�Mattie. Mattie, wake up.�

Mattie opened her eyes to the sound of someone saying her name. She looked across the aisle to see Shane poking her in the arms and whispering loudly for her to wake up.

�What is it?� she said groggily.

�We�re about to land. You slept through the entire flight,� he said incredulously. �I�m beginning to think you�re spending way too much time with Mark.�

Mattie laughed and rubbed her eyes. �I must be,� she answered. �How long was the trip, like 12 hours?�

�Something like that. Anyway, just wanted to wake you up, cause we�ll be landing soon and you don�t want to have to face that crowd half asleep.�

Mattie looked at him in surprise. �Is it really going to be that bad?�

Shane laughed. �Oh it�s bad. We�ve got a huge following in Israel, and believe me, it�s going to be mayhem.�

�Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please,� a voice came over the intercom. �British Airways Flight 281 will be arriving at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, in approximately five minutes. Time of arrival will be 4:30 a.m.� At that message, the passengers began gathering their items together and the flight attendants made one last round to collect any garbage.

The plane landed smoothly and everyone immediately stood up, stretching their legs and arms.

�Ah, I can�t wait to get off this plane!� Bryan said, running in place. In his opinion, airplanes were not the best of places to spend twelve hours in, considering you had nowhere to go except the bathroom and people didn�t appreciate it if you talked loudly or played jokes on them, a lesson he had learned all too well in the past.

The Westlife lads had instructions to disembark last, so as not to rile up the crowd prematurely and disturb the other passengers who were leaving. Mattie, Georgina, and the crew left with this group of passengers, while the bodyguards, Anto, and a few members of his staff stayed behind with the lads.

Mattie and Georgina hefted their bags over their shoulders and made their way through the walkway of the plane. As soon as they got off however, both girls stopped in their tracks.

�Oh my loooord�� Georgina said under her breath. Mattie brought a hand to her mouth. In front of them lay a sea of teenage girls, every one of them undoubtedly waiting for a certain five lads to come out of the walkway. The air was thick with excited, high-pitched voices. �Have you ever seen so many teenage girls in one place?� Mattie, unable to speak, merely shook her head.

�Excuse me girls?� Mattie and Georgina turned their heads to see a smiling woman that they recognized as part of the crew. She stuck out her hand. �My name is Meredith Andrews, Anto�s assistant tour manager. I�ve instructions to take you to a car that well get you to the hotel. Your bags will be taken care of and brought to your room.�

�Alright,� Georgina said dazedly as she and Mattie followed Meredith to the exit. Suddenly, a deafening, high-pitched roar went up from the crowd, and the legion of fans surged forward around the gate.

Mattie widened her eyes. �I guess we know they�ve got off the plane.�

Meredith laughed and called over her shoulder., �Just wait until we reach the hotel.�

Outside, a small car was waiting and all three girls got inside. The trip to the hotel was a short one, and when they got to the entrance, Georgina and Mattie found themselves speechless. Camped out outside the entrance were hundreds more girls, and this crowd was nothing compared to the one that had been waiting at the airport. Most were sitting on the concrete with blankets and sleeping bags, and some had even brought air mattresses. A good deal of the crowd were dead asleep and no one seemed to notice Mattie and Georgina getting out of the car and entering the building. They, along with Meredith, headed for the front desk and were handed their keys.

�Well, girls, are you all set?� Meredith said brightly. They nodded. �Alright then, you two can go up to your room and get settled. I�ll have to wait down here for Anto and the lads to get here. Why don�t you try to get some rest?� She immediately trotted off with cell phone in hand, no doubt to call Anto and tell him that they had got here safely and to warn him about the crowd they would have to meet.

Georgina shook her head. �Can you even believe? Five in the morning and these girls are already here, and have probably been here for days.�

Mattie nodded. �Not even N�Sync could drag me out of my bed to sleep on cold hard cement.�

Georgina laughed. �Well, let�s get upstairs now, it�ll be a while more until the lads get here, and I don�t want to be here when they do and risk getting lost in the mob.� With that, the two girls made it to the elevator and found their rooms. Goergina unlocked the door and they stepped inside.

�Wow!� Mattie remarked, surveying the two large queen beds, tv set, plush carpeting, and fully stocked snack shelf. �Maybe I should become a pop star.�

�Yeah, this is something I could definitely get accustomed to,� Georgina called from inside the giant bathroom.

