In the end
As you fade into the night-oh whoa oh oh
Who will tell the story of your life?


Andy was carried away from Lucinda's grave-he wasn't sure but he thought it was Jake and CC who had their hands underneath his arms to keep him up. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel or maybe it was just that he didn't want to do either of those things. Luce was gone-forever-and there would be no bringing her back. A wailing noise could be heard from behind him and Andy knew that it was one of the girls.

What had happened? Why had this happened? All of these thoughts ran through his brain as Andy tried to make his way towards the limo. It would take them back to the hotel, where they would all pack up their things and spend one last night in North Carolina before flying out to LA. The tour would start in a few days-something Andy wasn't ready for but it was going to happen.

As the looming vehicle came in to view, Andy suddenly realized that he didn't want to go back to the hotel-he didn't want to be around anyone right now. All they would give him would be looks of sorrow and pity-knowing that he lost someone who meant the world to him. Andy had completely stayed off of social media and even though he loved the fans and it meant a lot to him to see their condolences, it just wasn't something he could handle right now.

Instead of entering the limo, Andy turned and began to head down the road. Off in the distance there was a small town-Cornerstown? Why did that sound so familiar to him? Andy felt a hand on his arm and as he turned he came face to face with Jake. The guitarist had been pretty silent this entire time, but Andy knew that his best friend would eventually have some words of wisdom for him.


"Andy...don't leave...don't disappear." The guitarist said and Andy only gave him a small smirk.

"I can't be around people right now-at least not people I love and care about." He explained and Jake only nodded. That was fair.

"I get it man, but I think what you need right now are your friends...people who are going through the same thing as you." Jake said, but Andy only shook his head as he gently removed his arm from Jake's light grasp.

"No, what I need right now-who I need-is eight feet in the ground with cement being poured on top of her. I love you guys, but I do really just need to be alone right now." Andy said before turning on his heel and heading down the small hill towards the town.

Someone was calling out to him, but as Andy got farther and farther away, all he could hear were the sobs coming from his own mouth.


In the end
As my soul's laid to rest
What is left of my body
Or am I just a shell?
And I have fought
And with flesh and blood I commanded an army
Through it all
I have given my heart for a moment of glory



"Fuck yeah New York!" Luxe screamed in to the mic as Char went in to her solo for Angel Eyes. The tour had been amazing and as Andy looked out at the crowd he knew that these girls had changed this audience for life.

It had been a long road and while there had been bumps and some bruises, Andy knew that their tour with the Dolls had been a major success. As he stood in the wings and watched the girls close out the night, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride in his heart. He and Luxe had hated one another for so long and even now they still fought like cats and dogs, but watching this girl get up on stage every night was something else.

Luxe just had such a connection with her fans-the way they reached for her, tears in their eyes as they screamed along with her. Every night at the Meet and Greets, these girls would flock to Luxe, telling the singer about how she inspired them or how her lyrics were always there for them. Andy understood that feeling-he got the same thing from a lot of his own fans and there was nothing like it in the world.

The only thing that sucked was that they had given up so much for this life. Friends, seeing family on a regular basis and even a love life. Andy knew that there was a connection between he and Luxe, but he also knew that a connection like that could be incredibly dangerous. There was just something about Luxe-there was something in him that was so connected to her, but Andy was trying hard to fight it off.


"You guys are fucking awesome!" Luxe screamed as the song ended and the girls began to go in to another one.


As Andy watched the girls run around, he knew that Luxe and his souls were connected-there was something there and he was bound and determined to figure out what it was. He clapped and shouted with the crowd as the girls rocked it, but deep down Andy knew that if he and Luxe were to ever get together that it would probably end in tragedy.


In the end
As you fade into the night -oh whoa oh oh
Who will tell the story of your life -oh whoa oh oh
And who will remember your last goodbye -oh whoa oh oh
'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid to die.


The pavement was cracked Andy noticed as he walked down the middle of the small street-when was the last time the roads were redone in this town? Night had fallen, which was probably a good thing because the last thing Andy needed to was someone calling the cops because a tall, lanky man wearing a suit and sobbing was aimlessly walking down the road.
Where was he again?

Oh yeah-Cornerstown, North Carolina. God that name still sounded so familiar, but Andy just couldn't place it. His entire brain was muddled with memories of Lucinda and as he walked, Andy knew that it would take a long time for the memory of her to leave his mind. She was everywhere-Lucinda was everything to him now-and Andy was desperately trying to hold on to her. But he knew that her the memory of her would soon fade, like a ghost and he would just be left with a hole in his heart.

