With Every Breath - Chapter One

The alert on Kayd's cell went off for the second time in five minutes. She sighed and casually reached down to quiet the beeping. She was in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend without it being problematic. The beeping in her purse wasn't making it any easier. "Andrew, will you excuse me for just a moment?" She asked just as her alert beeped again. She hadn't had chance to even begin the break up speech. At this rate, she never would.

Kayd rounded the corner to the ladies room and flipped open her cell phone. The screen informed her that had three new messages.

Tom: Kayd! I need help. Msg me back asap!

Tom: Hurry up! I'm on a time limit!

Tom: CALL ME!

Kayd sighed and scrolled through her contacts looking for Tom's name. It barely rang once before he answered it. "Where are you?" He asked.

"Tom, I'm trying to break up with Andrew right now. This had better be important. What do you want?"

"I need help."

"I'll say." Kayd sighed and leaned against the wall.

"I'm at the flower shop. I need to know what kind of flowers I should get for Ashleigh." Tom said quickly.

"Ashleigh?"

"Yeah, the girl I met that night at Club Pulse."

"The ginger?" Kayd asked, looking confused.

Tom sighed, "Yes, the red head. Come on, Kayd. I've got like four minutes here."

"Until what?" Kayd asked with a smile, knowing this was killing him.

"Come on! Seriously!" Tom whined.

"Fine! What are you getting them for?"

"For Ashleigh!" He was getting antsy.

"No shit, but for what though? Birthday? I'm sorry? I wanna fuck you? Get well soon? What's the occasion?" She pulled her curly, dark brown hair off her neck and sighed.

"It's an I'm sorry."

"What'd you do this time?"

"Kaydie!" He whined. "We can discuss this later. I seriously have like two minutes here."

"Knowing what you did will help me decide which flowers you should get. And make it quick. I've got a heart to break here." She didn't really need to know the details. It was just morbid curiosity.

"She kind of walked in on me with another girl."

"Tom! You whore!"

"No! Kayd! We weren't having sex!" He made a face. "We were just kissing, you pervert! Anyway, Ashleigh seems to think I was cheating on her. Girls are silly like that."

"Tom, kissing is cheating." Kayd scolded lightly.

"So says you - a girl." He smirked into the phone.

"Hmm. Well, forget about getting her roses. We'll save those for when you really need them."

"Hey now!" Tom said defensively.

Kayd ignored him and continued, "You should get something delicate. Something like tulips?"

"Tulips. Okay. What color?"

"I dunno." Kayd shrugged and glanced around the corner at Andrew sitting alone at the table. "What colors do they have?"

"Excuse me, sir. What color tulips do you have?" Tom asked the florist.

"Let's see," He answered. "Red, purple and yellow."

"Okay, Tomi. Get a bunch of purple ones with some yellow ones thrown in there to break it up."

"Yeah?" Tom asked hesitantly.

"Tom, if you're going to interrupt me while I'm breaking up with my boyfriend and then doubt my advice, I just don't think I can be your friend anymore."

"Whatever." Tom laughed. "Thanks, Kayd. I owe you one."

"That's what I'm here for." She smiled and shook her head. She flipped her phone closed and tucked it back into her purse. She took a deep breath before going back to the table to break it off with Andrew.

Two hours later, Kayd was back at her apartment and was, once again, single. She was sitting on her couch with a bowl of icecream watching a movie. The text alert on her phone went off causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She flipped it open and read the message.

Tom: Thanks! You saved my ass again. Busy?

Kayd smiled to herself and quickly typed in her own message to send to Tom.

Kayd: I'm at home.

She hit send and waited. It wasn't even a full minute later when her phone rang. She laughed and picked it up, "You're so my bitch, Tom." She answered.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." He nodded and leaned back on the headboard of his bed. "Actually I'm calling to ask you a favor."

"Damn, Tom. I can't even get a 'Hallo! How are you'?"

"Hallo! How are you?" He asked quickly.

"I'm doing quite well. Thank you so much for asking. How are you?"

"Fantastic." He laughed, "So, that favor?"

She laughed and put another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "What is it? You know I can't turn you down."

"Actually it's not for me."

"Who's it for?"

"A friend."

"Okay." Kayd sighed and smiled. "Continue."

"Bill needs a date for the Comet awards next week."

"Nu uh. Be serious." Kayd rolled her eyes and laughed. She put another spoonful of ice cream on her tongue. "What's the favor?"

"I told you. Bill needs a date for the Comet awards." Tom repeated with a smile.

"You're funny, Tom." Kayd laughed and leaned back in her chair. "First, why are you going to the Comet awards? Second, where's his girlfriend? Third, he quite possibly could choose from, literally, thousands of girls so why me? And finally, I don't do blind dates. You know that. Not after the James incident."

Tom laughed and said, "First, because we're nominated for a few awards. Second, they broke up so she may actually be dating Andrew now."

"Ouch." Kayd winced and laughed.

"Third, yes, however he'd rather not take a screaming, crying fangirl whose main objective is to steal his underwear to wear on her head."

"People do that?" Kayd asked. "That's disturbing."

"Some fans are scary-crazy." Tom chuckled. "And finally, James was not my fault. I had no idea he was a 'male escort' or whatever he called himself. Plus, you know Bill so it wouldn't technically be a blind date!"

"No matter how nicely you dress up the words 'male escort' it still means prostitute."

"How was I supposed to know?" He laughed.

"You should screen them better than that."

"I've screened Bill pretty well. We go way back." Tom smiled and cradled the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he flipped through a magazine. "He has a job. He has a car. I'm almost positive he's not a 'male escort.' And he has amazingly handsome good looks."

"That doesn't sound narcissistic at all!" Kayd said playfully.

"What?" Tom asked innocently.

"Saying your identical twin brother has amazingly handsome good looks isn't complimenting him. You're just stroking your own ego there!"

"You said 'stroke.' Anyway, you owe me." He said quickly.

"I owe you? How do I owe you?" She laughed as she stood to rinse her bowl. "Explain that one to me, Tom."

"When we were at that party for your parents? Something like two years ago? I saved you from being cornered by your grandmother when she was talking about wanting great-grand-kids." He said triumphantly.

"That doesn't count! I've paid you back for that one a long, long time ago." Kayd shook her head. "And that was three years ago at my parents' 25th anniversary."

"How can you not want to go to the Comet awards? I mean come on. Think of how many autographs you can get for your Mickey Mouse autograph book."

"Shut the fuck up." Kayd shook her head and blushed. Tom had always been really close with her family. He had gone to Disney World with them when they were 10 years old. She had bought an autograph book and forced everyone to track down all the Disney characters just for an autograph.

"You get to meet Ashleigh if you go." He explained.

"That's gonna convince me. I've always wanted to meet Ashleigh." Kayd said sarcastically.

"Why don't you ever want to meet my girlfriends?" Tom changed the subject.

"I've met a few of them."

"I think you've met two."

"Well, it's hard to keep up with them. Especially considering that while I'm introducing myself to one girl, you're flirting with her sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor, best friend... anything with a vagina actually."

"I am not that bad."

"So says you." Kayd laughed as she turned the water on and rinsed her bowl. She loaded her dishes into the dishwasher and switched it on.

"I should have you screen them though. Whenever I tell you about a girl your first impression about her is almost always right."

"Huh?"

"Like when I told you about Kimberly? I told you how we met and you said she sounded like a skank. You were right. Then with Dana. You practically fell in love with her yourself and you said she was wonderful. You were right. I just need to start running my friends through the Kayd-O-Meter."

"Speaking of Dana, did you get an invitation to her wedding?" Kayd asked casually.

"She's getting married?"

"I should hope so. Her name is on the invitation. It'd be kinda awkward if she's not getting married to the guy." Kayd laughed. No matter what she and Tom talked about they had permanent smiles on their faces.

"Touche. No, we didn't keep in touch. Besides who would invite an ex-boyfriend to their wedding."

"I would."

"I bet you would." He laughed softly.

"I'm inviting you."

"You're getting married?" He laughed. "Plus, I'm not your ex-boyfriend."

"Yes you are!" She laughed as her eyebrows shot up. "We dated for three weeks in school."

"That does not count."

"Yes, it does."

"Whatever." He shrugged with a smile. "So why don't you want to go to the Comet awards?

"It's not that I don't want to go." Kayd said slowly.

"So you will go?" Tom asked hopefully.

"When is it? I'll have to get the time off work." She gave in as usual.

"Next week. It's on Sunday."

"As in, this coming Sunday? In two days?"

"No, a week from this Sunday. Mark it on your calendar."

"Okay." She sighed. "But you're buying my dress."

"What?! I have to buy Ashleigh's dress! Why do I have to buy yours?" Tom put his magazine aside and walked into the bathroom. He yawned as he reached for his toothbrush and applied the toothpaste.

"Because I'd feel awkward going in jeans. Plus, you owe me!"

"Bill should buy the dress! It's for his date." Tom ran water over his toothbrush and stuck it in his mouth.

"No. You have to."

"Whatever." He said as he began brushing.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm brushing my teeth. What does it sound like I'm doing?"

"You can't wait till we hang up to brush your teeth?" Kayd pretended to be annoyed, which wasn't hard with Tom.

"It's already 9:30. You and I be on the phone for another hour or two." She could barely understand him with his mouth full of toothpaste.

"I have to be up at 4:30 tomorrow. I'm going to bed as soon as I fold the load of towels in the dryer."

"Aww, come on, Kaydie." Tom whined. He spit into the sink and held his mouth under the faucet.

"Oh stop. How many times have you cut my rantings short because you had something to do or because you needed sleep?"

"I can't help that." Tom wiped his mouth on the clean towel by the sink and walked back out to his bedroom.

"I can't help that I have to work at dawn tomorrow."

"Fine. Whatever." He said angrily. She would have bought it if he hadn't started laughing a second later.

"Fine. Whatever." She mocked him. "Call me tomorrow with the details. I'll put the dress on your debit card?"

"Sure. Lemme give you the number." He reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

"I already have it."

"You have it?" He asked, confused. "Did you steal my identity?"

"Yes, and I've been told that Tom Kaulitz is looking even more wonderful than before. You also now own two alpaca farms in New Zealand." She rolled her eyes. "No, seriously, you gave it to me when you had me order those balloons and stuff for your mom's birthday."

"You kept it?"

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind that I've used it. I can pay you back once the alpaca farms start to gain some revenue."

