Austin and I got together a month later. Leading up to that point we had talked on the phone every day. Some days it was only for two minutes and other days it was more like two hours. Sometimes we fought, but the next day we would talk about it and we would make up. From the tone of his voice I knew that he just wanted to come and see me, but he stood strong. I was getting to the point where I would hear his voice and not think about his brother. I was seeing him as him and that was when I knew it was working. I had no idea how he was doing with all of this, but that night we got together, he made it clear.

That dinner was amazing. He took me to a small restaurant and had a wonderful meal. We talked the whole time and neither of us brought up anything about our past except for the good parts. I didn't think about Alex for even a minute and I don't think he did either. I was actually having a pretty great time. That being said, I didn't know if I was ready to move back in with him yet. But I didn't really have time to think about that though.

"So, Em, how do you think this is going because I think that we won't need that extra two weeks?"There was such hope in his eyes.

"I think that we are doing perfectly fine, but I don't know about moving in yet." Truth be told, I still wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with him. It almost felt like I was meeting him for the first time.

"Why not?"

"I'm not really sure, I just have a feeling. Besides, I just got my cast off and yours comes off in a couple of weeks. We're both still fragile and can't do much yet anyway, but that doesn't mean that we can't hang out." I didn't want to tell him otherwise.

"That was going to be my point. We can't do anything, so I've been so bored. If you moved in with me we wouldn't be bored. We could watch movies together or play games. You know, whatever you want. It would be fun and we wouldn't be doing much of anything. We would still be taking it easy. Congrats on getting your cast off, by the way. I didn't really know until tonight." He motioned to my bare arm.

"Yea, I wanted to surprise you."

"Well consider me surprised. Also, why won't you move in with me?" Why was he always so abrupt with his questions. He didn't need me there with him. He could be independent if he wanted to.

"Like I said, I just have a bad feeling. Being up there alone on the waterfall that falls off that cliff freaks me out a bit." I had a good point. It was like every horror movie scenario being alone in the woods on top of a cliff, including what had happened there before.

"We could always stay at your place. Or even my old place, I don't care, as long as I'm with you." He held my hands at the center of the table. His eyes were sparkling again; I don't know how he does that.

"Fine, but only consider this a trial run. If I don't feel comfortable I'm moving back home until you get your cast off, okay."

"I'll take what I can get with you." He kissed my hand. "How's school been for you?" Changing the subject, I see.

"Hell, still. I haven't seen you there." Of course high school was hell. It was high school.

"Yeah, I'm never going back. You were right, it was hell, but I was glad to see firsthand what being normal is like." He gave a slight chuckle.

"No, you're not coming back." I didn't want to admit it, but I didn't want him to come back to school. It felt too much like babysitting and I wasn't getting paid.

"No, I'm not." We both laughed at that. "So, we're good, right?" He asked with a little bit of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, man, we're good." He was starting to frighten me again, "What is it?" I looked into his eyes and I saw something that I did not want to see. It looked like uncertainty mixed with a little bit of fear.

"It's nothing." I knew that it was definitely something and it was bothering him more than it probably should.

"No, what is it?" A smile came on my face, but it was definitely an unsure one. He was acting weird. I could tell he was nervous about something.

"You know I love you right?" It was then that he really started to scare me. He usually said something like that when we were about to have a fight.

"Yeah, I know. What is it, Austin?"

"How would you like to join me for a concert?" I was so relieved that it was something so small. I let out the breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding in.

"One of yours, I presume?"

"Yes, one of mine and you will join me on that stage and you will slay."

"But your leg. It's awful and you can't stand. I'd feel horrible being able to move with you just sitting there. Your band..."

"I didn't tell you this, but the band left me. Well, we are sort of 'taking a break' at the moment. It would just be you and me. It would give me an opportunity to work on my guitar skills anyway. Please, Em, join me." He grabbed my hands very lightly, I might add. I hated it when he begged. He knew I would say yes.

"Okay fine; when is it?" I caved.

"This weekend." He ruffled his hair and gave me a guilty smile.

"Wow. You do realize it's Thursday, right?" he really needs to stop springing things on me.

