Please - Chapter 12 PG

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GraceRyan

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It took 12 chapters to get to something juicy.

This is totally untrue. These are characters and events fabricated out of my bored mind. PM or give me your email for the saucier version.

Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack

I know that I've been mad in love before
And how it could be with you
Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby
How can you have a day without a night
You're the book that I have opened
And now I've got to know much more

The curiousness of your potential kiss
Has got my mind and body aching
Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby
How can you have a day without a night
You're the book that I have opened
And now I've got to know much more

Like a soul without a mind
In a body without a heart
I'm missing every part

YouTube - Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy


"Bono, it's for you. It's your brother," Paul's eyes were watery.


Faith felt his grip tighten for a moment. Fear flashed in his eyes as he took the phone.

"Norm, what's happened?" He knew. Norman wouldn't call if it was good news.

He heard his brothers sobs on the other side of a crackly connection. "Paul, he's gone."

The next few minutes passed slowly. There had been a heart attack. They worked on Bob for 45 minutes. His heart gave out. The world spun violently. He didn't realize that he had collapsed against Faith who now supported his weight. Edge and Adam rushed over to help. He couldn't let go of her. Norman wanted to know when Bono could get home. He had a show. He couldn't cancel. The fans. The band. He could leave in the morning. The band would join him. It would be up to Norm to make the plans and Bono would do whatever. They had a few days off before the next show. They would hold the wake and funeral in those days.

"We can postpone," Larry said. "Fans will understand. "

Paul winced. The tour was costing a pretty penny when it all worked well. What would a postponement do?

Bono shook his head. "My dad wouldn't want that."

"Let's cancel tonight. We can tack this on at the end," Edge suggested.

His mates surrounded him with love. He had noticed that he still clung to Faith’s hand. She had been so quiet. He glanced down and saw it was red from his tight grip.

"I’m sorry," he wiped his eyes as he let go.

"It’s fine. Let me know what I can do," she said quietly. She felt a pain for him that shook her entire body.

He smiled weakly. "Thanks. I will." He staggered away. "I need to call Ali."

Paul led him to an office where he could make any calls he needed.

Ryan walked over to Faith. "Are you okay? You look shaken."

She breathed out. "Yeah. It was pretty intense. I think I felt his heart break."

Alex crossed the stage. "Is he going to be okay?"
Edge rubbed his chin. "Right now? I don't know. I think he'll pull it together for the show. Afterwards? I don't know."

Bono went back to his room after calling Ali, Gavin and Guggi. Gavin offered to fly right over. Bono said it was nonsense - he'd be home in less than 24 hours. Now alone with his thoughts, he wished he'd taken Gavin up on his offer. Ali's voice had been warm when they spoke. She said she would be by his side through this. Maybe there was hope after all this time. He just had to get through the show.

The backstage was somber as the news spread. But when B arrived, he turned up the music and grabbed a beer.

"He'd hate all these sour faces. Let's celebrate his life and have a good time," he raised his beer.

He gave his all on stage pouring confusion, sadness, and anger out of every pore. The duet had been dropped from tonight’s show. Bono had really wanted to do Something Stupid, a song Bob would've liked. It wasn't ready. As he sang Please, he choked back sobs. He should have been there. A burning guilt rose up through him. Maybe they should have postponed the tour. Would he have survived if Bono didn't leave? The questions gnawed at him as he heaved his body off the stage. Bono insisted they all go out to celebrate Bob’s life. Edge and Larry thought it was a bad idea, but maybe it was what Bono needed to cope.

Everyone assembled in a large bar not far from the hotel. The after party was already planned for there and Bono saw no reason to cancel. He lifted several toasts to his dad. He told many tales of growing up with Bob. And for awhile he was happy to be surrounded by his tour family.
Faith was exhausted as she found her own back to the hotel. She had toasted to Bono’s dad a few times, but a weary wave crashed her spirits. A few fans gathered at the entrance. In America, she could slip past them unnoticed. Here, they cautiously called her name as she approached. She stopped to sign autographs and chat. They asked what it was like to work with B. Told her they loved her look and music. They were very polite. She bid them good night and made her way into the lobby. Lurking there were more fans. They were a little more rambunctious then the ones outside. They giggled and squealed. Faith guessed they were staying at the hotel since they were inside. How lucky to book the same hotel. Their heads whipped about anyone passing. Faith ducked her head and plowed towards the back elevators. She managed to go unnoticed. It wasn't her they waited for. She hoped that security would escort Bono in without much fanfare. As she passed the hotel bar, her eyes caught a lone figure sitting a table staring at his drink. How did he get here? Faith glanced over at the fans. Shit. One might have recognized her. She slipped inside the bar and carefully approached his table.