"Are you serious?" He asked.

"No, weirdo. Relax." She laughed and closed the dryer as she got the last of the towels out and put it in the laundry basket with the others. "I haven't used it except when you asked me to."

"I was gonna say-" He sighed with relief.

"You were gonna say what?" Kayd asked, putting him on the spot.

"Oh, that, um, that it was fine and I hope you enjoyed everything."

"That's what I thought." She laughed and said, "Call me later with details."

"Okay." Tom nodded. "Thanks again for your help today."

"Anytime." Kayd shut off the kitchen light and walked down the hall to her room. The towels would have to wait until the morning to get folded. "Good night, Tom."

"Sweet dreams." He said softly.

"You too." She smiled and hung up as she got ready for bed.

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Kayd waited nervously at the Braunschweig Wolfsburg airport. She had never been on a private jet so she wasn't sure what to expect. The trip from her home town of Loitsche to the Comet awards in Oberhausen was only a mere four hour drive, but Tom thought it best that she fly in and not have to worry about gas mileage and wear and tear on her car. She had flung her garment bag over her shoulder and the hanger was digging into her palm. She thought about checking the bag, but there was no way she would risk losing her dress to the airplane closet in the sky. It was the night of the Comet awards and she doubted she could find a replacement in time.

She scanned across the crowd and spotted a familiar face. She sprinted toward the man and, as she neared him, she called out, "Saki!" Kayd laughed as he smiled down at her and gave her a huge hug. "Can't. Breathe." She muttered into his chest.

"Hey! Sorry about that." Saki laughed and held her at arm's length to get a good look at her. He had been on the security team for Tokio Hotel since the beginning. She had no idea he was still with them.

"I didn't know you were still working with the boys!" She laughed as he took her garment bag and they headed out to the tarmac.

"Yeah. I took a few months off for some time to myself but I'm back!" He smiled as they stepped up into the jet. "How are things with you?"

"Pretty good. I can't really complain." Kayd smiled as Saki placed her garment bag on a hook. He informed the pilot that they were ready to go. Saki then went to sit with Kayd as the pilot radioed the tower for clearance.

Kayd and Saki caught one another up on what was going on in their lives during the short flight. Once they landed at Düsseldorf International Airport, Saki led the way through the airport and to his car. Kayd placed her belongings into his backseat and they started off toward Oberhausen.

"How long are you here?" Saki asked her after a few miles.

"I have to be work the day after tomorrow. I'll be leaving here around noon, I think."

"So you just came out for the Comet awards?"

"Yeah." She laughed. "I couldn't turn down this opportunity."

"You'll have fun. They're performing tonight. I'm not sure which song though." Saki shook his head and started the car.

"I didn't know they were performing! I'm really excited now!" Kayd smiled as they pulled up to the hotel.

Saki dropped Kayd off out front and got her belongings out of the back and handed them to her. "I'm gonna go park. I'll catch you later though."

"Okay. It's good to see you again."

"You too." He smiled and gave her a quick hug before getting back into the car. Kayd took her bag and walked into the hotel lobby. She asked the woman at the front desk where the elevators were. The woman pointed toward the right and Kayd headed down the hall to the shiny brass elevator cars. She rode up to the 4th floor and stepped into the dim hallway. She had barely even taken three steps before a security guard stopped her. "Do you have a pass?" He asked.

"I- I didn't know I, um, needed-." Kayd stuttered before looking up to meet the guard's eyes. "Tobi?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Tobi, it's me Kayd. Tom's friend from like a million years ago. I can't believe you and Saki are still on the team here." She smiled and hugged him quickly.

"Little Kayd?" He laughed as he took a step back.

"Yep. That's me!"

"Look at your hair! Wow." Tobi lifted a section of curls. She'd kept it short for so many years so this was definitely a change.

"Yeah, it's actually a lot easier to maintain this way." She laughed and looked down the hall.

"You looking for Tom?" Tobi asked with a smile.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "I'm, uh, actually here to go with Bill, but I think I'm supposed to get ready in Tom's room."

"He's down there in 483. The last door on the right." Tobi smiled and pointed down the hall.

"Thanks."

"Sure thing, Kaydie." He laughed as Kayd made her way down the hall. She knocked softly on Tom's door and waited nervously for someone to answer.

"Hi." Bill said as he held the door open. "Kayd?"

"I- yeah, hi. I'm sorry I thought this was Tom's room." Kayd looked at the room number to double check.

"It is." Bill smiled and held the door open wider to show a blonde sitting on the bed brushing her hair.

"Is Tom here?" Kayd asked uneasily, still standing in the hall.

"Yeah." Bill said as he looked over his shoulder. He saw the girl on the bed and said, "Damn, he was just here. Keeping up with him is like playing 'Where's Waldo.' Come in." Kayd stepped around Bill and into the room as Tom came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Kaydie!" He said as he licked the toothpaste foam from his lips. He jumped over a pile of discarded clothes and gave her a hug, then looked at her sternly. "You're late."

"I'm not late. I'm on time." Kayd smiled and took a step back.

"Hurry up and get dressed. We've got the pre-show stuff to do and all that starts at 4." Tom said as he headed back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth.

"Hi. I'm Ashleigh." The girl on the bed smiled as she stood up, extending her hand. "I swear, Tom has no manners."

"Oh, I know." Kayd smiled and shook her hand, "I'm Kayd. Nice to meet you." She turned to face Bill. "Bill, do you not remember me?" She asked smiling.

"We've met before?" He asked with a confused look.

"Yeah." She laughed. "I've known Tom since we were like 5."

"Oh! Kaydie!" Bill laughed. "Tom spent a lot of time at your house." He nodded.

"That's me." Kayd smiled and looked at her bag. "Is there somewhere I can change?"

"Sure. There's another room in there." Bill pointed to the door to the adjoining room. "That's my room. Just don't go through my stuff." He laughed and held the door open.

"You take the fun out of everything." Kayd smiled and walked by him.

"I'm just kidding."

Kayd smiled over her shoulder as Bill shut the door.

"Whoa." He said once the door was shut.

"She's pretty." Ashleigh said as she pinned her hair into place without the help of a mirror.

"Whoa." Bill repeated as he sat at the little table.

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Kayd stood in the large hotel room by herself and retrieved her new dress out of her garment bag. The room was cozy and still smelled like soap from Bill's shower. She'd met Bill a few times and had seen him on TV and in magazines recently, but she was surprised to see him in person. She was used to seeing Tom and he was nothing special. She had expected Bill to look like Tom, what with them being twins, but Bill actually seemed like a celebrity and it was exciting to meet him.

Kayd lay her dress on the bed then quickly took off her jeans and T-shirt. She took her new black bra and panties out of her bag and slid them on. She walked to the bathroom wearing only her undergarments and pinned her hair up so she could fix her make up. She kept it simple, she preferred the natural look, then the began to fix her hair. She hadn't decided what she was going to do to it. She played with it for a few minutes then decided just to wear it down.

Kayd spritzed a bit of perfume behind her ears and across her chest and neck before she slid into the elegant black dress she had chosen. She adjusted the straps and straightened the neckline as she looked at herself in the mirror. She stepped into her black heels and opened the door to Tom's room to look for Ashleigh. The only person she saw was Bill. He was sitting at the table playing with a coffee stirrer. "Where'd everybody go?" She asked as she peeked her head in the door.

"Oh." Bill said as he jumped and dropped the stirrer, "They went to the elevators. Someone is here to take pictures of us for some magazine."

"Oh. Well, uh, can you zip me up?" Kayd stepped into the room and moved her hair off her back as Bill came to stand behind her.

"Yeah." Bill blushed as he placed his left hand on her bare shoulder and used his right to pull the zipper up slowly. Kayd's skin was warm and he was hesitant to remove his hand when he was through. He left it there and turned her towards the door. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Are you?" She asked as she turned to face him.

"Mmm hmm." He smiled and they left the room. They walked down the hall towards the others. "Thanks for coming. I know you didn't have to." He said quietly.

"It's not a problem." She smiled sweetly and reached for his hand. "It'll be fun."

Bill laughed as they reached the others who were being photographed. Bill and Kayd were immediately blinded by flashes. "Just smile." Bill said softly as he felt Kayd tense up.

Kayd stood between Tom and Bill as they took a group photo. She then posed with Bill for some couple's shots. More than half an hour later they left the hotel in two separate limos and headed for König Pilsener Arena.

"Are you glad you came?" Tom asked Kayd as they headed down the freeway.

"Yeah. It's been awesome so far." Kayd said as she looked out the window. "It's better than sitting at home watching the Comets on TV." She smiled.

"Yeah. We have to perform so we're going to get all sweaty, but you guys are still gonna look hot when we leave." Tom laughed and draped his arm over Ashleigh's shoulder, causing Kayd's stomach to tighten as she blushed. Seeing Tom with other girls, no matter how great the girl was, always made her uncomfortable.

When they got to the arena they piled out of the limo at the red carpet where the group reconvened and began the slow walk towards the entrance. Bill placed his hand lightly on the small of Kayd's back as they walked behind the others towards the first reporter. "We have to do the media thing for a few minutes." Bill said apologetically.

"Sure. That's okay." Kayd smiled and looked over at Ashleigh and Tom. Tom leaned over and playfully kissed Ashleigh. Kayd quickly averted her eyes and went to stand off to the side as to not get in the way. She tried not to gawk as stars like Silbermond, Nena and Cascada walked by, but it was hard not to stare. She felt out of place and almost intrusive as the celebrities hugged and waved hello to each other.

When Fettes Brot walked by Ashleigh grabbed Kayd's arm and whispered, "Oh my God, I love them! This is so surreal!"

"I know!" Kayd laughed and from that point on she relaxed and enjoyed her evening.

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They left the Comet awards with their heads held high. They'd won in the category for Best Live Act. Everyone was happy and the boys were on an adrenaline high. They were headed to an after party to release some of the energy they had on the dance floor.

Bill casually held hands with Kayd as they retreated back down the red carpet without stopping for the media. Every once in a while his fingers would brush against her thigh which would send a thrill through him like none he'd ever felt before. The attraction was definitely there between them. Bill couldn't keep his eyes off her and Tom noticed.

"You look like a dirty old pervert." Tom whispered loudly as they got closer to the car.

"What?" Bill asked.

"You're staring at her like she's a piece of candy and you haven't eaten in a week."

