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Nat's POV

Once we unloaded from the hotel shuttle, we all dragged ourselves into the airport somberly. Brendon held my hand until we reached the checkpoint detectors. When we stopped, I looked over my shoulder for Tay, but found myself staring into Mike's troubled eyes instead. I heard him audibly sigh, and I turned back around lightening fast.

"What's the matter?" Brendon asked as he tossed my carry-on bag onto the conveyor belt. I shook my head.

"Nothing. Just looking for Taylor. I'm gonna miss her, a lot."

I felt a finger poking my side and I turned to see her standing there. "No you won't."

"Shut up, I will. The closest to a female I'll have on this tour will be Spence." I giggled as Spencer gave me a playful evil glare.

"And Brendon..." Taylor chuckled.

"Ha, funny." Brendon smiled. "You're just mad because I'm stealing your bed buddy."

"Not at all, she kicks a lot, and she might end up smothering you with her boobs, which is not nice." Taylor replied, making the juice Ryan sipped fly from his mouth and nose.

"Hey, that's not true!" I laughed.

"I don't exactly think he shares your sentiment there, Taylor." Spencer butted in, patting Ryan's back. Taylor took one glance at the expression on Brendon's face and rolled her eyes.

"Men." She said simply, with a giggle.

"See? Where will I be without your dry humor and sarcasm?" I laughed as we all went through and collected our things.

"You'll be fine, Ryan is exactly the same way." Brendon stated.

"I'll be sure to avoid him in the morning then too." Everyone giggled and Ryan glared a little. "No, but really," I began when we all sat and settled for the wait. "You're like my best friend Tay. We've been through a lot of crazy shit. You know you're my favorite bitch." I giggled.

"Aaawwww," Tay said with a faux sniffle. "Im going to miss you too, whore. But if you cry, I'm gonna kick your ass." She chuckled as she hugged me.

"I'm emotional, you know that." I giggled.

"Yeah, yeah I know. But I guess Brendon will keep you busy enough to keep you from missing me."

"I can sure try!" Brendon added with a grin.

"Not if he plans to keep his job..." Ryan deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "You heard the 'boss'. I've gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be back."

I was still a little emotional, and I knew that if I cried Taylor would only tease me, so I left everyone in the boarding area and walked about a damn mile to the nearest restroom. I went in, and stood in the mirror, sniffling back tears. When I convinced myself they were not going to fall, I splashed a little water on my face and dried it. My hair was horrid, so I started combing it with my fingers a little at a time down into place.

I was nervous about going to Italy, but there was something else. Something nagging, literally pulling at me and twisting my tummy in knots, and I couldn't figure out at all why I was feeling so unsettled.

"Don't be so jittery." I told myself. "You've got a great guy, new friends... You're going to have fun. Relax. And just have fun."

I took a deep breath and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear before heading for the exit. I was still semi-freaked. But what I saw when I got out is what made it worse.

Mike was standing there as I turned the corner, hands in pockets, leaning against the wall. He straightened up when he saw me and said one word.

"Stay."

.~

Taylor's POV

I watched Nat walk to the bathroom. I knew she would be hiding in there to cry cause she's a wimp like that, but I decided to give her a break and tease her when she'd get back. Besides, I was a little emotional myself. I would miss her a lot... and who am I kidding? After everything that happened with William I was entitled to feel like shit. Even if that was no reason to show it.

"How's your hand doing?" Ryan asked me.

"Fine." I said with a tiny smile. "Doesn't hurt that bad, though I know the bruising will stay there for a week or so." I showed my hand to Ryan.

"Make sure you put an ice pack on it when you can." He held my hand, tracing the darkening bruises with his fingers. I couldn't help getting a little tingly when he did, making me hold my breath.

"I know. I'll ask for some ice when I board the plane..."

"Good." He added smiling feebly and releasing my hand. "Make sure you call when you land. So I… so we know you made it safe." Ryan cleared his throat and I smiled.

"I'm sure Nat will page me the whole flight! I hope she doesn't page me when she gets to join the mile high club with Brendon though." I said with a shrug. Is it wrong that I could see Nat doing that? And I mean paging me, not being with Brendon!

"I'm surprised he's still sitting here, honestly. I thought that was some kind of secret code." Ryan chuckled. "She'll just be missing you. You're not so bad to be around, you know?"

