The bus rolled down the highway, the desert and sand passing them by and Dess sighed loudly as she looked around the room. The bus was a mess-they had been back in the states for ten days and the guys had made short order of making everything look like a disaster area. They had a show the next day somewhere in Utah and Dess smiled at the fact that she didn’t even know what was going on anymore.

They had been touring nonstop for almost two months and it was wearing everyone down at this point. Dess had stayed sick, waking up nearly every day with a headache and she always just wanted to sleep. It was probably the stress of things, what with her new Serial Comic coming out, her t-shirts had sold out twice since the tour started and now Dess had taken on another project: another interview.

Tattoo Ink Magazine had called her, getting her number from Andy’s publicist, as soon as they had hit the states and they had set up an interview and photo shoot for the day after next when the tour would be somewhere in Idaho-at least that’s what Dess thought. They had seen her photos in Rock Chic and the photo editor had loved her tattoos and they called Dess to set everything up. She wasn’t as nervous this time around since the pressure was all but off and this photo shoot had nothing to do with Andy or Black Veil Brides so Dess didn’t have to impress their sometimes fickle fans. Dess looked next to her, smiling as she looked down at a snoozing Andy, Winnie sleeping on his chest as CC and Ash played some mindless video game in the background.


“We’re getting off on the next exit so we can gas up and get some real food!” Jon called from the front of the bus, where he reigned over the kingdom as he sat next to the driver. Dess sighed loudly, thankful that they were getting something to eat-she was starving and didn’t have the energy to get up and make anything because then she would have to make something for everyone and that sometimes was a feat.

“Babe…” Dess leaned over towards Andy, her voice soft and she giggled as Winnie popped his head up, turning to look at her as his tongue waggled out of his mouth.

“Andy…” Dess said, her voice slightly louder this time as she moved so that she was laying on his legs. He mumbled something in his sleep, licking his lips as he turned over slightly and Winnie jumped down to the floor.

“Andrew…” Dess giggled as Ashley looked over at her from one of the recliners, a twisted smirk on his face as he set his controller down and walked over towards the couch quietly. He motioned to Odessa, who handed him the pillow she had been resting on and he smiled widely as he held it over his head.

“Dude!” Ashley yelled as he smacked the pillow down against Andy’s face and they all burst out laughing as Andy jumped up, his arms flailing around as his bleary eyes took them all in.

“What?! What the fuck do you want?!” Andy shouted, his voice grumpy and low sounding as he glared first at Ashley and then he turned and glared, a little more softly, at Dess. They both just stayed there, smirking at him as Andy ran a hand through his hair, his bangs sticking up slightly as he tried to wake up fully to understand what was going on.

“We’re stopping for food and to gas up…” Dess said softly, her eyes gentle and loving as she looked over at him.

“Oh…okay. Was the pillow being smacked against my face necessary?”Andy asked as he moved to sit up, reaching down to grab for his boots to tug them on as the bus began to slow down and then came to a full stop.

“Uh yeah…you are the biggest pain in the ass to wake up and we were getting tired of Dess whispering sweet nothings at you as you grunted in your sleep.” Ashley said, grabbing for his jacket that sat on the arm rest of the couch and then he was walking towards the front of the bus. Andy and Dess just sat there as CC, Jake, and Jinxx all exited the bus as well and Andy looked to Dess.

“Am I that bad?” He asked and Dess only nodded as she placed her hand in his and she stood, pulling him along and suddenly Andy looked down at Dess’ hand and a shiver ran up his spine: her hand was ice cold and he could feel the bones poking out slightly. Had she been losing weight? On purpose?


The couple walked down the steps of the bus, the bright daylight hitting them in the face and Dess held up a hand to shield her eyes as she looked out around her. The desert surrounded them, the prairie grass waving in the gentle wind and Dess smiled. They had stopped at a truck stop that had a restaurant attached to it and one look towards the building and Dess felt her stomach grumble. Barbeque sounded so good right now and Dess walked quickly, pulling Andy behind her as she made a beeline for the entrance.

The rest of their group had already gotten a table and they were all talking loudly and raucously as the poor waitress tried to take their drink order. Dess just smiled as she approached the table, sitting at the very end while Andy took a seat to her right, his hand grasping hers at it rested on the table.


“What can I get you?” The pretty blonde waitress asked, her gum smacking in her mouth as Dess looked down at her menu and then looked back up, a soft smile on her lips.

“Can I have a diet coke with a lime please?” She asked and the waitress only nodded as she wrote everything down and then turned to Andy.