"Do you blame me? You didn't tell me how beautiful she was! The last time I saw her she was in that awkward stage." Bill countered.

"Whatever." Tom rolled his eyes. "It's not like she's a supermodel. Put your tongue back in your mouth, stop drooling all over yourself and behave."

"Get over yourself." Bill laughed at his twin.

"Christ." Tom sighed and held the limo door open for Ashleigh.

They drove to the after party in silence and posed for the media on the way in. Bill kept his hand on the small of Kayd's back as they walked up to the entrance. Once inside he introduced her to a few of his friends before they headed for the dance floor.

After a few hours of dancing and mingling with the other guests, Kayd collapsed into one of the chairs at a table and sighed, "I don't where you guys get all your energy from." She smiled and took a sip of her water.

"Tom often says he'd like to have just 5% of my energy, but it doesn't seem like he has any problem with his energy level tonight." Bill nodded in the direction of Tom and Ashleigh. Bill and Kayd hid in the dark corner of the party and talked for a long while. Finally Tom came up and announced that the limo was leaving with or without them.

"What time is it?" Kayd asked as she stood to follow Tom out.

"Almost two." Bill yawned as he checked the time on his cell.

"It doesn't feel that late." She smiled and stifled a yawn. They stopped to say good night to other party goers on the way out before they climbed into the limo to ride back to their hotel.

When they got back to the hotel they took the elevator to their floor together and shuffled down the hall. As they approached Tom's room, Kayd stopped and looked around uneasily. Ashleigh was half asleep on Tom's shoulder as he opened the door and led her in. "Uh, Tom?" Kayd asked softly as Bill leaned against the wall.

"Yeah?" He whispered from inside the room. Tom laid Ashleigh on the bed and took her shoes off before returning to the doorway, "Yeah?" He asked again.

"You said I could stay with you if I came out-" She said slowly. She looked down at her backpack on the floor by the bathroom.

"Oh." Tom looked uncomfortable as he looked from Ashleigh to Kayd, then back at Ashleigh, "I, um, well..."

"You can stay with me." Bill said suddenly from behind her.

"Are you sure?" She asked hopefully. The very last thing she wanted was to end the night in the same room with Tom and a girl.

"No! You can stay here." Tom said suddenly. He sounded as if he was almost in a panic.

"That's okay. I'll just stay with Bill tonight." Kayd stepped into the room and picked up her backpack. "You sure you don't mind?" She asked Bill who was still standing in the hall.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Kayd, your mom would kill me if you-"

"I'm not sharing a room with you and Ashleigh." She interrupted him. "I'll see you in the morning. Saki's taking me back to Loitsche tomorrow around noon."

"Okay." Tom said after a pause. "Just bang on my door in the morning. We can go get breakfast."

"Okay." Kayd smiled and stood on tip toe to kiss Tom's cheek quickly. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for coming." He whispered back. He cast Bill a look over Kayd's shoulder. Bill just laughed and shook his head as Kayd stepped back into the hallway and followed Bill to the room next door.

"I'm totally exhausted." She yawned as Bill shut the door behind them. "Would you mind if I took a quick shower?" She asked.

"Not at all. Go right ahead." Bill yawned and stretched.

Kayd stripped down in the bathroom and stood for a long time under the hot water. She washed all of her make up off and soaped up her hair with Bill's shampoo. She wrapped herself in a towel and used another to towel dry her hair. She reached into her back pack and pulled out the boxers and tank top she had brought to sleep in. Kayd changed and brushed her teeth before she wandered out into the other room. The lamp between the beds was the only source of light in the room. Kayd allowed her eyes to adjust to the change of light as she ran the towel over her hair once more to try to get the dampness out.

Bill lay sound asleep in sweat bottoms on top of the blanket. Kayd stood beside the bed drying her hair with the towel for a minute as she watched Bill sleep. They'd had such a good time at the awards and the after party. He seemed like a gentleman. He hadn't made any kind of move on her even though she could see he was interested.

Kayd dropped the towel over the back of one of the chairs in the room before pulling the covers back on Bill's bed. He stirred slightly at the movement then settled back into the deep sleep she'd found him in. Kayd sat on the bed beside him, wanting to touch his cheek.

"What the hell. He's asleep." She thought to herself. She reached out slowly and laid the tips of her fingers on his jaw line.

Bill's face contorted into a frown as he opened his eyes. He looked a little confused. "Sorry." Kayd blushed and stood up quickly, knocking the alarm off the little table.

"It's okay." Bill said still half asleep.

"I'm sorry." She said again as she picked up the clock and moved to turn the light out.

Bill stopped her hand with his. "It's okay." He smiled slowly and turned the light off himself. He gently pulled her down to lay beside him. He held her from behind and sighed into her thick curls before drifting back to sleep.

Kayd lay in the bed awake for a little while longer. Her heart was racing. She waited for Bill to try something, anything with her. That old "pretend I'm asleep and then make my move" game was nothing new to Kayd. Bill didn't try anything. He barely moved. Kayd pulled his arms tighter around her middle and fell asleep with him breathing delicately on her shoulder.

Kayd's alarm on her cell woke her up at ten the next morning. She carefully removed Bill's arm from around her waist and slid out from under the covers to silence the alarm before it woke Bill. Bill rolled onto his stomach and pulled the extra pillow to his chest. She tip toed to the bathroom where she changed into some traveling clothes and packed her dress in its garment bag.

Kayd cleaned herself up and ran her fingers through her hair quickly before scribbling a note of thanks for Bill and leaving it on the nightstand. She watched his chest rise and fall before she leaned down and kissed his cheek quickly before leaving to knock on Tom's door.

Kayd set her bags in the hall outside of Tom's room and knocked lightly. She waited for a minute, but didn't hear a sound from inside the room. She knocked again, a little harder. After a few seconds she heard someone crawl out of bed and stumble toward the door.

Tom slowly opened the door, squinting at the bright lights of the hall way. He rubbed one had over his face and smiled. "Hi, Kaydie." His voice had that sexy bedroom sound to it. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he propped the door open with a sneaker and stepped into the hall in his boxers. "You leaving?" He asked.

"Yeah. I need to get to the airport." Kayd nodded. "You wanted me to get you up before I left." She smiled.

"Oh yeah. I had forgotten." He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I had a really good time, Tom." She smiled and stuck her hands in her pockets.

"I'm glad you did." He smiled and leaned against the wall. "See? My blind dates aren't always disasters."

"No, not always." Kayd laughed softly as she stooped to pick up her backpack. She threw it over her shoulder and hugged Tom tightly. He was still warm from the cocoon of covers she'd pulled him from. "I'll call you later. Go back to sleep." She smiled and tugged on one of his braids.

"Hey, watch the locks." He smiled and tried to cover a yawn.

"Whatever." Kayd laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I'll talk to you later, Kaydie." Tom casually waved as she picked up her garment bag. "Fly safe."

"I'll do my best." She waved over her shoulder as she headed down the hall for the elevators. Tom watched her until she turned the corner and out of sight. He felt a strange tug in his heart as he remembered she'd spent the night with Bill. Tom didn't know why, but he felt almost angry at the thought. He shrugged off the thought and shut the door to his room. He climbed back into his nice warm bed next to his sleeping girlfriend.

-----------------------------

Two Weeks Later

Tokio Hotel had just started their US tour. They kicked off the tour in LA. Tom stood waiting for the elevator, not paying attention to where he was going when the doors opened and he literally ran into Kayd. "Kayd?" Tom bent to pick up her dropped backpack.

Kayd stood there with her jacket draped over her arm and smiled. "Hi, Tom!" She stepped off the elevator and gave him a hug as the elevator doors shut behind her.

"What? Was I supposed to know you were coming here?" He looked thoroughly confused.

"No, it was kind of last minute." She smiled and adjusted her backpack on her shoulder.

"Damn, I wish I had known. I'm on my way out to dinner with Ashleigh and her mom. Did you want to come?" He asked as he pointed towards the elevators.

"No, thanks. I've got plans. Dinner with the parents, huh? Sounds serious." She smiled.

"Shut up. She was here and her mom was here and I couldn't just say no." Tom smirked at her. "Anyway, why are you here, if not to see me?"

"I'm here to see Bill." She said as she beamed. "I thought he would have told you by now."

"Wait. You're here to see Bill?" Tom's ears turned pink as he stumbled over his words, "No, he hasn't said anything. When did this happen?"

"Um, after the Comet awards." She smiled and checked her watch. "You were right, Tom. He's really a great guy."

"Yeah." Tom said still mildly stunned. "Well, um, yeah. It's great to see you again so, uh, soon." He gave her a quick hug before he stepped onto the elevator. Kayd watched the doors shut before she walked down the hall to Bill's room and knocked softly.

"If you don't stop banging on my door, Geo-" Bill threw the door open wearing nothing but a towel, "Kayd! I'm going to have to let you in." He finished his sentence with a much nicer tone. "Hi. I thought you were Georg." He smiled.

"I'm not." Kayd smiled and stepped into the room.

"I hope not." Bill smiled and shut the door behind her. "I didn't think you'd be here so early. I thought your flight came in at 5:30."

"No, it came in at 5. I said I'd be here at around 5:30." She smiled and set her backpack on the floor as he reached to hug her.

"What's new with you?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just work." She said as she inhaled his freshly showered skin.

"Hold that thought. Lemme get some clothes on." Bill bent over his suitcase and grabbed some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.

Kayd sat at the table and looked through the magazine that was laying open by a bottle of water. She read a few of the letters to the editor before Bill emerged from the bathroom dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. "Much better." He came up behind her and smiled as he leaned over her shoulder and quickly kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you could come out to see me before you went back to school."

"Me too." Kayd said softly as she turned to face him and kissed his lips. She lingered for a second longer than necessary. "So you have the rest of the day free?" She asked as he pulled up a chair across from her.

"Yes. I don't have anything to do or anywhere to be until after you leave tomorrow."

"Good." She smiled and closed the magazine in front of her. "Did you have anything planned for tonight?"

"No." He shook his head. "I've never been to San Francisco before. I have no idea what there is to do here."

"Well, considering you're in LA..." She laughed.

"We are?" Bill laughed and reached for his itinerary. "Well damn. That shows how well I pay attention, doesn't it?" He laughed and stood up. "Anyway, I've only been to LA a few times but never got the chance to really do anything, so unless you know of something to do, we have no plans."

"I hope dinner is going to be mandatory." She smiled. "I'm starving."