"Hey," she said softly.

He looked up with misty eyes. She saw the tracks of previous tears. She sat beside him. "Are you here alone?"

He nodded. "Suddenly I had to get out."

"How did you get here undetected?" She asked.

"I'm a master escape artist," he sniffed.

Over his head she saw more fans amass in the lobby.

"Listen, we have to get you out of here. There's a sizable crowd out there," she said lowly.

He groaned. "I can't tonight." Most nights he would give them all night. He would sit and talk. He couldn't think straight now.

"Let's get you upstairs, " she tugged on his arm. She wrapped an arm around his waist and led him out of the bar towards the back elevators.

"Where we heading?" His body felt so heavy. He'd had a few drinks, but not enough to feel this tired and sluggish.

"You have your room key on you?" She asked.

He dug in his pocket. "Yep."

"You need some rest," she said as the doors closed around him. "The next few days are going to be busy. "

He shook his head feeling the tears come again. "I don't want to be alone. I don't want a crowd, but I can't be alone."

"I'll stay with you," she said. She wondered where the others were. Why did bereavement duty fall to her?

Faith led him to his suite. He handed her the room key his eyes fixed at the floor. She swung the door open to the largest hotel room she'd ever seen. He collapsed on the leather couch in a heap. She placed his key on the table by the door.

"Can I get you a drink?" She asked.

He pulled off his boots and nodded. "Preferably whiskey."

Unlike her room, he had a fully stocked bar. She poured him half a glass of whiskey and grabbed a bottle of water from refrigerator. She handed him the water first.

"Alternate those," she instructed.

"Will you have one with me?" He looked up.

She nodded. "Sure," but she mixed hers with ginger ale.

She settled on the couch beside him.

He gave her a weak smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry to be a burden. You look knackered too."

"I'm fine," truthfully she was beyond wiped. But there was no way she could leave this grieving man. He could finish the bottle and wander into a pack of rabid fans.

"I never got to say goodbye," he rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. "I told him I loved him and I would see him in a few days."

"I'm so sorry," her heart hurt.

"I should have.....I don't know. He kicked me out of his room. Told me to get back to work and provide for my family," his voice broke in a sob. "The girls.....they'll not know their grandfather."

Faith moved closer to wrap an arm around his shoulders. "I know it hurts like nothing before," she said softly.

"Family, I don't have one of those anymore. I feel so lost," he said. "Now both my parents are gone. Ali's gone. I feel very alone." He fought the tears.

She nodded. "I know how you feel.” She took a deep breath. “I lost my dad a few years ago. Very similar. He had a heart attack, but they said he'd recover. Then he had another a month later. They discovered he had cancer, and it had spread to major organs. He only had weeks."

"I had no idea, Faith," he whispered. He could not imagine the pain of battling cancer then losing a parent to it.

She smiled weakly. "I don't talk about it, obviously."

“Did you get to say goodbye?” he asked.

“For two weeks. It was tough knowing he was at the end of his and he was so not ready. He tried to make peace,” she felt her eyes well up. “He said that as long I was spared, he was okay with God’s decision. I kept thinking that he was such an amazing man. Maybe it should have been me.”

“Faith, no....Don’t ever think that,” Bono said.

She smiled weakly. “I know that now. But I get jealous sometimes when I find out some asshole has beat cancer and still smokes. My dad had colon cancer that spread to his lungs and other organs. He never did anything to deserve it.”

“Well, neither did you. You were a kid,” he said.

“John and I were alone after that,” She cleared her throat.

"And your mum?" he asked.

Her eyes darkened. She shrugged. "I have no idea where she is. A year after I was diagnosed, she left. She said that she couldn't handle it and she wasn't strong enough." Bono’s already broken heart plunged to his feet. "She claimed she was doing us a favor. My dad had to take care of me and my brother - he couldn't hold my mom together as well. So she left. I still have no idea where she went. Both grandparents stepped into help while I went through treatment."

He took her hand and pressed it against his heart. "Oh God, Faith. That's horrible."

He understood why just her brother turned up for Foxboro show. He had wanted to ask, but somehow knew it was inappropriate. The tears he had been fighting poured over his cheeks. He ached for his loss. He ached for her loss.

She cleared her throat again. Watching his emotion made her eyes sting. "Don't feel bad for me. Thanks to you guys, I have a pretty good life. And I always hoped that my mom would see me alive and doing well. Thanks to the exposure we've been getting, it's possible she hears me on the radio or sees me in a magazine."

