GraceRyan
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Okay, when I say this is a short one, I really mean it. I wanted to break up the chapter or it'd be really long.
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (2nd Version) - YouTube
Bono woke the following morning with a start. The room illuminated in an orange glow. Curled in his arms, Faith still slept with her blond hair shooting up all over her head. He snuggled closer. They would need to get up soon, but not to sneak away. There was a plane to catch. He was happy to leave Miami and get on with life. For the first time in months maybe years, he felt well rested. He craned his neck to see the clock by the bed. It was 7am. He didn’t have to wake her just yet. But if he did, they’d have time for a nice long shower. That thought aroused him and made him feel impatient for her eyes to flutter. Yet, he still wouldn’t wake her. She’d been through so much lately. She looked peaceful in his arms. They had plenty of time for showers and everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It didn’t take for the magazines to start reporting on Faith’s past - the cancer, her mother. First came the photos of her on stage. Next, the photos of her and Bono leaving the hospital together. Faith fully expected that it would be in some tabloids. She didn’t expect the photos of her and Larry holding hands alongside a photo of her and Bono together. They pointed out that the photos were days apart. The articles slammed her and fell just short of calling her a whore. Her face was drawn in a deep frown as she read the US Weekly article. The National Enquirer was particularly nasty comparing the tour to a traveling orgy.
Bono leaned over her shoulder to see what had her undivided attention. “Jesus. Where did they find those photos?”
There were a few of Faith and Larry in New York and on tour. They dug up the Q cover story with Faith and Bono, some photos of their duet. On the next page was a large photo of their arms wrapped around one another outside the hotel the day she was released from the hospital.
“They make me sound like a slut,” she sighed.
Alex looked up from her lunch. “You know that’s not true.”
Faith shrugged. “Are they wrong? Have I not slept with 2 members of one band?”
Bono placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not like that.”
She shoved the magazine away.
Larry wandered by. “Hey, what’s up?”
Ryan handed him the Enquirer. Larry flipped through the article. His eyes scanned some of the more damaging remarks. “We’re suing,” he stated.
Faith shook her head. “Just leave it alone. Eventually, it will all go away.”
“You know WE don’t think that, right?” Larry said.
“I’m sorry,” her shoulders slumped. “This is a mess.”
Bono sat beside her. “You have nothing to be sorry about. They will forget about this. Yes, it’s newsworthy for now. But you are not the band whore.”
Larry cracked a smile. “At least not until Adam and Edge get in on the action.”
It was so ridiculous, Faith had to laugh. “Like a big orgy?”
Bono shuddered. “I’m sorry, that’s a horrifying thought.”
Larry wrapped his arm around Bono. “You’d love it, big guy.”
The table erupted in laughter. It was nice to see Bono and Larry talking again. Things would be okay. Bono reclaimed his eat beside her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pressed his forehead to hers. “It’s going to be okay.” She smiled and nodded.
Alex’s heart ached as she watched them. She realized that she has never felt like that before - save for when she was with Edge. Her eyes switched to Sam across the room. Did she ever look at him the way Faith looked at Bono? The last few days, they had been like two teenagers in love - giggling and kissing. She couldn’t help but be moved as she spied them tucked the in corner talking in low voices. They smiled at each other - breaking into laughter every so often. She couldn’t remember if she and Sam were ever that much in love. There was a tug in her chest knowing that if she married Sam, she may never know that feeling. Could that kind of love last? Were Faith and Bono fooling themselves?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faith hopped on the balls of her feet as she waited to take the stage. Even though she had taken the stage for 60 shows before, she was nervous about tonight.
“You okay?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah,” her voice was high and thin.
“Hey, I meant to ask you.....how is he in bed?” Ryan asked.
Faith turned to him. “What? Who?”
Ryan leaned in closer. “Bono, how is he? I bet he’s amazing...”
Faith grinned slyly. “Oh, he is.”
Dennis popped his head around the corner. “Okay, it’s time.”
“See? You seem more relaxed,” Ryan said.
“Oh you’re good,” she shoved him playfully.
“Maybe you’ll let me borrow your boyfriend,” he teased back.
“Hey, Larry is free,” she said.
A smile spread on his face. “True, but it would appear Bono is better.”
“Enough,” Sam sighed. “We have a show to do. And I don’t think about the sexual prowess of either man.”
Faith was warmed by the reception she received as she stepped on the stage. She placed her hand over her heart and thanked them. It was like starting all over. The few shows before Miami, she was sluggish and depressed. The last few days filled her with renewed energy. Bono watched off stage with a huge grin. It felt different watching her tonight. The last week had been a dream. Larry was taking things in stride. Every day, he warmed a bit more. His plan after the ending the tour in Miami was to take his bike across the south to LA with Dave. He and Dave spent hours pouring over maps and places of interest to stop along the way. That took his mind off the loss of Faith, which he had to admit, wasn’t as deep as he thought.
Faith stepped to the microphone for the last song of the night. “Thank you all so much, you’ve been an amazing crowd. I want to thank the fans that have sent flowers and cards over the last week. They mean more than you’ll ever know.” She turned back to her bandmates. “I want to thank my band - Alex, Ryan and Sam. Without your support and love, I’d never make it through. Thank you for taking care of me when I clearly could not. And thank you to the members of U2.” She looked off stage to see Bono and Edge. “Thank you for being an amazing family and taking care of me as one of your own. These last 8 months have been nothing short of incredible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As she placed her hand over her heart, Bono did likewise.
“You kiss me once,” as the band launched into ‘Kiss with a Fist’.
When they exited the stage, Bono had disappeared. Faith figured it was to get ready. She grabbed a towel and dried off her head. She would need to change for her duet with Bono. Gladly, she accepted the beer someone handed her. After some general discussion about the set, Faith excused herself to change clothes. She had hoped to see Bono before he hit the stage. She looked forward to watching him. Those were her hips now. Tonight, she would enjoy the wonder of them in their bed.
“I want you,” his voice growled behind as she rummaged through her wardrobe.
“Don’t you have to be on stage in 15 minutes?” she asked.
“I think it’s 17 minutes exactly. C’mon. Follow me,” he took her hand and led her through a maze of empty equipment cartons.
“I don’t think we have time for this,” she said.
He pulled her into his arms. “There’s always time for this.” He took her face in hands and kissed her hard. “Watching you tonight turned me on. I can’t go out in these like this.”
She looked down and laughed at the large bump in his shiny black pants. She pressed her against him. “This is my fault, you say?”
“I can’t get enough of you,” he kissed her neck. “We are spending one full week in bed after Miami.”
She laughed. “If this is my fault, I better take care of it, huh?”
Even in the dark, she saw his grin. “Oh, I wish you would.”
smurfs theme tune - YouTube
“Woman, I love you,” he kissed her. “And tonight, I return the favor.”
“You better,” she smacked his ass.
He entwined his finger through hers. “C’mon before they sic the dogs on us.”
They worked their way back towards the backstage.
“I better go this way or I’ll be blamed for a late start,” she said.
