Zac turned to Matt as they pulled up out the front of Taylor's house. "It's hard, she doesn't remember anything really. Bits and pieces, but nothing solid."
Matt nodded. "It's ok, you've prepped me. I still want to do this."
"Ok, good," Zac replied. "I think it'll help... you were with her at the Station and we weren't, there's a lot you can tell her about her life."
"Ok, let's do this."
They both got out of Zac's car and walked up to the house. Zac gave him a thumbs up and then knocked on the door.
Natalie
Natalie fetched the door, Viggo adorning her hip once again.
"Hey Zac, Matt," she smiled in greeting, stepping aside, "Avery's down in the studio with Taylor. Go ahead."
Zac, Matt and Avery
"Hey," Zac greeted, kissing Viggo's forehead as he stepped in the house. "Thanks, Nat."
"Hey, long time no see," Matt grinned slightly, and tickled under Viggo's chin. "Hey kiddo."
Zac led Matt through the house down to the studio, where he opened the door slowly, so as not to spook anyone.
Avery was sat on a stool, holding her guitar and strumming absently. She looked up at the new arrivals.
Taylor
"Hey," Taylor looked up from where he sat with his acoustic.
He lifted the guitar with one hand and went to shake Matt's with his right.
"Good to see you," he nodded pointedly.
Matt, Avery and Zac
"Anything to help," Matt replied to Taylor, before turning to Avery.
He approached her slowly, and she stood, resting the guitar against its stand.
"Hi, I'm Matt," he said, holding his hand out to her. "We grew up together, in a way. I used to make a lot of sexually inappropriate jokes and you used to cut off my voice telepathically."
Avery smiled slightly and shook his hand. "Hi."
Zac snorted.
Taylor
"You think this'll work?" Taylor sidled over to Zac, guitar still in hand.
Zac, Matt and Avery
"It was worth a shot," Zac shrugged. "He knew about her life back then, we didn't. Not to mention, up until last year, they were dating."
"You also found me incredibly handsome and charming," Matt went on, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Well, now I know you're lying," Avery teased, relaxing around him. "Because that seems highly unlikely."
"Avery!" Matt held his hand over his heart. "How you wound me with your words, dear lady."
She paused, and then laughed, feeling at ease him in and not knowing why.
"So," Matt drawled, nodding towards the guitar. "Can you still play that thing?"
"Kind of."
Taylor
"Go ahead and show him what you were working on earlier," Taylor insisted, before lowering his voice to Zac again.
"Chris is in the shower by the way."
Zac, Matt and Avery
"The flame still burns brightly," Zac murmured, indicating Avery and Matt. "So maybe this'll give Christian the kick he needs to get lost. And stay lost."
Matt sat down on another stool, facing Avery, as she picked her guitar up again.
"Um, ok," she bit her lip, then started to play, her head bopping in time with the melody.
"I can't decide if it's a choice / Getting swept away / I hear the sound of my own voice / Asking you to stay / And all we are is skin and bone trained to get along / Forever going with the flow, but you're friction / This slope is treacherous / This path is reckless / This slope is treacherous / And I, I, I like it..." she sang, looking up at Matt from underneath her hair.
He smiled faintly, and joined in with the next verse.
"Two headlights shine through the sleepless night / And I will get you, get you alone / Your name has echoed through my mind / And I just think you should, think you should know / That nothing safe is worth the drive and I will / Follow you, follow you home... I'll follow you, follow you home..."
"How did you...?" Avery trailed off, while Matt smiled.
Taylor & Christian
"For once I agree with you on that," Taylor sighed, watching them.
Christian meanwhile could hear the music as he got out of the shower and dressed in the shirt that Avery had been wearing on the ride back to Tulsa.
They must have left the music room door open.
He smiled to himself when he recognised Avery's voice, then it dulled when he heard an unknown male interject.
Grunting to himself, he pulled on his jeans and packed his dirty clothes up before going to dump them in the bedroom. That done, he headed for the music room.
Taylor looked up as he spotted the shadow in his peripheral.
Zac, Matt and Avery
Zac turned when he heard a moment and stopped himself from rolling his eyes.
"You wrote it when we..." Matt paused for a moment, unsure if he should continue, but went on anyway. "We dated. It's about us. That's how I know."
Avery nodded, fingers stilling on the strings. She tilted her head a little to the left.
"Did we love each other?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.
"We did," he replied. "I can't speak for you, but... it never really went away."
She smiled at that, and with one hand, tapped her head. "I heard."
Christian & Taylor
Chris couldn't help but clench his jaw a little when he saw that it was Matt in the room.
"Hey," he nodded to Taylor and Zac, stepping over to where they were and eyeing the guitar still in Taylor's hand, "so... Matt, huh?"
"Yes," Taylor nodded the affirmative, before setting the guitar aside and folding his arms.
Zac, Matt and Avery
Zac smiled smugly.
"Have we met?" Matt asked, looking at Christian.
"He saved me," Avery said absently, strumming the guitar again. "His name is Neal."
Christian & Taylor
"I don't believe so," Christian stepped forward to offer his hand, knowing fully well he was the only person in the room to know that they actually had, "as she says, 'Neal'."