"Would that bother you knowing she's watching from afar?" he asked.

"I often wonder if she tells anyone she's my mom. And if she does, how does she explain it anyone that she left her sick daughter?" Bitterness slipped into her voice. "Has she replaced us? Does she have new kids?"

He peered into her face. The hurt she had managed to bury slowly seeped to the surface stretching across her eyes.

Faith was not prepared for what happened next. In one fluid and swift motion, Bono cupped her face and kissed her. His lips were soft and warm. The second surprise came when she kissed him back with a building passion. Her kiss with Larry had been sweet and light. This was hungry. She wrapped her arms around his neck. After months of wanting this moment, it was better than he ever dreamed. The dull ache inside of him was replaced with a white hot desire to feel her. They had both suffered loss. They could find comfort in each other's arms. She hated to admit that he did everything perfectly. He wasn't sloppy. He didn't hold back. It had been so long since she had been locked in an embrace like this. She was not one to take sex lightly. Her brain finally pulled the alarm. Larry. She was certain she was in love with him. But the night of their one and only kiss, he walked away. He needed to figure things out, he had said. What was wrong with just letting herself feel pleasure for a night? Because she didn't love Bono. Even if she felt closer to him than anyone at the moment.

"No, we can't," she moved away.

"Why not?" his eyes pleaded. "It doesn't feel like you want to stop."

She didn't want to bring up Larry. He'd been jealous over her affection for the drummer. She searched for a reason that wouldn't hurt his feelings. "You've been drinking, and your head's not in the right place."

"Please, Faith," he whispered low against her ear. "I want to feel something other than pain, right now. I don't want to feel lost or alone tonight." She looked in pleading pools of blue. "Please."

******

Faith’s eyes fluttered open to Bono’s naked dead weight on top of her. A small snore escaped from his mouth as he held her tight. She was warm and uncomfortable. With his body heat covering her, she was sweaty and sticky. And sore. After catching their breath the first time, they both wanted more. It was after the third time that they both fell asleep. They both made up for months of abstinence in one night. She glanced down at the sleeping man nestled on her chest. He looked peaceful. What had she done? This could mess up everything. She had to sing a duet with him every night. Still, she could not get Larry out of her mind. Of course, he didn’t cross her mind in the throes of passion. She turned her head to see the clock. A pillow was in her way. What if someone came looking for him and found her here? She had to leave. Carefully. she tried to shift out from under him. He stirred and tightened his grip around her. She was stuck. She could be here till morning, she feared. What would morning bring?


The next time she woke up, she was on her side. Bono slept on his stomach with his head turned away from her. His snoring was a little louder and more regular. If she was going to leave, it was now. Gingerly, she pulled back the covers and scooted to the edge of the bed never taking her eyes off him. She watched for any sign of movement. The bed shifted slightly under her weights as she swung her legs over the side. Relief washed over her as her toes touched the soft carpet. She was out of the bed. Looking over her shoulder, he was still fast asleep. She searched the floor for her clothes. There was the skirt. Where was her bra? She tried to remember when it was discarded. The living room. Where was the underwear? She hoped it wasn’t tangled in the sheets. If she had to leave it fine. But then would he try to give them back? Crawling on the floor, she spotted them on the floor on the other side of the bed. Quietly, she inched towards them looking up at Bono was she did. He still looked peaceful in his slumber. His hand curled under the pillow. She helped him through a tough time, she told herself. Grabbing her panties, she crept silently into the living room for the rest of her clothes. As she hastily dressed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She had definite bed-head. Her mascara was a little smeared. From the bedroom, she heard him roll over. She stood perfectly still until rhythmic snoring could be heard. She checked for her room key because that would blow a quick escape. It was in the pocket of her skirt. She thanked every higher deity that existed. Opening the hotel room door, she looked into a desolate hallway. Like lightning, she shot down the hall deciding to use the stairs than wait for an elevator. She needed to get to room. That’s all she needed. A few flights down, the hallway leading to her room was just as quiet. She ran down the hall to her room. Once inside its sanctity, she collapsed against the door. Her head throbbed. It wasn’t from booze. She barely took 2 sips of the drink she made at Bono’s. Dragging herself to the bathroom, her eyes caught on the clock beside her made-up bed. It was almost 4 in the morning. The shower was so hot that it turned her skin pink. His scent clung to the steam. She threw an old t-shirt on before crawling into her bed. Her mind wouldn’t shit off. Though she showered, she swear she could still smell him, taste him. Why did he have to be so good. It would take a good night of drinking to forget tonight, she thought. She dreaded breakfast. Hopefully he would be gone before she woke. Maybe he’d be satisfied. He finally got what he wanted. Sore and exhausted, she drifted off with her head swirling.