He pulled her against him and kissed her. While she satisfied his most immediate need, he felt insatiable. Maybe they would skip the after-party and go straight to bed.
She pulled away laughing. “You better go before you fill out those pants again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry was glad that he had a few days to digest everything before he had to watch their duet. It had always made him uncomfortable. From that first awkward night to the last night before Faith fainted. He felt that Bono was living out some fantasy when he danced with Faith. He knew Bono wasn’t that good of an actor. Though Faith seemed uneasy during their song. Some nights, she played along. Once Christy had joined the tour, they both appeared to go through the motions. Tonight, the lyrics meant everything to them. It was as if the thousands of fans just disappeared. Their faces beamed with huge smiles and they wound around each other. Tonight’s duet was a declaration of their love as they sang “You’re all I need to get by” staring in each other’s eyes. Edge was overcome by this private moment displayed for all to see. After everything, no words were truer.
“The beautiful Faith Sullivan everyone,” Bono announced. He stopped short of calling her the love of his life. He bowed to her and kissed her hand before she made her exit off stage.
Faith collapsed on the couch with a bottle of water.
“Duet was really good tonight,” Sam said.
She smiled. “Thanks.” It was amazing to not hide from herself or the way she felt about him.
Lucy’s eyes were slits as she staggered forward. Faith saw her zoning in on her. She guessed that she might owe Lucy an apology. But for what? She never had a real chance with Bono. Faith knew she’d been dipping into the hospitality bar. Maybe even bathing in it.
“You don’t deserve him,” Lucy scowled as she sat beside Faith on the couch. Her eyes wouldn’t meet Faith’s.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. Lucy, look....I didn’t set out to hurt you,” Faith started.
“You couldn’t be happy enough with Larry. You had to go after him too?” she whined.
A sickness settled into Faith’s stomach. Sometimes Lucy could be irrational and that was when she was sober. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“You knew I loved him!” Lucy wailed. The room stilled around them. “You were supposed to help me. You were supposed to be my friend!”
Faith looked over at Alex who was making her way towards them. Alex had to Lucy out of there.
“Lucy, I’m sorry he didn’t feel that way about you,” Faith said calmly. Ryan cleared the room of friends that milled about in their dressing room. This was going downhill fast as Lucy’s voice became more shrill and desperate.
“You didn’t give him a chance. You were always teasing and dancing with him like that on stage. I bet you never even talked to him for me, right?” her hands balled into fists.
“Lucy, I didn’t see him after that. The tour ended and that was it. Next time I saw him was with Christy,” She protested. And that wasn’t completely true. She saw him alone once - the night he told her loved her.
“You don’t deserve him,” Lucy spat.
“I don’t need to listen to this,” Faith was starting to get pissed. If not for her, Lucy wouldn’t be on this tour. Alex was ready to toss her future sister-in-law out on her ear at the start of the tour. It was Faith that found place for her.
“You slut,” Lucy slurred.
Now Sam was making his way over to try to control his sister. He and Alex had talked about Lucy’s increasingly erratic behavior. They just wanted to ride out the remainder of these dates.
“Fuck you, Lucy,” Faith growled. She felt bad that Lucy was hurting, but she never had a fucking chance.
“Why don’t go fuck Edge while your working your way through the band,” Lucy started after Faith who was trying to get away from her. Now that got Alex’s blood boiling. “Why don’t give him head backstage like you just did to Bono.”
Faith stopped short and turned to glare at her. “What?”
“Yeah, I saw you,” Lucy’s lips curled.
“You watched?” Faith asked incredulously.
Alex wasn’t sure what was more alarming- Lucy or Faith.
Lucy crossed her arms in front of her chest. She had been tucked in a corner and did indeed watch Faith and Bono’s pre-show act. She saw them talking in the corner. Her eyes watched as Faith pulled up his shirt and unbutton his pants. She saw the one thing she always hoped to see. And then she had heard his moans.Jealousy filled her.
“Okay,” Sam grabbed Lucy’s arm and pulled her away. “Let’s go for a walk and sober you up.” He looked to Faith. “I’m sorry. She’s way out of line.”
Lucy struggled to get away. “Don’t you stand up for her. I’m your sister!”
He looked to Alex. “I’ll see you later.” Forcefully, he led his sister out of the room.
Faith’s chest was heaving in anger and embarrassment. Ryan shook his head as he walked over with a smile. “You dirty girl. I’m so jealous...” he sighed.
Faith tried to stifle a smile. “Does it indeed taste like candy?”
Breaking into laughter and a flush purple flush, she said, “Like a Blow Pop.”
“Oh, gross,” Alex winced. “Are you guys 14?” She went to get another drink.
Bono had no clue why Ryan and Faith fell over each other in a fit of laughter when he walked backstage after the show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We need to sort out Edge and Alex," Bono said over breakfast. The sun warmed the patio on their hotel room.
"I know, but how?" She sipped her coffee. "It's just as complicated if not more than us."
He stroked his chin. "I know. You and Larry weren't together for very long. But how long have been Sam and Alex been dating?"
"A few years now." She said.
"Do you think she'll marry Sam?" He leaned back on his chair. "Have you talked to her about it?"
"I haven't. How do you say 'I think you are making a big mistake' to your band-mate?" And Faith knew Alex was about to regret it.
"You should have seen them at the hospital. Something was going on there. I don't know if it was just emotional or physical ....but there was a definite connection." He relayed the car ride to the hotel with them. Even sitting with them in the waiting room, there was a strange vibration between them. "Are you worried about how that would impact the band?"
"Of course. I'd be stupid to not consider it. But a divorce would be just as messy. And if Alex follows through, that's what would eventually happen," Faith sighed. "If he weren't with Morleigh, it might be different. "
"I'm not sure how much more mileage that has. I love Morleigh and she was very good for Edge when he needed it after his marriage fell apart. But it sort of stilted after the tour. On the tour, they were great, but they never found their stride after. They've been on life support since,"
Faith's face dropped. "Will that be us? Not finding our stride when this is over? Am I the bridge between Ali and your next great love?"
He sprung out of his seat. "You are the next great love. I have no doubt about that," he knelt before her.
"I'm sure that's what she thought too. Now look at them," she whispered.
"Morleigh didn't want to join his life, she wanted him in hers. His has children. There has to be compromise," he took her hands in his. "I know I mentioned how complicated my life is the night I told you I loved you. I hope you want to be a part of that. I know Eve and Jordan will love you as I do."
"What about Ali? Have you told her about this?" she asked.
"Thanks to the magazines, I won't have to. But she knew. I will talk to her because we have children and it's respectful. But nothing will change how I feel about you. I don't want to be with Ali. That's over and it has been. So don't you worry about that." He kissed the palm of her hand.
"The last week has been like a dream. I never thought it could ever be like this - especially with us. What happens after Miami?" It was a question that started to gnaw at her.
Things were great right now. For as fiercely independent as she was, she loved sharing her life with Bono. She never once felt suffocated. Their life together wasn't that much different than before Larry. Now, they could be open about their feelings. He could wrap his arms around her at the after-party. She could sit on his lap during lunch. They kissed whenever they wanted. What next?