Taylor squinted at him, not for the first time wondering why he decided on the name change.
"And you are?" Chris asked, interested in his explanation.
Avery, Matt and Zac
Avery frowned, thinking she may have caught a thought, but then it disappeared, and she kept her eyes on Neal and Matt.
"I'm Matt," he said, shrugging. "An old friend of Avery's."
"A close friend," Zac smirked. "One that triggered a few memories."
Christian
"Oh that's great!" Christian nodded enthusiastically.
"Good memories, I hope."
He made a strategic glance at Matt.
Zac, Matt and Avery
"Obviously," Zac snorted.
Matt shrugged slightly. "I think so."
"He's nice, I like him," Avery said, glancing at Matt.
Christian & Taylor
"Of course you do, you were together for a reason," Chris pointed out.
Sensing some tension rising in the room, Taylor took a step forward.
"Does anyone want anything to drink?" he offered.
Matt, Zac and Avery
"No thanks," Matt said, his eyes sliding back to Avery. "Well, I hope you liked me, Purple."
Zac shook his head, watching Matt and Christian.
"I'm good, Tay," Avery said. "Purple?"
"You had purple hair once," Matt told her. "And a nose ring. It was your rebellious phase."
Christian & Taylor
"Oh I remember that," Christian mused, "you called her 'Purple'?"
Plan failing, Taylor rolled his eyes and went to sit at the piano again.
Matt and Avery
"Yeah, she hated it," Matt grinned. "I believe I got smacked a lot for that."
Avery let out a laugh. "I'm thinking I probably smacked you a lot."
"You're not wrong," he winked.
Avery noticed Taylor moving, and she had a flash of something. "Tay, you threw paint at me."
Taylor
"Huh?" Taylor frowned, confused.
He was happy to finally have a memory related to him, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd done that...
Zac and Avery
"Like in 'Give A Little'?" Zac asked.
"I don't know what that is," Avery replied, but she was looking at Taylor intently. "There was a paint fight. I just remember..."
Taylor & Christian
"We didn't have a paint fight in the video," Taylor looked to Zac, "and actually, she wasn't even there for that. She was in Europe at the time."
Christian felt a cold chill up his back, looking between them intently.
Avery and Zac
"No, we did," Avery insisted, then looked closely at Taylor. "But... your eyes were... they weren't blue. They were brown. I think. Is that possible?"
Zac immediately shifted his glare back to Christian.
Taylor & Christian
Taylor's eyes immediately fell on Christian, and his mind raced for some kind of explanation.
"I'm sure you got up to all sorts of things when all your siblings were together," Christian offered, eyeing Taylor in return.
"Um yeah, sure," Taylor scratched his neck awkwardly.
Zac, Matt and Avery
Zac's eyes didn't move from Christian.
"So, Flava-Flav," Matt said, changing the subject because he could see Avery was getting uneasy. "Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?"
He nodded towards the guitar.
"Do you remember any of your songs?"
"I found my music book in my bag," Avery replied. "I was looking at it this morning... I don't know though."
Christian & Taylor
Christian breathed a sigh of relief at the subject change, then rolled his eyes when he felt Taylor's on him again.
"Why are we waiting to go see Tanya anyway?" he asked as he turned to him.
"I called her the day you got here," Taylor said, scratching his arm uneasily, "she's got some form of contagious disease... shingles I think? She can't see anyone for at least a week, maybe two."
Christian's eyebrows rose.
"Shingles? Really?"
"Human bodies, susceptible to human flaws," Taylor shrugged.
Zac
"We're just as eager as you to get this sorted," Zac put in. "I for one, would very much like my sister back to normal."
He didn't need to add 'and for you to be gone'.
Christian & Taylor
"Wasn't questioning," Chris shook his head, eyes on Zac.
"Anyway we're on speed dial for when it clears," Taylor assured, "she didn't seem to know anything for sure over the phone, only that perhaps someone's managed to put a block over her memories. Kind of like I did with Blakesley that time."
"Wouldn't they have to be at least at her skill level though?" Christian frowned.
"I have no idea," Taylor shrugged helplessly.
Zac and Avery
"Well, hopefully Tanya will be able to clear that up, I mean... Avery's always had a good relationship with her, so hopefully that'll also jog some memories," Zac shrugged.
Avery looked up at the sound of her name.
Taylor
"Don't stop on our count," Taylor insisted, looking over at her.
Avery and Zac
"Then stop talking about me like I'm not here," Avery replied, before going back to playing the guitar.
Zac smiled slightly and lowered his voice. "Well, that's the Avery I know..."
Taylor & Christian
Taylor smiled to himself.
"I'm gonna go grab a coffee," Chris announced, giving Matt another glance before leaving the room.
Zac, Matt and Avery
"Good," Zac breathed, when Christian finally left. "I really wish he'd pack it in already."
Matt glanced over at Avery's brothers and then back at Avery.
"Flava-Flav, you doing ok?" he asked.
She nodded, continuing to play.
Taylor
"Just keep in mind that Avery doesn't need the tension," Taylor said softly.
"He may actually be doing a good thing by not bringing up their volatile past. Or coaxing it, with his face."
He gave Zac a glance, then left the room to follow Christian.