Mattie walked over to the nightstand. �Hey, Georgina, here are our backstage and VIP passes for the tour!�

�Really?� Georgina came out of the bathroom to come over and look. Mattie handed Georgina her passes and put her own into her shoulderbag. Georgina yawned and put a hand over her mouth.

�I think I�m going to try and get some sleep. You tired?�

Mattie shook her head. �I slept the whole plane ride here, I don�t think I�ll be feeling sleepy for hours.�

Georgina nodded and flopped down on one of the beds. �What do you want to do today before the concert tonight?� she asked with her eyes closed. �They�ll be stuck in press conferences and interview and such all day, so we�ll be on our own.�

Mattie shrugged. �I guess we can just go around, see the sights.�

�Alright,� Georgina said yawning again. �Maybe we can go on a guided tour or something of the sort. We�ve only got one day here before we�re off to the States so we might as well make the most of it.� With that she rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow.

Mattie smiled and looked around the room. There was a glass door that led to a balcony outside. She opened it and stepped out. From there, she could see the hundreds of girls milling about the front of the hotel. Then she noticed a van pulling up to the entrance. It stopped, and a blond head poked out. Without warning, a piercing shriek sounded, and suddenly, it was pandemonium. Within seconds, every single girl had surrounded the van, or was trying to, anyway. Amid the sea of adolescent girls, she could make out five familiar heads, three blond and two brown ones, as they slowly made their way inside the building.

Mattie shook her head in disbelief. It really was kind of a shock to see how big Westlife had really gotten. After all, she had been there in the beginning, when Westlife were IOU and they were struggling to fill up bars at their gigs. To see them go from that to this madness in less than two years was a bit hard to digest. She would have been used to crowds like this in Ireland and the rest of the UK, but here the lads were in a country thousands of miles from their home ground, this was their first visit here, and the fans were as fanatically devoted, if not more, than they were at home. Mattie took one last look at the mayhem below before going back inside the room. She took the remote and clicked on the television, being sure to keep the volume low because of Georgina. Then Mattie realized that everything was wither in Arabic or Hebrew. She was about to click it off again but a show caught her eye. It seemed like some kind of Israeli soap opera.

�Ah�� Mattie said contentedly, leaning back with a smile. �Soaps are the same in every language.�

Mattie had been watching for a while before she heard a knock at the door. �Come in,� she called softly. The door opened and Kian poked his head in.

�Everyone decent?�

�Actually, we�re both prancing around the room in our underwear, that�s why I said you could come in.�

Kian grinned at her. �What cheek! Oh, you saucy little thing, you.�

�Did I hear someone say something about prancing around in their underwear?� came Bryan�s voice behind him.

�Quit being a perv!� Mark admonished.

Mattie laughed. �Well are you all going to come in or what?�

The door opened wider and the lads filed into the room. Mattie held a finger to her lips and pointed at Georgina on the bed. They tiptoed quietly around, spreading themselves out on the floor, on the chairs, and on Mattie�s bed. Nicky crawled into bed beside Georgina and promptly fell asleep beside her. Shane, who was sitting on Mattie�s bed, clutched at his heart. �How precious is this?� he said gesturing to the two on the bed. �Where�s a camera when you need one?�

�We came to see how you were and hang out until the press conference starts,� Kian explained. �We�re gonna have to leave in about ten minutes.�

�Oh,� Mattie nodded. �I saw you guys arrive,� she commented. �You�d think you lads were famous or something.�

�Mattie, what the hell are you watching?� said Bryan who was parked in front of the television. �I can�t understand a word these people are saying.�

�Oh, this is some kind of soap opera, quite an interesting one, in fact. See, Yasir, that�s the guy in the blue, has just found out that his fiancee is sleeping with his dad and now she�s going to be having his baby, which means Yasir�s fiancee is going to be having his baby brother, and this is all kind of a shock to him cause he�s just escaped after being kidnapped and held hostage by Lebonese Hezbollah guerrillas from the South Lebanon Army militia.� Mattie stopped to take a breath and noticed all four guys staring at her. �What?�

�Ooookay,� Mark said with a grin. �I�m not even going to ask how you know that.�

Mattie shrugged. �Well, it�s not too hard to figure once you get used to it. You should have been here a couple of minutes ago when Shimon and Mara were running away to Egypt to elope because their parents, who are these archrival big shots in the underworld Israeli mafia, hate each other and forbade them both to get married, but they go and do it anyway, except Mara�s foot gets stuck in this train track and Shimon is trying to help her, and he manages to get her free, but then the train comes and runs over him instead, and he dies in Mara�s arms. It was the most romantic thing I ever saw. A bit messy, perhaps, but still very romantic.�

�Mattie, you have definitely been watching too much tv,� Kian said, giving her a funny look.

