A Thousand Words -
Chapter 11 (The last one!)

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Darren locked his hotel room door and slumped down on the bed, ripping off his huge black stage jacket. Everyone in the audience had noticed Daniel's absense. A fan had asked him after the show, "Aren't you and Daniel friends anymore?" He'd felt a lump rise in his throat and had quickly moved on to the next fan. The lump now made a comeback, but he just as quickly supressed his emotions and leant over the bed, picking up the phone. He punched in Daniel's phone number and patiently waited.
"Hello?" a female voice picked up.
"Is Daniel there?" Darren asked, not one to put things off. He couldn't conceal the desperation in his voice.
"Darren?" Michelle said with confusion. "You mean he hasn't arrived there yet?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"He packed his bags and fled to the airport so fast he left skidmarks on the carpet. I'm not kidding, either."
"So when should be be here?" Darren gripped the phone tightly. Suddenly, there was a rap-rap-rap on the door. Darren jumped.
"Hold on a sec!" he said into the phone. He dropped it onto the bed, ran to the door and flung it open. A 50+, wrinked man in a green gofer's uniform stood outside. Darren's heart sank.
"I have a delivery for you, sir," he warbled in a strong English accent. He paused. "Were you expecting someone?"
"Um, yeah...a friend of mine," Darren replied sadly, leaning against the wall. The man chuckled.
"Well, sir, that is who i'm here to deliver."
He stepped aside and a tall, blonde, smiling man appeared from the hallway.
"Boo!" he said teasingly. Darren remained silent and motionless for a moment, then let loose with a big excited scream and pounced onto Daniel, hugging him like he's never hugged anyone before. Daniel laughed and returned the gesture.
"What are you doing here?" Darren asked, finally backing off.
"Well, gee, what do you think, Sherlock?" Daniel joked in perfected English tongue.
"Elementary, dear Watson. After thorough observation, I have come to this singular conclusion: you just missed me to friggin' much!" They both laughed.
"Yeah, that too," smirked Daniel as they retreated into Darren's room. He looked over his shoulder at the gofer. "Thanks a lot, mate."
"My pleasure." The gofer tipped his hat and disappeared.
Darren remembered he'd left Michelle on the line, and picked up the reciever. "You still there?"
Michelle was laughing. "Methinks Daniel got there just in time, eh?"
"He sure did!"
"You two sort things out and i'll see you soon, okies? See ya!"
Darren hung up and turned to Daniel, who was observing the room with approval.
"Ritzy," he concluded. He sat on the edge of the bed. Darren crawled up beside him.
"OK, fess up," he said, hanging his sweaty head off the edge of the bed.
"About what?"
"What made you come back?"
Daniel sighed. "I wasn't happy when I came home and realised what i'd left behind. Savage Garden means everything to me. And our friendship does, too. I know i've been an idiot. The only way I got to where I am is because you took me there."
Darren sat up. "You mean you're not steamed about me getting most of the attention?"
"Of course not. I quite like being the 'back pedal' of the band. Not as much pressure."
"Yeah, and I get most of it instead!" Daz laughed, then laughed. "I guess we've both done a lot of thinking and growing up in the past few months. Re-evaluating everything that means so much to us."
"It was all the stress that sent me out of control. Like when I threw you down the stairs - remember that?"
"How could I forget?" Darren made a face as he massaged his spine.
"I would normally never do anything to hurt you, Darren. But all this anger just boiled over. Anger i've been keeping inside since this tour began."
"What made you angry in the first place? I mean, what did I do?"
"You didn't do anything...it was jealousy."
"Eh?"
"I was insanely jealous of you. I still am. Because well, you were getting all the credit for something that we worked on together. And you have it so GOOD, Darren."
"So do you. I wouldn't be here if we hadn't met. I owe so much to you, but I don't know how to do that without stuffing up."
"We're both hopeless stuff-ups." Daniel smiled. Then he held out his hand. "Friends?"
Darren didn't hesitate. He took Daniel's hand warmly.
"Best friends."

The very second that Kirri recieved Daz and Daniel's E-Mails, she broke out in a relieved smile and ran to the phone, dialing Julie's number. Julie answered after just one ring.
"Kirri?!"
"Did you hear the news?"
They both screamed and laughed at the same time. After a few moments, they calmed down enough to talk clearly.
"Well, Kirri, we've done it."
"You mean THEY did it."
"Yeah, but we played a part in getting them back together!"
"Makes you feel good, doesn't it?"
"Sure as shit!"
Kirri laughed. "Nicely worded, Julie!" Just then, she heard a beep indicating there was another caller. "Hang on, I think they're trying to ring me."
"Same here. I've got a beep too. I'll ring you later."
Kirri pressed Call Waiting. "Yallo!"
Daniel made himself comfortable on his hotel room bed. "Guess who?"
"I'm glad you and Darren sorted stuff out, mate. You don't know how relieved I am!"
"About time we worked it out, too. He's talking to Julie on his phone. We want to thank you two -- if you hadn't nudged us along, we'd never have found the courage to face each-other about how we felt. So we want to give you both something."
"Like what?"
"How does an all-expenses paid trip on the remainer of the tour sound to you?"
"Holy shit, are you serious?!"
"Hey, i'm fairdinkum, Kiz. What do you say?"
"YesyesyesyesYES!" Kirri jumped up and down in her chair. "When do we leave?"
"Great! Colby and Michelle are on their way to your place. You'll be picked up first, then Julie. You'll fly up here, check into the hotel room and then come along backstage at our gig. You'll both be following us on tour and then when it's over we all come home -- first class, of course."
"Are you sure you can afford this?" Kirri asked, biting her lip.
"Well, don't bowl anyone over with your appreciation on your way..."
"No, no, no, don't get me wrong. I just don't know if you can put up with us for so long. I mean, we're GIRLS! We're shocking!"
Daniel laughed. "I think we'll manage. Anyway, i'd better let you go. Start packing!"

The atmosphere at the stadium was electrifying. The audience was one of the biggest to date. Before soundckeck, Darren and Daniel had issued a press release announcing their reconciliation, and everyone had RAN to the stadium, making sure not to miss their chance to be the first to see them together again.
Julie, Kirri, Colby and Michelle had a bit of trouble getint gin, because the press bombarded them the moment they got out of the car. Julie and Kirri now understood what it felt like to be a star -- and they were loving every second of it.
Inside, Darren and Daniel were having fun with the band, having a singalong to any song that came on the radio. Everyone was genuinely happy and couldn't feel and tension whatsoever.
A few minutes before showtime, the guys approached the girls sidestage.
"Nervous?" Julie asked. The guys shook their heads. "Bullfrogs!"
"We're serious!" Darren exclaimed, smiling. "We're excited rather than nervous!"
"OK, yup, alright," Kirri teased. "De-nial ain't just a river in Egypt."
The group looked at each-other, then in unison burst into laughter. The lights went out onstage, and the excited screams from the mainly-teen audience was deafening. Daniel wrapped his guitar strap over his right shoulder and turned to Darren.
"Are you sure you won't pack your bags and run off again?" Daz asked with a smile. Daniel leaned on Darren's shoulder with his elbow.
"I'm here to stay, Darren. This is what i've always wanted to do." He smiled in return. "And i'm glad i'm not doing it alone."
The two best friends hugged and went onstage, prepared to do their best show ever.

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