"We can do dinner." Bill nodded and ran his hands through his hair. "Let's go on downstairs. I'm sure they can recommend something."

"You know the lobby is crawling with girls, right?" Kayd raised her eyebrow at him.

"Really?" He frowned. "Hmmm." He smiled and sat in the chair across from her at the table. "I would hate to just hang out in the room all night." He said as he flipped through the hotel tour guide book.

"I don't mind." Kayd shook her head and smiled, "That's what I'd be doing if I were at home."

"Exactly, which is why I think we should do something else tonight." Bill said just as someone banged on the door to his hotel room.

"Bill!" A male voice shouted through the door.

"Go away, Georg." Bill shouted rolling his eyes.

"No, Bill, you have to check this out! I've got free porn in my room." Georg said from the other side of the door.

Bill sat up suddenly as he instinctively jumped out of his chair and reached for the door. He then seemed to remember Kayd was sitting there. He cleared his throat and pulled the door open slowly.

"I'm serious, Bill. It's not that scrambled stuff like before! You can full on see titties and bu-" Georg stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Kayd laughing quietly at the table. "But the again, uh, no one wants to see cheap porn, naked man-butt movies." Georg said quickly to Bill. "I'll just leave you guys alone. Tschüs!" He smiled and reached to shut the door as he left.

"Wait." Kayd managed to say between laughing fits. Georg and Bill looked at her from the partially open door waiting for her to say more, "Why would you watch free hotel porn?" She laughed.

"What do you mean?" Georg asked quickly. "We don't watch it. We make fun of it. You know, because, uh, there's no plot. And yeah." Georg looked to Bill for back up. Bill nodded but his cheeks turned bright pink.

"But hotel porn is not even porn. You don't see any full frontal nudity." Kayd shook her head and made a disgusted face.

Bill and Georg stood by the door and stared at her in awe, "You- but- so- how do know so much about hotel porn?" Bill stuttered. He was beginning to wonder what kind of trouble he'd gotten himself into with Kayd.

"I used to work at the Ramada in Magdeburg." She laughed, "We got complaints all the time."

"You got complaints about the porn?" Georg's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah. Well, the lack thereof." She smiled and walked to the door.

Georg looked over at Bill and said, "Are we seriously standing in your room talking to a girl about hotel porn."

Kayd laughed and shook her head, "I'd volunteer to go watch it with you-" Georg's jaw fell open, "But Bill and I are going to get some dinner."

"Okay." Georg said slowly as he turned to leave the room. He seemed to be in shock.

"Do you want to eat with us?" She asked as Bill groaned inwardly. He did not want to spend the evening with Georg.

"No, that's okay. I'm gonna go, uh, make fun of free porn. Alone in my own room." Georg laughed and shut the door as he left.

"I can't believe you volunteered to watch porn with him." Bill laughed as he pulled Kayd toward him by her belt loops.

"Why? Girls can't watch porn?" She asked. "Actually, right now I'm too hungry to watch anything other than dinner." She kissed Bill quickly then stepped back.

"Yeah. Let's go out. We can get out of here. I'll just have security go with us." Bill explained.

Kayd made a face and said, "Can we just order room service instead? I don't feel like fighting through the crowd and having my ears pierced by their screams on what is essentially our first real date." She smiled.

"Works for me!" Bill smiled and flopped belly first onto the bed as Kayd grabbed the menu off the table and lay beside him. They looked over the menu a few minutes before they decided what they wanted to eat. Bill called the order into the kitchen as Kayd turned the TV on.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" She asked.

"Sure." Bill leaned on his elbows by the end of the bed and they channel surfed together.

-----------------------------

"Kayd came to visit Bill?" Ashleigh asked as she and Tom sat at a quiet table with Ashleigh's mom.

"Yeah." Tom nodded and took a bite of his spaghetti.

"Hmm." Ashleigh frowned. "They know one another."

"She came to the Comet awards with us." Tom laughed.

"Oh! That was her?" Ashleigh's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah." Tom sighed.

"Oh." Ashleigh shook her head and took a sip of her water. "She's a friend of yours, right?" She asked.

"We sorta grew up together, yeah." Tom nodded and wiped his mouth.

"So what happened there?" Ashleigh asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How come you guys never hooked up?" Ashleigh shrugged and continued eating.

"We did. Kind of. I suppose. In school we dated for a week or two." Tom sighed again. He was unable to get the mental picture of his two best friends out of his mind.

"That doesn't really count." Ashleigh laughed.

"I know." Tom nodded.

"Are you okay with this? I mean, that they're dating?"

"I don't really have much of a choice." Tom looked at Ashleigh over the plate of appetizers between them.

"No, you don't have a choice, but that's not what I asked. I asked if you were okay with it." Ashleigh said as she spun some spaghetti on her fork.

Tom didn't say anything for a couple minutes, "I want them to be happy, but I never thought, you know, this." Tom waved his empty fork for emphasis.

"Does she know how you feel about her?" Ashleigh's mom asked.

"Huh?" Tom wiped his mouth and looked across the table at her. He'd almost forgotten there was someone else at the table.

"Does she know how you feel about her? If not, that might help." She shrugged.

"I don't know what you mean." Tom said confused.

"It's kinda obvious you have a thing for her." Ashleigh explained.

"What?!" Tom asked. He was shocked that Ashleigh had picked up on the feelings he hadn't even let himself recognize. Even more so that she was acting so nonchalant about it.

"Mom." Ashleigh said looking at her mother. "Please explain to him how obvious it is."

"Tom, honey, it's obvious." She explained.

"No, but I don't-." He started.

Ashleigh shook her head. "Tom, do you think I expected us to live happily ever after? I'm surprised we've lasted this long. It's cool. You like her. You guys grew up together. It's okay. I'm not upset."

"It is?" Tom asked quietly. "You're not?"

"Yes, it's really okay. I'm not upset at all." Ashleigh looked up and shook her head. "You like her, don't you?" She asked.

"Shit, Ashleigh." Tom sighed. "She didn't always look like that. She wasn't always so grown up. I mean, when I look at her I still see the little girl with braces who idolized Britney Spears and was madly in love with boy bands." Tom frowned and picked at his vegetables.

"But seeing her with someone else changed all that." Ashleigh's mom stated as a matter of fact.

"Yeah." Tom nodded and sighed. "I guess."

"And the fact that it's your brother doesn't help, does it? If it was some random guy you wouldn't really be conflicted at all." She smiled.

"But it's Bill." Ashleigh shook her head and laughed lightly. "I'm so glad I'm not you right now."

"Thanks." Tom said sarcastically.

"I'm just saying. Bill can be pretty smooth." She laughed again.

"Shut up." Tom cringed.

"Sorry." Ashleigh smiled to herself and stabbed a piece of broccoli with her fork.

"What do I do now?" Tom asked.

"You'll have to see how things go between her and Bill."

"That's it?"

"You can't exactly call dibs just because you've known her longer." Ashleigh said.

"I know." Tom sighed and took a bite of his potato. "This sucks." He shook his head as Ashleigh changed the subject. Tom spent the rest of the meal to brooding to himself.

-----------------------------

Early the next morning Kayd was rudely awakened by the hotel telephone ringing close to her head. She shook Bill gently but all she got was a grumble and a frown. "Bill. Phone." She said as she sat up in bed and shook him again.

"Huh?" He mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Phone." She said as she picked up the receiver and handed it to him.

"What?" He growled into the phone as he pulled the covers over his head.

"Bill?" Gustav asked quickly.

"What the hell do you want, Gustav? It's like, whatever in the morning."

"Oh, I just thought you'd like to know that you're supposed to be at a photo shoot in like 20 minutes. I'm only calling because no one has seen you this morning."

"No!" Bill said as he sat up in bed. He jumped up and pulled the phone cord tight as he circled the bed to grab his cell phone off the table. There were six missed calls. He ignored them and checked his calendar. "I wasn't supposed to have anything to do today until after Kayd left." Bill said as he frantically as he exited the calendar and then rechecked it to make sure.

"Nope. We have a shoot downstairs. You have like 10 minutes to get down here." Gustav said as Bill stared at his phone. "How did I miss this?! He thought as he stood there in complete shock.

"Okay." Bill said quickly. His adrenaline was running now. "I'll be down there as soon as I can."

"You just have to show up. They're providing wardrobe for us."

"Okay." Bill nodded and sighed. "Shit."

"So hurry." Gustav said as Georg and Tom yelled for Gustav to get off the phone.

"Okay." Bill shook his head and hung the phone up before he looked at Kayd sitting up in bed beside him. "I have to go. I have a photo shoot. I must have gone stupid when entering the dates into my phone because I obviously missed this one." Bill said softly.

"It's okay." Kayd nodded and swung her feet off the side of the bed to stand up.

"You don't have to go." Bill said as he stood beside her.

"I didn't say I was. I'm going to go pee, if that's okay." She smiled and tousled his hair as she passed him. Kayd grabbed her clean clothes and bathroom gear out of her back pack and headed for the bathroom. She checked her watch as she dressed herself. It was already 9:30. It was later than she thought it was.

When she came out from the bathroom Bill was sitting on the bed tying his shoes. He was dressed in black track pants and a plain white T-shirt. He glanced up as she crossed the room and put her stuff back in her backpack.

"I'm really sorry about this." Bill said as he pulled himself up off the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to keep it out of his eyes.

"I told you, it's okay." Kayd smiled and tossed her backpack over her shoulder, "I have a book to occupy my time. It's not that long before my flight leaves." She glanced at her watch again.

"I just feel like an ass having you fly out to see me and then rushing off, leaving you alone."

"It's really not a big deal. You don't have to feel bad about it. It's not like you did this intentionally." She smiled.

"I know but it cuts into our quality time." He sighed and frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, stop it." She kissed him quickly and held the door open as they went out to the hall. "You need to go though."

"Yeah." Bill led the way to the elevators and they rode down together.

When they stepped off the elevator, Gustav and Georg were waiting by the doors. "Morning." Georg nodded at Kayd then playfully punched Bill in the arm. "Get on with it. Tom's already ready."

"I'm going. Stop rushing me!" Bill said quickly. He turned to Kayd and pulled her close for a hug as the two others looked on. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Yeah." She smiled as he kissed her quickly. "Have fun." She pulled her unruly hair back into a ponytail as Bill took off in a sprint across the lobby to the ballroom where the wardrobe was set up.

