With or Without You - Pt 16

    "Ben you're crazy. They're going to be so mad at us.." Willow said as she let him drag her off.

    Darren banged at Daniel's hotel door.
    Daniel groaned and lifted his head to look at the digital clock by his bed. '2 am! What the bloody hell does he want!' Daniel stood, yawning and walked to his door. He opened it and looked at Darren standing in the hall. "What!?" Daniel said almost in a whine.
    "He's still not here.." Darren said looking around, "I swear, I'm going to kill Ben when I see him. We have a show tomorrow morning and he isn't here yet!"
    Dan huffed, "Darren! Come on, Dazz if all else fails I can play his part. I've done it before.."
    Darren waved him off, "No, don't worry about it.."
    Daniel was getting quite upset that Darren wouldn't even consider letting him take on Ben's part, "Damn it Darren! Fuc..fri..fetch!" Daniel finally let out in an aggravated huff and slammed his door in Darren's face.
    "Ok," Darren shook his head, "He misses his girlfriend.." And he headed to his room to ring the desk to see if Ben had checked in yet.

    Dan sighed into the receiver, "I can't do this Michy.. I blew up at him again.."
    "What'd you say or do?"
    "Well, I don't know. Nothing bad or anything.. Did the whole damn it thing and fought back cussing at him then slammed the door in his face."
    "Oh Dan. Geeze, if I was there I'd hug you. I don't know what to say.."
    Daniel groaned, "Don't tell me that, I want to go home bad enough.."
    Michelle laughed, "You'll be home in no time. You think I don't want you back? Oh, Tams wants to know if Ben got there fine."
    "Tams? Oh, Tameri.. I don't know, but that's part of the problem.."
    "Huh?" Michelle asked, not quite following. "Darren doesn't care that Ben's not there?"
    "No, he's fine I'm sure. Trying to steal as much time with Willow as possible I suspect. The problem is that if Ben doesn't show up, Darren won't let me play the guitar part that Ben does."
    "He won't let you? Are you sure?"
    "Yeah, he won't even consider the fact that if Ben doesn't show, I could play the part. He just shrugs me off.. Damn, I'm sorry for bugging you Michelle.."
    "No, don't worry about it Dan. I was just talking and eating with Tameri here. Don't worry about it Dan.. Just talk to Darren. You two are constantly tiffing over something small and silly and it always just blows over."
    "I know. Well I should try to get some sleep. Love you Mich.."
    "Love you too. Oh and when Ben gets there, want to tell him to give his sister, Tameri, a call? Bye hun. Have fun!"
    "Ok, no problem. I'll try. Good night, or morning, or noon, whatever.."

    "Where is he!?" Darren hissed as they stood in Rosie's studio.
    Daniel sat with his head in his hands sighing to himself. Nichole looked nervous, yet scared almost at Darren's flaring temper. AnnaMaria was trying desperately to settle Darren telling him he'd ruin his voice if he kept hissing like that. Lee and Karl decided to just ignore him.
    "Darren I CAN do his part." Daniel said, trying his best to sound calm.
    Darren finally stopped and looked at Daniel, "What?"
    Daniel stood up, "If Ben doesn't show I can and will do his part. I've done it before, I can cover for him today. No problems at all.."
    Darren stood and considered what Daniel was saying, "Know what Dan? I think I'll.. Ben!!"
    Daniel closed his eyes and cursed to himself. Turning around, he saw a guilty Ben walk in with Willow close at hand. 'So close..' Dan thought to himself, 'Was he going to go for it though?'
    "Where in gods name have you been boy!?!" Darren asked sauntering over to Ben.
    "I, um, well, I, uh, sorry?" Ben said scratching his head.
    "You are oh so lucky I have no time to yell at you right now. Get your stuff together." And with that Darren left the room.

