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Author's Chapter Notes:

The trip to Vienna was mostly seamless and uneventful, which was a massive relief to everyone, especially Coll. But on the plane, Jen announced they would be having a group meeting before soundcheck that night, and everyone had to be there. She emphasized "everyone" several times but did not disclose the reason for their impromptu meeting.

"She's crazy," Leighanne whispered to Coll, who was sitting next to her as per Leighanne's request.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Coll asked as Angela approached in the aisle.

"Colleen." She said calmly, kneeling down next to Coll's seat.

"Hi." Coll smiled.

"Girl, I just heard about what happened yesterday. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Coll nodded, appreciating Angela's concern.

"What the hell happened? That sucks so bad. Do you need anything?"

"Just my own stupid mistake. I'm good for now, we went out last night to get some stuff…"

"Damn…" She sighed, "Well, you do seem … a lot better than I was expecting. If all my stuff got stolen, I'd be livid. For like, years."

"Nick made it all better!" Leighanne leaned in and whispered.

"Ohhhh," Angela smiled, "Alright, alright, you'll tell me about that later."

Coll tilted her head sideways at Angela, "Of course."

"Alright, girl. Well, if you need to borrow anything, let me know."

"Thank you."

"We'll talk later? There's something I wanna tell you, too." She bit her lip.

"There is?"

Angela nodded happily. "Later."

"Okay!" Coll replied as Angela stood back up and returned to her seat.

"Alright, tell me more," Leighanne said quietly.

"I can't talk about it here, we will talk later!"

Leighanne batted her eyelashes, "Fine fine…" She sighed as she reclined further into her seat. "Just tell me one thing - does he know how you feel?"

Coll shook her head, "Well… I haven't told him, but anything is possible."

Leighanne shimmied her shoulders a little bit and giggled, "This is so fun."



Between check-in and the meeting, there was about half an hour that Leighanne decided was best used getting the info she wanted from Coll. She followed Coll to her room, impatiently waiting to be fully inside to start the inquisition.

"Alright, spill it!" Leighanne exclaimed as she closed the door behind them after they entered Coll's suite.

Coll dropped her tote bag on the desk and smiled as she looked around her room.

"Oh my god."

"What?" Leighanne asked, too distracted, looking at Coll waiting for answers to notice what Coll had.

"Look at this!"

Leighanne looked around the room to see what Coll was referring to and was pleasantly surprised.

"AHHH!" She shrieked. "We can cook dinner!"

Coll laughed as Leighanne walked over to the small kitchenette no one was expecting to be in her room.

"Okay, this is great. I would love to cook something tonight. Are you cool with that?"

"Sure, of course." Coll agreed, watching as Leighanne practically pet the small stovetop. "Assuming you're cooking for me, too." She joked.

"Obviously," Leighanne said as she walked back to the living area of Coll's suite. "Okay, now, you can spill it."

Coll sighed, "Part of me thinks I can just wait and see, enjoy what it is right now, and the other part of me thinks I have to tell him… soon."

"Me too."

"This is going to sound crazy…"

"I promise you, it won't," Leighanne assured her as she sat in one of the armchairs near a coffee table. Coll quietly made her way to the other chair and bent over her knees, propping her arm up to cradle her head in her hand.

"Last night, I was looking at him, and I felt like… so sure. Like I just knew it… he was it."

Leighanne smiled widely. "I totally get it."

Coll looked at her directly, "But it makes me feel crazy. Like, how could I know something like that? At the same time, I felt SO sure. In the same way, I am sure that Becka is supposed to be my sister. Like, no question."

Leighanne nodded, "I know. It does sound crazy, but it's not."

"How can I feel so sure about him and not even know how to tell him? How does that work?" She asked.

"Because you're trying to be logical, you're not really able to forget everything else that's still also true."

Coll nodded. "And he is so young, Leigh. Like, he's a teenager. I'm young! I feel like … this is too big of a feeling, too big of a thing for how old we are."

"Okay, yes, he's young, that's real. But, look at everything else he's got going on - all of that is massive for his age too, it doesn't matter."

She hadn't thought of that. "I guess so…"

"You're both adults."

Coll nodded, "Honestly, I just love… sleeping next to him and having my hand in his hand and …" She paused, visibly blushing.

"Wait - how often is that happening?" Leighanne asked, narrowing her eyes at Coll.