"Kayd, right?" Gustav asked. He knew damn well that's who she was.

"Yeah." She smiled and shook his hand.

"Nice to see you again." Georg said as he shook her hand too. He could definitely see what Bill saw in her.

"Do you know where Tom is?" Kayd asked.

"He was headed out to the buses to get his jacket a while ago." Gustav shrugged, then nudged Georg who was staring at Kayd without realizing it.

"Out that way?" She pointed towards the main doors.

"Yeah." Georg nodded and pointed out the doors, "Out there and to the left. It's a giant bus. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." Kayd laughed and adjusted her backpack as she headed out into the bright morning sunshine. She walked around the side of the building towards the big buses parked alongside each other.

"Hey! Looking for me?" Tom asked as he stepped out from between the two buses.

"Yeah, actually, I was." She smiled and shaded her eyes from the glare of the sun off the buses.

"You found me." Tom said as he nodded back towards the hotel, "Walk on back with me? I wasn't supposed to leave." He smiled and they turned to head back to the main entrance. "What'd you need?" He asked after a moments pause.

"Oh, um, nothing. I didn't want to leave without saying good bye." She said softly.

"You're leaving already?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, my flight leaves at noon and you guys will probably be doing this shoot for another couple of hours." She shrugged.

"True." Tom kept his eyes straight forward, not trusting himself to look over at her. "That was kind of a waste of a trip though, right? I mean you only got here like 15 hours ago?"

"Something like that." She laughed and looked up at him but he wouldn't meet her eye. "Tom, are you okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded and looked at his shoes.

"You sure about that?"

"Mm hm." He said softly.

Kayd stopped walking and grabbed his arm gently, "Tom, come on. I've known you for a long time and I know when somethings wrong with you. What's up?"

"Nothing." He said as he shook his head.

"Tom." She said sternly.

"It's just-" He sighed. He couldn't just come out and say it. "I don't know."

"What? Is it something about me?"

"Yeah. Kind of."

"Kind of? Tom, if I've done something to upset you please let me know."

"I'm not upset." He said honestly. He wasn't upset, he was smitten.

"Then what is it?" Kayd placed her hand on Tom's arm and forced him to make eye contact.

"Can I ask you a favor?" He asked shyly.

"Absolutely."

"Don't date Bill."

"Pardon?" Kayd asked not quite believing what she heard.

"Don't date Bill." Tom repeated as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.

"You hooked me up with him!" Kayd laughed.

"For one date! Not for you to date him on the regular." He looked back down at his shoes.

"Tom, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." She shook her head and stared at him.

"Why is it ridiculous?"

"Because you say that Bill and I are your best friends but then you don't want us to be friends?"

"No, I want you to be friends." He said quickly.

"But we're not allowed to date?"

"Exactly."

"Tom, that doesn't make sense. What difference does it make? If we're both happy you should be happy for us." She argued.

"You honestly think you guys are going to live happily ever after?" He asked looking amused.

"We're not planning our wedding. We're dating."

"He's so not right for you! How can you not see that?" Tom asked after a second.

"No offense, Tom, but you're not exactly an expert in that field."

"About what?" He asked getting defensive.

"About dating and, more specifically, knowing who's right for me." She said calmly.

"I know it's not him." Tom stood his ground. His mind was screaming "It's me!" He shook his head quickly to chase that thought away before he actually spoke it.

"He's your brother, Tom. I'd hate to hear what you say to him about me if that's how you talk about him."

"I'd tell him the same thing. You're not right for him either."

"I'd like to think that Bill and I are adult enough to make that decision for ourselves." Kayd put her hands on her hips and stared him down.

"You know what? Do what you want. But when this all goes to hell don't come crying to me." Tom said as he pulled the thick glass door open. He couldn't stand to look at her anymore; not without shaking her and telling her she was nuts and that he was insanely jealous of Bill.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tom. When you decide to grow the fuck up, give me a call." Kayd said before she turned and walked quickly to the parking lot.

-----------------------------

Two weeks went by and Kayd hadn't heard from Tom. Not even an annoying text in the middle of the night that just said "BOO!" She missed the little jerk but she wasn't planning on making the first contact. He's the one who needed to grow up. "If he can't handle you and I dating, he shouldn't have hooked us up to begin with." Kayd said to Bill during one of their many phone calls.

"He was doing me a favor by finding me a date. I doubt he expected it to get this far." Bill said softly.

"I don't know what his problem is." Kayd shook her head and frowned. "I've never seen him like this before."

"Neither have I. Maybe it's because he hasn't been dating anyone for the past few weeks. After he and Ashleigh broke up he hasn't even gone out to the clubs."

"Really? They broke up? Maybe there is something wrong with him."

"Possibly. Or maybe he's just being a grumpy old man." Bill laughed as they continued with their conversation.

-----------------------------

A week later Kayd's phone woke her out of a deep sleep. She'd been dreaming of a tropical island with white sand and crystal clear water. She was sitting alone with no one around to bother her. She rolled over in bed and grabbed her cell as it rang a second time. Kayd's eyes focused on the caller ID number and she frowned. It was Tom's cell. She didn't want to talk to him at all, much less at 5 in the morning.

Kayd flipped the phone open and said, "I hope you're calling to tell me that you've grown up and you want to apologize." She was met by silence. No one said anything. After a few seconds she asked, "Tom?"

"Opa Kaulitz died last night. Can you come over?" Tom sniffed into the phone as his voice cracked.

"Oh my God. Tom, where are you?"

"Loitsche. I'm at Mami's" He managed to say before he began to cry softly. Kayd knew the area well. She'd grown up around the corner from Tom's family on Glück Auf Street. It was just a few houses down from the house that his grandparents still lived in today. It would take her no time at all to get there.

"I'm leaving right now." She jumped out of bed and pulled on her jeans from the day before. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He squeaked and sniffed again.

"I'm so sorry, Tom. I'm going to be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Yeah." Tom whispered as he sat on the curb in front of his old house. He rested his cheek on his knee and closed his eyes. "Don't hang up, okay?" He sounded pitiful.

"Okay, hang on." Kayd put the phone down and pulled a T-shirt over her head. She didn't have time for a shower so she threw her out-of-control hair into a low ponytail and reached for her sneakers as she picked up the phone again. "Okay, I'm dressed. I'll be there before you know it." She laced her shoes and grabbed her keys from the nightstand. She'd gone from asleep to dressed in less than five minutes. "Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"No." He shook his head as tears overflowed onto the jeans he was wearing.

"Okay, I'm leaving right now."

"Thanks, Kayd." Tom whispered.

"I'm on my way." She closed her phone and slipped it into her pocket as she walked out the door. When she got to her car she slowly backed out of her parking space as she too began to cry.

Tom's Opa Kaulitz had been the neighborhood grandfather to dozens of kids, herself included. Kayd had no idea he'd been sick so it came as a painful shock to learn he had died. She composed herself enough to keep from having an accident.

She got there a lot quicker than it usually would have taken her. She disregarded many speed limits and certainly pissed off some drivers on the way, but she was there. Kayd quickly found a parking place down the block. She locked her car up and sprinted off to Tom's mother's house.

Kayd ran past the house that used to belong to Tom's cousins and down two more houses to where Tom grew up. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Tom sitting on the steps to his Mom's house. He looked up as she rounded the corner and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Tom watched as Kayd walked quickly to where he sat and dropped down beside him on the step.

Kayd lay her hand flat on Tom's back and rested her head on his shoulder, "Tom, I'm sorry." She said softly.

Tom raised his arm and let it fall across her shoulder as he pulled her in tight for an awkward hug on the steps. He buried his face in her fine curls and cried softly. Kayd ran her hand over Tom's back and cried with him. Their tears mixed as Tom's cheek touched hers. "Tom, I'm so sorry." Kayd whispered as he leaned back and wiped his eyes. "Is everyone inside?" She looked over their shoulder toward the front door.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Mami and everyone."

Kayd reached over and took his warm hand in hers. "I'm glad you called me, Tom."

"I knew you would want to know." He looked down the street as his eyes filled again.

"Of course. He was like a grandfather to me too." Kayd rubbed his back slowly and stood up to pull him to his feet. "Let's go on inside. It's kind of chilly out here."

Tom stood slowly and looked at Kayd as they stood on the same step. "Thanks for coming, Kayd." He said as he hugged her again. "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk."

"It's okay. I love you, Tom." She forced a smile and spoke into his shoulder.

Tom's heart broke in two at the sound of those three small words. He knew that she really did love him but not in the same way he loved her. "I love you too, Kaydie."

Kayd stayed with Tom and Bill for four days until they had to go back to the US to finish their tour. After the funeral on the day Tom had to leave, Kayd pulled him aside and sat across from him. "Tom, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything these last couple weeks." Kayd shook her head and rested her hand on his shoulder as they sat side by side.

"I'm sorry too, Kaydie."

"I know it must be weird to see me and Bill together. I should have thought about that. Maybe you and I should have talked about that." She sighed as Tom looked away.

"I shouldn't have been such a dick." He shook his head.

"Are we even?" Kayd smiled shyly.

"Yeah, we're even." He looked at her and smiled. Kayd smiled back and leaned forward to kiss his cheek lightly. He leaned away at the last second and wrapped his arm around her as a confused look crossed her face. "Thanks for coming, Kayd."

"You're welcome, Tom." She said as she thought, "What was that about? I've been kissing his cheek for as long as I can remember."

"What time are you leaving to go home?" He asked as he sat back.

"Whenever." She looked over her shoulder and into the house where the family was still gathered. "Want me to give you and Bill a ride to the airport?"

"You don't have to." He shook his head and stood up.

She stood beside him and brushed her pants off, "I know I don't have to but I'm going to be driving anyways."

"Okay." He nodded. "Our flight leaves at 4:30."

"Okay." Kayd nodded and followed him back into the house. "Where are you flying to?"

"Um, South Dakota, I think."

She laughed as she thought of the really bad Pauly Shore movie they'd once caught on television called "Son-In-Law." It was one of those movies that was so bad it was good. It was one of their favorites to make fun of. "North Dakota, South Dakota, East Dakota, West Dakota!" She sang softly, in hopes of eliciting a smile but all she saw was the back of his head as he trotted up the stairs to retrieve his bags.

-----------------------------

"Hey, guess what?" Bill asked more than a week later.

"What?" Kayd asked as she placed her bowl of popcorn beside her on the couch.