Slowly, his dreams faded as consciousness took over. Everything seemed hazy and different. Bits of the night came back to him. Sitting in the bar. His dad. Faith. His eyes blinked open. Faith kissing him. He was on his stomach. His hand stretched across the cool sheets looking for her warmth. Just more cool sheets. He rolled over to discover himself alone. He’d think it was a dream, but he saw the imprint of her body on the bed and pillow. It did happen. He looked around and surmised that she was gone. Closing his eyes, he replayed the night before. The phone rang interrupting his thoughts.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Are you up?” Paul asked. “We’ve got to get you home.”

“What time is the plane leaving?” he asked.

“Well, it’s waiting for you. It will leave as soon as you are ready,” Paul said.

“Okay,” Bono sighed. “I’ll be down in a half hour.”

Sighing, he fell back on the bed. A long day awaited him. He would see Faith at breakfast. The harsh reality of the morning was that he was still alone. He might have had Faith last night, but she still wanted Larry. Did last night change that? The fact that she was not still sleeping by his side indicated no. Gradually, the aching hole in his heart opened again. He had to bury his father. Hauling his achy body from the bed, he wandered into the bathroom. A quick shower washed most of her off him.


“Are you okay?” Alex asked Faith as they met in the elevator.

“Yeah, why?” Faith asked. Was it written all over her face?

“You left early, but you look like you didn’t sleep at all,” she said.

“I slept terribly.” That was the truth. “The whole thing with Bono’s dad just brought up memories of my own dad. I had nightmares all night.” That was a lie.

“Sheila says we should go to the funeral,” Alex said. “It feels weird to do that, don’t you think?”
That was the last thing Faith wanted. “Really? That is strange.” She sighed. “I doubt we can get out of it.”

“She says we are supporting them in a time of need,” Alex shrugged.

She wasn’t that upset. She hadn’t been to many funerals in her life. Her grandmother died when she was 12. To a young Alex, it meant seeing her cousins and good food. She went to Faiths’ father’s funeral. That was really tough. She’d only known Faith for about a year when it happened. It was hard seeing a friend hurt so much. Faith’s dad was too young to die. She thought of her own parents.

Faith’s stomach churned as they walked towards the breakfast room. She saw Larry at the omelette station. Her heart leapt into her through. His hair hung in his eyes as he chatted with a nervous waitress making his order. The band hadn’t left. He’d be down here.

Bono lifted his eyes from his plate the moment she entered the room somehow sensing her presence. He followed her gaze over his shoulder to Larry. Running a hand over his head, he sighed heavily. As she looked at him, panic flashed across her face. Bono grumbled into his coffee. It was apparent where Faith’s affection lied. He shook his head. He didn't have time to sort all that out. It was nice to turn off his grief for awhile last night. Today, he had business to care of.

"Hey, where did you run off to last night?" Edge sat beside him.

"I needed some alone time. I went to the bar here and had a drink. Then I went to my room," he said plainly.

"Still looks like you didn’t get much sleep though," Edge said.

Bono flashbacked to undressing Faith and suppressed a grin.

"It was a restless night," he offered.

Faith knew she had go sit by him. It would be odd if she didn't. Though she was ravenous, her stomach knotted. She grabbed a coffee and followed Alex to his table. Instinctively, Alex sat beside Edge. As their eyes met for the first time since being locked in passion, a strange energy settled over the table. Faith sat next to Alex.

"Good morning," Faith smiled. "How do you feel?" She asked him afraid of his response.

"Tired. It was a restless night. Had some interesting dreams," he raised an eyebrow. He added warmly, "but I feel a little better."

Faith hoped that her coffee mug hid the blush spreading across her cheeks. "That's good," was all she could say.

Luckily for Bono and Faith, Ed and Alex were engrossed in their own conversation. They were oblivious to anything around them. They both looked a little annoyed when Sam joined the table. Bono wondered if something physical had transpired between Edge and Alex. At least he and Faith were free to to do whatever they pleased. Faith wondered if she should even address last night with him. He had more pressing thought and things to consider. She did notice his face darken as Larry sat beside Faith. She was happy to shift her focus to something different.

"I heard you're coming to Ireland with us," Larry thought it was a little odd as well.

Bono looked up. "You're coming?"