"Not often enough." Coll sighed, closing her eyes. "There were three instances of hand-holding yesterday, and I hate that I am attached to every single one of them."

"Who is initiating all of this??" Leighanne asked.

"He initiated all the hand-holding," Coll said quietly, thinking back to the magical feeling of the night before, him holding his hand out to her at the fountain, interlocking her fingers with his under the covers...

For herself, she was sure Nick was interested in her in some way beyond friendship, but she kept that to herself for the moment to see if Leighanne might offer her personal option, unbiased.

"Leigh, I don't know what to do. But it's getting harder and harder to do nothing. I'm nervous I'm going to do something stupid, but the more I think about it, the more likely that seems actually..."

"I get it. I really do." She nodded, "But wait, the hand holding… where? When?"

"First it was like, a comforting handhold - while I was panicking about my stuff. Then on the way home last night. And then before we fell asleep… in his bed." She finished as she covered her face with her hands.

"I think he's got something going for you, too. I really think he does. I don't really know how to explain it, but… Nick is kind of reckless with women. But... I mean, for me, honestly, the biggest indicator is what I've just learned. Colleen, he's been in your bed three nights in a row." Leighanne began, "If nothing else, that means he's not running his usual games." She paused, "Because something better came along. The fact that maybe he recognized it as something better is huge for him."

Coll looked at her and shook her head in disbelief.

"Like that actually shows some kind of maturity."

"Or do you think that means he's just not interested?"

"No. Coll - he's spending the time he usually spends hooking up with whoever, on you. That means something."

"Okay. I get what you're saying… also, London." She paused, "I know he feels something, Leigh."

"What happened in London??"

"I wish I had told you all of this so much sooner."

Leighanne was smiling widely, "Me too. But I understand. You had to be in it."

"I just know he feels something, but I have no idea what. On the other hand... "She began, looking past Leighanne, her eye caught the clock on the nightstand, "Holy crap, we have to go!" She exclaimed.

"What?!"

"We have two minutes to get to the tenth floor." She informed Leighanne as the two of them got on their feet, grabbed their essentials, and headed to the door again, eager to not piss Jen off even more than she apparently already was.

"Ugh, this meeting is really probably going to be so useless," Leighanne whined as Coll pulled the door to her room tightly behind her.

"Most likely."

"Listen, I just want you to know, it's okay if you're not sure what to do about the things you're sure about. Being that sure of something is probably a really new experience for you. It is for most people." Leighanne explained as they walked to the elevator.

"Thanks, Leigh."

"Everything will work out. It's okay if it's a little messy."

Coll sighed, "Honestly, part of me likes this crazy, tormented feeling. But the other part of me wants to see what's beyond it." She ran her hand through her hair and slumped her shoulders. "I'm scared for the same reasons I'm sure."

"Love is nuts, Colleen. Just enjoy all of it." Leighanne shook her head nostalgically. "If it wasn't real, it wouldn't feel scary. Brian always says something about 'if she doesn't scare the shit out of you a little bit, she's not the one'…" she laughed lightly, "There is power in that, Colleen."

"Ugh," Coll groaned.

"We can talk more later if you want. So excited to eat something I cooked myself."

Coll smiled as they exited the elevator again.

The two of them were the last to arrive for the meeting with no time to spare. Unsurprisingly, there were no empty seats at the long conference table, but no one was standing around the room either, except for Tim and Jen- who was entirely displeased with their just about late arrival.

"Ladies, sit!" She commanded.

Leighanne quickly made her way to Brian and plopped down in his lap.

"Wha-"Coll began.

"Colleen!"

She looked around quickly and nervously.

"Sit!"

"But-"

"Siiiittttt." Jen motioned her hand from high to low, indicating what she wanted Coll to do.

A.J. was in the seat closest to where she was standing; he reached out for her hand and pulled her into his lap.

"Don't wanna get her any more riled up. Trust me." He whispered with a laugh.

"She hates me."

"You're fine." He said, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Great!" Jen smiled. "Now, let's get started. I don't want to be here all day."

Coll sighed and looked across the table to Nick, who smiled at her and shook his finger sarcastically.

"Off the top, I don't want anyone to think this meeting has anything to do with Coll's incidents this week…"

Coll's face felt hot as everyone directed their glances at her.

"What?!" She whispered angrily.

"Don't worry," A.J. said, patting her leg.

"... We just want to go over a few important things." She continued "for safety."

