The following morning, Oscar returned from his run. He was not well rested. He had tossed and turned, unable to switch his own brain off. He had been thankful that Bea had had the strength to walk away, last night because he sure as hell hadn't been that strong. Unable to get his mind to shut down and switch off, he had gone on his run earlier than usual. But he had ran further, harder and faster than he had been planning on running.

Flushed, red hot skin covered his body, with sweat dripping from his pores. His ear buds still pumping his work out playlist. He saw Bea as soon as he entered the suite. She was dressed, her hair wet from what he assumed was a shower. She was dressed in blue denim jeans, black boots and an oversized feminine navy-blue blouse with rose gold polka dots on it. She was enjoying a mug of what he assumed was tea, in the dining area. She had the paper sprawled out across the table in front of her.

Looking up and catching her eye, she raised her mug to me in salute. "Mornin,'" His voice drawled, and the twang of his accent came through stronger than it usually did. "I was thinkin', did you want to join us for breakfast? Ethan and Raf would love to see you again."

"Yes, if that's ok." She smiled coyly at him. Last night seemed to be a bubble in time now. It had seemed they were going to do the British thing and just never mention it again.

"Great, it's at this small cafe down the street that Raf and Alex love." Oscar winked at her. He couldn't believe she had agreed to come. "What you're wearing is perfect, I however, need to hit the shower. We're meeting them at 9."

While Oscar was showering, Bea called her PPO Simon, and the two of them were deep in discussion when Oscar came out of the bedroom, ready to leave. "Senator Diaz, pleasure to see you again. Her Royal Highness was briefing me on this morning's plans. Breakfast?"

"Just down the street at Bronte's. Secret Service have the security plans and floor plan memorized. Raf and I, as well as Raf and Alex have been frequenting that place for years. Alex has even taken Henry there."

"I will check in with your agent and plan accordingly." Simon was good at his job. He wasn't obtrusive. He gave the Princess a sense of security without being overbearing. most of all, even when he was ordered by the Queen's personal royal guards to disclose the details of any and all of the princess's relationships, he knows what to say and what not to say.

Breakfast at the cafe down the street was a lively affair. If Raf, or Ethan were surprised by Bea's appearance at their table, they didn't comment on it. They simply greeted her, like they were long lost friends. Just as easy as the conversation the night before had flowed, it flowed again today. If Bea seemed to sit a little closer to Oscar in the booth, or Oscar seemed to rest his hand beside Bea's thigh on the bench seat, no one commented on it.

Plans and ideas were discussed about how they would all be spending the day. Bea grudgingly admitted she had a rehearsal, before performing in her final concert tonight. That she had an early flight from Denver to JFK scheduled for tomorrow morning. Before she offered the three men a chance to come and see her perform. With the invitation issued, it was hurriedly accepted. In particular by Raf who admitted he had seen some of her gigs online and was a fan. Bea grinned and fired a text off to her manager, organizing for three tickets with backstage passes to be left at the security desk under Oscar's name for the men.

Oscar admitted that he had some work to do from the business centre at the hotel, to which Raf hastily replied to join him at his office in Denver that Ethan had work and they could keep one another company.

After breakfast was over, Ethan said his goodbyes first, heading off to his own office. He had some financial statements that he'd been putting off, now demanding his attention. Bea was the next to bid them a farewell, she had to get back to the hotel, get her guitar and get to her rehearsal within the hour. Goodbyes to Bea were said, but not before they promised to come backstage after her show and say a proper goodbye to her. Oscar asked her to hold up and he'd escort her back to the hotel, to gather his own laptop, before joining Raf in his Denver office.

As expected by Oscar, Raf tried to question him extensively over Bea. He had noticed the casual touching and the low conversation the two of them had exchanged. Oscar quickly shut him down of any questions with the comment, "She's Henry's sister, Raf. Leave it alone." And surprisingly to Oscar, it had worked.

Until it didn't. Because no less than an hour later

"Come on Oscar," Raf urged him to open up to him. "There hasn't really been anyone since Ellen. Besides, it's not like I am going to run off and tell Alex and Henry. She's a very attractive woman."

