Momoko looked out the window at all the fall colors. They drove past Union Square Park, and she was blown away by the reds, yellows, and oranges that set the trees ablaze. "Wow, look, guys, it's really fall."

Dane hung an arm over her shoulder to look out the window with her. "That's why we live in New York City," he said with satisfaction, pecking a kiss on her cheek. "That, and the food."

They were on their way to another photo shoot, this one for Manhattan Magazine, which was a pretty big deal. They were going to be interviewed next week, with the story and pictures to run in the January issue.

"Can you believe Manhattan Magazine wants to do a story on us?" Jude asked, grinning. "We're really going places, mates."

"We really are," Tommy agreed, tapping his sticks on his thigh in an upbeat rhythm. "I really think this is going to happen."

"Shh, don't say that," Momoko said, putting a finger on his mouth. "You'll jinx us, Tomás!"

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Tommy asked, kissing her fingertip.

"We're here, guys," Sullivan announced as the car pulled up at the studio.

Kay was waiting outside for them. "Right on time, as usual," she said approvingly.

"Of course," Tommy said. "We won't turn into unpunctual assholes until after we're successful," he promised with a grin.

They entered and were immediately seated for make up. The guys only needed their complexions evened out, but Momoko got the full treatment, and even got her choice of outfits.

"Why does she get a stylist and we don't?" Jude asked, pretending to be upset.

"Well, technically, he's all of your stylist," Kay answered. "But he brought clothes for you guys." She gestured to where they hung on a rack. "He thought it would be more fun if Momoko had a few to choose from and was photographed in some different looks."

"Momoko gets 'looks'?" Tommy echoed, joining Jude in staring as the stylist fussed over her. "I want a 'look,' why don't I get a 'look'?"

"Be careful what you wish for, bro," Sully said with a smile. "I think this outfit is yours." He gestured at the rack.

Tommy went to see. His section included some very tight pants and a muscle shirt in black and white stripes. "I can work with that," he said, moving his head back and forth.

The boys changed their clothes while Momoko finished getting made up, and had time left over to watch her finish her preparations.

"You guys, isn't this outfit totally amazeballs?" Momoko asked, doing a twirl for them.

"You look beautiful, Peaches," Sullivan agreed. "In fact, I'm starting to feel like us guys are just background noise, that this photoshoot is all about you."

"What?" Momoko looked around for the stylist. "Um, Gerard? That's not true, is it?" She got his attention. "Is it?"

"No, not exactly," Gerard answered. "But you're so fucking beautiful, you know? When I heard who I was going to be styling, I jumped at the chance. To dress you, I mean." He smiled. "I mean, look at you."

"But we're a group," Momoko insisted. "We come as a set, you understand? We have to be photographed together, treated as an ensemble."

"And you will be," Gerard assured her.

"Momoko, Momoko, calm down," Jude said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's right, you're definitely the flower amongst us weeds, you know?"

"Oh please, Jude, have you seen you?" Momoko answered. "You're four of the best looking guys I've ever seen in my life."

"His point is that you're lovely, and we don't mind you being out front a little," Dane assured her, nodding for emphasis. "You're the lead singer, you're the only girl, you're absolutely beautiful, it's only natural."

Momoko looked up at the four men a little suspiciously. "Really? I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to put myself out there, like I think I'm more important than you, okay? We're a team, right? All for one? Through thick and thin?"

There was a momentary silence.

"Of course, Peaches," Tommy said, hugging her carefully so as not to mess up her dress or makeup. "Always."

"We ready?" the photographer asked. Her name was Hailey, and she was very young, very fun, and very easygoing.

"All set," Sully said.

The photoshoot was equal parts fun and deadly dull, as these things usually were. The actual picture taking was interesting, but all of the set up in between, the measuring of the light, the taking of the levels, the adjustments, was interminable.

And once Momoko heard from the guys that they didn't mind for her to take some of the focus, she was happy enough to be in the foreground of the shots; it was her position on stage, after all.

So when the magazine called two days later to ask if they could take some photographs of Momoko alone, she was happy enough to agree. She even took the teasing from the boys with good grace.

"Momoko's going to go solo and leave us, mates," Jude teased as Momoko was getting ready to leave the morning of the shoot.

For some reason, the rest of the guys didn't laugh as much as Momoko thought they would.

"You all know nothing like that will ever happen, right?" She asked, her hand on the doorknob. "Right?" she pressed.

"Of course we know," Sully assured her. "Go enjoy your shoot, Peaches, don't mind us, we're just half asleep still."

"Hailey said she wanted pictures of me out in the city, that she thought I'd photograph well with the fall colors around me or something," Momoko said. "So it's all going to be outside, which should be fun, you know? We're going to be all over, Washington Square Park, Central Park, Herald Square, the Public Library steps? Sounds like it might even take all day."

Tommy walked to her, coffee in hand, to kiss her goodbye. "Have a marvelous day, Peaches."

"Okay." Reassured, Momoko left, her fall coat swinging around her as she went down the stairs.

Dane looked around as soon as the door swung shut. "Are we really going to do this?" he asked. He looked desperately unhappy.

"Dude, we have to," Jude countered. "She's planning to leave us."

"We don't know that for sure." Dane's voice was agonized.

"At the very least, we need to be prepared, right?" Tommy, too, sounded miserable. "Just in case?"

"He's on his way," Sully said, putting his phone down. "We'll get him in here for a quick rehearsal and get him out, just go over the BoB songs, okay?"

Reluctantly, everyone nodded.

Twenty minutes later, Marshall rang the bell.

Tommy let him in, and Marshall looked around, nodding approvingly. "You've changed a few things since I left. Looks nice."

"Momoko's got a deft touch as a decorator," Jude explained.

"She lives here?" Marshall sounded surprised. "That complicates things a little. I kind of figured I could move back into my old room. I could really use a place to stay, you know?"

"Dude, we're just talking about you maybe stepping in to sing for us at BoB, nothing else," Tommy said sharply. "Momoko's like family to us."

"Well, if that's true, then why do you need me? I thought Sully said she's leaving you guys? How's that work, then? Why the fuck would she be leaving you right before your most important gig ever?" Marshall asked.

"Yeah, why would anyone we considered family just leave us?" Sullivan asked.

"How about less talking, more rehearsing?" Dane said, walking over to the rehearsal space. "Your charts are over there." He gestured toward the mic Momoko used, along with the stand where her binder sat. She hadn't used it in weeks, of course.

Marshall flipped through the charts. "Wow, you guys have written a lot of new stuff since I left. Looks good."

They began rehearsing, and other than not being able to hit the high notes like Momoko could, the guys had to admit that Marshall was not bad.

"So all of the blue tabbed songs are for BoB?" Marshall asked. "Wow, you have a lot prepped, hm?"

"We want to be ready, we want to win," Jude said.

"I get it, I get it," Marshall agreed. "These songs sound great, by the way. The new stuff? This Momoko a song writer as well as a singer?"

"No, it's still all us, she mainly just sings," Sullivan said.

"She's more kind of a muse, I guess," Dane said from his place behind the piano. "She really brings out the best in us."

They continued going through the songs, falling back into their old groove, laughing and chatting as they worked out the kinks.

"This is fun," Marshall remarked. "Like old times.

There was a beat of silence.

"Yeah, it is," Tommy said finally, looking around.

They began another song, "Pink Cloud," and ran it all the way through to the end, ending with a flourish.

"Yeah! That sounded great, man!" Jude said, clapping Marshall on the back.

"Second," Tommy said.

"Definitely," from Sully.

"Nice pipes," said Dane.

"Thanks," Marshall replied.

"What on earth is going on here?" asked Momoko.