    Willow was curled up with a book reading when Daniel came backstage after the show. She looked up and smiled, then looked past him, "Where are the others?"
    "Oh, still with Rosie. I just excused myself." Daniel said walking over to the empty side of the couch and plopping down.
    She nodded and closed her book yawning, "Hey, can I ask a question?"
    Dan nodded, "Sure, go for it."
    "Well it's quite stupid really. What was the whole deal with putting the money down Rosie's shirt? I'm sure I'm the only one who doesn't follow here.."
    "Oh, 'that'.." He laughed, "Truthfully, we owe her a lot. She really plugged us to the American viewers. We know we owe her some of our North American fame."
    "Ohh, see? I knew it was something that I SHOULD have known. Leave it to me to not get it."
    He grinned, "I'm sure a lot of people were sitting at home going, 'What in the world is that blond guy doing to Rosie?' I don't know, Darren's idea, not mine," He looked towards the door wondering when the others would get back. He leaned over to Willow, "What’cha readin?"
    "Oh," She showed him the book, "Just some.." She forced a laugh and blushed, "Well, Anne Rice. Reading the Vampire Chronicles. Want to find where she says 'savage garden'."
    Daniel laughed shaking his head, "I've been meaning to do that myself. But, you see.. So you'll have to tell me about it."
    "Dan where are ya'?" Rosie asked as she walked into the room. She stopped and smiled as she saw Dan and Willow sitting together talking, "Oh, sorry. Your girlfriend I presume?"
    Daniel and Willow looked at each other and shook their heads, "Um, no. Actually we aren't.."
    "Ok then. Sorry I guess. So who are you?" Rosie asked looking at Willow, "I'm sure you're not part of my staff, because I've made a point to know them.."
    "No, I'm here with Savage Garden. I'm, uh, Ben's girlfriend I guess you could say. He's the other blond, plays the guitar."
    "Ohh, him. He does that pretty little guitar thing right?"
    Willow nodded, "Yeah.. So you were looking for Dan?"
    Rosie nodded, "Yeah, we're having a whole party, and it just isn't complete without Mr. Dan Jones. Come on! Oh and Willow, please feel free to join us!"
    Daniel helped Willow off the couch and the two followed Rosie into another room.

    Willow sat quietly off to the side as everyone ‘mingled’. She kept asking herself why she had came.
    She knew she had came for the sole reason of being with Ben, but as scary as it was, she felt almost homesick then. ‘I should be in school right now. I should be mingling with my friends, not famous people..’ Willow said to herself as she watched Darren talking to Bob Parker. It was all she could do but laugh.
    “Hey there!”
    Willow looked up and smiled at Nichole, “Hi! How are you?”
    Nichole laughed and pulled up a chair across from Willow, “Well I’M fine, but what about you? You look like, well, I don’t know. You just don’t look all that well. Lonely, sad..”
    Willow sighed and shrugged, “I don’t know.. I mean, I do like being here with Ben. But I don’t know, I feel like homesick in some way..”
    “You’ll be fine. So, uh, why were you all so late?” Nichole asked with a half smirk.
    “Oh don’t even! You’re NOT going to turn into a friend like Dawn. Constantly suggesting stuff like that.”
    “Dawn?”
    Willow nodded, “My best friend. She’s horrible for that.. Anyway, we stayed in Toronto for a bit. We caught a plane bright and early.. I told Ben we shouldn’t, he said he wanted to see a bit of the town. Darren wasn’t TOO mad was he?”
    Nichole laughed, “No.. Not at all..”

    Rosie and Darren were engrossed in a conversation as everyone started to thin out of the room.
    The rest of the band were now sitting amongst themselves talking.
    Yet even with all this going on, Willow remained curled up next to Ben reading to herself.
    Ben sat there and looked down at Willow with a worried look. He nudged Nichole who was off to his side and mouthed, “What’s wrong?”
    Nichole shrugged, “I don’t know, homesick?” She mouthed back.
    Ben frowned not buying into the whole homesick bit. It was too early for that, at least he figured it would be.
    “Excuse us,” Ben said getting up to his feet. He offered Willow his hand.
    She looked up have lost, “Huh?” She shook her head trying to bring herself back to earth, she then nodded, “Oh, ok..” She marked her page and placed the book down.
    When Ben was sure he had walked Willow and himself out of hearing distance he stopped and turned to her, “What’s wrong Willow?”
    She frowned, “Wrong?”
    Ben nodded, “Yeah, what’s wrong?”
    She shrugged, “Nothing, I’m fine.”
    “No you’re not,” Ben said shaking his head. “You’ve been almost ‘moppy’ ever since I’ve seen you after the show. I’m worried about you..”
    Willow tried to shrug him off, “No, I’m fine. Just a bit tired really..”
    Ben pleaded with her through his eyes, “Willow! I know that’s not it. I can tell. What’s wrong? Please..”
    Willow sighed and slumped her shoulders forward, “I don’t know Ben, I really don’t. It seems like I already miss home. But it just seems to soon, I don’t know what it is..”
    “I’m sorry..” Ben said running his fingers through her hair, “I’ll get you on a plane now if you’d like. You should have told me. I won’t get like mad if you want to leave.”
    “But I don’t want to leave. I mean,” She let out a frustrated sigh, “I don’t know what I mean..”
    Ben held out his arms, “Come here luv..”
    She took the step forward and sunk into him with a sigh.
    The two stood there for what seem like forever not saying anything, just holding each other.

...Chapter 17...




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