“Uh, just a water for me.” He said, his thumb rubbing over her hand as Andy looked over at Dess, his eyes laced with concern.


As they all sat there at the table, Dess joking with Jake about something and Ash, Jinxx and CC were laughing about something one of them had said but Andy couldn’t laugh or smile in that moment. His eyes were trained on Dess, taking in every detail of her face and he felt his stomach sink as he looked at her. When had she gotten so thin? Her cheeks were hollower looking, her eyes had heavy bags underneath them and he could see her collarbones poking out from the top of her sweater.

What was going on? Andy knew Dess ate-shit sometimes she ate like a football player. So why wasn’t she gaining weight? Andy thought this through for a minute-Dess ate all the time and she never went to the bathroom immediately after eating. Andy felt his stomach turn sour as he thought back to his memories of Moira and her visit to them when they lived in LA.

The small girl had come to them, skin and bones and Dess had explained to Andy that the reason for this was because Moira’s body was so busy fighting off her cancer that all of the nutrients that would normally help keep her weight up were being used elsewhere. Was this what was happening to Dess? Did she have cancer and not tell him? Andy felt his mouth turn dry and as he reached out to grab for his water Andy noticed that Dess had grown quiet and she was staring down at her menu silently while everyone else around them laughed and carried on.

He knew she had been feeling under the weather, but he had equated it with her being tired from the tour and her work on her comics and her t-shirt line. Had he been so blind and in his own little world that Andy had completely missed something when it came to Dess and her health?


“Andy? Babe?” Andy shook his head as he looked over at Dess, who was looking at him wide eyed, and then he noticed that the waitress was back and she was also looking at him.

“What can I get you to eat?” She asked, her gum smacking against her top teeth as Andy blushed and realized that he hadn’t even opened his menu-he had been so lost in his thoughts.

“I-uh-the hamburger. Medium with no onions.” He said, handing over his menu as the waitress smiled and then turned to Dess, who had also closed her menu and held a soft smile on her face.

“I’ll have the platter with the sauce on the side and can I get extra mac and cheese with that too please?” Dess smiled up at the waitress, who only nodded her head and then walked off, leaving the group to continue their loud conversations.

“You hungry babe?” Andy asked, reaching out to grab for her hand again as Dess only smiled at him, picking at her straw wrapper with her free hand and Andy felt his heart sink. She ate, but it seemed like no matter how much or how often he was sure that Dess wouldn’t gain weight.

“Starving…I haven’t eaten since last night so.” She shrugged and Andy inhaled deeply. He needed a cigarette and so with a quick kiss to her cheek, Andy excused himself and walked out towards the front of the restaurant, exiting through the large glass doors as he walked around the side of the building.


Andy stood there, leaning up against the brick of the building, one foot on the ground while he had the other raised behind him, his heel resting against the rough stones. He looked out, his cigarette between his teeth as he rooted around in his pockets for his lighter and finally finding it, Andy lit the end and inhaled deeply. His eyes scanned the desert that surrounded them and Andy watched as trucks pulled in, the drivers either exiting to gas up and hit the road or they stayed in their trucks, climbing in the back to get some much needed rest.

Life on the road was hard, Andy knew that perfectly well and he had signed up for it all. He loved moving around, seeing new things and meeting new people every day, but he knew that Dess liked having stability in her life. She loved their home, decorating it and taking pride in everything that she did to make it better. Was this life really for her?

Finished with his cigarette Andy still wasn’t ready to head in yet, his mind too plagued with thoughts of Dess and her possible sickness and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep the concerned frown from his face. What wasn’t she telling him? There had to be something-she had to have noticed how she looked and Andy wondered if maybe she wasn’t eating as much as she said she was.

He never saw her eat breakfast-she always made them all something for breakfast but did she ever eat any herself? She downed coffee like a camel in the desert, but now that he thought about it Andy wasn’t sure Dess really was eating as much as she claimed. Was it the new found fame that was causing this? Did Dess think she needed to starve herself to keep him interested? Andy shook his head, trying to get those negative thoughts out as he headed back inside.


“Where did you go?” Dess asked, her smile soft as he approached and Andy just smirked gently at her as he took his seat and saw that their food had been delivered.

“Smoke. How is it?” Andy asked, nodding his head towards her plate, which was half empty and he laughed as he looked at Dess. She had sauce on her nose and without missing a beat Andy had leaned forward, his mouth covering her nose quickly as he licked it off.

