"I'm going to miss you so much."

These words were spoken by Heath to MJ as they rode toward the hotel in metropolitan Santiago, Chile. Poppy and Archie were out cold in the back seat.

"We're still going to see each other every day, though," MJ said, stroking his cheek. "Wow, your hair's getting so long. It's really nice."

Heath turned into her hand, his eyes closed. "Mm, feels nice." He opened his eyes. "And it won't be the same and you know it. What about nighttimes, MJ? What about cuddle-time? I like to sleep with you," he said, his voice growing petulant, and to MJ, so cute she could hardly stand it.

"Well, do you want to go public?" she asked. "Just throw caution to the wind?"

"No. Absolutely not." Heath was adamant. "I don't trust Meredith at all. I'm afraid of what she'll do to you. Not to mention my fans. My management team has told me, over and over, that my career goes much more smoothly when I'm single, so I should try to stay that way, at least for the duration of the tour." He smoothed MJ's hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, MJ, but can you live with things staying this way, at least for now?"

MJ nodded. "Of course I can. I knew the way things were, from the very beginning I knew." She smiled, a smile that reached into Heath's chest and sank roots into his heart.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary, honest," MJ assured him.

When they got to the hotel and checked into their rooms, they found out that their luggage had somehow not made it to Santiago with them, but was still in Caracas, where they'd landed to refuel.

"What?" Poppy asked. "How? More to the point, why? Why was it even unloaded in Caracas? All we did there was refuel?" She was talking to one of the crew from the flight. "Right, I understand that, but--no--yes--I know--yes, okay. Thank you." She hung up and turned to Heath, Archie, and MJ, who were all in her room with her, listening to her end of the conversation.

"They're going to send it along as quickly as possible, and they promise it will be here no later than the day after tomorrow," she informed the other three.

"What?" Archie asked. "I haven't anything to wear, and it's bollocks kicking cold out there, have you noticed? It's the fucking middle of winter!"

"It's okay, nothing we can't deal with," Heath soothed, putting an arm around Archie. "We'll just go out to a department store and get some clothes." He looked around. "I mean, you three will."

Obviously, Heath couldn't go. There were hordes of girls gathered around the hotel waiting for Heath to even hiccup, so getting him anywhere was going to be a tricky maneuver.

"You guys just pop out to some shops and get enough clothes to last yourselves a few days, and Archie, just get me some things as well, okay?" Heath looked around for agreement.

"Let me clear it with Meredith," MJ said, pulling out her phone. "I think she expects me to report for work this afternoon."

Heath had a show that night, and he still had to go for sound check to the venue.

"So I guess this means we're going to miss your sound check? No afternoon at the venue with you?" Poppy asked.

"You can just come after you're finished shopping," Heath said with a shrug. "Can't be helped, right? I mean, we have to have clothes, we've traveled over 7,000 miles in the clothes we're wearing?"

His phone pinged with a text.

"Oh, there's my car, I have to go, guys."

He rose and gestured to MJ, whom he pulled into a fierce embrace.

"Now you two idiots know that this business with me and MJ is top secret, right?" he asked his brother and sister, his voice muffled.

"We know, brother," Poppy assured him. "We know Meredith Renner very well, and we don't need to be told twice."

Archie was nodding next to her.

Heath nodded, still hugging MJ.

"Okay, darling, go shopping with them, and I'll see you at the venue, all right?" He released her. "And no spending your own money, please."

MJ nodded without thinking, then stopped. "Wait, what?"

But Heath was gone.

MJ turned to Poppy and Archie. "Okay, I guess we should find a store. Meredith is already at the venue, and says she doesn't need me right away, and I should take care of my clothing problem."

So they called for a car and asked to be taken to a department store. They had to run the gauntlet of fans waiting for Heath, who recognized Archie and Poppy, and rushed the car at first, only leaving it alone after word got around that Heath wasn't with them. They already knew Heath was in the hotel, because they'd seen him arrive with Poppy, Archie and MJ a few hours earlier. MJ had been afraid they were going to flip the car over.

MJ wondered how they were going to get Heath over to the venue.

Their driver, Domingo, was very nice, but he didn't exactly understand where they wanted to go, and took them to a string of boutiques, rather than one large store. This didn't really matter, however, and the three of them tried to shop as quickly as possible.