"Christmas is about a week away. I suppose we need to consider that. I know I don't want to be without you on Christmas, so we'll figure out how to see both our families. The tour resumes at the end of January, and I want Strict Machine there. One, because I love your music and two, more selfishly, I want you with me," he said.
Her fears subsided a little. He was thinking about what next for them. She never got the sense that hers and Larry's relationship would last much beyond the last date of the tour. He never talked future with her. And that was fine since she wasn't sure herself.
"Have you thought about your mother?" he asked.
She nodded slowly. "John and I have talked a little bit about it. I was thinking of staying in Miami a few days after the tour. Maybe see her with John. See if there is anything worth saving. Some days, I'm so angry I can barely see straight. Other days, I feel sorry for her. We will never have the relationship she wants. Then I feel sorry for myself. If I get the chance to be a mother, I will not let my children down like that ever."
"Babe, you'll be an amazing mother," he kissed her. "I have no doubt of that." His tongue started to tease her in that way that drove her crazy. The rest of breakfast would have to wait. He led her back to their unmade bed of twisted sheets from the night before. He would never tire of her body. The phone rang and he grumbled. He muffled it with a pillow as he laid her on the bed. A few second later, it rang again.
"It could be important," she whispered.
"More important than this? I think not," he smiled as he deepened his kiss.
After the third time, he bolted upright. "What?" he growled into the phone. His face went from sheer annoyance to shock in a matter of seconds. He didn't blink as he tried to process the words Edge was saying over the phone. "No, it must be a mistake." Faith saw his hands start to shake. Her first thought was that something happened to the girls. "When did this happen?" She heard the urgency in his voice. "Who found him?" Faith felt relieved for a moment that the girls were okay. "Are they calling it that?" He ran his hand over his head as he blinked away tears. "Okay, I'll be down soon." Softly in a daze, he hung up the phone.
"What's happened?" she touched his arm.
He placed his hand over hers. "He's gone. Michael is gone."
She was confused. "Michael who?"
"Hutchence," his voice was thin. "INXS.....they are saying that he hanged himself."
She had no idea that they were good friends. He dove into her arms with tears falling. He muttered something like, "I should have know" and "I should have been there for him".
Faith cradled him in her arms. Rocking him gently, she attempted to soothe his broken heart. "You couldn't know what was inside him."
"I saw him earlier this year and he seemed shaky, but then again so was I," he said. "I was wrapped up in my own head about the divorce that I didn't see it."
Faith felt helpless as she watched her lover mourn. She held him tightly and kissed his tears. When he was all cried out, she led him to the shower. He was dazed as she undressed him and guided him in. When he was done, she wrapped him in a bathrobe.
Slowly, he was coming out of the haze of grief. He gave her a weak smile. "Thank you love."
She looked up. "You don't ever have to thank me for taking care of you."
Taking her face in his hands, his kiss was deeply spiritual. Together, they joined the others to mourn for Michael's passing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The show's following Michael's death were emotionally charged. Everyone felt raw and sensitive. Bono clung to Faith for support and a renewed appreciation for how lucky he was in his life. When he sang a snippet of ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ his eyes sought out Faith off the side. He was sang for Michael. He sang to her. He needed her more than anything right now to hold him together - like she’d had since she stepped on to that stage and into his life.
Edge felt alone in his grief. Morleigh would join him in Mexico for the final dates. In the meantime, he felt lost and lonely. Within her boundaries, Alex was there for him. The after party for the San Antonio was subdued and quiet. Sam retired early as he was nursing a terrible cold. Bono nudge Faith as he watched Alex follow Edge outside.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
He nodded and wrapped his arms around himself. "It's strange when a friend does this. You have so many questions. You wonder if there was anything you could have done. Should you have picked up the signs?"
"You can never know. And no matter what, you blame yourself," Alex sighed.
"Bono's having a harder time of it. He and Michael were close. Michael really helped support Bono when things went south with Ali. He had Bono stay with him for a few weeks to get the grief out. Bono came back from that holiday looking like shit after all that drinking and God knows what....but it seemed to have worked," Edge looked out into the Texas sky. "But he has Faith now. She's good for him. I'd hate to think if this all happened when things were all fucked up. Bono seems at peace and home, if you know what I mean."
"No, I get it. It's the same way with Faith. I would have never guessed it when you first suggested they would be a good pair," she chuckled lightly.
He smiled. "I have no idea how they balance each other, but they do. It's like they know when one needs to take a step back fior the other. I'm not even sure I saw that with Ali."
"How are you holding up? Is Morleigh coming out," she asked.
Edge picked up the sourness in her voice was she said Morleigh. "Yeah, in Mexico. I haven't seen her since the start of this leg. Could be interesting."
She wanted him to elaborate. She knew things had not been prefect between them. Since their night in the hospital together, she longed to be close to him again. After Sam left, Edge took care of her. He held her hand. She dozed on his shoulder taking in his scent. They talked about life and childhoods. They discussed their hopes for Bono and Faith - a thinly disguised wish for themselves.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do," she offered with her hand on his back.
He closed his eyes. Give me strength to do what needs to be done, he silently begged. "Thank you."
They stood like that for several minutes. He could barely breath feeling her heat so close by. How could they find their way, he wondered. As messy as it was for Faith and Bono - it seemed like a clearer path for them. Larry and Christy had been left on the cutting room floor, but the damage wasn't major. Larry picked himself up pretty easily. Could Sam or Strict Machine do that? Morleigh sounded like she was ready to move to New York. Maybe that was answer.
Alex was disappointed that he didn't wrap his arms around her. He did in the hospital. His kissed the top of her head and told her it would be okay. Slowly, she moved away. "I better see how Sam is."
He turned his head. "Good night Alex."
"Good night."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to know what you think," Faith sat cross-legged on Alex's bed.
She was torn. It would be another 2 months on the road, but would expose them to amazing places. Yet, they would sacrifice their own tour in the process. But it would mean 2 more months with Edge. This tour was coming to a grinding halt in 2 weeks. The thought of not knowing when she'd see him tore a hole in her. He'd always be in her life as long as Faith and Bono were together. And that showed no signs of breaking apart.
"I honestly don't know what the right move is," she shook her head. "What are your thoughts?"
"My thoughts are clouded by emotion which is why I tried to take myself out of the decision making here," Faith said truthfully.
She only knew what was going to happen in the next few weeks. John and Lisa would fly down to Miami for the final US show. They would spend the next few days with Patty. It would be a tough few days , but she had John and Bono. She and Bono would fly home to have Christmas in New York with her brother, before she flew to Ireland to have her first Christmas with Bono and his family. She wasn't sure which part made her more nervous - her mother or Bono's daughters. He tried to reassure her that they were thrilled the cool lady was coming home to spend time with them. It was still scary. She needed those girls to love her for this to work. Morleigh was evidence of that.
"Mine are too," Alex's voice dropped.