"I get two days off next week."

"You do?" She asked with a big smile. "Any chance you'd like to fly home and spend the day with me?"

"I'd love to." He laughed. "You gotta take me to a pub though."

"Why for?"

"I heard a little rumor from Tom about how you are when you're drunk. I wanna see it live and in action." He laughed and caught his balance as the bus shifted beneath him. They were barreling down the highway headed for who knows where.

"Whatever Tom told you is a lie. He's a huge liar." She laughed lightly and flipped her TV on.

"I wanna see for myself. You can attempt to prove him wrong." Bill said as climbed into his bunk.

"You're cutting out on me." Kayd said as the line crackled with static.

"Sorry, I was climbing into bed."

"Mmmmm." She said as she raised her eyebrow, "Sounds like fun." She laughed.

"Naughty girl." Bill laughed.

"Naughty girls need love too." Tom sang from his own bunk.

"What the hell are you singing?"

"Samantha Fox." Tom said as if Bill should have known.

"We weren't even born when that song came out. Why do you know that?" Bill asked as he pulled his curtain aside and frowned at Tom.

"I don't know, but neither were you." Tom laughed and shook his head.

"Well I'm on the phone. Can you keep it down?" Bill smiled and shut his curtain again.

"Bill? I'm just going to let you go. I can barely hear you." Kayd said as she reached for her remote to mute her TV.

"I'll give you a call later with the details." He said loudly to make sure she heard him.

"Okay." She laughed and held the phone away from her ear. "Bye." She blew exaggerated kisses into the phone as he did the same.

Bill laughed and flipped his phone shut before folding his pillow in half and shoving it behind his head. He turned his light off and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders then made himself comfortable.

Tom laid in his bunk frowning towards Bill's bunk. He snatched his iPod from the little shelf above him and put the ear buds in his ears as he cranked the volume up full blast.

-----------------------------

"Bill, what are you doing with your free weekend?" Tom asked as he tossed his backpack over his shoulder. He pulled a cap on over his braids.

"I'm gonna go see Kayd in Loitsche." Bill said softly as he followed Tom into the van that was taking them to the airport.

"Oh." Tom said a second later. He cleared his throat and dropped himself into the seat beside Georg

"Why? What are you doing?" Bill asked as he sat behind Tom and Georg and rested his arms on the backs of their seats.

"Nothing." Tom shook his head. "I was going to see if you wanted to come with me and Georg."

"What?" Georg asked when he heard his name.

"Where are you going?" Bill asked.

"Huh?" Georg asked as he looked from Bill to Tom.

"We're going to do that dolphin adventure thing. You know where you spend the day in the water training the dolphins and stuff." Tom smiled and cast Georg the 'just go with it' look.

"In February? Isn't the water too cold?" Bill laughed and shook his head. "No thanks. I'd rather spend the day in good ol' Loitsche."

Tom shrugged, "Okay."

"Gustav!" Bill shouted over the backs of the seats to where Gustav was fiddling with his iPod. Bill had to make all kinds of crazy arm movements before Gustav finally looked up. He paused his iPod as he and Bill became involved in a conversation.

"Hey, Tom, I'm not going on that dolphin adventure thing. Bill was right, it's too cold." Georg shook his head.

"I know." Tom said softly as he sighed and sunk down into his seat. Tom pulled his iPod out of his bag as the van started on it's way towards the airport. He put the ear buds in and hit play as the music filled his ears. He kept hitting the next button. It seemed that his iPod was suddenly filled full of sappy sweet ballads. Tom was definitely not in the mood for that.

He skipped ahead to his favorite song on their own album "Sacred." He had listened to it over and over again for the past couple days.

"... You break the ice when you speak. With every breath you take you save me. I know that one day we'll meet again. Try to go on as long as you can. Even when the ocean breaks apart underneath you remember, to me you'll be forever sacred. I'm dying but I know our love will live. Your hand above,like a dove, over me. Remember, to me you'll be forever sacred ..."

Tom closed his eyes and drifted off listening to the song that pretty much summed up his feelings for Kayd. He would spend the weekend deciding if, and how, to tell Kaydie how he felt. It wasn't going to be easy, and he was not looking forward to it.

-----------------------------

Kayd placed her fork in the sink as the buzzer sounded at by her front door. She licked chocolate off her finger as she walked across the small apartment and pressed the speaker button. She smeared a chocolate fingerprint over the white plastic, "Shit, hallo?"

"I'm not shit. I'm Bill." Bill laughed from the street. His voice sounded tiny over the intercom, but he was here.

"Bill! Yay! You're here, hang on." She pressed the other button to let Bill up to her apartment. She was making a huge mess of the intercom. A buzz sounded down stairs and Bill pulled the door open.

"Wait!" He shouted in the general direction of the intercom.

"What?"

"Where am I going?" He laughed and held the door open with his foot as he leaned to press the intercom button.

"One flight up, on the left." Kayd laughed and shook her head.

"Okay." Bill released the button and took the stairs two at a time to get to the second floor landing that much quicker.

"Hi!" Kayd smiled as she pulled her door open in time to see Bill walking down the hall with his backpack hanging carelessly from his hand.

"Hey!" He pulled her in for a tight hug and a quick kiss before following her into the apartment and shutting the door. "Mmmm. What smells good?"

"Brownies." Kayd laughed, "With chocolate icing."

"Thanks for the warning. I'm not fond of chocolate but I'll have one." He laughed and followed her through the living room to the kitchen. "What have you been up to?"

"The usual. Just working." Kayd took the spatula from the counter and ran her finger up the side to scrape off the icing. She licked her finger quickly and said, "And I got a pedicure. That's about all that's been going on since the last time we talked." She held out her bright pink painted toes for Bill's inspection.

"Cute." He reached for the spatula and licked some of the icing off.

"Bill, I wasn't done with that." Kayd laughed and took it back.

"What? You just licked off it."

"No, I used my fingers." She shook the spatula at him and playfully swatted at him.

"So what are you saying? I have cooties or something?"

"Yes." She laughed as he grabbed her from behind and bit her neck like an animal.

"Cooties? That didn't seem to bother you last time." He laughed and kissed her chocolatey lips. He kept his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, but other people are going to eat these." She laughed as his breath tickled her neck.

"You didn't make those for me?"

"First of all, you just said you're not fond of chocolate. Second, you can't eat a whole tray of brownies." She shook her head and turned to face him.

"Bet me." He said as he kissed her again.

"It'll make you sick, silly." Kayd shrugged Bill off her shoulders and went to work icing the rest of the brownies.

"What's the plan for today?" Bill leaned against the counter beside Kayd and played with an empty ice cube tray.

"I'm in the mood for some Greek, so I thought we'd go to Gaststätte Sorbas for dinner. Is there anything you wanted to see?"

"Other than you?" He smiled.

"Yeah." She blushed and caught his eye.

"No. Dinner and you, that's all I need to make me happy."

"You're pretty easy to satisfy." Kayd raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Yes." Bill nodded proudly. "So hurry up so we can go."

"Bill." Kayd said sternly.

"What?" He whined and hopped off the counter.

"Where exactly do you want to go?"

"Let's see, I've been on a bus or a plane or in an arena for the past few weeks. I want to go outside." Bill took the spatula out of her hand and set it carefully on the side of the baking pan.

Kayd sighed, but let Bill pull her out of the kitchen, "Wait! I need to change my clothes first?" She asked.

"What's wrong with what you have on?" Bill looked at her sweat pants and pink T-shirt. Her unruly curls were being held at bay with a white hair tie, though a couple of strands had managed to escape the binding and were framing her face.

"I look like a hobo." She looked down at her bare feet. "And I need shoes."

"Put on some shoes then and let's go. You look fine." He smiled, not letting go of her hand. "You look beautiful." He leaned his forehead against hers before he kissed her softly.

"Give me just a sec." Kayd said when they finally separated. She kissed him again quickly then ran to her room to find some shoes.

-----------------------------

As Kayd and Bill frolicked through Loitsche and Wolmirstedt, Tom sat in Gustav's living room. "Come on, Tom. We're going to dinner and then to a club, how can you not want to go with us?" Gustav asked.

"I'm not in an eating or a dancing mood. Gustav, we go out all the time. How can you want to go out on your day off? Shouldn't you want to rest and do nothing?" Tom stood up and walked to the doorway of the bathroom where Gustav was getting ready. Georg sat on the counter leaning against the mirror, as he flipped through a car magazine.

"The cars in this magazine are just garbage?" Georg stated.

"They're not garbage." Gustav said he glared at Georg. "If you actually owned a decent car you would know."

"Yeah, whatever." Georg mumbled under his breath and opened the magazine again.

"Tom's not going with us." Gustav said as he began to fix his hair.

"Why do you put that crap in your hair. It just makes it all sticky and hard." Georg and and then burst out laughing, expecting Tom to do the same. Tom just sat there picking at his fingers. "Hard? Sticky? Earth to Tom." Georg said as he continued to laugh.

"I'm gonna go. Gimme a call tomorrow when you know what you're doing." Tom stood up straight and yawned.

"Seriously? You're not coming with us?" Georg asked.

"No. I'm pretty tired." Tom shook his head and covered his mouth as his yawn continued.

"He's getting old." Gustav laughed and held the hair spray out so Georg could read it, "Soft hold, see?"

"You need help." Georg shook his head and hopped off the counter.

"Call me tomorrow." Tom said as he led the way to the front of the house.

"Come with us, Tom. You'll have fun." Gustav opened the hall closet and stared at his selection of jackets.

"No, I'm gonna go get some rest." Tom waved over his shoulder as he pulled the front door open. "Have fun." Tom walked down the brick path with his hands deep in his pockets.

"What's wrong with him? He hasn't gone out with us in weeks. That's like, anti-Tom." Gustav shook his head.

"Beats me." Georg shrugged and picked his jacket up off the couch. "Are you ready to go now, Barbie?"

"Shut up." Gustav said as he grabbed his keys and headed for the car. "Seriously, you don't know what's up his ass?"

"No." Georg shook his head as Gustav unlocked the door to his car. He slid into the smooth leather passenger seat and said, "Ever since he broke up with Ashleigh he's been this little anti-social alien."

"He needs to get laid is what I'm thinking." Gustav laughed and started his car. He let it purr in the driveway for a minute before he pulled out slowly.

"I think I'm going to have to agree with you there." Georg nodded and they headed out for a night on the town.

