You're My Favourite Sound

The attack wouldn't haunt October for long, she knew she didn't have to see Derek again.

For a week she'd had nightmares and always found herself jumping awake in Ethan's arms, where he'd hold her and sooth her back to sleep again. He'd taken that week off to make sure he'd be home with her at all times and to help her get over this quickly, which she did. Her bruises healed rapidly and any trace of Derek on her body soon disappeared.

Hazel and Joshi took care of keeping her focused at school and Billie Joe made sure to call her three times a day.

Her laptop had barely survived the abuse, but Alex, as the computer crack himself, managed to at least get everything she had on the hard drive. She bought a new one and the matter was closed.

"Hey, man," Ethan greeted Alex behind the bar as things were beginning to shut down for the end of the week inside Audio Grind.

"How's it going, dude?" Alex said, extending a hand across the counter.

"Pretty good," Ethan replied as he slapped the older man's hand, giving it a quick shake.

"What are you doing here?" October asked as she came around the bar and gave him a quick kiss.

"To pick you up," he told his fiancee, taking one of her hands in his own. "I just wanted to make sure you got home safe."

She sighed, "I wish you wouldn't fuss over me so much."

"You're going to be my wife," Ethan stated, "Fussing is my first priority."

October grinned. "What about my car?"

He shrugged, "We can pick it up tomorrow. Come on, go get your stuff."

"Okay," she smiled and went round through to the back.

"I gotta tell ya," Alex smirked, putting the last of the shot glasses away, "She's one lucky girl having two guys like you and Frank giving her all the fuss she needs... even if she says she doesn't need it." He chuckled lightly.

Ethan frowned. "Frank? He's been fussing?"

"Yeah, well he's been here a few times to check up on her," Alex shrugged. "I think it was good of you to let them go out, he's been a good friend to her."

The creases on Ethan's brow deepened. "Go out?"

"Yeah, you know, last week when they went out for a bite..." He trailed off after taking in the look on the younger man's face. "She didn't tell you, did she?" he said and sighed. "Oh, man."

October just managed to catch what Alex had spilled to Ethan whilst she walked back out to the bar area, and stopped in mid-step as her fiance's eyes caught her own.

"What is he talking about?" Ethan questionned instantly.

"Alex!" she hissed, putting the rest of her jacket on.

"You said you told him!" Alex replied in his own defense.

"You met up with Frank behind my back?" Ethan demanded.

"It was just a catch up, Ethan," October said, taking the rest of the steps over to him and placing her purse on the bar. "Please don't be upset."

"This is the second time you've kept something from me," he continued, shaking his head angrily.

"It was nothing! Okay? After all this time, how can you not trust me?"

"When you go eating with men from your past and don't tell me about it!"

October sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should've told you."

"Yeah," Ethan agreed, "You should've."

She nodded her head. "I promise, next time I will deffinately tell you." She went to pull him in for a hug, but Ethan stepped back.

"Woah, wait... Next time?" Alex winced silently as Ethan carried on, "There's not gonna be a next time, you can't ever see him again."

"I can't see him?" October repeated, "I mean, you can't tell me what to do, Ethan."

Alex motioned with his thumb to the back, "I'm just gonna... um... yeah..." And he left the argument.

"I don't like this," Ethan said, shaking his head quickly, "The first time, you didn't tell me he was at the club, then you met up secretly, and you called him instead of me when you got attacked..." Whilst he said the last part, his voice got quieter as he revealed this wasn't just about honesty. This was about jealousy.

"What?" whispered October. Ethan bit his lip a little.

"Why did you call him that night?" he asked, "You should have called me."

"He was the first person on my calls list," she replied plainly.

"Oh, so calling him has been a regular thing?" Ethan assumed, cocking an eyebrow.

"No," disagreed October, "He called that one night just to see how I was, that's it."

"Oh, I bet he did," he replied harshly.

"He saved my life!" she reminded him.

"Yeah and if you'd called me, I would have saved your life!"

October shoved her face in both her hands and ran them back through her hair. "Oh my God, Ethan," she sighed frustratingly, and her darkly lined eyes shot back up to him. "You've got no reason to be jealous! Just be thankful Frank was able to get to me and move the fuck on!" She grabbed her purse and turned on her heel, storming straight out of the club and leaving Ethan behind, cursing to himself.

October got in her car and raced to the destination she wanted to get to. She parked in the apartment complex parking lot and took the stairs two at a time to the second floor, too impatient to wait for the elevator. She knocked on the fire engine red door and hoped one of her best friends would be in. To her luck, Joshi opened the door with a grin, but it dropped on his pretty face as he saw hers.

"D'you have any liquor?" she asked him.

Hazel was out on her first date since Ben, and it appeared to be going well as she hadn't returned home yet. So the two out of the threesome ended up doing some shots and smoking a couple joints in the dimly lit living room as October told her gay friend what had happened. Joshi always knew how to listen and sympathise, he'd had a lot of practice since October moved to LA when they were seventeen, so he knew how to be there for her.

He still had his platinum blonde hair, though it was a little longer than it was back in high school, and those gorgeous blue eyes everyone loved. He wore a pair of grey sweats that he liked to sleep in with a tank top that revealed his toned, muscular arms he'd achieved from dancing.

"He's being so childish about the whole thing," October said from one side of the sofa she and Joshi were sprawled out on, "Acting like I still have feelings for Frank or something."

Joshi took a drag from the joint he held, letting the delicious smoke fill his lungs as he thought for a moment, before asking, "Do you still have feelings for him?" He held out the joint to her as he waited for her answer. She took it and inhaled.

"Come on, Josh," she shook her head, smoke escaping her lips.