�Well there�s not much else to do, and besides, this is interesting stuff.�

Shane shook his head and glanced at his watch. �Well, we better get going lads.� He slid off the bed and went to Mattie and kissed her on the cheek. �You and Georgina have fun, and don�t stay in the hotel room all day watching soap programs, either.�

Each of the boys, including Nicky, whom Bryan had woken up, went up and gave her a kiss before leaving.

�L�hit rah ote!� Mattie said brightly as they headed out the door.

All five boys turned back to her. �Huh?� Mark said, confused.

�That�s how you say, �see you later� in Hebrew,� Mattie explained.

�How on earth did you know that?�

Mattie gestured to the tv. �Oh,� Bryan said. �Well then, �l�hit rah ot� at the concert tonight then.�

�B�se der!� she responded.

�What does that mean?�

�It means �okay�.

The lads shook their heads and headed back out the door. �Before you know it, she�s going to be cursing at us in Hebrew,� Shane remarked as they went to the elevator.

�Wait, I can�t leave yet, I can�t find my passes!� Georgina said, going through her bag frantically.

�Oh, I�ve got them here,� Mattie answered, waving them above her head. �Come on now, the front desk�s called and the cab�s ready downstairs.�

�Alright, let�s go then!� Georgina took the passes that Mattie handed out to her and the girls both rushed out the door. An anxious elevator ride later and they were down in the lobby running out to catch the cab.

�Tel Aviv Sports Palace,� Georgina said to the taxi driver. The cab pulled out of the hotel and after a short ride pulled up outside the arena where Westlife were going to be performing that night. Georgina exited the taxy first, but when Mattie got out, she stopped short and gasped. There, in front of the arena was a mass of fans, all still waiting to get inside the venue.

�Jesus�� she said under her breath.

�I know,� Georgina remarked. �Now we know what 3500 fans look like.� She and Mattie made their way to the back entrance and showed their passes to the security guard, who let them in. Immediately, the girls were overwhelmed with the pandemonium that was going on backstage. There were hundreds of people rushing around, calling out orders, speaking into their walkie-talkies, trying to get things done at the last minute.

�Well, what should we do now?� Mattie asked uncertainly.

Georgina shrugged. �I suppose we�ll find them eventually,� she answered. �Come on.� With that, she started to walk around and Mattie followed.

�Oh, there�s Kian! Kian!� Mattie said, waving. He looked up and saw her waving at him and started to make his way over to them.

�We wondered when you two were getting here!� he said giving them both a hug and a kiss. �Well, here we are!� Georgina said. �Where are the other lads?�

�I think they�re all still in dressing,� he said. �Come on, I�ll show you around.�

Georgina and Mattie followed Kian around as he pointed out various things backstage and introduced them to people. Finally, he stopped ouside a door that had a large sign that read �Westlife� hanging on it. He opened it.

�Look who I found!� Kian said, coming in.

There was a general commotion all around as the lads greeted the girls heartily.

�Hey Mattie!� Mark said, coming over to give her a hug. Mattie hugged him back and stepped away to inspect him.

�What on earth is this?� she questioned laughing, as she touched the sequins that had been sewn onto his black jacket.

Mark laughed too. �It�s pretty swish, isn�t it?� he said. �Naw, I guess they just put this sparkly stuff on so that it�ll look good on stage.�

�Yeah right!� Mattie responded cheekily. �I bet you like this stuff.� She turned him around so she could take a look at the entire outfit. �This looks like something Caitlin would wear,� she remarked.

�Gee thanks,� Mark answered grinning.

�Feehily! Jou get jour nasty rank hair back over here so I can make it look decent or I�ll jus� let jou go onstage looking like jou been run over twice!�

Mattie turned her head. �What was that?�

Mark grinned again. �That was David, our hairstylist. He�s loads of fun, come over, I�ll introduce you.� Mattie follwed Mark uncertainly as he went back to his chair.

�David, I want you to meet Mattie, she�s a really good friend of mine.� Mattie stuck out her hand and David took it and kissed it cordially. Mattie gave Mark an amused smile. This person looked like one of those typical male hairstylists that you�d see on television. Tight fitting black clothes, a fashionably and meticulously shaved goatee, the whole bit.

