climbed inside just how long he had been wandering around backstage trying to find his way back "North," the boy stammered "what are ya doing here?"

"What does it look like," the older sibling shrugged "I'm baking cookies, they are good stress reliever."

"Stress reliever?" Jack wondered aloud.

"Yes," North nodded a ghost of a smile playing about his lips "I have noticed that you seem tired, and I know it is mostly my fault for making you practice nonstop, and not giving you the vacation you wanted. I wanted to apologize."

"N-North" Jack whispered his eyes filling with tears all over again and his nose and throat began to sting "please…it's not your fault."

"No," North sighed shaking his head slowly "no it is my fault. When our parents died, I promised to protect you, and keep you by my side. But then we met everyone, and we grew up in the orphanage together, and became a family. When Aster got the idea to start a band after we discovered our mutual love of music, and I selfishly shoved your medical condition aside, thinking that music and our dreams would outweigh it somehow. I have been so selfish Jack, and I'm so sorry."

"No," Jack began to sob his shoulders convulsing "no it's not your fault."

"Yes it is!" North insisted kneeling in front of his younger brother "I should have been more concerned about you and your health instead of being so distracted by the band and getting a record deal."

Jack's chest heaved as he struggled to draw breath, and his vision was knocked askew as it went in and out of focus making him sway unsteadily on his feet. His limbs began to tremble as his pale hands reached up to grip his snowy hair. "No, nonononono!" he wept "It's my fault, its all my fault…mine…"

"How could it be your fault Jack?" North asked one quizzical eyebrow lifting.

"B-Because," the teen sobbed "It just is…I wanted to tell you…but I CAN'T! I wish I could…but…I'm so sorry North, I can't…I'm SO sor-"

Suddenly Jack's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed onto the floor. North felt his eyes go wide and his chest tightened as he saw his little brother began to shake and convulse in a massive panic attack.

"JACK!"

Reaching down, North grabbed Jack, struggling to hold the body of the boy currently caught in the midst of a seizure. Aster burst in, his eyes wide as he took in the scene "What happened?"

"I-I don't know!" North cried holding onto Jack as he tried to soothe the tormented frame "We were talking, and then I apologized for overworking us, and then…this….Oh God, this is my fault…"

"North, snap out o' it," Aster growled as he dug furiously in his pocket fighting against the material holding his phone hostage "blamin' yerself isn't gonna help Jack. I'm gonna get Tooth, and call an ambulance, you stay with Jack!"

"Right," North replied in a broken sob clutching his brother to his chest.

Slowly the fever calmed to feeble twitches and trembles, and North sat on the floor of the RV stroking the pale boy's hair, rocking back and forth, whispering endless apologies. Their tears mingled, and the RV was soon silent save for the labored breathing of the youngest member. North shook from the silent sobs wracking his frame, the cookies lay scattered around them on the floor, and the young man listened as the wail of a siren from the Ambulance drew nearer.

"Don't worry Jack," North whispered brokenly pressing a kiss to his brother's temple "I'll take care of you, I won't lose you like we lost mom and dad. Everything's going to be alright, I promise."

With a whirl of activity, North watched through lifeless eyes as the paramedics came in, and took Jack away. Feeling as if all sound had left, and everything was stuck in slow motion, the Russian youth felt himself be picked up and guided towards the back of the ambulance by the doctors, his eyes only on his brother. Out of the corner of his eye, North vaguely acknowledged Tooth falling to the ground in a screaming heap at the sight of Jack, and Sandy barely reacted in time to catch her. Aster dove forward, placing his forehead against Jack's, his hands holding the boy's face, the Australian's features were tight in a grimace of sorrow. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the family were bundled up inside the vehicle and were on their way to the hospital, each full of fear and worry for the life of their baby brother.

Pitch watched nearby, his face a smug sneer of triumph "Checkmate" he whispered.

Hopefully you guys liked this chapter, I know it took me forever to update, but when you have my life, you rarely get time to breathe much less write.

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

I am going to be CRAZY INSANELY busy for the next few weeks/months, so if I do not update as often as I used to, it isn't because I hate you or am growing bored with the story, it's because I'm busy. I have NO intention of stopping this drabble any time soon. I'm having too much fun with it. Just please, have mercy on me, and be patient with me.

THANKS! Now….REVIEW!