"Are you sure? Because you know I hate seeing you hurting..."

"I won't let myself go through that again," said October, and sighed. "I just don't wanna fight about this with Ethan, it's ridiculous, and he's going to New York in a few days which makes it worse."

"You have to sort this out with him by then or everything's just gonna blow up when he leaves you."

"How, Joshi? How can I sort this when he's really mad at me?"

He took the joint back from her, took a puff, and said, "You give him some space tonight, let him cool down, and you wait for him to call you so you know he's ready to talk again. Don't worry, give him an hour or so, and he'll call." He watched as his lady friend nodded and murmured an "okay" to herself.

October's cell vibrated on the coffee table, telling her she had a new text message, and she leant over to pick it up.

'Hey i was gonna come to the club but got caught up, everything ok?'

"It's Frank, right?" Joshi said from the opposite side of the seat.

October looked up from the bright screen, "How'd you know that?"

"I know that face," he smirked, "It always used to light up like that whenever Frank texted you." October ignored him and sent a reply, clicking away on the buttons. "What does he want?" asked Joshi.

She shrugged briefly whilst placing the cell back on the table, "Just to see how I am."

"Did you tell him about the fight?"

"Yup."

"What do you think he'll do?"

October chewed on her piercing. "Nothing hopefully. I don't want him involved, it'll just make it worse."

"Hmm," the dancer agreed, and suddenly sat up. "Come on, let's do another shot."

"I don't like liars."

"She hasn't lied to you, she just... didn't mention it."

"Same thing in my book."

Alex told David he'd close the club tonight, so he and Ethan were sat at the bar with a bottle of whiskey between them.

"Come on, man," Alex tried, "She said it didn't mean anything."

"Then why didn't she tell me?" Ethan looked up at the older man, "If it meant nothing, Alex, why didn't she tell me about it?"

Alex just stared back at the twenty two year old, unable to come up with an answer that might explain why. Why hadn't October told him? And why did she tell Alex it was taken care of?

"She loves you," he finally told Ethan softly. "You know that. Dude, this is you and October, you guys don't fight. I mean, I don't remember the last time I saw you yelling at each other."

"I know," Ethan whispered and gulped down some of his drink.

There was a sudden light bang noise followed by quiet footsteps, and both men turned their heads in the direction of the back door as Frank came into view. He stopped gradually as he spotted the two pairs of eyes on him.

"Door was unlocked," he said simply.

"Don't waste your time, Frank, she's not here," Ethan informed him, finishing the last of his spirit.

"Actually, I came here looking for you." Ethan put down the glass and stared back at him.

"Let me guess, she went running to you and you've come here to teach me a lesson?"

"She's with Joshi," came Frank's reply, "And I think you have every right to be mad." The youngest of the cousins kept his eyes on the oldest, a hint of surprise on his face. "Alex, could you give us a minute? Please?"

"Sure, yeah," Alex answered, grabbing his glass and motioning to the back with his thumb, "I'll just, um... yeah..." And he was gone.

Frank took his old friend's place behind the bar as Ethan sat on the other side, pouring more whiskey into his glass, offering him some with a glare.

"I don't drink," Frank stated plainly.

"Oh, right," smirked Ethan mockingly, "You're this straight-edge guy now, right? How's that working for ya?"

"I didn't come here to talk about me," he replied, not liking his younger cousin's attitude.

"Come on then, little man, what is it that you need to say to defend your precious Octy?" the youngest started, hoping he'd sounded like the 'hard man'.

"Okay, first of all, Ethan, stop with the bitterness, we both know that's not who you are. October knows that, so stop being an ass, alright?" Ethan just stared at Frank, more surprise on his face and a little embarassed, before finally sighing.

"At times like these, I wish I wasn't so sensitive," he admitted quietly.

"I think it's better that you are," Frank disagreed, "October doesn't deserve all that from you."

Ethan sulkingly sipped on his drink. "It's just... we've never kept anything from each other, and then you come back and suddenly there's secrets, and it's just weird because, I mean, it's you and..."

"I know, I understand," Frank cut in with a nod, "I get it." He paused for a moment, taking in the younger man's sadness. "October doesn't want to be with me, she told me that from the beginning, not that I'm saying I wanted her to be with me... but you've got absolutely no reason to be jealous, okay?" He hoped he sounded convincing because he really didn't want to be the reason they were fighting.

"Are you jealous?" Ethan quizzed then, looking up at him from the bar.

"What?" Frank exhaled.

"Are you jealous I'm the one with October and you're not?" he put more clearly.

"What?" Frank repeated. "Come on, I'm with Jamia, I've found my girl," he said, but Ethan didn't look convinced. Frank sighed and tried again. "Look, three years ago we wouldn't have gotten together anyway, alright? It just wouldn't have worked... for either of us. Everyone knows you two make way more sense then she and I ever would... I just want her to be happy and I know being with you has achieved that, you're so good for her." The youngest of the cousins' expression softened and his blue eyes moved back down to the counter. "She should have told you that she'd seen me, yes, but it's just some things slip her mind one minute and the next she gets all panicky and scared, you know what she's like..."

"I don't want her to be scared, just as long as she tells me these things, that's all that matters." Ethan throated the last of his drink and chuckled ever so lightly. "This is so stupid... I didn't even want this to turn into some big fight."

"Then go tell her," Frank shrugged, "Get this shit out of the way and concentrate on getting married."

Ethan nodded, putting down his empty glass. He opened his mouth to say something else, but hesitated. "Alex tells me you've been a good friend to her since... well, what happened," he got out finally and looked back up to his older cousin, "I appreciate your concern."

Frank shrugged again, "All I'm here for."