Valerie felt like she was losing it - she was actually excited for a Detroit Vandals show.

But it wasn't in the usual gritty pub, they were the opening act at the House of Blues. It wasn't Madison Square Garden by any means but it was a step in the right direction. She was extremely proud when she saw them step out on stage, she even screamed with the crowd.

Jamie had tagged along. Valerie had decided not to hold a grudge against her for ditching Valerie at the club. Jamie did seem pretty guilty when Valerie told her what went down and that was enough for Valerie.

Valerie still hadn't acquired a taste for the more aggressive tracks of theirs but she got chills just seeing them on a stage of this size, with a full house (even if most people didn't come for them).

Jamie seemed to be into it. She was jumping up and down and screaming along the entire time. Valerie stifled her laughter and joined in.

"I know your brothers engaged and Jack's off limits," Jamie yelled over the music. "But can you hook me up with one of the other two?"

Valerie shook her head but agreed to take Jamie backstage to meet them. She wanted to correct her on the Jack thing but she knew Jamie wouldn't believe her anyway.

Jack closed the opening act with Loving Won't Leave Me Alone. Valerie's arms raised with goosebumps at the first verse. Something about Jack's voice so raspy and passionate always made her shiver and feel something. Even on her burned off CD.

She stared at Jack, watching him mouth the words into the mic he had gripped so tight. His eyes flickered down to hers and she smiled softly as they made eye contact. His own lips twitched, just a little, before he looked away and foucused on the crowd behind her again.

When the song ended and the lights went black, Valerie screamed as loud as she could, cheering them on.

She didn't wait for the main act to come out, they weren't who she came for. She pushed through the crowd, Jamie latched around her elbow, and made her way backstage.

Stef was chugging back a water so fast Valerie was surprised he didn't choke. Jack had taken a towel to his face, catching all the dripping sweat that had formed as he had sung his heart out. Eli was sprawled out on a couch in the back corner, and Austin was raiding a small mini fridge for something to eat. Gina, to Valerie's distaste, was hanging off Stef.

Valerie sat next to Eli on the couch, picking up his legs so she could sit down and then tossing them over hers, where they had been before. Jamie followed her, taking up the armrest.

"Great set, boys." Valerie congratulated them.

Eli grinned. "I feel like I hit it big. You came to our show and you even dressed up for it."

"Bite me." Valerie teased. She glanced down at her outfit. She did usually wear a simple jeans and tee combo for their gigs, if she even went, but tonight she had on a black halter dress and tall leather boots.

"This is Jamie, by the way," Valerie introduced. "You probably remember her from ElectriK."

All the boys greeted her and Valerie could tell Jamie was swooning.

Valerie was having a bit of a struggle not to swoon herself when Jack walked over to the couch without a shirt on. She glanced over him - up and down. He glistened with sweat and while Jack was no body builder, he was toned. He smirked when he caught her looking and Valerie quickly averted her gaze elsewhere.

The boys were more polite than Valerie, they waited for the main act to be over before they piled out of the House of Blues, patting the other band of boys on the back and telling them they were great out there.

Valerie trailed behind the group. Jamie animatedly chatted with Austin and Eli, and Jack and Stef were talking lowly to one another. She felt a little out of the loop.

She hugged her jacket to her, feeling the chill of winter outside. She should have worn a scarf or gloves. Tights would have a good idea too.

Jack said something to Stef and then Stef caught up to the others while Jack hung back.

"What has you all fucking brooding?"

She folded her arms and looked up at him. She had to crane her neck to do so - which never really happened, being 5'11, but Jack was just so damn tall. "I'm not brooding. I just don't have anything to say."

"Unusual for you," he said, his lips curling. "You always got a smart ass comment for everything."

She reciprocated his expression. "You got me there. I guess I'm just not in the mood tonight."

"Something really must be wrong then."

Valerie shoved him with her hip and Jack laughed, that loud, deep laugh that rumbled from somewhere far down in his chest. A shot of warmth went through her at the sound. She hadn't heard it in a while.

Snow started to fall just moments later. Those big fluffy flakes that meant the snow was going to stay for awhile. She craned her neck again to watch the sky; it was mesmerizing when the snow fell hard, just swirls and swirls of white falling from a black night sky.

"I love the snow," she whispered but she knew Jack heard her because his gaze flicked on to her. "I could never live in California or Florida or something. I'd miss it too much."

"Yeah, me too."

She felt herself shiver and a second later Jack had wrapped his scarf around her. Valerie breathed it in, it smelt just like him and provided her with the warmth she needed.

"You look hot," Jack chuckled. "But you sure as hell didn't dress to keep warm. A paradox."

"Sometimes you gotta pick beauty over comfort." She shrugged.

"Your friend, Jamie," Jack tipped his head in Jamie's direction. "She seems to be getting on with Eli just fine."

"I think that's her plan." Jamie wasn't being discreet. She had been warming up to Eli since she sat by him backstage.

Austin yelled at them from the front of their little line - something about hitting up a bar to celebrate their hometown show.

Jack told them to go to Joe's, giving Valerie a sly look as he said it. They both had silently agreed that Joe's was their spot.

All seven of them piled in Joe's and Jamie ordered a round of cold ones for all of them since she 'was a working woman'. None of them complained, obviously.

Jamie challenged Valerie to a game of pool and even though Valerie knew she was going to lose, she agreed to the game.

Jack shook his head in her direction.

Jamie had sunk three balls. Valerie had sunk zero. Jack had pulled up a stool and was watching in amusement, the other four had followed his lead.

