Darren's POV

Daniel's Plane landed, or was suppost to land, at 9:00 pm.

"Let's see." I said as I looked at my watch. "It's only 8:15."

'I'm just too anxieus to see him.' I thought. I haven't seen Danny since Savage Garden broke up and now, I found myself sitting in one of those VERY uncomfortable airport chairs, and the only thing on my mind was Jonsey.

Would things be the same between us? Probly not. We had parted on an ungly note. I didn't expect him to take me into his arms as soon as he saw me, kiss me, and tell me all was right again.

We had things to work out. That's why he was coming, wasn't it? I mean, why else would he come if not to try to save our FRIENDSHIP. He wasn't coming all the was from austrailla to just keep me company. Was he?

"beep! beep!"

'Stupid watch' I thought. It was telling me that was now 8:45. Like I hadn't been watching it for the past thirty minutes.

"Might as well head on over to the terminal." I mumbled to myself. As I walked 'I knew I Loved You' played softly over the speakers and I laughed when I caught myself singing along with it softly.

Standing right out side of his terminal, my mind began to drift...

'What if he don't recognize me?'

'What if he gets off that plane madder than he was when we parted?'

'What if ....

"DAZZA!!!!"

My name was yelled across the terminal and before I had time to put the voice with a face, Jonsey's arms were around me, his lips pushed up against mine.

"Darren, let's go get something to eat. I'm starved." He slipped his hand in mine and pulled me off towards the bagadge claim.

"Daniel?" I looked at him funny. Had he always acted this way?

"Darren, before you say it. I want to tell you something. We're going out to dinner after I get my bags and we're going to fix this." He squeesed my hand a little harder, "I don't care what it takes. I can't live without you. I know that now."

At that moment I didn't care who saw, or which magazine got pictures. I pulled him towards me as hard as I could and kissed him in such a way that it left us both out of breath.

"Jonsey?" I said fighting back tears, "It's already fixed."

He smiled. "Can we still get something to eat?"

"Sure." I said smirking.

"Good cause I'm starved!"

It didn't take as long as I thought it would to claim Daniel's baggs. They were LIME GREEN! He says it's just an easy color to spot and he had never known anyone else to have bags that color.

Afterwards, he followed me to my car. A 2001 black, Mustang convertable.

"I see you finally got your dream car." He said as we pilled all his stuff into the trunk and backseat.

"Yea I guess." I said as I shut the door. "So where do you want to eat?"

"I'm in the mood for hamburgers. Is there a McDonalds near here?"

"McDonalds? You can eat anywhere you want and you chose McDonalds?" Well he hasn't changed.

"Yup!"

"Ok, McDonalds bound."

Daniel's POV

"Yawnnn... What time is it?" Darren asked sleeply.

"7:00." I replied as I ran a hand through his long hair. We must have fallen asleep while we were watching tv in his room last night.

"WHAT! I'm going to be late!" He screamed as he jumped up and started changing.

"For what?" I mumbled sitting up.

"I have to be in the studio at 7:45." He said as ran some gel through his hair.

"Ohh... well if your going to be at the studio all day I'm going to go site seeing." I picked up the first shirt I found in my bag and slipped it on.

"Weaw wre wou wowingw?" He mumbled as he brushed his teeth.

"Idiot." I said as I pulled the tooth brush out of his mouth. "Now spit."

"I don't need to be told how to brush my teeth." He laughed after he rinsed his mouth out.

"I know you don't." I caught myself saying before I kissed him.

"Good morning to you too."

He waved bye as he grabbed a jacket and left.

A smile found it's way to my face as I layed back on the bed.

'It smells like him.' With that last thought I grabbed my coat and headed out the door. I just had to see the sites.

I couldn't stop smiling as I entered the studio.

"Hello Darren. You sure are happy today. What happened?" Leonie said greating me.

"Can you keep a secret?" I said knowing very well that whatever I told her would be all over the news in an hour.

"Of course Darren! You know me."

"Daniel's back."

The look on her face was price less. A mix of excitement, confusion, and then shock.

"Darren?! Did you and Daniel... "

"Hush... "

I left her then, turning into my dressing room.

I layed down on a couch and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I heard was Ben screaming.

"Ohh my ...............!!!!"

"I jumped up fast and ran outside where he stood.

The site I saw was breathtaking. The twin towers were on fire!

"Ben! What happened!?!" I screamed.

"A plane... A plane just ran into it!"

"What do you mean! Planes don't just run into huge buildings everyday!" at that moment another plane came into view. It flew right over our heads before it ran into the second tower.

"Darren," his voice was barely a whisper. "America's under attack."

All I could hear were sirens.

"Daniel! Where's Daniel!" I could hear myself screaming as my legs went out on me and I fell into darkness.

From the top of the Statue of Liberty I saw the first plane hit. Near by a lady screamed out that her son worked in the Trade Towers.

When the second one hit, every one had been cleared off of the island. People every where were screaming and making phone calls.

I couldn't speak. My mind was screaming, but my lips could form no words.

Then it hit me. Darren. Where's his studio? Could he be trapped in one of those towers? Is it possible?

"Sir, Please! Let me use your phone! Please!" I cryed, running toward an older man

"Sorry, kid. Everyone and thier brother is trying to call someone right now. The lines are all jamed." he replied mournfuly.

I allowed myself to side down the wall I was leaning on and for the following few minutes I could do nothing, but cry.

All I could hear was people's screams and sirens. Everywhere I looked there was pain and crying. The world seemed to be full of grief.