“So good…eat your fries before they get cold babe.” Dess said, smirking at him as she pulled away slightly, her fork digging in to her mac and cheese as Andy looked down at his own plate. It did look good and grabbing for the ketchup, he began to dig in, but everything made his mouth feel like sawdust as Andy still couldn’t seem to shake his earlier thoughts from his head.


The group ate in silence until CC threw a french fry at Dess, hitting her in the forehead and she retaliated by chucking her half eaten roll at him. Instead of hitting CC though, her role smacked Ashley square in the chest and the bassist just smirked over at her as he flung his cherry tomatoes in her direction but missed completely and soon Jon was covered in bits of all their food. The table got deathly quiet as they all avoided Jon’s gaze and then he just broke out into a wide smirk and reached for a napkin.

Laughter broke out and they stayed that way all while waiting for the check and Andy looked around the table and his heart grew light. This was his family-the guys had been his family for a long time and as he looked to Dess he was happy to know that she fit in so well. He’d had girlfriends in the past who thought they were above it all because they modeled or they were in their own bands, but Dess was never like that. Easy going and fun-that’s why Andy loved her so much.


“Anyone want to do some looking around since we have some time?” Ashley asked and while Jinxx and Jake declined, wanting instead to go back to the bus, the rest of them walked off towards the small gift shop that was attached to the restaurant.


Dess ran her hands over some of the t shirts that were being displayed as her eyes roamed the store in front of her. It was like any typical truck stop store, full of things like hats and t shirts with funny sayings on them and there was even a display of cowboy hats and boots along one wall. Her head was pounding slightly less, probably from the food and the caffeine that she’d had at lunch.

Andy, CC and Ashley had disappeared and Dess began to roam around in circles, trying to find where they were until finally giggling from a pair of dressing rooms in the corner alerted Dess to their possible location. She approached quietly, the voices behind the curtain getting softer and Dess jumped as one of the curtains was pulled back and Andy stood before her.


“What on Earth?” Dess asked as she took him in, her hand coming up to her mouth as she tried to hide her laughter. He was wearing a huge cowboy hat and his tight black jeans were tucked into a pair of ugly orange boots.

“Oh this is how I’m going to dress from now on.” Andy smirked down at her, tipping his hat as he approached and Dess just laughed as the curtain to the other dressing room opened and Ashley walked out. His hat was smaller, pink with a flower pattern and Dess felt her mouth drop open as she took in his teal cowboy boots.

“Evenin’.” Ashley tipped his hat at her as well and Dess found herself doubled over in laughter at the sight of them.

“You two are absurd.” Dess managed to get out between laughs as Andy and Ashley just looked at her, their faces serious.

“Don’t laugh. Ash and I have decided that we’re going to drop out of the band and become ranchers…”Andy said, his tone serious and Dess just looked at him, the smile on her face infectious as soon Andy was also smirking widely.

“I doubt you boys even know how to ride a horse…let alone take care of cattle…” Dess laughed and Andy just looked at Ashley, a devious smirk on his face as he approached Dess and then swiftly picked her up. He swung her around, her arms around his neck and soon she found herself perched on Andy’s back as he ran around the store.


Dess laughed loudly as Andy galloped around and soon they had left the store and he was running around the parking lot with her still clutching to him. Everyone who was outside stopped to stare at the pair of them, but Dess didn’t care-she was having too much fun at this point to give two shits about what anyone thought. Andy slowly came to a stop right outside the doors of the store where Ashley was standing, laughing loudly.

Dess leapt from his back, landing hard on her butt as her foot slipped out from under her and she just sat there. Andy spun around, his boots kicking up gravel as he looked down and his heart stopped. Dess however was laughing her ass off as she held out her hands and he smiled as Andy helped her to her feet. Andy went inside quickly to take everything off and Dess just stood outside quietly, Ashley having retreated to the bus to avoid the awkwardness that still plagued the two of them.


“Ready?” Andy asked from behind her and Dess turned to him then. His hair was messy looking from being under a hat, but the smile on his face only made her smirk at him in return.

“Yep.” Dess said as she moved from her place against the building and then laughed loudly as Andy bent down in front of her, motioning for her to climb onto his back once again. Dess just shook her head and did as he asked and soon they were walking across the lot to where the bus was waiting for them.

“Giddy up cowboy…” Dess whispered in Andy’s ear, kissing the skin of his cheek softly as he just smiled and kept walking, the sun shining down on them gently as it faded in to what would become a brilliant sunset.

Notes

So because I love you all-I decided to update this a day earlier than I said I would. So I hope you enjoyed this little chapter and please keep in mind that things will jump around a bit because there is so much to fit in to a 50 chapter story before things come to an end.

Please read and review <3

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