Just as Faith was about to have 'the talk', the door opened to Sam, Ryan and Sheila. It would take all 5 of them to make this decision. They assembled on the couch as Sheila made the pros and cons list to signing on for another 2 months. If they did, they would have played almost a full year with U2. That was unheard of these days. They had weathered the rumor of nepotism with Faith now involved with Bono. He openly admitted that he wanted their music and his girlfriend on tour with him.
"Tell us the downsides," Sam looked at Sheila.
"It delays your own tour. Which it would be much smaller than what you are used to now," she said.
"Arenas?" Ryan asked.
"If you open for someone else. You would most likely do large clubs and theaters. And we'd go south and west. I'd consider the northeast towards the end of spring," she said.
"What about a new album?" Alex asked.
"We could go into the studio and tour in the summer. I heard the Foo Fighters are looking for support acts for summer 98. As are Smashing Pumpkins," Sheila said.
Sam wanted to headline is own tour with his own fans - even if it meant going back to smaller venues.
"And what is the plus of continuing on with U2?" Ryan looked at Faith's face. He knew the position she was in. She was torn between love of her band and her love for Bono.
Sheila shrugged. "International audience. But some of that is a non-English speaking audience."
"What do you suggest?" Alex asked.
"I would say to skip the Rest of the World tour. Go into the studio, make new music and tour in the summer," Sheila said.
Faith knew that was the right choice for the band. Bono wouldn't be happy with the decision. That gave them 2 months until he left for South America. Depending how soon they were in the studio, she'd be in New York while he was in Dublin. Her raced as she worried about all that distance between them. Was this a bad idea after all? Had she let her guard down too soon? Ryan saw the panic she was failing to hide. He saw a similar look on Alex's face. That was the one that concerned him. He was sure that Edge may have something to do with that look.
"What if..." Ryan looked at the tour schedule. "we did both?"
"How do you figure?" Faith frowned.
"We could skip the South African part of the tour. Sheila's right....it's not in our best interest. We spend the next month writing and recording new material....then we join them in Australia and finish the tour. It gives us an extra 3 weeks to get stuff done and start recording. After South Africa, we finish up and have something to tour with come June or July," he sat back proudly.
Faith loved the idea. For her, it was the best of both worlds. Would the others’ buy it - and others’ being Sam.
Sam shook his head. "Why would we interrupt recording to tour for a month? And not even in the States!"
Alex wanted to hit her fiancee. While his argument made perfect sense logically, it pissed her off.
Ryan turned to him. "Because whether you want to admit or not, she,” he pointed to Faith, “is the driving force in this band. And we're going to get much more done and better performance out of her if we tour with U2 for a month than if we lock her in a studio."
Sam resented that the band's schedule was now revolving around U2's schedule. "Are we always going to tour with U2 now?"
"I was waiting for that," Faith smirked. "This is why I'm not involved in this decision. You are right. I want to followmy heart all the way to the other side of the world. But I love this band and I will do what is right for the band. If not touring is the right call, then that's it."
Alex turned to Sheila. "Is there a downside to Ryan's plan?"
She shrugged. "That's for you to decide."
Sam threw up his hands. "I'm pretty much out numbered here."
Faith glared at him. She knew he'd be the difficult one. Honestly, she knew this was a hard sell. They had spent almost a year away from home. Alex would be the easiest to convince. It was tow months with Edge. Alex knew it was time to sprinkle some sugar. She hopped off the bed and wrapped her arms around Sam's neck.
"It will be fun. It will be summer down under. It will be like a little vacation," she cooed.
He nuzzled into her. "Could be a honeymoon. "
That's when the real panic hit Alex's eyes. "Well, I won't have time to plan one before we go. It could be a pre-honeymoon."
Faith wondered how long Alex could put off this wedding. The look on Ryan's face echoed her thoughts.
Despite Alex's canoodling, Sam's eyes hardened on Faith. He wasn't convinced this was the right move for them as a band. The other two seemed to be happy to bend to her whims though.
"Fine," he sighed exasperatedly. "We'll join them in Australia." His eyes cut through Faith. "But you better be ready to work your ass off before we go."
She rolled her eyes. "Cause I'm such a slacker." She hardened her face. "Point taken, Samuel."
He bristled. Alex felt she got a little of what she wanted. Faith knew that Alex looked as though she made huge concessions for Faith's sake. Alex wanted this tour as much as she did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bono looked up from his laptop when Faith walked into their room. "How did it go?"
She flopped on the couch beside him. "It almost got very ugly."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"We were advised to skip this leg, which to credit Sheila was probably the right call for Strict Machine. But I knew that was going to not be the happiest conclusion. " she rubbed her eyes.
His face fell as he pulled her feet into his lap. "So, I guess that's it, huh?"
"No, you'll have to thank Ryan," she said. "He suggested we do both. We stay in New York to record a new album and join you in Australia. "
It wasn’t perfect, but he'd take what he could get. "Sam was the problem. "
She nodded. "Yeah, he didn't want to interrupt the recording process. I get that. And I would have stayed behind and worked hard."
Bono bit his lip. He didn't like the thought of them being apart for months at a time. They were going strong. He wanted to show her the rest of the world.
She smiled. "But Alex convinced him it was the right thing to do. Ryan made it sound like we were doing this to keep me creatively happy. I know Alex wants to be there as much as me."
He rubbed her legs. "So is that the plan? Stay in New York for January and join us mid February?"
"Against Sam's wishes, yes," she said.
"I can live with that. We'll fly back to New York after the holiday," he said.
"You aren't staying in Dublin with the girls?" She asked.
“I’ll go back for a week before I go on tour,” his fingers massaged her calves.
“You know, I will be working. I’ve been ordered by Sam,” she rolled her eyes.
He smiled as his hands moved past her knees. “I’ll be the perfect houseboy. I’ll have dinner for you when you get home.” He scooted closer. “I’ll do your laundry.”
She laughed. “Cooking and housework? That’d be rich!”
“When you are rich, you hire someone to do it. Meanwhile,” He leaned back. “I will rubbing essential oils on my body so that my skin is nice and soft for when you come home.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tried to tempt her with his chest.
She giggled. “Like I’ll have any energy.”
He kissed up her neck. “I’ll feed you chocolate covered espresso beans to give you energy.” He nuzzled her jaw. A sigh escaped from her mouth. The moment he placed his hands on her everything was on fire. “You’ll stay with me, yes?”
She blinked. “Wow, I hadn’t even considered that. I guess I figured I’d return to my one bedroom apartment.”
“As cozy as I’m sure it is, my place needs some love. I bought it right before Ali left. There’s not much to it. It needs you like I do,” he whispered.
Was he asking her to move in? “If I’m moving too fast, I’m sorry. I just want to be with you as much as I can. It seems silly to me for us to be in opposite ends of the same city. We should be together.”
“It is fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad,” she said. Her fingers raked through his fuzzy hair.
“No decisions need to be made tonight,” sin flashed in his eyes. “Except who gets to be on top.”
You know the drill...for the smurfy parts.