�Well how jou do, pretty girl?� he said exhuberantly in a heavy accent. �Lovely to meet you � Marie! Where are jou with that mousse, girl! I swear, I�ll have jou fired and jou�ll never work in the music industry again! In all my years in this business I have never met anyone so incompetent. Jou, Feehily, what are jou laughing at! I�ll skin jou alive, jou ungrateful leetle wretch! I work and toil for jou to look decent every day, and nobody appreciates my suffering. I might as well go back to Romania where they do appreciate me! Jou know, Feehily, with hair like that, jou have no business laughing at anybody.�

In an instant, a girl which Mattie presumed to be Marie appeared instantly at David�s side, holding a can of hair mousse. With a deprecating air, David snatched the bottle from the girl�s hands and promptly squirted a healthy amount of it into his hands. He threw the bottle over his shoulder and Marie scrambled to get it. Rubbing mousse together in his hands, he immediately slathered it all over Mark�s head, shaping it and styling it to his satisfaction. When he was done, he turned the chair around so that Mark was facing Mattie.

�What jou think, girl?� he said, folding his arms across his chest.

�Um, it looks � it looks�� she said, searching desperately for an appropriate compliment for David�s handiwork. �It looks like art,� she said finally.

Suddenly, David clutched at his chest and closed his eyes. Mattie cringed, fearing she�d said the wrong thing. Then, he opened his eyes and gathered Mattie in a crushing hug.

�She thinks my work is art,� he said emotionally. He pulled away from her and wiped his eye. �Finally, someone who appreciates my work for the masterpieces that they are. What was jour name? Buddy? Oh, Mattie, was it? So sorry, do not know why I thought it was Buddy. Jou, girl, are a jewel. Jou don�t lose this one, jou hear me Feehily?� David said to Mark, who was too busy laughing to answer. �Look at him,� David said to Mattie disgustedly. �I could wring his ungrateful leetle neck.� He turned around and clapped his hands. �Next! Who�s next! McFadden! Get in the chair, and don�t give me any attitude about it this time!�

�He�s a riot, isn�t he?� Shane said to Mattie and Georgina as they watched him fuss over Bryan�s hair. �David�s one of the best hairstylists in the business, and intimidating as hell at first, but no one who knows him bothers to take his rantings seriously. In fact, I doubt he takes himself seriously.�

Georgina laughed. �He seems like loads of fun,� she said. �And he seemed to like you, Mattie.�

�Yeah, way to kiss butt, Mat,� Nicky said grinning. �Now David�ll love you forever.� Just then, a high-pitched roar was heard from outside.

�What was that?� Georgina asked curiously.

�That was the fans,� Mark said. He looked at his watch. �Our first support band has just gone on.�

�Alright! Was that the last one? Yes?� David said, clapping his hands again. �Then jou all get out of the room, get on out of here, and let me rest! Shoo!� Immediately, everyone filed out of the room and were left standing backstage.

�Well now what?� Georgina asked.

Nicky shrugged. �Now we wait. Our support band�s set is about to end and then�it�s showtime!�

�Well, break a leg then, lads,� Mattie said, and there were hugs all around for good luck. �We�ll be watching from the VIP booth.�

�Wait, you�ve got to wait and see us pray, Mattie!� Bryan interrupted. �We do this before every concert, so we�re not complete pagans like you think we are.�

�Alright then, Georgina and I will watch you pray and then we�ll go to the VIP booth.�

�Yes! Okay, Mattie, we�ll make you proud.� Bryan and the other four gathered in a circle. Each of them made the sign of the cross, as did Mattie and Georgina. In unison, the lads began to recite the Hail Mary solemnly, peeking over at Mattie every so often to see if she noticed their impeccable praying.

When it was over, Bryan poked his head up from the circle. �How was that, Mattie?�

She smiled. �Absolutely beautiful.�

Just then, Anto came up. �Alright lads, you all set?� They nodded. �Then let�s go! We�re running a bit late. Up on the stage lads, good luck.� He turned to Mattie and Georgina. �Here girls, here�s Meredith, she�s going to take you to the VIP booth.

Meredith smiled brightly. �Alright girls, follow me!� She turned and walked quickly over to a side exit which led into the VIP booth, which was set almost directly in front of the stage. Also in the booth were an assortment of people from the tour crew. �Here we are, you two. The show will be starting in a few minutes, just sit tight and wait for your lads to appear.�

�Thank you,� they chorused in unison.

Georgina turned to Mattie with an excited expression. �Oh, I still get giddy when I come see them perform, don�t you?� she shouted over the noise.