MJ was a little embarrassed to be shopping with other people, especially with Archie, who was both skinny and a boy, but it couldn't be avoided, especially since MJ had promised not to spend her own money.

They quickly went from one store to another, buying jeans, shirts, hoodies, sweaters, underwear, and socks.

Archie did at least have the awareness and delicacy to wait on a bench in front of the store when Poppy and MJ went to shop for underwear, which MJ found to be very thoughtful of him. She gave him a look of gratitude when he simply took a seat in front of the store, and he flashed her a peace sign with a grin.

They went back to the hotel and quickly showered and changed into some of their new clothes before heading to the venue. Heath had clothes at the venue already, so he was all set, and finally the three of them set off for the arena, a few hours before Meredith's show started.

"Wow, look at that!" Archie said when they got there.

They hadn't started letting people in yet, and the crowds outside the arena were incredible.

"There must be three or four thousand people waiting outside already," Poppy declared in a soft voice.

"At least," MJ agreed.

The car dropped them off at the back entrance, and they were given laminates to wear around their necks when they entered. They found Heath, and MJ reluctantly left them and went to find Meredith.

"MJ, there you are!" Meredith chirped as she leaned in for a hug. "Wow, don't you look all relaxed and great."

"You too," MJ said. And it was true. Meredith looked tan and happy.

"Yeah, I had a great vacation," Meredith told her. "Lots of good friends, good food, you know, just time to relax."

"Sounds great," MJ agreed. "You need anything now?"

"No, not at the mo," Meredith said. "But probably tomorrow? Back at the hotel? I'll have some stuff for you to do before we head to Buenos Aires. My friends like a certain kind of drink."

"Okay," MJ said. She wondered how many friends she had with her.

Just then Meredith was hugged from behind by a very tan arm.

"Hey, about time!" Meredith sang out, her voice going up an octave. "I've been waiting for you, and you know how I don't like to be kept waiting, mister."

"Sorry, babe, when nature calls, you have to answer, you know?" the owner of the hand answered. "I just took a monster dump, like it was--"

"Okay, that's enough," Meredith said with a laugh. She pulled the arm so MJ could see who it was.

He was a very blond guy, a bit shorter than Meredith, his shaggy hair up in a messy pony tail. He was wearing board shorts and flip flops, along with a tank top to complete his beach ensemble. MJ wondered if he got cold outside. After all, it was winter here in Chile.

"Jason Fielding, this is my PA, MJ," Meredith said, waving a hand in MJ's direction.

"Hey," Jason said casually.

"Hello," MJ answered with a measured smile.

"Of course you've heard of Jason?" Meredith continued.

"Yes. He's a DJ, right?" MJ volunteered. She really hoped Meredith wouldn't press her, because she didn't know much more about him.

"Yes, but he's so much more," Meredith declared. "He produces, he sings a lot of his own stuff, he's collaborated with just about everyone, he's won Grammys--"

"And he helped Meredith with a new song she's going to debut tonight," Sally finished as she strode across the stage to join them.

"You'd better go, Mer, they opened the house about an hour ago, and you only have thirty to curtain," Sally told her.

"Okay," Meredith agreed. She and Jason left, and MJ took her usual place in the craft services room, knowing it was the fastest place for anyone to find her if needed.

She spent her time texting with Heath, and doing her usual crosswords and reading the news. It was kind of weird how quickly she slipped back into the same groove. It was like the two weeks in England had never happened.

Meredith's show was already almost over, and it was nearly time for Heath to take the stage. MJ hadn't heard anything new from Meredith, and she wondered if she'd missed the new material. It was entirely possible, since all of Meredith's stuff tended to sound the same. However, if Jason had helped her with it, surely it would have a strong dance beat, since he was a DJ, and he did so much with computers?

Suddenly, MJ felt odd, like there was something wrong with her ears. She couldn't figure out exactly what the problem was, though.

She could hear the music through the sound system, which was hooked up all over backstage, so the crew always knew where the show was. She could hear Meredith singing something she shouldn't be singing.

And you're just so small
To be in it

WTF?

It was in a different key, and it had a bizarre dance beat. It had been sped up in a weird way. But it was hers.

MJ swallowed and kept listening.

The great love of my life
If I'd had a choice
I would've stayed by your side
Forever

WTF?

How could Meredith be singing this?

It was hers, MJs, song.

It was hers.

It was Calliope's Lament.