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (2nd Version) - YouTube
Bono woke the following morning with a start. The room illuminated in an orange glow. Curled in his arms, Faith still slept with her blond hair shooting up all over her head. He snuggled closer. They would need to get up soon, but not to sneak away. There was a plane to catch. He was happy to leave Miami and get on with life. For the first time in months maybe years, he felt well rested. He craned his neck to see the clock by the bed. It was 7am. He didn’t have to wake her just yet. But if he did, they’d have time for a nice long shower. That thought aroused him and made him feel impatient for her eyes to flutter. Yet, he still wouldn’t wake her. She’d been through so much lately. She looked peaceful in his arms. They had plenty of time for showers and everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It didn’t take for the magazines to start reporting on Faith’s past - the cancer, her mother. First came the photos of her on stage. Next, the photos of her and Bono leaving the hospital together. Faith fully expected that it would be in some tabloids. She didn’t expect the photos of her and Larry holding hands alongside a photo of her and Bono together. They pointed out that the photos were days apart. The articles slammed her and fell just short of calling her a whore. Her face was drawn in a deep frown as she read the US Weekly article. The National Enquirer was particularly nasty comparing the tour to a traveling orgy.
Bono leaned over her shoulder to see what had her undivided attention. “Jesus. Where did they find those photos?”
There were a few of Faith and Larry in New York and on tour. They dug up the Q cover story with Faith and Bono, some photos of their duet. On the next page was a large photo of their arms wrapped around one another outside the hotel the day she was released from the hospital.
“They make me sound like a slut,” she sighed.
Alex looked up from her lunch. “You know that’s not true.”
Faith shrugged. “Are they wrong? Have I not slept with 2 members of one band?”
Bono placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not like that.”
She shoved the magazine away.
Larry wandered by. “Hey, what’s up?”
Ryan handed him the Enquirer. Larry flipped through the article. His eyes scanned some of the more damaging remarks. “We’re suing,” he stated.
Faith shook her head. “Just leave it alone. Eventually, it will all go away.”
“You know WE don’t think that, right?” Larry said.
“I’m sorry,” her shoulders slumped. “This is a mess.”
Bono sat beside her. “You have nothing to be sorry about. They will forget about this. Yes, it’s newsworthy for now. But you are not the band whore.”
Larry cracked a smile. “At least not until Adam and Edge get in on the action.”
It was so ridiculous, Faith had to laugh. “Like a big orgy?”
Bono shuddered. “I’m sorry, that’s a horrifying thought.”
Larry wrapped his arm around Bono. “You’d love it, big guy.”
The table erupted in laughter. It was nice to see Bono and Larry talking again. Things would be okay. Bono reclaimed his eat beside her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pressed his forehead to hers. “It’s going to be okay.” She smiled and nodded.
Alex’s heart ached as she watched them. She realized that she has never felt like that before - save for when she was with Edge. Her eyes switched to Sam across the room. Did she ever look at him the way Faith looked at Bono? The last few days, they had been like two teenagers in love - giggling and kissing. She couldn’t help but be moved as she spied them tucked the in corner talking in low voices. They smiled at each other - breaking into laughter every so often. She couldn’t remember if she and Sam were ever that much in love. There was a tug in her chest knowing that if she married Sam, she may never know that feeling. Could that kind of love last? Were Faith and Bono fooling themselves?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faith hopped on the balls of her feet as she waited to take the stage. Even though she had taken the stage for 60 shows before, she was nervous about tonight.
“You okay?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah,” her voice was high and thin.
“Hey, I meant to ask you.....how is he in bed?” Ryan asked.
Faith turned to him. “What? Who?”
Ryan leaned in closer. “Bono, how is he? I bet he’s amazing...”
Faith grinned slyly. “Oh, he is.”
Dennis popped his head around the corner. “Okay, it’s time.”
“See? You seem more relaxed,” Ryan said.
“Oh you’re good,” she shoved him playfully.
“Maybe you’ll let me borrow your boyfriend,” he teased back.
“Hey, Larry is free,” she said.
A smile spread on his face. “True, but it would appear Bono is better.”
“Enough,” Sam sighed. “We have a show to do. And I don’t think about the sexual prowess of either man.”
Faith was warmed by the reception she received as she stepped on the stage. She placed her hand over her heart and thanked them. It was like starting all over. The few shows before Miami, she was sluggish and depressed. The last few days filled her with renewed energy. Bono watched off stage with a huge grin. It felt different watching her tonight. The last week had been a dream. Larry was taking things in stride. Every day, he warmed a bit more. His plan after the ending the tour in Miami was to take his bike across the south to LA with Dave. He and Dave spent hours pouring over maps and places of interest to stop along the way. That took his mind off the loss of Faith, which he had to admit, wasn’t as deep as he thought.
Faith stepped to the microphone for the last song of the night. “Thank you all so much, you’ve been an amazing crowd. I want to thank the fans that have sent flowers and cards over the last week. They mean more than you’ll ever know.” She turned back to her bandmates. “I want to thank my band - Alex, Ryan and Sam. Without your support and love, I’d never make it through. Thank you for taking care of me when I clearly could not. And thank you to the members of U2.” She looked off stage to see Bono and Edge. “Thank you for being an amazing family and taking care of me as one of your own. These last 8 months have been nothing short of incredible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As she placed her hand over her heart, Bono did likewise.
“You kiss me once,” as the band launched into ‘Kiss with a Fist’.
When they exited the stage, Bono had disappeared. Faith figured it was to get ready. She grabbed a towel and dried off her head. She would need to change for her duet with Bono. Gladly, she accepted the beer someone handed her. After some general discussion about the set, Faith excused herself to change clothes. She had hoped to see Bono before he hit the stage. She looked forward to watching him. Those were her hips now. Tonight, she would enjoy the wonder of them in their bed.
“I want you,” his voice growled behind as she rummaged through her wardrobe.
“Don’t you have to be on stage in 15 minutes?” she asked.
“I think it’s 17 minutes exactly. C’mon. Follow me,” he took her hand and led her through a maze of empty equipment cartons.
“I don’t think we have time for this,” she said.
He pulled her into his arms. “There’s always time for this.” He took her face in hands and kissed her hard. “Watching you tonight turned me on. I can’t go out in these like this.”
She looked down and laughed at the large bump in his shiny black pants. She pressed her against him. “This is my fault, you say?”
“I can’t get enough of you,” he kissed her neck. “We are spending one full week in bed after Miami.”
She laughed. “If this is my fault, I better take care of it, huh?”
Even in the dark, she saw his grin. “Oh, I wish you would.”
smurfs theme tune - YouTube
“Woman, I love you,” he kissed her. “And tonight, I return the favor.”
“You better,” she smacked his ass.
He entwined his finger through hers. “C’mon before they sic the dogs on us.”
They worked their way back towards the backstage.
“I better go this way or I’ll be blamed for a late start,” she said.
He pulled her against him and kissed her. While she satisfied his most immediate need, he felt insatiable. Maybe they would skip the after-party and go straight to bed.