"I thought you were gay." Oscar side-eyed him. Oscar was being a shit to Raf, he knew that. Where did everyone think that Alex got his tendency for being a little shit from? The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"I am, very, very gay." He humored Oscar. "Doesn't mean I don't know an attractive woman when I see one. She's got nice eyes, pretty hair, straight teeth."

"Objectively, she is very beautiful." Oscar admitted to Raf. "But realistically, how would that play out? She is Henry's sister and Alex's friend. There's an age gap between us. I am almost old enough to be her father."

"But you're not." Raf supplied and it sounded suspiciously like his rationalizing subconscious from last night. The one that had talked his brain into thinking that this wasn't a good idea. "You're not her father, Oz. Sure, her father was the very delectable and sexy, James Bond actor extraordinaire Arthur Fox. And you, my friend, are not Arthur Fox."

"We just can't. Not right now." Oscar argued, succinctly. "Bea just got out of a relationship, Raf. If we started something right now, it'd fail on instinct. We are all old enough to know that people need time to process that relationship, before they can move on. But nothing can happen, she's Henry's sister and Alex's friend. What happens if Henry ends up being my son in-law because that's a distinct possibility, then what? Hmmm."

"Just think about it, Oscar. Please." Raf pleaded with him, and Oscar was grappling with the fact that the arguments Raf had made, they were good. "She's the first woman that has sparked your interest since you and Ellen split, all those years ago. And I'm not counting Sarah, because we both know that there was no serious chemistry or attraction between you two. It was just sex, and it was a very casual arrangement. But you deserve to be happy."

"She's Henry's sister. End of discussion."

And it was the end of discussion. Oscar tuned Raf out completely and focused on his own work. They called it a day around four, when Oscar told him he was going back to the hotel to get in a work-out, swim and shower, before the three of them met for dinner. A text message to Oscar's phone at six, just as he was heading from the gym to the pool in the hotel, interrupted him from forcibly making his brain not think of Bea, dressed in a soft silk teddy, in his bedroom, licentious and prurient, last night. The message was from Ethan informing him that he made reservations for the three of them at the little Italian place, across the road from the Arts Centre.

By the time dinner rolled around, food had been promptly ordered with their drinks and the conversation centered around politics, much to Ethan's dismay. Ethan had tried to steer the conversation to Bea and the underlying chemistry between her and Oscar, but surprisingly, it was Raf who shut it down for Oscar. With regrets for dessert given to the waiter, Oscar snapped up the cheque before Raf or Ethan had been able to get to it, leaving a hefty tip for her and the three of them grabbed a cab and headed over to Empower field, where Bea was performing.

Raf, having lived in Denver for a long while now, had been to many football games and concerts at the stadium, but the atmosphere was something unto itself again. It was a whole other level. Honestly, when Bea had told them she was in a band, he'd been expecting this low-key indie band supporting some big name. He hadn't been expecting that Bea was part of the Punk*dLoyals, one of the biggest punk rock cover bands of the day. They were a world-famous cover band, singing all of the classic punk rock songs. Singing covers of songs by the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, Patti Smith, Buzz Cocks. As well as some of the 90's hits from Green Day, Misfits and Bad Religion.

Oscar stepped up to the security desk, giving his name and handing their ID's over. The burly man at the desk didn't even blink, as he scanned the ID's meticulously, before typing their names into the computer. "Here you go, boys. Enjoy the show. I'll see you at the Coca-cola Fan Cave, after the show. These lanyards and your ID's will get you in. Enjoy the show."

The opening act was shockingly good. She was some kind of up and coming, new age punk singer that had flowers in her hair. If she was forty years older, she would have been called a hippy. However, the fact that the young woman looked to be barely legal to Oscar and Raf's eyes, was worrying. Whilst Ethan, being bisexual like Alex, admitted some indecent and ungentlemanly thoughts right there without using his brain's filter.

At Raf and Oscar's horrified look towards Ethan, he looked apologetic at the two men in return. "Sorry, that was rather perverted of me." Ethan admitted. It sounded forced and Ethan didn't even seem apologetic. That irked Oscar far more than it should have. He was a father to a woman, not that much older than the woman on stage. He had a son in that age bracket too, that this man was around him. Looking over, he was glad to see that Raf had been horrified by his boyfriend's words too. Seeing Raf horrified, made Oscar feel like his reaction was justified.