A few drops of water landed on him and suddenly Andy realized that it was raining. A light drizzle was nothing to him and so he kept on walking. A video store, with it's neon lights blazing in the distance, promised him new releases every Tuesday. Beside that sat a liquor store, advertising cheap beer and reasonable prices on all wine and spirits. Andy smirked as he walked past the two stores-the liquor store was packed full of people and the video store only had one patron in it.

Obviously people in the south had their priorities straight.

Andy just kept walking, down the street until it ended in a large clock tower that showed him it was only a little past seven thirty. Where had the time gone? The last time Andy had looked at a clock it had been five in the morning and the wall by his bed still hadn't made him fall asleep. Andy hadn't slept in days and he knew that with a coming tour that that would not be a good thing.

Did he even want to tour anymore? Did he even want to do any of this anymore?

Andy asked himself these questions as he turned left down a street by the clock tower and was met with a row of slightly run down houses. Paint was chipping and in some places it was peeling off in small sheets and it looked like some of these houses needed new roofs. What was this place? It was like walking through a horror movie and suddenly Andy wondered if he was going to be chased down by a killer with a large butcher knife-taking him out of his misery.
Nah, he wasn't that lucky and so with a sigh Andy just walked on...letting his memories flood his mind once again.


Born a saint
But with every sin I still wanna be holy
I will live again
Who we are
Isn't how we live we are more than our bodies
If I fall I will rise back up and relive my glory


The studio was incredibly hot that day, but with so many people inside it wasn't a shock. The Dolls were in the middle of recording their third album, a record which not only the girls were proud of, but Andy was immensely proud of as well. The girls had worked so hard to get back up on their feet and Andy was happy to say that they finally seemed to be right where they needed to be.

Luxe was in the recording booth, those large earphones over her ears and Andy smirked because it made her look like an alien. She always looked so at peace when she was in there and Andy knew that feeling because being in a booth was like being in a home away from home. Luxe, more than the other's, had suffered the most and Andy knew it had taken a toll on her. His own fans had been terrible to the female singer and now everyone was worried if the girls could gain their fan base back.

"I'm gonna take five." Luxe said and Andy watched as the singer before him took off her ear phones, walked towards the door and then entered the main part of the studio.

"You alright?" He asked, his long fingers reaching out towards her and Luxe only nodded as she grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby table and sat down beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder, her blonde hair like a sheet as it fell over his white t-shirt.

"Fine. Just needed a breather." She said before taking a long sip of water and then she was smiling up at him. She looked so beautiful-so healthy-and Andy only smiled as he reached down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You know I'm really proud of you Luce...I know it's been hard." Andy said softly so that only the two of them could hear. They were back together-again for the thousandth time-but they still wanted to keep things somewhat private.

"Yeah, but if there's one thing I know how to do better than anyone, it's how to fall and rise back up and start kicking some ass." She said, a twinkle of laughter in her voice, which made Andy smile.


The girls had fallen and now they were rising back up, like a great phoenix and Andy knew that this time they wouldn't let their demons bring them down again. The room was filled with hushed tones as everyone talked, but it would onlybe a matter of time before everyone was filled with excitement at this new chapter in everyone's lives.


In the end
As you fade into the night -oh whoa oh oh
Who will tell the story of your life -oh whoa oh oh
And who will remember your last goodbye -oh whoa oh oh
'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid to die


The rain had turned heavy and cold, making Andy shiver as he walked down the empty streets of this small southern town.Had the town Lucinda grown up in been similar to this? Andy knew that she had been from a very small town somewhere in North Carolina and he also remembered her saying that it had been pretty run down.

The thought of Lucinda only brought a fresh bout of tears to Andy's eyes, but he refused to wipe them away. Wiping away tears showed shame and he wasn't ashamed of missing Lucinda or being devastated at losing her. She had been such a huge part of his life and she had been in his life for so long that now Andy was scrambling to figure out what he was going to do.
The Dolls would move on-whether it was together as a band with a new singer or separate and doing their own things-they would move on and live on with their lives.

But Andy didn't know if he could do that.

There was still so much to do-Lucinda's house still needed to be boxed up and her things moved, but Andy didn't know if he had the strength to be the one to do that. Karlie would be a huge help-she had helped him pick out what Lucinda would wear and she had also been able to watch the cats while Andy and the other's flew out to the east coast. God the cats...