-----------------------------

Kayd held the door to Gaststätte Sorbas open. The interior was plastered with Greek statues and decor. The yellow napkins were standing in triangles on each table. Greek music played softly from the speakers.

"I have to be honest with you." Bill said as he looked around. "I've never had Greek food before."

"Well then, we've come to the right place for your first time. I get to watch you lose your Greek virginity." Kayd laughed.

"You're so funny." Bill smirked.

"Right this way." The host took two menus and led the way into the small adjoining room where they were seated against the wall.

"Did you bring a condom?" Kayd whispered to Bill and laughed.

"Shut up." Bill laughed and opened the menu. "So what's good here?"

"The Nudeln mit Meeresfrüchte is heaven, but only if you like seafood. And the Bohnensuppe is deadly."

"Really? Deadly how?"

"If you get it you may as well plan to stay at your house tonight because I will not let you befoul my home with the stench." Kayd smiled sweetly.

"I'll stay away from that then." He laughed and flipped through the menu some more. "I think I'll go with the Rigatoni Vegetarier."

"I think that's a safe option." She smiled and looked at the desserts.

Bill casually reached across the table and held Kayd's hand as he turned to the back of the menu. "You should come back to the US to visit us again. We had fun last time."

"I don't know." She said uneasily. "Tom's still kinda weird about this whole thing."

"I don't understand why he's all bent about this." Bill shook his head and frowned.

"No, I know. I just don't want to go there and be all, you know, in front of him."

"All, you know?" Bill laughed as he mimicked her.

"You know what I mean." She laughed quietly and blushed.

"I know." He nodded as the waiter came to take their orders.

"You'll be done with the tour soon, right?"

"I think we have five more weeks. Then we're off to Asia for two weeks, then finally home for some rest and relaxation." He sighed and savored the thought of actual free time.

"Good." Kayd studied the wine list casually.

"Yeah. Will you be able to take some vacation time then?" Bill asked a minute later.

"I think I can arrange some time off." She nodded and looked up to meet his eye.

"Then we'll have to plan something." He smiled slowly.

"Okay." She nodded. Inside she felt as if she'd burst from excitement. She let a broad smile escape.

-----------------------------

"Hi, uh, Ashleigh?" Tom asked into the phone. This was his fourth time dialing Ashleigh's house, but the first time he'd actually pressed the send button.

"Yes?" She asked.

"It's Tom." He said as he nervously folded the ATM receipt on the table in front of him.

"Tom! Hi! How are you?"

"I'm okay. Remember when we all went out to dinner a little while ago?" He asked.

"I'm supposed to forget that you broke up with me?" She asked.

"Well, no." He cleared his throat quickly.

Ashleigh laughed. "Calm down. I'm still cool with it. What about it?"

"Remember what we talked about concerning Kaydie?" He tore the receipt in half, then into quarters.

"Yes. She was seeing Bill."

"Um, yeah. She still is. He's there with her now in fact." Tom said quietly. He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder and wrapped a thin piece of torn paper around his pinky finger.

"Okay..." She said slowly. She wasn't exactly sure why Tom had called her. "Is everything alright, Tom?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Tom sighed and closed his eyes. "Okay, no, not really."

"What can I do to help?" She asked. She was the coolest ex-girlfriend Tom could ever hope for.

"Yeah, okay here's the thing." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure I love Kayd."

Ashleigh was quiet for a second. She tried not to laugh into the phone. She knew Tom was being serious, but it just sounded so funny. "You're pretty sure?"

"Yes. Maybe. No, I'm sure." He nodded. "I'm sure. I do."

"Okay..." She said slowly. "Have you told her this? Does Bill know?"

"No." Tom shook his head. "That's why I'm calling."

"Oh, I see." She nodded and sat at her kitchen table. "Wait, you don't want me to tell them, do you?"

"No! Nothing like that!" Tom laughed nervously. "How do I tell them? Or do I even have to tell them?"

"How serious are they?"

"I'm not sure. I'm guessing they're kinda serious. I mean, he flew to Germany just to see her when we only have two days off. They talk on the phone a lot. I don't know, but they've only known each other for a couple months."

"If this is just some passing thing that you're feeling, then I don't think you should tell them. But if this is serious, if you feel like you just can't get over her, then I think you should. Just to get it off your chest."

"Wait, if they are serious I should tell them?" Tom was confused. "Wouldn't that make matters worse?"

"I meant for you. If this is a passing thing, your feelings for Kayd, you might just want to keep quiet about it. But if you're really serious, then you should probably tell them before they get too far."

"Shit." Tom said under his breath. "Okay but how?"

"How do you tell them?"

"Yeah. Do I just sit them both down or what?"

"You could do that." She said slowly. "It may be easier for you if you just tell one of them though, to kind of gauge the reaction. To see how serious they are, you know?"

"Okay." Tom nodded. "Which one?"

"I can't answer that for you. That's something you'll have to decide for yourself." She shook her head.

"I'll tell Kayd, I think. If I tell her and I make a fool out of myself, Kaydie can just shrug it off. Bill is more difficult. Having to see him every day may be hard after that."

"Yeah." Ashleigh agreed.

"Okay." Tom smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that all you needed?" Ashleigh asked as the buzzer on her stove went off.

"Yeah." Tom nodded and picked up the tiny pieces of torn paper. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Bye." Tom smiled and hung up the phone. He'd have to tell Kayd.

-----------------------------

Two Days Later

"Tom, let's go." Georg said as he held the door to the flower shop open.

"I'm coming. Tom said quietly as he stared at two flower arrangements. He couldn't decide between the dozen red roses and the dozen mixed roses that were red, white and pink. He frowned as the sales lady moved across the counter to help someone else.

The bell over the door chimed again as it was pulled open. "Tom! Come on man." Bill shouted.

Tom winced at the sound of his friend's voice, then turned to him and said, "Jesus, give me just a minute!"

"The bus is running and ready to go. We have to go. And my name's not Jesus." Bill said before he shut the door.

"Excuse me, miss. I'd like these." Tom said to the sales girl. He held up the mixed roses and tried to smile.

"Did you fill out a card?" She asked as she took the flowers to the register.

"Card? No." Tom shook his head and followed her.

"Here. You can personalize one of these." She pointed to a spinning metal rack filled with tiny flower cards. Tom picked one at random and grabbed the pen off the counter. He thought for a second, then wrote "... with every breath you take, you save me ..."

Tom furrowed his forehead as he thought about how to sign it. The sales girl rang up the flowers and he absentmindedly handed her the cash. "Love, Tom? Love always, Tom? All my love, Tom? Tom Kaulitz?" He sighed. He'd never signed a card that meant what this one did. He frowned and rested his chin in his hand on the counter.

The bell chimed again and Gustav said, "Tom, come on! If you can't find the right 'I'm sorry I fucked your friend' flowers by now, it's not gonna happen. Let's go!"

"Just a second." Tom said as he waved over his shoulder.

"The bus is here." Gustav said as the driver sounded a short blast on the horn. He shut the door and trotted back to the bus as the door chimed again.

"Shit." Tom swore under his breath. He scrawled "Love- " and started to write the T when he was grabbed by the arm and pulled toward the door.

"We're already late, Tom." Georg said as he pulled Tom toward the bus.

"I was in the middle of writing!" Tom complained as he stepped up onto the bus.

"You were in there for a half hour. A half hour on our ten minute stop." Bill growled.

"Whatever." Tom said as he retreated to his bunk. "How much longer till we get there?"

"Four hours." Bill said with a groan. "Four more loooong hours."

-----------------------------

Kayd: Hey. You busy?

Tom looked at the down at the cell vibrating on his hip. He was in the middle of an interview with a local radio station. He wasn't quite sure what state they were in and he was honestly looking for a free minute. He had just spent the last 15 minutes listening to the others answer the same mundane questions they're always asked and teasing Tom for being a playboy.

He flipped the cell open and responded:

Tom: Hey. Kinda. What's up?

"What do you have there, Tom?" The DJ asked.

"That's his proof that he's a techno junkie." Bill laughed.

"It's my cell." He held the phone up for the DJ to see.

"Do you have a basic phone plan or can you get e-mail on that thing?" The DJ asked.

"Yeah." Tom nodded. "I just responded to an e-mail or I think you call it text."

"Can I see?"

"Sure." Tom handed his cell over to the DJ who flipped it open and pressed the buttons.

"This is a pretty nice phone. So who want's Tom's number?" The DJ laughed.

"No no no! Don't give that out." Tom laughed and reached for the phone as it began to vibrate in the DJ's hand.

"Hey, can I see the message?" The DJ laughed and pushed a few buttons.

"Sure." Tom laughed.

The DJ held the phone up at eye level and read it out loud, "I just need to vent. You owe me." He laughed, "Who's Kayd?"

"Kayd?" Bill looked over at Tom.

"Yeah, Kaydie." Tom said softly. He took the cell back from the DJ and quickly typed in a message and sent it.

Tom: Gimme 15 mins?

"Kaydie?" Georg asked. "Kayd?" He looked from Tom to Bill.

"Bill's Kayd is paging you?" The DJ laughed.

"Yeah. We're friends." Tom said.

"Uh oh, Bill. It looks like the playboy is making a move on your girlfriend." The DJ laughed again as Tom's heart sped up.

"No, Tom had his chance." Bill laughed. "How come she's texting you though, huh?" Bill looked down at his silent cell phone

"We're just friends. I've known her since we were kids." Tom explained to the DJ. "I don't know why she text'd me." He shrugged.

"Why don't we call her and see?" The DJ picked up the studio phone.

"No!" Tom said quickly. His thoughts quickly flashed to the flowers he had sent two days before. He had been impulsive and hadn't yet talked to her. He knew that had to be what she was calling to talk about.

"Yeah, call her." Bill laughed and wrote her number on a piece of paper and handed it to the DJ who promptly dialed it.

"Tom?" Kayd answered the phone on the first ring.

"Kaydie, we're live on the radio." He said quickly, so she hopefully wouldn't start venting right away.

"On the radio? What do you mean?" She asked.

"We're doing a radio interview. Everyone is here." Tom explained.

"Hi!" Georg laughed as the others joined in.

"Hi, honey." Bill smiled and leaned closer to the phone.

"H- hi." She said, mildly shocked. "What radio station am I on?" She asked.

"KKLQ in San Antonio." The DJ said.

