"Talk to me Lilia," AJ demanded. They were in the elevator, alone together. Everyone else had "conveniently" disappeared.

"About what, AJ?" she said trying to stay calm.

"You know what I'm talking about Lilia. What almost happened in the club, and now, how you're avoiding me like...well, in a normal situation, I'd have a witty comment to fill up this surprisingly awkward situation, where you're supposed to jump in with an answer so I can stop babbling on like a retard," AJ said quickly.

"AJ, I don't know what to say, other than I'm glad that everyone came when they did," Lilia said quietly, refusing to meet AJ's eyes.

"Really? Do you mind if I ask why?" he asked tentatively.

"I don't really know how to answer that! I mean, you're over bearing, loud and crazy...and you make me blush every time you talk to me! Things just...get intense whenever you're in the same room from me!" Lilia spouted out, pacing around the elevator like a caged panther.

"And?"

"And.." Lilia trailed off, turning to face him. She was about to open her mouth again when suddenly the lights went out. The elevator stopped cold, jostling them about a bit, nearly sending Lilia flying. AJ caught her arm, preventing her from landing face first.

"Thanks," she said shakily.

"I think we're stuck in here, Lilia. There doesn't seem to be any power in here," AJ warned. Lilia slumped in the corner, and he went to the emergency phone.

* * * *

"Will you stop it with the pacing?" AJ asked, a trace of irratation in his voice.

"But we're in an elevator! A small, closed in elevator, with no power and we're stuck. And we don't know for how long and it's small and closed in," Lilia answered quickly, trying not to show her panic. AJ bit back his irritation and noticed that the girl was terrified. She was pacing back and forth and she was shaking violently.

"Claustrophobic?" he asked.

"Very. Extremely. Yes, all of the above," she answered back.

"Lilia, we're going to be here for awhile. Just calm down and sit over here with me," AJ said soothingly. After a few minutes, he managed to coax her into sitting down beside him. He put his arm around her shoulder and tried to find something to talk about to make her calm down.

"So you used to sing for Premiere. How did that happen?" he asked.

"Oh, that was a fluke. Actually, they had auditions and I was around and bugging them. Paul was my best friend, but when the others were around, he was determined not to let me get in the way. They are four years older after all. Anyway, they had been playing together since they were thirteen. After a few months, they decided that they needed a singer, an actual lead singer. I kept at them, trying to get them to let me sing for them. Finally, they got so annoyed, that after all of their friends had been through, they just said, go for it Baby. So I did. And I guess I impressed them or something, because they chose me," Lilia explained, smiling as she reminisced.

"Wow. You're four years younger than them? That's quite a difference," AJ said, keeping her on the subject. He felt her shoulder muscles start to relax as she continued.

"They were going to go with a friend who was their age. It was Jacki. But they chose me instead. But I quit about a year and a half ago, when they got signed to their record deal," Lilia said, her voice dropping off.

"It must have been hard to leave them when things were just getting started."

"Well, I had an aunt to take care of. I couldn't just leave her, not after everything she'd done for me. She was starting to rely on me more and more in the restaurant and I just didn't have the heart to leave her alone. I'm all that she has left in the way of family," Lilia explained.

"What happened to your parents, if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay," AJ pried gently, realizing that he could have hit upon a touchy subject.

"My father left when he realized that he had a pregnant girlfriend who was dying of cancer. Said he couldn't get involved emotionally. My mom refused her treatment and carried me to term and died giving birth to me. I've never met my father, but wherever he is, I hope he rots in hell," she spat out vehemently.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. But my mom was a wonderful woman. My aunt made video tapes of her while she was pregnant with me. No matter how horrible she felt or how bad the pain was, she wouldn't take anything. My aunt said that she would sing the pain away," Lilia whispered, looking away from AJ.

"That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard in my life, Lilia. Thanks for telling me," AJ whispered back.

"Why do you do that? I tell you stuff that only Paul knows. I've known you for a week and you can drag all of this out of me and then thank me for telling you! This is insane!" Lilia yelled, pushing him away, turning her back to him. AJ crawled over to her, and laying his hands on her trembling shoulders, started to rub her shoulders.

"Lilia, I'm sorry if I got you to tell me too much, but you're just so...reserved and mysterious. Everyone is dying to know more about you. They can't help it...I can't help it. That's why I like you so much," he said gently. She looked at him side ways for a moment, then turned to face him.

"You like me?" she whispered.

"Well, that's what I was trying to say when the elevator decided to be a bitch, but yeah, I like your difficult, shy, mysterious self."

"AJ, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered, really. But I'm not here for...I'm not here for this. I came here to be with Paul and Sandy and Damon for their big moment, to see what we started together through, to watch it become something. I'd feel so...like I was betraying them if we were to get involved. And I have issues...I mean some big issues that I need to deal with and I just wouldn't be very fair..." she trailed off as AJ brought a finger up to his lips.

"Shh," he whispered. She stared into his brown eyes and her resolved melted. She had conned herself into thinking that she didn't want to get involved with him...and now to have shared what she did with him, it was impossible to keep on thinking that.

"AJ, I-" she started to say, when he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She sat there staring at him for a moment, surprised and unable to find the words to express the confusion that she was suffering. He was staring right back at her, trying to explain to her, to himself what had just happened.

Before either of them could find the words they were searching for, the elevator started again. Relief flooding through Lilia, she stood up in anticipation. The elevator reached her floor and as soon as the doors opened, she was off and running, desperate to get away from AJ and the elevator and things that she wasn't ready to face.

"Lilia, wait!" AJ called, as he reached for her arm. She turned towards him and snatched her hand back.

"I'm just not ready," she said evenly, before she turned around and bolted.