I did the only thing I could. I began to hum, at first, then the words came.

"Springtime in the city
Always such relief from the winter freeze
The snow was more lonely than cold if you know what I mean
Everyone's got an agenda
Don't stop keep that chin up you'll be alright
Can you believe what a year it's been
Are you still the same?
Has your opinion changed?"

A girl standing near by stopped crying for a moment, listening to the words.

"Your Daniel Jones, aren't you?" she sat down next to me, her face stained with tears.

"Ye... Yes. I am." I brought one sleaved arm up to wipe me face.

"Are you crying because of Darren?" she asked in a whisper. "Because you don't know where he is?"

I nodded slowly.

"He means alot to you. Doesn't he?"

"Does everyone know about us?" the question sounded harsher than I had intended it to be.

"Most people don't believe it. Only about a fourth of your fans think so, but over half admitt you two would make a cute couple." a small smile lit up her face for a second.

Then an idea hit me. She was a fan of Darren's. Mabey she could tell me his record companys name, then I could find out for sure if he's trapped inside.

"Do you know where Darren records his stuff? Where his studio is?" I said, my questions frantic.

"He's with Columbia Records." her face darkened. "There's two different studios in New York."

"Where?"

"One acoss the street from MTV headquarters, on Time Square."

"The other? You said two."

"The fifty-sixth story, of the second tower."

That hit me like a brick. I was barely aware of the tear that ran down my check as I whispered his name. The girl's arms went around me as her tears came faster.

"My mom works in the first tower that got hit."

Before I could respond an horrible sound filled the air. Looking up at the skyline, I screamed as one of the towers fell, disapearing from my site.

I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up and started running. The wind blew my hat off.

"Wait! Your hat!" she screamed.

"Just keep it!" I screamed, running faster then ever towards the World Trade Center.

I woke up on the couch in my dressing room.

"Maybe this was all a dream." I said out loud as I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

That's when I heard it. Screams and sirens.

Slowly I left my little room and went to find Leonie and Ben. They had to know what was going on.

I heard Leonie's voice in the other room and I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it quickly when I heard what they were taking about.

Making sure they couldn't see me, I hid behind the door and listened.

"He's back. That's why."

"If he's back in town he would have told us to get him a hotel room or something!"

"He's staying with Darren. I think."

"But, Darren's only got one bedroom.... Ohh..."

"Yea and he screamed his name because he doesn't know where Daniel is."

"How do you know this!?"

"Darren told me this morning."

I couldn't take this anymore. I had to say something.

"Jonsey got here last night." I said letting my presence be known. "He said he was going to go site seeing today."

"Ohh... Darren!" Leonie wrapped her arms around me as I cryed.

At that moment the ground started to shake.

"Ohh... Mary mother of Jesus... " Ben said from the doorway.

Running to the door, Leonie screamed.

"The first tower has fallen down!"

"I couldn't wait any longer. I grabbed my phone and ran out the door.

Shouting for Leonie and the others to stay here and to call me as soon as they knew more.

I was going to find him.

I came to an abrupt stop as the second tower followed the first to the ground.

I was only about two blocks away at the time and the blast of wind that it caused about knocked me down. The streets filled with a cloud of smoke and ash.

Taking shelter in the nearest ally, I began to cry once more, but this time no tears fell.

How long I sat there, holding my legs to my chest, I don't know, but it had to have been a while.

It hurt to breath. I felt like a part of my heart had been ripped out. That's when I first heard it. Quite and faint at first, but as time pogressed it slowly got louder.

It was one of the few songs that I'd writen the words to, being sung by a familier voice and I could hear the pain in the singers voice as he sang.

"Because there has always been heartache and pain
and when it's over your breath again
You'll breath again."

I had given up all hope. I felt dead. My better half wasn't there.

'Please be alive Daniel. Please.'

I couldn't think of anything I could do.

I turned around and started to walk back to the studio. Praying that he would be there, sitting in one of the cheap over stuffed chairs that sat in the front lobby.

Wipping a tear from my eye, I began to sing.

"When you feel all alone
And the world has turned it's back on you
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed the studio's number, but hesitated before I could push 'send'. Right now I still have hope, but if I call and he's not there. Then even that will be gone.

Instead I put it back in my pocket, pulled my coat tighter around me, and began to sing, starting where I'd left off.

"Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
Your not alone."

I looked up and relised that I was now lost.

'Great.' I thought. I couldn't have been more then a block from the Trade Center now. I was getting closer. 'Better turn around.'

When you fell all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You're caught in a one way street
With the monsters in your head
When the hopes and dreams are far away and BR>You feel like you can't face the day."

People were starting to stare, but strangley enough, I didn't care.

I sang the chourus again. Louder this time. Who cares what they think. Then when I got to the next verse I took it down a bit. I couldn't handle being chased by a bunch of girls right now.

"Because there have always been heartache and pain
And when it's over you'll breath again
You'll breath again."

I stopped then and leaned up against the building. No more tears would fall and I was too tierd to go any further.

That's when I heard his voice.

"DARREN!"

The scream came from an alley not too far away.

I began to run.

"DANIEL! IS THAT YOU? PLEASE!"

That's when I saw him. Sitting on the ground leaning against a garbage can.

He was covered in dirt and sweat.

"Daniel!?" I said my tears were now those of joy.

"Darren." he said smiling.

I kneeled beside him and threw my arms around him and kissed him deeply.

"Welcome to New York, Danny. Welcome to New York."

May the victoms of 9-11 live on in our memories forever.

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