Mattie smiled. �Actually, I�ve only seen them perform once as Westlife, and once as IOU. This will only be my second Westlife concert.�

�Are you serious? No wonder you were floored by the crowds.� Just then, the lights in the venue started to dim, and the screams from the crowd got even louder. Mattie turned her face towards the stage excitedly. The one time that she had seen Westlife perform was early in their career, when there had only been a few hundred people in the audience, and definitely not as big a fuss. She couldn�t wait to see how far they had gotten since then.

The lights continued to dim until the entire auditorium was dark. Mattie couldn�t even see her hand in front of her face. The screams from the crowd turned into a low murmur of anticipation. It seemed like they had been waiting forever when a clear voice broke out over the arena.

�Everybody�s looking for that something�� At that, every person in the crowd below started to shriek as the first strains of �Flying Without Wings� wafted into the air. Mattie caught her breath. This song had always been her favorite and she closed her eyes so she could feel the full effect of the song.

Then Mark started to sing. �Some find it sharing every morning�� Mattie�s eyes flew open to see Mark looking back at her, smiling as he sang.

�Some in their solitary lives
You�ll find it in the words of others
A simple line can make you laugh or cry
You�ll find it in the deepest friendships
The kind you cherish all your life.
And when you know how much that means
You�ve found that special thing
You�re flying without wings.�

Mattie�s eyes filled unexpectedly with tears, and she felt like she was about to burst with pride. Seeing him up there, singing so wonderfully, and bringing so much joy to so many people, it made her so feel special just to know him. She had always known that this was his destiny.

Up on the stage, Mark was also fixated on one person. He could see the joy and pride radiating from Mattie�s face, and it felt wonderful that he could make her feel so proud of him. Though it was a song that he had sung a thousand times before, it felt different, because this time, she was there. She was there listening to him and supporting him, and he was determined to do his best for her. Watching her sitting in the booth, her eyes lifted up to the stage and fixed on the five of them, made him recall the first time she had seen him perform in front of a crowd like this. It had seemed so long ago, but the memories came rushing back�

�Augh! Can you believe we�ve got first row at a Backstreet Boys concert!� Caitlin shrieked excitedly.

Mattie laughed. �Calm down Cait, you�re going to end up fainting and the security will have to carry you out and you�ll miss the entire show.�

�Can I help it if I�m excited?� Caitlin responded emphatically. �I don�t know how you can just stand here so nonchalantly when in a few minutes, the Backstreet Boys are going to be like, five feet away from us. Do you know what that means?! It means I�ll be able to lick Brian Littrell�s hand if he happens to stick it out, that�s what it means. Oh wait, I forgot, you�re an N�Sync girl.�

�All the way, baby,� Mattie said, grinning. Then her smile faded and an anxious expression settled on her face. �Actually I�m kind of worried about Mark.�

�How come? I�m sure he�ll be fine Mattie, after all, he�s performed in public a couple of times. �Yes, but look behind you Caitlin. In case you haven�t yet noticed, there are about 8000 more girls back there. I think the biggest crowd IOU has ever played to was in the gymnatorium at St. Mary�s.�

�It�ll be fine,� Caitlin said soothingly. �The lads have prepared for this, they know how many people they�ll be playing to. They�ll go on, play a fabulous fifteen minute set, and then it will all be over. Nothing to worry about!�

�I hope you�re right,� Mattie said. But deep inside, she was still worried. She had rung Mark earlier that morning before she and Caitlin had left for Dublin, and although he had tried to sound confident and sure of himself on the phone, there was a certain undertone in his speech that she had recognized. He was a nervous wreck, and most likely scared out of his mind. Before hanging up, Mattie had tried to bolster his confidence as much as possible, but there wasn�t much she could do over the phone. Now she could just wait and pray that everything would turn out alright. She was on the verge of resorting to biting her fingernails when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, surprised to see a security guard there.

�Are you Mattie O�Shaunessy?� he inquired.

�Yes�is there a problem?� Mattie answered, confused.

�Actually, you�re needed backstage. I have special orders to find you and bring you back with me.� He handed her a thin card with a plastic covering. �This is your backstage pass for tonight. Will you come with me please?�

Mattie looked over her shoulder at Caitlin, who was standing there with her eyes wide. �Go on,� Caitlin said to her concernedly. �I�ll be here.�

�Okay,� Mattie answered, still confused. With that, she followed the security guard to the backstage entrance, where Louis Walsh was standing by the doorway. She had met Louis when he had come to see IOU perform at a show in Sligo, and since then, in getting to know the lads, he had come to know her, and he knew how closely she was connected to all of the lads, especially Mark. It was that closeness that he was counting on to remedy the situation that was going on backstage.