She pulled away laughing. “You better go before you fill out those pants again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry was glad that he had a few days to digest everything before he had to watch their duet. It had always made him uncomfortable. From that first awkward night to the last night before Faith fainted. He felt that Bono was living out some fantasy when he danced with Faith. He knew Bono wasn’t that good of an actor. Though Faith seemed uneasy during their song. Some nights, she played along. Once Christy had joined the tour, they both appeared to go through the motions. Tonight, the lyrics meant everything to them. It was as if the thousands of fans just disappeared. Their faces beamed with huge smiles and they wound around each other. Tonight’s duet was a declaration of their love as they sang “You’re all I need to get by” staring in each other’s eyes. Edge was overcome by this private moment displayed for all to see. After everything, no words were truer.
“The beautiful Faith Sullivan everyone,” Bono announced. He stopped short of calling her the love of his life. He bowed to her and kissed her hand before she made her exit off stage.
Faith collapsed on the couch with a bottle of water.
“Duet was really good tonight,” Sam said.
She smiled. “Thanks.” It was amazing to not hide from herself or the way she felt about him.
Lucy’s eyes were slits as she staggered forward. Faith saw her zoning in on her. She guessed that she might owe Lucy an apology. But for what? She never had a real chance with Bono. Faith knew she’d been dipping into the hospitality bar. Maybe even bathing in it.
“You don’t deserve him,” Lucy scowled as she sat beside Faith on the couch. Her eyes wouldn’t meet Faith’s.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. Lucy, look....I didn’t set out to hurt you,” Faith started.
“You couldn’t be happy enough with Larry. You had to go after him too?” she whined.
A sickness settled into Faith’s stomach. Sometimes Lucy could be irrational and that was when she was sober. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“You knew I loved him!” Lucy wailed. The room stilled around them. “You were supposed to help me. You were supposed to be my friend!”
Faith looked over at Alex who was making her way towards them. Alex had to Lucy out of there.
“Lucy, I’m sorry he didn’t feel that way about you,” Faith said calmly. Ryan cleared the room of friends that milled about in their dressing room. This was going downhill fast as Lucy’s voice became more shrill and desperate.
“You didn’t give him a chance. You were always teasing and dancing with him like that on stage. I bet you never even talked to him for me, right?” her hands balled into fists.
“Lucy, I didn’t see him after that. The tour ended and that was it. Next time I saw him was with Christy,” She protested. And that wasn’t completely true. She saw him alone once - the night he told her loved her.
“You don’t deserve him,” Lucy spat.
“I don’t need to listen to this,” Faith was starting to get pissed. If not for her, Lucy wouldn’t be on this tour. Alex was ready to toss her future sister-in-law out on her ear at the start of the tour. It was Faith that found place for her.
“You slut,” Lucy slurred.
Now Sam was making his way over to try to control his sister. He and Alex had talked about Lucy’s increasingly erratic behavior. They just wanted to ride out the remainder of these dates.
“Fuck you, Lucy,” Faith growled. She felt bad that Lucy was hurting, but she never had a fucking chance.
“Why don’t go fuck Edge while your working your way through the band,” Lucy started after Faith who was trying to get away from her. Now that got Alex’s blood boiling. “Why don’t give him head backstage like you just did to Bono.”
Faith stopped short and turned to glare at her. “What?”
“Yeah, I saw you,” Lucy’s lips curled.
“You watched?” Faith asked incredulously.
Alex wasn’t sure what was more alarming- Lucy or Faith.
Lucy crossed her arms in front of her chest. She had been tucked in a corner and did indeed watch Faith and Bono’s pre-show act. She saw them talking in the corner. Her eyes watched as Faith pulled up his shirt and unbutton his pants. She saw the one thing she always hoped to see. And then she had heard his moans.Jealousy filled her.
“Okay,” Sam grabbed Lucy’s arm and pulled her away. “Let’s go for a walk and sober you up.” He looked to Faith. “I’m sorry. She’s way out of line.”
Lucy struggled to get away. “Don’t you stand up for her. I’m your sister!”
He looked to Alex. “I’ll see you later.” Forcefully, he led his sister out of the room.
Faith’s chest was heaving in anger and embarrassment. Ryan shook his head as he walked over with a smile. “You dirty girl. I’m so jealous...” he sighed.
Faith tried to stifle a smile. “Does it indeed taste like candy?”
Breaking into laughter and a flush purple flush, she said, “Like a Blow Pop.”
“Oh, gross,” Alex winced. “Are you guys 14?” She went to get another drink.
Bono had no clue why Ryan and Faith fell over each other in a fit of laughter when he walked backstage after the show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We need to sort out Edge and Alex," Bono said over breakfast. The sun warmed the patio on their hotel room.
"I know, but how?" She sipped her coffee. "It's just as complicated if not more than us."
He stroked his chin. "I know. You and Larry weren't together for very long. But how long have been Sam and Alex been dating?"
"A few years now." She said.
"Do you think she'll marry Sam?" He leaned back on his chair. "Have you talked to her about it?"
"I haven't. How do you say 'I think you are making a big mistake' to your band-mate?" And Faith knew Alex was about to regret it.
"You should have seen them at the hospital. Something was going on there. I don't know if it was just emotional or physical ....but there was a definite connection." He relayed the car ride to the hotel with them. Even sitting with them in the waiting room, there was a strange vibration between them. "Are you worried about how that would impact the band?"
"Of course. I'd be stupid to not consider it. But a divorce would be just as messy. And if Alex follows through, that's what would eventually happen," Faith sighed. "If he weren't with Morleigh, it might be different. "
"I'm not sure how much more mileage that has. I love Morleigh and she was very good for Edge when he needed it after his marriage fell apart. But it sort of stilted after the tour. On the tour, they were great, but they never found their stride after. They've been on life support since,"
Faith's face dropped. "Will that be us? Not finding our stride when this is over? Am I the bridge between Ali and your next great love?"
He sprung out of his seat. "You are the next great love. I have no doubt about that," he knelt before her.
"I'm sure that's what she thought too. Now look at them," she whispered.
"Morleigh didn't want to join his life, she wanted him in hers. His has children. There has to be compromise," he took her hands in his. "I know I mentioned how complicated my life is the night I told you I loved you. I hope you want to be a part of that. I know Eve and Jordan will love you as I do."
"What about Ali? Have you told her about this?" she asked.
"Thanks to the magazines, I won't have to. But she knew. I will talk to her because we have children and it's respectful. But nothing will change how I feel about you. I don't want to be with Ali. That's over and it has been. So don't you worry about that." He kissed the palm of her hand.
"The last week has been like a dream. I never thought it could ever be like this - especially with us. What happens after Miami?" It was a question that started to gnaw at her.
Things were great right now. For as fiercely independent as she was, she loved sharing her life with Bono. She never once felt suffocated. Their life together wasn't that much different than before Larry. Now, they could be open about their feelings. He could wrap his arms around her at the after-party. She could sit on his lap during lunch. They kissed whenever they wanted. What next?