"Oh, sweet baby Jesus," Coll whispered, hiding her face in her hands.

"Now, let's first talk about the passes. Everyone needs to have their pass on the venue at all times. They are wearable for a reason. If your pass is not on your body, you should not be at the venue. When not on the venue, the pass needs to be secured. You should always check your pass for flaws that could compromise it staying on your body. If, for some reason, you are leaving a venue, someone needs to know about it or accompany you. No one should be alone at any point outside of a hotel. As for distance traveling of ANY kind, any distance, no one is to go out unattended or at least without telling someone where you are going! If your name is Howie, Kevin, Nick, A.J., or Brian, you do not leave the hotel without security!" Jen looked specifically at Nick, "That means you, Carter."

Nick held his hands up, faking innocence. His smile told a different, mischievous truth, though. "If you leave the hotel, someone from security goes with you. End of story. No excuses. Don't ask for an exception. Nick got lucky in London, but we can't bet on it again. Billy, Jay, Tom, Q, and Murphy are all on strict orders going forward. They will not be bribed out of working, you will not fool them into letting you leave their sight."

Brian frowned playfully. "Fine, fine, fine."

"No sneaking off, no playing games."

"Quit playing gaaaaames." Brian sang out randomly, making everyone laugh.

"Now to review hotel based security… if you have anything of value - monetary or sentimental or otherwise - lock it up. I understand the safe is only so large. Let's be sure to check all doors, locks, and spaces for valuables during, and as we are leaving hotels. Please continue to lock valuable items up in the hotels- passports especially. Coll got lucky in Italy… you two, your luck is not going to last forever!" She pointed to Nick and Coll at the same time. "It's time to get serious about the most valuable things."

"She seems to think I have good luck…?!" Coll mused quietly to A.J., who laughed lightly from behind her.

"Yeah, this definitely does not feel at all inspired by Coll," Angela stated with a giggle as Coll peeked at her from under the hand she had now shielding just her eyes from everyone.

"It really wasn't!!" Jen swore. "These are important things everyone needed to be reminded of. Coll's a prime example right now, but it wasn't about her." Jen smiled at Coll.

"Right." Brian laughed. "We believe you."

"I'm so mortified," Coll stated mostly to herself, but A.J. responded by telling her she was now officially inducted.

"You don't get a whole meeting about you unless you're in…"

"Oh, so this mortification I feel is just some twisted rite of passage?" She asked quietly.

He nodded.

"Now, I do have one thing for you specifically, though, Colleen." Jen announced, "Your new luggage." Jen pointed to a small suitcase in the corner of the room. "Brand new, all yours. We put a lock on it as well."

"... thanks." Coll said quietly as everyone looked at her again. Her cheeks were on fire, and she could feel herself nervous sweating.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Jen shouted over the dull drone of people beginning to start up their own sidebar conversations, "If you have a guest in your room, please be sure to escort them to the lobby when they leave." She smiled widely and clapped her hands together once for emphasis.

"I don't think that's about you," A.J. said with a smile.

"Can't tell you how relieved I am about that," Coll said in A.J.'s direction, not even sure if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Alright, everyone can go now," Jen said as waved her hands at them, indicating they could go.

Coll didn't move. "I'm so embarrassed," she said.

"Seriously, don't be."

Nick came over and stood in front of them and held his hand out to Coll, "it's okay," he smiled.

Coll put her hand in his and stood up next to him, allowing A.J. to stand up as well.

"She means well." A.J. assured her.

Coll shook her head.

"Well, at least now it's official." Nick said, and Coll looked at him curiously, "You're one of us."

"That's what I said." A.J. exclaimed, "You're in. And she got you a brand new suitcase."

"Colleen," Jen's voice interrupted them from her left side.

Coll looked over at her as the guys watched. "Hey. Jen…"

"I really was half expecting you to ask me to get you back to Boston ASAP last night…" She smiled, "But I'm glad you're hanging in. Let me know if you need anything else." She said as she stepped away and back into a conversation with Tim.

"Does she hate me or not? I can't figure it out." Coll asked quietly.

"She doesn't at all. She's probably just … confused."

"Confused?"

"I mean, she's right, who would put up with all of this unless you, like, are obligated. Being paid to be here, or romantically attached to someone." A.J. laughed.

Coll looked at Nick quickly then back to the suitcase, still sitting in the corner.

"Guess I'm just special, then."