�Mattie, it�s good to see you dear,� he said in a troubled tone.

�Mr. Walsh, what is it? What�s going on?� Mattie answered, alarmed by his distressed expression.

�Well, we�ve got a bit of a situation here,� he began. He motioned for her to follow him as he began to walk briskly to a hallway.

�Is something wrong?� she said, starting to get scared. Had something happened to one of the lads? Had something happened to Mark?

�Actually, yes, there is something wrong,� Louis admitted. Seeing her frightened expression, he hurried to reassure her. �Oh, no one�s been hurt or anything of that sort. It�s�well, it�s Mark actually.�

�What�s wrong with him?� she asked.

�He seems to have contracted a very severe case of stage fright. It�s not the most professional thing, with the band scheduled to go on in ten minutes, but he�s in a state, I can tell you. He�s insisting that the rest of the lads go on without him, and no one can convince him to change his mind.� Louis shook his head. Mattie knew that he was too worried about Mark to be angry. In many ways, he was like a father to the boys, and seeing Mark in such a condition must upset him greatly. �We were hoping that, since you and Mark have such a close relationship, we were hoping that you might be able to�get him to perform tonight, somehow. We haven�t got much time, and Mark has so many of the lead parts��

Mattie nodded. �I�ll try to talk to him�I can�t make any guarantees, and I won�t force him to do something that he doesn�t want to do�but I can talk to him.�

Louis nodded, greatly relieved. �Thank you love, I hope you�ll be able to get through. If anyone can, it�s you.� With that, they came to a stop outside a dressing room and Louis opened the door. Mattie�s eyes immediately scanned the room for Mark. He was there, sitting on a couch with his head in his hands. The five other lads were surrounding him, all talking in encouraging voices, trying to get him to go onstage. They looked up when Mattie and Louis came into the room, but Mark kept his head down. Louis indicated with his head for them to leave the room and they all got up and filed out, each giving Mattie a stressed but encouraging smile as they passed. Shane was last, and as he passed her, he squeezed her hand and whispered a good luck. Mattie nodded at him, then the door was closed and only she and Mark were left in the room.

He kept his head down and didn�t acknowledge her presence. In fact, she wasn�t sure if he knew she was in the room. Seeing him sitting there, in such a despairing position, her heart felt like it was about to break. Instinctively, Mattie could almost feel how scared and apprehensive he must be feeling. Quietly, she crossed the room to where he was sitting. When he didn�t lift his head, Mattie knelt down in front of him. Slowly, she took his hands away from his face and brought them down, keeping them in her gentle grasp.

�Mark,� she whispered softly.

At the sound of her voice, Mark raised his head to look at her face. He thought he would see disappointment, or even disgust in her eyes, but when he looked at her, when he saw all the understanding and compassion in her eyes, he wondered how he could have ever thought she would feel that way about him.

�Mattie�� His voice was barely above a whisper. �I can�t � I can�t do it,� Mark said hoarsely, trying his hardest not to let his voice break.

�You can�t do what?� Mattie voice was soft and low. She reached up to stroke his hair comfortingly and Mark closed his eyes at the gentle touch.

�I can�t go out there, Mattie. It�s � I just can�t. I thought I could, I really did,� Mark said desperately. �But when I saw the crowd, I saw how many there were-� he paused and took a breath. �Just tell the lads to go on without me, Mattie. I won�t be any good to them anyway. I wasn�t cut out for this. I�ll just go back home, and they�ll make it without me. I wasn�t meant for this.�

�I don�t believe that Mark, and I don�t think you do either,� Mattie answered, her voice gaining a slightly forceful undertone. �You were meant for this, don�t tell me that you weren�t. Mark, isn�t this what you�ve always wanted? Don�t you want to go out there and do this?�

Mark put his head down again. �Maybe I did, once. But now I know this isn�t the place for me. I can do other things, I don�t have to sing.�

�No, don�t give me that,� Mattie said, tilting his face back up with her finger. �Are you trying to tell me that you could be happy doing anything else but singing? Don�t make me mad, Mark. Really. Don�t sit there and try to lie to me and say that this wasn�t your dream, that you haven�t wanted this all your life. This is me, remember? Mark, I know you. I know that singing is what makes you happy. I know that this is what you�ve hoped for all your life. What I don�t know is if I can sit by and watch you hand over your dream because you THINK that you can�t cut it. � Mattie took her hands from his and placed them on either side of his face. �Mark! You�ve got a chance here, a chance that some people would give up their lives for. Don�t let your fears hold you back, or you�ll regret it all your life, I can promise you that. Mark, you belong out there on that stage, I know you do. It�s something that can�t be denied, even if you can�t see it yourself.� Mattie stopped. She had said all she could say, and now all she could do was wait. She didn�t know what his decision would be, but she did know that whatever he decided, she would support him. Mattie only hoped that he would make the right one.

Mark stared back at her. She was right, he realized. This was his dream, and he wasn�t sure if he was ready to let it go. Suddenly, he leaned forward and gathered Mattie in a crushing hug. �I don�t deserve you,� he said, his voice muffled against her hair. Mattie put her arms around his neck and hugged him back tightly.

�Does this mean-�

�I�ll do it.� Mattie closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she let him go, and Mark stood up. He reached down to her, still kneeling on the floor, and helped her up also.

�You ready?� she asked him.

Mark took a deep breath. �Ready.� The two of them went to the door, opened it and stepped out. Louis, Shane, Kian, Derek, Michael, and Graham were standing out in the hallway, anxious expressions on their faces.

�Well lads, what are you waiting for! We�ve got a show to do!� he said grinning. They all stared at Mark in shock for a moment before collecting their senses. Suddenly, there was a commotion as all of the lads exploded at Mark good-naturedly.

�What the hell is wrong with you man, don�t you ever scare us like that again!� Derek said, clapping Mark on the back.

Louis only shook his head and smiled. �These kids are going to be the death of me,� he remarked. He turned to Mattie. �And you darling, you are an absolute treasure. I don�t know what you said to him in there, but at this point, it�s three minutes to showtime, so I don�t really care.� Louis laughed and hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The rest of the lads did the same.

�We�d hoist you up on our shoulders and sing �For She�s A Jolly Good Fellow, but there isn�t time,� Kian explained.

Mattie laughed. �Thanks for the thought, but I think I�ll live.�

�Alright then lads, get your arses to the stage, on the double.� All six boys turned and headed towards the stage but Mark turned back.

�Could Mattie stay at the side of the stage, just for our set? It�d be nice if she were close by.�

�Are you kidding?� Louis replied. �If she asked me to cut off my right arm this very minute, I�d do it for her, and gladly.�

Mattie laughed. �That�s a lovely thought . I�ll be sure to keep that in mind for the future.� Together, she Louis, and Mark ran up the steps that led to the stage. The other lads were already gathered there, waiting for Mark. When he finally arrived, the stage manager shooed them out onto the platform. When they ran out, there was a roar from the crowd, and the lads introduced themselves as IOU from Sligo. Then they took their positions on the stage and waited for the music to start.

Mattie stood at the side with Louis, clasping her hands together nervously. Suddenly, the opening strains for �Together Girl, Forever� filled the arena. Mark looked over at Mattie, and she smiled at him proudly. Mark smiled back at her, and all at once, any traces of nervousness and anxiety that had remained were suddenly gone. He opened his mouth and began to sing.

�Dreams are for believing, and someday they will come true��

�What did you think Mattie?� Mark asked anxiously, coming over to her. �Did you like it?�

�Like it?� Mattie said. �Mark, it was fantastic, unbelievable, I�m absolutely speechless!� A grin lighted Mark�s face as Matie threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. It had been a long time since she had seen Westlife perform in person, and he had hoped that he had met her expectations. As Mark hugged her back, he could feel how proud she was of them, of him, and that was one of the things that mattered most in the world to Mark.

When Mattie finally stepped back, Georgina turned to her. �You ready to go back to the hotel?� Mattie nodded. �Alright then, well, we�ll see you soon lads.� She gave Nicky one last kiss and the five lads said goodbye to the girls as they headed for the exit.

Mattie took her foot out of the water and slipped it back into her sandal, looking around the lake as she did so. It was really a lovely lake, surrounded by assorted species of ferns and other green plants. Encircling the lake wer ereal torches with fire burning in them. The moonlight shined down upon the water and made it reflect like some kind of fairy mirror. Suddenly, she got the feeling Mattie was being watched, and she turned her head. Mark was standing there, with his hands in his pockets in a charasteristic stance, looking at her with a fond expression. She smiled at him.