"Eth!" Raf exclaimed, horrified. He was disgusted by what his boyfriend's perverted words had implied about him. "I'd hate to ponder what you really think about other attractive people."

"Please, you're the one who constantly objectifies Henry like a piece of A-grade meat." Ethan argued with Raf, seeing nothing but the argument of hypocrisy coming from Raf's mouth.

"That may be true, but Henry, Alex and I are all in on it." Raf explained in a low seethe. "Henry and Alex know I mean no harm and although he is a good-looking man, Really, I do not think that way about Henry. Or Alex, before you go there. Hell, Alex is like my kid brother."

"Alex is hot, you said that yourself, last week. You hypocrite." Ethan bit back, getting angry. He had always been a little jealous that Oscar, Alex and Raf were so close, especially Alex and Raf. Quite often, Ethan thought Alex was flirting with Raf, even if it was just part of his natural persona. Despite how much Raf and Alex claimed there was never anything between them, how Raf had told Ethan that Henry was literally Alex's bisexual awakening, he'd never been able to shake the feeling of something lingering between them. As much as Ethan tried to ignore it, it always irked him.

Raf did say that Alex is hot. He couldn't deny that. Those were his very words when he gave that interview to the reporter from MSNBC. But the implication of his words being thrown back at him had stunned him, especially as they were being thrown back at him, out of context. "I also said he had an ass that won't quit." Raf grinned and winked at Oscar. Oscar "But I was referring to his passion and talent for political strategizing, his drive and commitment to a good cause and how is the guy that would always help anyone out in a crisis, friend or not. Fuck Ethan, we both know that. You were there when I said it. Don't twist my words to fit your sick narrative. It's not an attractive quality."

"You know what?" Ethan spat out angrily. "Fuck you, Raf!" With that declaration he the lanyard at Oscar and stormed off from their seats, presumably towards the exit.

"Sorry." Oscar murmured, putting a comforting hand on Raf's shoulder. Ethan hadn't been the first boyfriend that had stormed out of Raf's life, leaving Oscar to pick up the pieces.

"The three-month mark, sounds about fucking right." Raf sighed, before he focused his attention and energy back on the stage, as the opening act introduced Bea's band on stage.

Bea had always felt nervous, right before she stepped on stage. She once, when she was a small child, at her first piano recital told her father how she was nervous. She can remember the memory clear as day, like it was playing out right before her eyes.

"It's your craft, Poppet. No one can tell you you're doing it wrong. Nerves are good, they remind you how much you care. Only the best of the best gets nervous." He had told her, and he continued to tell her before every major performance she had done. Even after his death, Bea always took a moment of solitude and reflected on that memory. Reflected on her father's words. She remembered the conversation that followed it. Pip had been away with their Gran that day and it was just her and her parents. "You know what, my little buzzing Bea? You're going to go out on that stage and you're going to brave and you're going to make us proud, because you are extra-ordinary. Just like you're going to be an extraordinary big sister." She remembered looking over at her mum and seeing the small bump on her tummy. It was the first time she had noticed it. Her parents were going to have another baby.

Her pre-performance routine rarely faltered. Think about her father's words. Remember his advice. Remember her mother's stomach. Text Henry. Go on stage and make her parents and Henry proud of her.

Bea steeled herself, before making her way on stage, her guitar clasped in her hand firmly. Tonight, in their first set, she would be playing the acoustic guitar, as well as a bass guitar. For one song in particular, she would be showing off her piano skills.

The energy in the stadium was electric and tonight she seemed to be buzzing with energy. It was a high, one she was all too familiar with. However, she didn't have the time to ponder that thought. She placed the guitar strap over her head and stepped under it, letting her body help take the weight of the guitar. Kelsy, their lead singer stepped up and Nick, their lead drummer counted them in as Bea strung the first chord out of her guitar.

Nothing else mattered now. Not the break-up with the guy she'd been seeing. Not Oscar coming to her rescue when he'd refused to leave her alone. Not making friend with Raf, who was also friends with Alex and Henry. Not Oscar's kind offer to stay in his suite, rather than the hotel room she had booked with said ex. Not the growing attraction between her and Oscar. Nothing.

All that mattered was the here and now. Being in this moment and performing in front of more than seventy-five thousand people.