"Yea, I know. I already talked to Sophie about this and she approves. Of course she can come with if you would like." He raised his eyebrows in a playful manner. Of course Sophie approved, she's Soph!

"Why do you keep doing this? Now I only have two days to decide." I rolled my eyes. He is insane. He has to stop doing this to me.

"Actually you have one. We'd have to leave tomorrow if you want to join me."

"What?" Okay so he is completely insane. I'm a girl, it takes me more than one day to decide things.

"We are going to England. How does that sound?"

"Insane!" I meant to say something like 'insanely amazing', but those words would not leave my mouth.

"So I take it you're not coming." He raised his eyebrows. He clearly knew what my answer was and was just giving me a hard time about it.

"Oh, I'm so coming, but when we get back you are sleeping on the couch." I didn't know why I felt the need to say that.

"Done! Thank you, Emily!" He seemed relieved.

"Thanks for what?"

"Coming with me. You're my family now. It's what we do. No one knows why, but that's family for you." That comment took me a little by surprise.

"Touche, that is a fair point." I did have to give him credit for that one.

"So it's a yes, right?"

"I'd have to be crazy to miss the opportunity to go to England with you and Soph." Although it really wasn't difficult to give into such a wonderful experience. But I was still a little concerned about spending so much time with him after we had spent so long apart. I trusted him, yes, but seeing him again made it feel like I was meeting a brand new person. I'd have to be crazy to go anywhere with someone I had just met, but I somehow was able to convince myself that he wasn't a stranger and that I actually knew him quite well. I hesitantly agreed, "Okay, I'll go."

"Great! We'd better start packing then. Waiter!" He paid the bill and we got out of there as fast as we could. I went to my house and he went to his. I had a lot of packing, and thinking, to do.

....

It was finally time to board the plane, the private plane might I add, and Sophie and I stood shoulder to shoulder preparing ourselves to get on. We were bursting with excitement. Neither of us had ever been anywhere further than California.

"Are you ready, girl?" I stood next to Soph and gave her a slight hip-bump. We were able to get so much closer when Austin and I had our month apart. I had forgotten how much I loved her and she really helped me get over a lot of things, even forced me into therapy which I will admit helped me immensely. I don't know what I'd do without her, she had basically become my sister.

"So ready, Em."

"Me too. Let's go." We linked arms and walked aboard together. The interior of the plane was gorgeous. It was so big for such a small vehicle. I thought I saw a bar although I was not yet able to use it.

"Welcome aboard ladies." Austin walked, well, sort of hobbled, into the room with his arms open wide. He embraced me in a hug. It was kind of a weird hug; his crutches were bumping into my leg.

"Oh, come on, Austin. Put on a damn shirt," Sophie said jokingly. I didn't even realize that his chest was bare.

"Soph!" I yelled, she just punched me in the arm and fell over laughing. I pretended as if I had no idea who she was.

He just laughed, "You know what? You two might be the first two girls who have ever told me to put a shirt on. It's so weird." Soph and I just looked at each other and then we burst out laughing. "What? Was it something I said?" he was smiling now too.

"No, Austin, you're fine." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, " We are just two odd girls and you might want to cover that up." I motioned at his bare chest.

"Fine, fine, I'm going, I'm going." He returned the kiss and hobbled back out towards a different room.

"He looks more humble than normal." Sophie suggested, "It's a nice look on him." We both chuckled.

"Well, it's also hard for him to get around on those crutches."

"No wonder he is struggling so much. He's using metal sticks as legs." She pretended to walk around on crutches herself.

"He better be wearing a shirt for his concert or I might have to walk on stage and slap him." Sophie's eyes widened before she realized that I was joking. She started to laugh.

"What? Why?" She asked, I was laughing again.

"I don't want him to be showing off in front of other women, you know?" This was obviously a joke. I knew that no other girls had any chance with him as long as I was around.

"If by women you mean ten year olds, then yes." Soph punched me in the arm again, clearly remembering her days of fangirling over Austin.

"Who's showing off to what ten year olds?" Austin came in again, in a very ugly old man's hawaiian print t-shirt. I don't know if that was an improvement.

"Nothing." Soph and I said in unison.