�How long have you been standing there?�

He smiled too and walked over to her. �Just for a minute. Georgina told me you were down here.� Mark took a hand out of his pocket and reached for Mattie�s, and they began to walk around the pool together. They walked around in silence for a moment, neither caring to talk just then. Then, Mattie spoke.

�You know, this lake reminds me a bit of the one at home. Minus the torches.�

Mark looked around. �It does, doesn�t it?� he responded. �We�ve had some good times at that lake,� Mark said grinning.

Mattie smiled up at him. �Like the time you and Rowen went fishing there, only you didn�t have a clue how to go about it, and you lost your rods in the trees?� Mark laughed. �Yeah�and all the campfires that we used to have with the old gang, and the overnights when you and I would take Barry and Colin with us and then we�d end up having to stay up with them when they couldn�t get to sleep cause we told them too many scary stories?�

Mattie nodded, laughing. �Those poor lads. We really put them through a lot, didn�t we? I never did think it was fair that you had two brothers to torture and I just had a fish. But then, you didn�t mind sharing them with me.�

�They didn�t mind being shared. Barry and Colin both adore you to bits�and it�s easy to see why.�

Mattie blushed and looked away. As they passed under a starflower tree, Mark reached up and plucked a perfect small blossom from one of the boughs. With a finger, he gently turned Mattie�s face to his and tucked the flower carefully behind her ear, taking care to brush away a lock of darkly golden hair first. Mattie felt her face grow warm from his touch.

�You know what I was thinking of tonight, when I was on stage?� Mark asked softly as smoothed her hair with a gentle hand.

Mattie found herself unable to speak, so she just shook her head.

�I was thinking about that night when we opened for the Backstreet Boys. Do you remember that? At the Point?� Mark stopped, contemplating. �I was ready to give it all up that night,� he continued. �I almost let my fear and my cowardice hold me back from following my dream.� Mark took his gaze away from Mattie and turned his eyes skyward, to look at the moon.

�No, Mark, you were never a coward,� Mattie said to him. �Never. You were scared, it was normal.�

�Being scared may be normal, but being scared up to the point where you�re on the verge of giving up everything you�ve hoped for and worked for�I almost lost it all.� Mark looked back down at Mattie and touched her face tenderly. �And I was thinking tonight�that if Louis hadn�t sent for you that night, if you hadn�t come to me, if you hadn�t said what you said to me�I wouldn�t be here now.� He looked into her eyes and squeezed her hand gently. �Mattie�I owe you everything. And I hope and pray everyday that I make you proud. Everytime I get up to sing, everytime we�re on the television, I�m thinking of you, wondering if you�re watching, wondering if you�re proud of me, and of what I�m doing.� He stopped and looked away, unsure of what else to say.

By now, tears were slipping slowly down Mattie�s cheeks. She reached up and turned his face towards her again. �Mark,� she choked out. �I am proud of you, every day. You will never have to wonder about that. I promise you.� She reached up and wound her arms around his neck, drawing him close to her. The two of them stood there, in a precious embrace, not knowing that nine floors above them, five people stood watching anxiously, with one person listening anxiously.

�Will you get your elbow out of my side?!� Kian exclaimed, giving Shane a shove.

�I can�t help it! I can hardly see them. Are they kissing yet?�

�No, they�re just hugging,� Georgina reported.

�They�re hugging, Caitlin,� Bryan said into his cell phone.

�Hugging?! That�s it? What else is going on?� Caitlin replied impatiently.

�Ow! Shane, will you quit it?! I think I�m going to get a bruise there. Why are you all on my balcony anyway?� Kian said, exasperated

�Because yours is the only one where we can see the lake, now shut up Egan!� Nicky said.

�Well you don�t have to be rude about it!�

�Hey, where the hell are they going?� Nicky said suddenly.

�Hold on, hold on, they�re not hugging anymore!� Georgina exclaimed in dismay.

�They have stopped hugging,� Bryan said into the phone.

�Well then, now what are they doing?� Caitlin asked.

�They�re going back inside!� Shane said. �I don�t believe this! We�ve been out here for ages, and all we get is a hug?�

�It�s still progress,� Nicky remarked.

�Progress, my arse!� Shane answered. �I wanted to see some action!�

�Yeah, this sucks!� said Kian in a dejected tone. �I thought we were getting somewhere.�

Georgina sighed, then turned back to the other guys with a bright smile. �Well lads, tomorrow is another day.�

Chapter 15

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