She bit her lip unable to discern his tone. "That's what Alex said. Should we not? We don't want to impose or intrude."

He knew she was being sincere. "I can use all the support around me. And you'll get see how the Irish do death," he cracked a weak smile.

She nodded wordlessly. If they hadn't had sex, she could be better support for him. Now she felt too close - uncomfortably so. Bono rose to his feet. He waved weakly to the table before he wandered over to Paul. Larry felt strange that Faith was coming. He would be with Ann. A week ago, he felt more sure of his decision to stay with Ann. Seeing Faith had him doubting again. Now he would have them in the same space again in an emotionally charged few days. Selfishly, he wished Bono had decided against Strict Machine attending. They had become close over the months. Maybe closer than they should. Not enough for this. He sighed thinking how pissed Ann was going to be seeing Faith there.

"I need to buy something to wear," Faith looked over at Alex.

"We'll get something in Dublin," she turned to Sam. "You and Ryan need suits, right?"

"Ryan packed one, but I need something," he looked to Edge and Larry. "Do you know where I can get one quickly?"

Edge nodded. "I'll take you when Bono is sorted." An afternoon with Alex's boyfriend. He had to remind himself that Sam was more than just the bassist in the opening band.

Faith shook her head quietly as she glanced around the table of dysfunction. In just a few months time, they managed to get themselves fairly tangled into this group. She wasn't sure how entwined Alex and Edge were physically. Was this normal for touring bands? Do all tours dissolve into soap operas?
 
:applaud: Another great chapter. I'm really enjoying the way you're portraying Bono's messed up emotions and it'll be interesting to see how the dynamics of the Faith/Bono/Larry triangle change now. :hmm:

So... that other version? :shifty:

acrobatangel at hotmail.com

Thanks :wink:
 
This one probably killed me emotionally, and it's probably going to be even more intense at, say, the funeral. I feel so bad for Bon and for Faith. Gahh. And at the same time there they are having sex :giggle: so much going on at once!

I think this made definite sense, as the one scenario where Faith would sleep with Bono...(and I could feel the awkwardness when she saw Larry :ohmy: who is probably wondering what's gone on)

Definitely want the non-PG version! My email's dream.artist@yahoo.com
 
Thanks everyone. This was the very first scene I had written in my head. So this whole story revolved around this. I had several ways to get there. At first, Bono and Faith were going to hate one another. Sometimes I wish I went that route, but the only purpose would be shock value and sometimes that whole 'I hate you, sex me!' is pretty clear. I think it's more interesting that there is a friendship and now this has happened.

That's sort of why I had Bono's dad die. There had to be a an event so tragic that it would bring them together. It wan't until a few rewrites that I had Faith's dad die too so they shared a common bond, a common pain.

I was writing the next scene on the train this morning.
 
Stupid me. The first half made me cry. Darn story... but WOW, it's so good. I think that tragedy really is the only thing that could have brought Faith and Bono together... it makes even more sense with Faith's dad and all. And now she's had contact with two of the band members, oh nooooooo... (Even if one was just a kiss, that's probably a good thing!)
I love the last line of this chapter. Well, the whole last paragraph too.
And the other parts I don't really want... I have my reasons...
 
Feeling really really stupid for not noticing it was the wrong time period :doh: the literary license does make sense, though. :( Bono's probably even more messed up by it being earlier...
 
Which was good XD

I feel really bad for Larry...then again, if we're going to take this from Ann's perspective, bad Larry :giggle: Bono's at least not attached to anyone else anymore.
 
Ah, but now you see why I had to take some literary license.
And now I do see! I wouldn't have written it any other way myself... :giggle: And now that your words here:
This was the very first scene I had written in my head. So this whole story revolved around this.
have sunken in, I'm starting to think the way you write is not unlike mine...
 
I think I operate totally different from the both of you as to how I write XD An Cat Dubh was because I was wondering why the hell Bono would seem so hurt by a woman (it just didn't seem right) and I was basically trying to figure out lyrics, and Out Of Control's basically just a continuation/wrapping up loose ends.

Although I did have a totally different idea for it in the beginning; I was going to do an October-era bit of fluff involving Larry and Ruth. It changed dramatically.
 
I'm really enjoying this story. Love the whole Bono/Larry/Faith storyline.
Keep up the good work!!
Now how about sending the steamy version my way??

blacker2424@yahoo.com

Thanks!!
 
I'm enjoying reading this story. Had some catching up to do. This chapter was sad. Could you PM me the unedited version? Thanks. Wonder who Faith will choose, hope she hooks up with Bono.
 
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