Jamie sunk another ball and Jack stood up.

"You gotta lean in to it, Val," he said, behind her by mere inches now. He lined up the pool stick for her. "And hit it from this angle."

She did as she was told and she sunk a ball. Jack smirked smug that he had taught her something.

He lined up the pool stick in just the right way again. "Okay, now lean into it remember."

Valerie did as she was told and sunk another.

Jamie frowned. "This is cheating!"

She turned to the three boys still sitting on their stools. "This is cheating, don't you think?"

Eli nodded but the other three shook their heads.

"That's three to one, Jamie," Jack chuckled. "I guess you're out of luck."

Jamie pouted but Valerie could tell she wasn't actually upset. She had too much of a buzz for that. She took her turn.

Jack lined everything up for her once again. Valerie didn't sink the ball by less than one third of an inch.

"You didn't hit it hard enough." Jack told her. Valerie nodded in agreement, already knowing that.

Jack leaned over her as he did the first time they came to Joe's and held her hand tightly to the pool stick, pulling her arm back and then pushing it forward when he had it properly lined up. As always, a ball was sunk.

Valerie tipped her head back to smile at him, wordlessly thanking him.

"Okay," Stef groaned. He had got off his stool and pushed them apart. "That's enough of whatever this is."

"Grow up, Stef." Valerie told him.

He raised his hands and backed away.

Valerie and Jamie finished their game. Jamie still won, even with Jack's help.

The boys had lost interest by the time they wrapped up their game and had gone back to the bar for second and third rounds. Gina was perched quietly on the stool. Valerie felt a tinge of guilt, seeing her left out, and cursed herself for it. Stef eyed her from the bar, pointing at Gina.

He wanted her to include her.

"Hey, since I lost," Valerie said to Gina, who's head snapped up at the sound. "You wanna play the winner?"

Gina nodded, her lips turning up slightly at the edges. Jamie waved her over excitedly. She had enough of a buzz to be friendly.

Valerie sniped Gina's spot on the stool. She sipped at her beer, that had gone warm during her game of pool, and watched them.

It was after midnight when Stef wrapped his arms around Gina's shoulders and announced to the group they were going to start walking home. Everyone else dispersed after that. Except Jack. Which meant she was in charge of getting a drunk, stumbling Jack home for the night. Valerie wasn't too upset - it wasn't her first time.

She managed to get Jack to the apartment, up the stairs, and shove him into his bed. He was out cold as soon as he hit the mattress.

Valerie stripped down and threw on her pyjamas but she was not as lucky as Jack.

Valerie was too restless to go to bed so she stayed up watching late night television. She must have fallen asleep after awhile though because the next moment she remembered was walking up to the phone ringing.

She half debated not answering, it was three in the morning, but she was already up.

"Hello?" She said groggily. It was probably some idiotic survey or scam call centre who didn't understand time zones existed.

"Valerie?" Even in a sleepy haze Valerie knew that was Jeremiah's voice. "I need to speak to Jack."

"Jack's passed out. Had too many cold ones," she said, holding back a yawn. "Want me to pass along a message?"

It should have struck Valerie that something was serious when Jeremiah was calling their place at three a.m but she had just been so tired. What Jeremiah said next froze her.

"Valerie," Jeremiah sounded choked up. "I need to speak to Jack because... Evelyn has passed. She's gone."

She felt numb. "What do you mean...?"

"I mean she was shot in an armed robbery gone wrong." Jeremiah said.

"I'll get Jack." That definitely wasn't a message Valerie wanted to pass along. She didn't have the heart.

She slipped into Jack's room. She still didn't know if she could wake him up. She knew he would be a wreck right after Jeremiah's phone call. But she didn't get a choice in the matter, Jack woke up as soon as she opened the door.

"Never thought I'd see the day that you'd come sneaking in here," Jack said in a rough voice that meant he had been just woken up from sleep. "I'd dreamt about it a couple times."

Valerie wanted to roll her eyes or even laugh at Jack's stupid joke but she couldn't do anything but hold back tears that had pricked her eyes.

"Jack," her voiced cracked. "Just go get the phone."

Valerie followed Jack out of the room. There was still a slight stumble to his walk; she hoped he wasn't still drunk when he heard this.

Jack picked up the phone and a few moments later it looked like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over him. He didn't look tired or drunk, he looked wide awake but she could see the pain in his twisted expression.

Valerie watched him slam the reciever down with shaky hands.

"Jack-"

Valerie wasn't even sure he heard her. Jack stomped back to his room and slammed the door so hard the whole place shook.

She spent the rest of her night sitting on the floor outside Jack's door, knocking. He had his music blasting but she could still hear him yelling and crying. It made her cry. It made her want to sit there and god damn throw up. Valerie was so tired but she couldn't sleep, she wouldn't tonight, not until Jack came out of his room.

Why anybody would do this to Jack or any of the Mercer's was beyond Valerie's knowledge. Jack calling Evelyn his second chance was all that was going through Valerie's mind. The kid had a shit childhood and then he had a taste of something good just to have it ripped away. Jack Mercer better get a damn third chance.

"Jack, please come out. Please."

The music turned off suddenly and Jack got up long enough to open his door and lay back down on his bed. Valerie assumed she was allowed in.

She was too afraid to say anything. The blotchiness and bags under his eyes told Valerie all she needed to know anyway. She curled up on the bed next to him. Jack stretched out and pulled her in, holding her to him. Valerie knew that she should've probably moved away but it didn't seem right. He needed someone to hold right now.

They were completely quiet until they both fell asleep.