What would Andy do with Feather?

The small white cat had been curled up next to Lucinda in the bathroom when Andy had found her and the poor thing had just looked up at him with her light blue eyes and mewed sadly. Could cats sense that kind of thing? Andy didn't know, but he was sure that Feather knew at the time that something had been wrong. He shuddered as he recalled falling to his knees, bringing Lucinda in to his arms as he tried to figure out what to do.

He had called 911 and while the operator insisted that he stay on the line, Andy let his phone fall from his hands as he placed both palms against Lucinda's cold cheeks. He kissed her face, hoping that would wake her, but not even his tears falling on to her eyes made the love of his life stir. She was gone and even before the paramedics had come in to try and save her, Andy knew that Lucinda was never coming back.


In the end
As you fade into the night -oh whoa oh oh
Who will tell the story of your life -oh whoa oh oh
And who will remember your last goodbye -oh whoa oh oh
'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid to die


"Truth or dare?" Luxe asked him and Andy only smirked as he took his eyes off of the night sky above them and looked over at the girl sitting beside him. They were out on Luxe's deck and even though the air was cooling with the impending fall season, the two of them loved nights like this.

"Truth." Andy said-he always picked truth, even though it was predictable.

"What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?" She asked him and Andy only smiled as he rested his head against the back of the lounge chair he was sitting in. The sky above them was bright and clear-a rarity for LA.

"The band. Truth or dare?" He asked her and Luxe grew quiet. It wasn't a dare type of night-it was too peaceful for wild shenanigans.

"Truth."

"Where do you want to be in ten years?" He asked, now turning his face from looking up until his eyes locked with her own. They were getting ready to tour together, so Andy knew that there would be many more nights like this one and that was something he was looking forward to.

"Life wise or career wise?" She asked him and Andy thought for a moment.

"Both."

"Career wise I want the girls and I to start slowing down and I'm sure we will. Pixie is practically married and all the other girls are getting pretty serious about their relationships." Luxe said and Andy stayed silent. He was making her wait to settle down, but he had plans for the two of them-it just wasn't the right time yet.

"Life wise?" He asked and Luxe only smirked. It was dark, but he could still see the blush that had reddened her cheeks.

"With you. Maybe taking some time for the two of us to travel around the world without the huge stage production. Just being happy." She said and Andy only reached over, grabbing for one of her hands as they grew silent and both thought about her plan.

"Sounds good to me..." He said softly as his eyes once again took in the peaceful night sky.


Who will remember this last goodbye -oh whoa oh oh
'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid to die

Not afraid
I'm not afraid to die
No not afraid
I'm not afraid to die!


Water dripped from the tip of his nose, but Andy didn't really care. He was soaked to the bone-the drizzle of rain had turned in to a torrential downpour and he knew he was going to have to take shelter inside somewhere. Andy had been walking for hours, down side streets and back up other streets, and so it was fairly late and most things looked closed. Off in the distance he could see the plate glass windows of what looked to be an ancient diner and he knew he could take refuge inside.

Something that Andy hadn't thought of before taking off on his little adventure was how he was going to get back to the hotel. They had driven at least twenty miles from the hotel to the funeral home and then to the cemetery. None of his friends had cars and he realized as he reached the ripped and shredded awning of the ancient diner that he didn't even have his cell phone on him.

Andy pushed open the glass door, the smell of coffee and fryer grease hitting his nose as his eyes started to adjust to the bright lights. No one else was in there except for a waitress who looked old enough to retire and a large man who was behind a small window, his paper hat yellowing from hours of sweat. A television in one corner blared a news program and Andy jumped at the loud noise of someone speaking out to him.


"Sit anywhere you want hun." The old woman called out to him, her smoker's voice cracking and creaking with every word.


Andy only nodded as he took a seat in a far booth, his hands reaching up to push his soaked and dripping hair out of his face. At least it was warm and dry in here, even if his pants were sticking to the old and cracked vinyl of the booth he was seated at. The waitress hadn't moved from her spot behind the counter, her eyes stuck on the television in the corner.

As Andy waited for her to come over to him, he took a moment to finally look around him and what he saw made his heart completely stop beating for a moment.

Where was he?

Cornerstown North Carolina-it still sounded so familiar and as Andy looked around the diner he was taking shelter in, a realization finally hit him like a ton of bricks.

Notes

So I see some of you don't like that I used In The End in the last chapter...you probably shouldn't read this one either. Sorry...not sorry