"Christmas is about a week away. I suppose we need to consider that. I know I don't want to be without you on Christmas, so we'll figure out how to see both our families. The tour resumes at the end of January, and I want Strict Machine there. One, because I love your music and two, more selfishly, I want you with me," he said.
Her fears subsided a little. He was thinking about what next for them. She never got the sense that hers and Larry's relationship would last much beyond the last date of the tour. He never talked future with her. And that was fine since she wasn't sure herself.
"Have you thought about your mother?" he asked.
She nodded slowly. "John and I have talked a little bit about it. I was thinking of staying in Miami a few days after the tour. Maybe see her with John. See if there is anything worth saving. Some days, I'm so angry I can barely see straight. Other days, I feel sorry for her. We will never have the relationship she wants. Then I feel sorry for myself. If I get the chance to be a mother, I will not let my children down like that ever."
"Babe, you'll be an amazing mother," he kissed her. "I have no doubt of that." His tongue started to tease her in that way that drove her crazy. The rest of breakfast would have to wait. He led her back to their unmade bed of twisted sheets from the night before. He would never tire of her body. The phone rang and he grumbled. He muffled it with a pillow as he laid her on the bed. A few second later, it rang again.
"It could be important," she whispered.
"More important than this? I think not," he smiled as he deepened his kiss.
After the third time, he bolted upright. "What?" he growled into the phone. His face went from sheer annoyance to shock in a matter of seconds. He didn't blink as he tried to process the words Edge was saying over the phone. "No, it must be a mistake." Faith saw his hands start to shake. Her first thought was that something happened to the girls. "When did this happen?" She heard the urgency in his voice. "Who found him?" Faith felt relieved for a moment that the girls were okay. "Are they calling it that?" He ran his hand over his head as he blinked away tears. "Okay, I'll be down soon." Softly in a daze, he hung up the phone.
"What's happened?" she touched his arm.
He placed his hand over hers. "He's gone. Michael is gone."
She was confused. "Michael who?"
"Hutchence," his voice was thin. "INXS.....they are saying that he hanged himself."
She had no idea that they were good friends. He dove into her arms with tears falling. He muttered something like, "I should have know" and "I should have been there for him".
Faith cradled him in her arms. Rocking him gently, she attempted to soothe his broken heart. "You couldn't know what was inside him."
"I saw him earlier this year and he seemed shaky, but then again so was I," he said. "I was wrapped up in my own head about the divorce that I didn't see it."
Faith felt helpless as she watched her lover mourn. She held him tightly and kissed his tears. When he was all cried out, she led him to the shower. He was dazed as she undressed him and guided him in. When he was done, she wrapped him in a bathrobe.
Slowly, he was coming out of the haze of grief. He gave her a weak smile. "Thank you love."
She looked up. "You don't ever have to thank me for taking care of you."
Taking her face in his hands, his kiss was deeply spiritual. Together, they joined the others to mourn for Michael's passing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The show's following Michael's death were emotionally charged. Everyone felt raw and sensitive. Bono clung to Faith for support and a renewed appreciation for how lucky he was in his life. When he sang a snippet of ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ his eyes sought out Faith off the side. He was sang for Michael. He sang to her. He needed her more than anything right now to hold him together - like she’d had since she stepped on to that stage and into his life.
Edge felt alone in his grief. Morleigh would join him in Mexico for the final dates. In the meantime, he felt lost and lonely. Within her boundaries, Alex was there for him. The after party for the San Antonio was subdued and quiet. Sam retired early as he was nursing a terrible cold. Bono nudge Faith as he watched Alex follow Edge outside.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
He nodded and wrapped his arms around himself. "It's strange when a friend does this. You have so many questions. You wonder if there was anything you could have done. Should you have picked up the signs?"
"You can never know. And no matter what, you blame yourself," Alex sighed.
"Bono's having a harder time of it. He and Michael were close. Michael really helped support Bono when things went south with Ali. He had Bono stay with him for a few weeks to get the grief out. Bono came back from that holiday looking like shit after all that drinking and God knows what....but it seemed to have worked," Edge looked out into the Texas sky. "But he has Faith now. She's good for him. I'd hate to think if this all happened when things were all fucked up. Bono seems at peace and home, if you know what I mean."
"No, I get it. It's the same way with Faith. I would have never guessed it when you first suggested they would be a good pair," she chuckled lightly.
He smiled. "I have no idea how they balance each other, but they do. It's like they know when one needs to take a step back fior the other. I'm not even sure I saw that with Ali."
"How are you holding up? Is Morleigh coming out," she asked.
Edge picked up the sourness in her voice was she said Morleigh. "Yeah, in Mexico. I haven't seen her since the start of this leg. Could be interesting."
She wanted him to elaborate. She knew things had not been prefect between them. Since their night in the hospital together, she longed to be close to him again. After Sam left, Edge took care of her. He held her hand. She dozed on his shoulder taking in his scent. They talked about life and childhoods. They discussed their hopes for Bono and Faith - a thinly disguised wish for themselves.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do," she offered with her hand on his back.
He closed his eyes. Give me strength to do what needs to be done, he silently begged. "Thank you."
They stood like that for several minutes. He could barely breath feeling her heat so close by. How could they find their way, he wondered. As messy as it was for Faith and Bono - it seemed like a clearer path for them. Larry and Christy had been left on the cutting room floor, but the damage wasn't major. Larry picked himself up pretty easily. Could Sam or Strict Machine do that? Morleigh sounded like she was ready to move to New York. Maybe that was answer.
Alex was disappointed that he didn't wrap his arms around her. He did in the hospital. His kissed the top of her head and told her it would be okay. Slowly, she moved away. "I better see how Sam is."
He turned his head. "Good night Alex."
"Good night."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to know what you think," Faith sat cross-legged on Alex's bed.
She was torn. It would be another 2 months on the road, but would expose them to amazing places. Yet, they would sacrifice their own tour in the process. But it would mean 2 more months with Edge. This tour was coming to a grinding halt in 2 weeks. The thought of not knowing when she'd see him tore a hole in her. He'd always be in her life as long as Faith and Bono were together. And that showed no signs of breaking apart.
"I honestly don't know what the right move is," she shook her head. "What are your thoughts?"
"My thoughts are clouded by emotion which is why I tried to take myself out of the decision making here," Faith said truthfully.
She only knew what was going to happen in the next few weeks. John and Lisa would fly down to Miami for the final US show. They would spend the next few days with Patty. It would be a tough few days , but she had John and Bono. She and Bono would fly home to have Christmas in New York with her brother, before she flew to Ireland to have her first Christmas with Bono and his family. She wasn't sure which part made her more nervous - her mother or Bono's daughters. He tried to reassure her that they were thrilled the cool lady was coming home to spend time with them. It was still scary. She needed those girls to love her for this to work. Morleigh was evidence of that.
"Mine are too," Alex's voice dropped.