"Well, you've seen only the good side of me then." I said biting my lip. "But I'll let Nat tell you all the shit."

"We'll see what she's told me in the next few weeks. Then I'll decide if we're still friends." I must have looked at him funny, cause he rushed to add. "That was a joke, by the way." And I shook my head.

"It won't take you much to get dirt about me from Nat, to be honest..."

"Oh, stop. I'm not digging up dirt on you, Taylor. I like you the way you are." He said offering a small smile that I reciprocated. "Don't forget that when you get tired of my texts."

"You can't be worse than Nat anyways. Hope you remember to give me a call when you get back..." I faced the floor then and Ryan got quiet for a few uncomfortable seconds.

"And you should've come with me." He blurted out. I didn't look up as I felt my cheeks burn.

"And you should've asked sooner."

"Yeah... I'm--" He started, but I didn't let him continue.

"Doesn't matter, Ryan. I think it's better this way... I have tons of shit to get fixed right now."

He agreed with a nod at the same time the speakers were announcing Panic's flight. I turned my head on the bathroom's direction checking on Nat and I saw her nearly run her way back to us, obviously upset. I said nothing as I saw her hugging Brendon and I shrugged it off.

"Time to go." Ryan said picking up his bag.

"Thank you." I hugged him. "For everything." He pulled away a little and nodded, looking at me uncertainly, which was getting me uncomfortable again. "I'll be waiting on that phone call." I said trying to break the awkward silence. He nodded and kissed my cheek, right on the corner of my lip, making me go tingly again.

We said nothing else as he stepped back and waved. I would've waved back, but Nat tackled me.

"I'm going to miss you!" She said, obviously crying now.

"Oh, my God, you're getting me all wet and not in a good form!" I giggles and held her back for a few second before shoving her away. "That's enough. Brendon, take her please!"

Nat glared playfully at me while Brendon took her hand and led her away. I sighed as they walked away, making way back to the remaining crew and sitting on the floor.

.~

William’s POV

I have to sit very still. Very, very still, so no one can notice that I’m shaking. Why? Why didn’t I do or say something sooner? Why can’t I do something now? She’s right there for fuck’s sake and her new boyfriend or whatever is on a plane flying to the other side of the world.

Pointless. What would I say anyways?

When I saw Taylor sit on the floor everything that happened in the last few weeks came back to my mind in a flash. And the memories stayed with me during the whole flight back home. I tried to sleep several times, but my head kept pounding with the weight of those two weeks. And for some reason I kept forcing my neck into the hallway just to see her, or her arm actually, 3 seats in front of me.

I must have fallen asleep after all, cause I lost track of time before I was rudely awakened by the flight attendant announcing our first scale on the trip. That’s when my stomach dropped: Taylor would leave the plane and get home. I straightened up on my seat like someone pinched my ass and I saw her getting her backpack from the compartment.

Then she turned to me, and I simply couldn’t look away, so we locked eyes for what it seemed to be an eternity. I have to stop her, I have to say something, do something, anything…

And she’s gone. She walked the 3 seats in between us and off the plane and I just stared like a fucking dumbass.

I slumped back on my seat and took a few deep breaths. It’s over, it’s all over… in a few hours you’ll get home and your girlfriend will be there, your girlfriend who you love above all else, right? Who’s carrying your baby, right? That’s all you need, right?

Yeah… right.

I sighed audibly, mimicked in the gesture by my now awake band mate, who had been little worse than a wet blanket since we left the hotel. I knew something had been gone terribly wrong with him and Nat and I wanted to ask, but I chose not to. I wouldn’t want people questioning me if I feel like shit.

“Where are we?” Mike said at realizing the plane was still.

“Washington.” I answered, feeling a poking in my chest. Mike looked at me.

“Isn’t this where--- okay, not saying shit.” I must have looked at him funny, cause he stopped and sighed again, fastened his seatbelt at the flight attendant’s command and rolled over to the window.

My thoughts went back to the two girls that were now out of our lives. Wondering what could we have done to make things turn out different, better. What could we have said or done to make them be with us in this plane instead of going to Europe or back home, miles away from us? I realized it was useless to question such things, for everything we could have done we already didn’t. They’re gone… Taylor is gone.

And there’s nothing I can do to change that.



.~

The end!! xD