"Okay, San Antonio. That's where we are. Where the hell is San Antonio?" Tom thought.

The DJ continued. "We were just calling to say hi. We saw Tom get your messages on his handy dandy phone."

"Oh, uh, well hi." She laughed. "That's funny. In Germany we call them Handys. How are you guys?"

"We're good." Gustav said as he leaned back in his chair.

"What are you doing today?" Bill asked.

"Um, not much." Kayd ran her hand through her hair and sat at her computer desk. "I was just calling to vent."

"So we were wondering why you chose to vent to Tom instead of your boyfriend." The DJ asked. The question embarrassed Kayd as well as Tom. They both turned a shade of red.

"I always call Tom to vent. He doesn't care how immature I sound." Kayd smiled uneasily. "Tom, can you call me later? After you're done?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'll call you when we get done here."

"Okay." Kayd sighed, "I'll talk to you all later."

"Bye, Kayd." Georg said.

"Later, Kaydie." Gustav laughed.

"I'll call you later." Bill smiled.

"Bye." Kayd laughed and hung up as Tom breathed a sigh of relief. They finished up the radio interview and went out to the cars. Tom and Georg were on their way to the arena while Gustav and Bill headed back to the hotel to check out and do another phone interview.

As soon as Tom got in the car he reached for his cell and called Kayd. Before she could even say 'Hello' he said, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. I just wasn't ready to be on air." She laughed nervously.

"So, uh, what's up?" He asked quietly as his palms began to sweat.

"Well, I got these flowers yesterday-"

"I think I shou-" He started.

"Bill is so sweet and everything, but the card says the 'L' word and I just don't know about that. He's awesome, don't get me wrong, but still, we've only known each other for what? Two months?"

Tom's jaw fell open and he blushed slightly, "I- Wuh- Um- Wel-" Tom's mouth couldn't form words, only sounds.

"Tom?" Kayd laughed nervously, "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm okay. So-" He cleared his throat, "Maybe you shouldn't worry."

"How can I not worry? If he's saying stuff like this. I mean, he wrote that I save him with every breath I take. Tom I'm not looking for anything like this. He's wonderful, really he is, but what do I do?"

Tom sat in silence trying to figure out what to say, Georg looked at him weird as he took a breath intending to talk, but each time just letting it out. Finally he said, "What if Bill didn't send them?"

"He can't just go un-send them, Tom. And I can't un-receive them. Your thought process is so silly sometimes. He already sent them." She sighed. "He never came across like this type. He seems like he'd shy away from this, but-" She frowned. "I'm probably just making a big deal out of this. It's probably nothing. But I got butterflies in my stomach and a warm fuzzy feeling when I read the card. I could tell he really meant it. It just freaked me out."

Tom felt like he was going to vomit as he rested his head on the back of the seat in front of him. "I meant what if he wasn't the one that sent them." Tom said softly, not needing everyone in the car to be a part of the conversation.

"These aren't exactly 'dad' flowers." She rolled her eyes. "These are definitely 'love' flowers. Beautiful 'love' flowers." She continued to stare at the roses in front of her.

"Maybe you have a secret admirer." Tom closed his eyes.

Kayd laughed out loud and re-read the card, "If it is, I wish I knew who was too afraid to tell me. No, this card had to have been written by someone who knows me. It shook me really." She shook her head and said, "No, these have to be from Bill. They're perfect, just like he is. It's just the message that throws me and that he signed it 'Love'."

"Kayd-"

"I should probably just call him and talk to him." Kayd said softly as she nestled the card back between the roses.

"Yeah." Tom said automatically before what she said hit him, "Wait, no!" He lifted his head.

"No?"

"Yeah, don't."

"Tom, I have to." She shook her head. "Just to find out where he stands."

Bill didn't have a clue about the flowers. How could he? He did however know that Tom sent flowers the day before. Bill would make that connection. He wasn't stupid. This was all going wrong. When he sent the flowers he wasn't thinking straight and right now he was thinking even less straight.

"Don't call Bill, Kayd." Tom said softly as he leaned his head back on the seat. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I sent the flowers."

He waited for her response. He heard the soft click as Kayd pressed the End Call button and broke the connection.

-----------------------------

Tom stared at the silent phone in his hand as he rested his head against the seat in front of him. "Tom, check out this car. They've painted all the windows." Georg laughed.

"Huh?" Tom asked as his cheeks burned bright red. He quickly tucked his phone away as his stomach sunk. He felt an overwhelming sense of dread. In the time it took him to buy those flowers he'd potentially ruined a friendship and his relationship with his brother.

"The windows. On the car. What time zone are you in?" Georg laughed again and shook his head. He pointed out the tinted window at the little car driving beside them with all of the guys' names painted on the windows.

"Yeah." Tom forced a smile, cleared his throat and sunk low in his seat.

"You okay?" Georg asked with a concerned look.

"Uh huh." Tom mumbled. He pulled out his iPod to cover his ears. He turned the volume up and turned sideways on the seat so that his feet were stretched in front of him and his back was against the window.

Georg continued to stare at Tom for a minute before he turned to their bodyguard, "Hey, Tobi. What's up with Tom?"

"I don't know." Tobi shook his head. "Maybe he's sick or something."

"I hope not. That's the last thing we need."

"Tom being sick?"

"Tom infecting everyone else." Georg laughed as they pulled into the parking lot of the arena. As soon as the car headed for the back of the parking lot, a handful of fans that were there already realized who was in there.

When the car stopped the arena security met them and opened the door as Tom and Georg stepped out and waved to the fans. Tom busied himself with putting his iPod away. He took a deep breath then smiled brightly as he waved at the fans lined up to greet them. Tom smiled for pictures and signed countless pictures, magazines, posters and CD cases before being ushered into the back of the arena.

They had a couple hours before Bill and Gustav were to arrive. Tom found a quiet corner and hid out with his iPod and a magazine. Georg headed to the recreation area to play some video games with some of the crew.

-----------------------------

Kayd rested her arms on her kitchen table as her inside tied themselves in knots. Her mind was racing. "The flowers were from Tom? I save him with every breath?" She looked down at the phone in her hands. "I can't even catch my breath right now. How am I supposed to deal with this? It all makes sense now. Tom's been acting weird. He's been grouchy." Though the clarity came to her, everything seemed more cloudy than ever. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? I love Tom. He's one of my best friends in the entire world, but this? This is totally different."

Kayd held the phone for another minute before dialing the number she knew by heart quickly. She took a deep breath as she waited for someone to answer and when they did she almost cried with relief. "Mom?" She asked softly.

"Kayd? What's wrong, honey?" Her mom asked sweetly.

"Those flowers weren't from Bill." Kayd explained.

"Who were they from?" Her mom smiled and placed another piece in the puzzle she was working on. "Do you have an admirer?"

"Tom sent them." Kayd frowned.

"What? Tom sent them? With that note?"

"Yeah." Kayd sighed and laid her head on her arms. "Shit, mom, what am I supposed to do?"

"I didn't know he felt like that."

"Neither did I." Kayd groaned and closed her eyes. "What do I do though? I mean, I'm going out with Bill-"

"Honey, I can't tell you what to do."

"But how do I do this and not hurt Tom? He's serious. This isn't one of his jokes. You should have heard him on the phone."

"You've talked to Tom already?"

"Yeah. I called him to see what I should do about Bill because I thought Bill sent them and I was freaking out because it was just too much. That's when he told me that he sent them and- ugh, Mom, I don't know."

"Did you talk to Bill yet?"

"No, what am I supposed to tell him? Do I have to tell him anything? If I tell him that Tom sent me these flowers with a message that made my heart ache and that's why Tom's been acting weird, that's just going to make things worse." Kayd shook her head and frowned.

"It'd be worse if he found out some other way."

"But nothing's going to happen between me and Tom. We're friends and that's it. I'm just afraid that if Bill finds out then it's going to cause problems between them and I don't want to do that."

"Aren't things weird now?"

"Yeah, but Bill just thinks it's because Tom's PMSing or being overly hormonal or something."

"He is overly hormonal. For you."

"Mom!" Kayd covered her eyes and tried not to laugh. "Be serious."

"I am being serious." Her mom said as she slid another piece into place.

"I just don't want to hurt Tom. I can't think of how this can turn out without Tom getting hurt."

"He's already hurt. Having to watch you and Bill must kill him."

"Thanks. That makes me feel better." Kayd grumbled.

"I'm just being honest."

"So I should break up with Bill and sacrifice my happiness for Tom's?"

"Do you really think Tom would be happy if you broke up with Bill?"

"If he thought he had a chance maybe."

"You think he'd be happy breaking up his two best friends?"

"I don't know, Mom."

"He really won't be happy either way. He's going to get hurt either way. If you break up with Bill to date Tom, he'll-"

"I'm not going to do that."

"I know, I'm just saying. Tom will feel bad every time he sees Bill. If you break up with Bill and don't date Tom, he'll feel terrible for breaking you two up for nothing. If you keep seeing Bill, you already know that hurts him."

"I'm screwed no matter what choice I make."

"You're not. He is."

"I can't be happy knowing Tom is miserable."

"You've been happy so far."

"Yeah, but I didn't know Tom felt like this." Kayd sighed and stood up to pace the room. "I thought he was just being grouchy because he was my friend first or something."

"I think you should talk to Tom, Kayd. Tell him what you told me."

"Which part?" She smiled slightly and played with the cord on her curtains.

"The part about not wanting to hurt him, and how it seems to you that he'll be hurt no matter what."

"How do I do that though, Mom? Why is he making this so hard?"

"He's not making it hard. Not on purpose. He told you how he felt. Tom was just being honest with you, sweetie."

"I know." Kayd sighed. "I'll have to give him a call before their show tonight."

"No, this is one thing you can't do over the phone." Kayd's mom shook her head and slid the last piece into place. "You have to be there to see his face, you know that."

"I can't watch his face if I have to hurt him, Mom." Kayd shook her head as tears rose in her eyes. "I don't want to do this at all."

"I know you don't, but that's the only way you'll be able to resolve anything. Go talk to Tom and explain to him how you feel."

"Okay." Kayd mumbled. She knew that's what she had to do.

"You gonna be okay?" Her mom asked a minute later.

"Yeah."

"Okay, then I'm going to get going. Good luck." She laughed. "I'll talk to you later, Kayd. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Kayd hung up the phone and sighed before she picked it up again to make flight reservations. She booked a flight out for the next day.

Chapter Two