Just as Faith was about to have 'the talk', the door opened to Sam, Ryan and Sheila. It would take all 5 of them to make this decision. They assembled on the couch as Sheila made the pros and cons list to signing on for another 2 months. If they did, they would have played almost a full year with U2. That was unheard of these days. They had weathered the rumor of nepotism with Faith now involved with Bono. He openly admitted that he wanted their music and his girlfriend on tour with him.
"Tell us the downsides," Sam looked at Sheila.
"It delays your own tour. Which it would be much smaller than what you are used to now," she said.
"Arenas?" Ryan asked.
"If you open for someone else. You would most likely do large clubs and theaters. And we'd go south and west. I'd consider the northeast towards the end of spring," she said.
"What about a new album?" Alex asked.
"We could go into the studio and tour in the summer. I heard the Foo Fighters are looking for support acts for summer 98. As are Smashing Pumpkins," Sheila said.
Sam wanted to headline is own tour with his own fans - even if it meant going back to smaller venues.
"And what is the plus of continuing on with U2?" Ryan looked at Faith's face. He knew the position she was in. She was torn between love of her band and her love for Bono.
Sheila shrugged. "International audience. But some of that is a non-English speaking audience."
"What do you suggest?" Alex asked.
"I would say to skip the Rest of the World tour. Go into the studio, make new music and tour in the summer," Sheila said.
Faith knew that was the right choice for the band. Bono wouldn't be happy with the decision. That gave them 2 months until he left for South America. Depending how soon they were in the studio, she'd be in New York while he was in Dublin. Her raced as she worried about all that distance between them. Was this a bad idea after all? Had she let her guard down too soon? Ryan saw the panic she was failing to hide. He saw a similar look on Alex's face. That was the one that concerned him. He was sure that Edge may have something to do with that look.
"What if..." Ryan looked at the tour schedule. "we did both?"
"How do you figure?" Faith frowned.
"We could skip the South African part of the tour. Sheila's right....it's not in our best interest. We spend the next month writing and recording new material....then we join them in Australia and finish the tour. It gives us an extra 3 weeks to get stuff done and start recording. After South Africa, we finish up and have something to tour with come June or July," he sat back proudly.
Faith loved the idea. For her, it was the best of both worlds. Would the others’ buy it - and others’ being Sam.
Sam shook his head. "Why would we interrupt recording to tour for a month? And not even in the States!"
Alex wanted to hit her fiancee. While his argument made perfect sense logically, it pissed her off.
Ryan turned to him. "Because whether you want to admit or not, she,” he pointed to Faith, “is the driving force in this band. And we're going to get much more done and better performance out of her if we tour with U2 for a month than if we lock her in a studio."
Sam resented that the band's schedule was now revolving around U2's schedule. "Are we always going to tour with U2 now?"
"I was waiting for that," Faith smirked. "This is why I'm not involved in this decision. You are right. I want to followmy heart all the way to the other side of the world. But I love this band and I will do what is right for the band. If not touring is the right call, then that's it."
Alex turned to Sheila. "Is there a downside to Ryan's plan?"
She shrugged. "That's for you to decide."
Sam threw up his hands. "I'm pretty much out numbered here."
Faith glared at him. She knew he'd be the difficult one. Honestly, she knew this was a hard sell. They had spent almost a year away from home. Alex would be the easiest to convince. It was tow months with Edge. Alex knew it was time to sprinkle some sugar. She hopped off the bed and wrapped her arms around Sam's neck.
"It will be fun. It will be summer down under. It will be like a little vacation," she cooed.
He nuzzled into her. "Could be a honeymoon. "
That's when the real panic hit Alex's eyes. "Well, I won't have time to plan one before we go. It could be a pre-honeymoon."
Faith wondered how long Alex could put off this wedding. The look on Ryan's face echoed her thoughts.
Despite Alex's canoodling, Sam's eyes hardened on Faith. He wasn't convinced this was the right move for them as a band. The other two seemed to be happy to bend to her whims though.
"Fine," he sighed exasperatedly. "We'll join them in Australia." His eyes cut through Faith. "But you better be ready to work your ass off before we go."
She rolled her eyes. "Cause I'm such a slacker." She hardened her face. "Point taken, Samuel."
He bristled. Alex felt she got a little of what she wanted. Faith knew that Alex looked as though she made huge concessions for Faith's sake. Alex wanted this tour as much as she did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bono looked up from his laptop when Faith walked into their room. "How did it go?"
She flopped on the couch beside him. "It almost got very ugly."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"We were advised to skip this leg, which to credit Sheila was probably the right call for Strict Machine. But I knew that was going to not be the happiest conclusion. " she rubbed her eyes.
His face fell as he pulled her feet into his lap. "So, I guess that's it, huh?"
"No, you'll have to thank Ryan," she said. "He suggested we do both. We stay in New York to record a new album and join you in Australia. "
It wasn’t perfect, but he'd take what he could get. "Sam was the problem. "
She nodded. "Yeah, he didn't want to interrupt the recording process. I get that. And I would have stayed behind and worked hard."
Bono bit his lip. He didn't like the thought of them being apart for months at a time. They were going strong. He wanted to show her the rest of the world.
She smiled. "But Alex convinced him it was the right thing to do. Ryan made it sound like we were doing this to keep me creatively happy. I know Alex wants to be there as much as me."
He rubbed her legs. "So is that the plan? Stay in New York for January and join us mid February?"
"Against Sam's wishes, yes," she said.
"I can live with that. We'll fly back to New York after the holiday," he said.
"You aren't staying in Dublin with the girls?" She asked.
“I’ll go back for a week before I go on tour,” his fingers massaged her calves.
“You know, I will be working. I’ve been ordered by Sam,” she rolled her eyes.
He smiled as his hands moved past her knees. “I’ll be the perfect houseboy. I’ll have dinner for you when you get home.” He scooted closer. “I’ll do your laundry.”
She laughed. “Cooking and housework? That’d be rich!”
“When you are rich, you hire someone to do it. Meanwhile,” He leaned back. “I will rubbing essential oils on my body so that my skin is nice and soft for when you come home.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tried to tempt her with his chest.
She giggled. “Like I’ll have any energy.”
He kissed up her neck. “I’ll feed you chocolate covered espresso beans to give you energy.” He nuzzled her jaw. A sigh escaped from her mouth. The moment he placed his hands on her everything was on fire. “You’ll stay with me, yes?”
She blinked. “Wow, I hadn’t even considered that. I guess I figured I’d return to my one bedroom apartment.”
“As cozy as I’m sure it is, my place needs some love. I bought it right before Ali left. There’s not much to it. It needs you like I do,” he whispered.
Was he asking her to move in? “If I’m moving too fast, I’m sorry. I just want to be with you as much as I can. It seems silly to me for us to be in opposite ends of the same city. We should be together.”
“It is fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad,” she said. Her fingers raked through his fuzzy hair.
“No decisions need to be made tonight,” sin flashed in his eyes. “Except who gets to be on top.”
You know the drill...for the smurfy parts.
I want to know how it all ends and if everything on my wish list eventuates or not, but at the same time I don't want it to be over! How many more chappies are you planning? 
If only.
Wow.