The rest of the flight was full of conversing, laughing, and sleeping. The sleeping was the best part. Soph and I snuggled close and Austin was able to squeeze himself next to me. I was in a sandwich and I never wanted to leave. For the first time in a very long time I felt loved and safe.

....

When we landed we took a car to a very fancy hotel. Austin and I prepared for the concert all night while Sophie slept. We were prepared and I knew we were going to rock the crowd. The set was ready, the costumes were ready, and we were ready. I really felt that I could trust him again.

"You ready, Em?" Austin asked when it was finally concert time. "You look beautiful." I had tried on the turquoise dress that he had suggested for me and he was right, it was a perfect fit.

I looked over to Sophie who was giving me a big thumbs up. "I'm ready, Austin." I helped him get out on that stage and handed him his guitar. The whole crowd was cheering and I knew that it was already making him feel better. I sat him down on a moving chair so if he wanted to move around he could. When his smile spread across his face, it never faded even for a second. He insisted that he would leave his crutches backstage and I let him. I had to act as his legs that night.

The crowd was cheering him on and singing with us and it was making him feel great. He was having the time of his life out there. I could see the life return to his eyes and any of his problems seemed to just fly out the window. In that moment I knew that our future would include a lot of singing and dancing and I was perfectly content with that picture in my mind.

When it was over I helped Austin to his feet and he insisted on hobbling off stage by himself. He refused my help and managed to stay upright the whole time. The crowd exploded, but the second he walked past the curtains, he collapsed. Soph and I dragged him to the nearest couch and helped him onto it.

"Thanks, ladies. I guess I just got carried away out there. I felt powerful and immortal out there. I don't know what came over me." He was breathing heavy, but the smile was still spread across his face. He was messing with his hair, but he didn't seem nervous. In fact, he looked almost dazed as if he were in a dream that he never wanted to wake up from.

"It was the same thing that made me go out there in the first place." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder and he put his hand over mine. I looked straight into his eyes and they were sparkling. I knew he was happy.

"Yeah, don't sweat it, Austin, I understand-ish. I mean I've never been out on stage, but..." I elbowed Sophie softly in the ribs so she couldn't complete her sentence. "Ow!"

"Kindly, shut up." I told her.

"Got it." She straightened up. "You did fine, Austin."

"Thanks. You guys ready to go back home tomorrow?" He asked, clearly not completely convinced about his performance, but still as happy as could be.

"I mean, it seems kind of weird to leave on a Sunday. Flying is more of a Monday thing. Maybe we could see some of the sights and get to know London so more." I winked at him.

Austin got the hint and said, "Yeah, that sounds about right. We can go see that giant clock thing and the big tower." It was hard to listen to this without laughing.

"You mean Big Ben and are you talking about the Eiffel Tower?" Sophie chimed in. She was holding back a laugh.

"Yes, that sounds right." He was turning red. He seemed embarrassed about his lack of knowledge of the main attractions in London.

"Austin, sweetie, the Eiffel Tower is in Paris. We are in London. Have you ever seen or heard of any of these sights?" It was clear that he knew nothing about landmarks.

"Uh, no. I don't get to be normal, remember?" He just sort of sat there and gave me a sideways smile. He didn't want to be rude, but he just had to let us know that he wasn't stupid either.

"Well tomorrow we are going to be normal. Em and I can push you around in a wheelchair and we can see the sights. We'll do all the work and the planning tonight; you just rest and get that leg better."

"Yeah, we got this! It'll be totally fun." I had to say that we all seemed pretty ecstatic about this. None of us had ever toured or even been in a city like this.

"That sounds great! Thanks you two. I needed this." Austin's eyes started to shine again, he was getting really excited.

"Let's get you in one of those wheelchairs and take you for a spin out to the car." Soph ran out of the room and returned in seconds with a wheelchair.

"Thank you Sophie." She ran him down the street and to the car. I was running behind them laughing. Apparently Sophie didn't know how to steer. That might explain why she hadn't passed her driving test yet. I was just glad that she didn't end up crashing Austin into a pole or something.

That night was even better than the last. Soph and I stayed up almost all night planning. We were so thrilled that it was hard to fall asleep. We had never really been able to tour a place like this either and we were so ready to get out there on the streets. I just knew that it would be a great day for all of us.