If Everyone Cared

Matt couldn't help, but smile as he woke up from early in the morning. His memories of the previous night were crystal clear and he coulnd't feel happier as he looked down at the sleeping woman in her arms. Matt never thought that after all those long years he would have a shot with her.

He was thankful for asking Brian to join the band in many ways. Not just because of his skills and personality, but also for bringing that angel into not just his, but all the others' lives. Lauren Haner was definitely the most precious gift that was ever give to the guys. Actually, if it wasn't for Lo's support and caring the band wouldn't be at where it was.

After the long years of trying to get money for recording, touring and many many other things that it was almost impossible to have enough money. Of course the boys' parents helped a lot and tried to support them with money, but still they couldn't give them the amount they sometimes needed. They were very close to try to accept the fact that the band's story would end with the few shows they made before.

The boys were hoping for some sort of a miracle or guardian angel that would help them to get somewhere and make a name for themselves. They were infact given a guardian angel and that somebody was the last person they expected help from. Michelle DiBenedetto.

Well, sort of. Michelle just helped along the way, by taking the baby of the Haner family out for a shopping trip and letting Lo drag her into a shop, where she was discovered and invited for a photoshoot. The guys knew about this and thought that she would keep herself the money, they had no clue that she was planning on giving it to them.

But she did. In fact Lauren just walked into one their practices a few months before they went on their first tour and just told them that she could help with finding some other locations and providing them with some money on one condition. Guess what? She wanted to go with them.

By that time she was far done with her exams, so the only thing they needed was Papa Gates' and Jan's permission. They let her go with the band for the Warped Tour and she quickly became a merch-girl and sort of a tour manager for the guys.

To say at the least the guys were utterly shocked when she handed them the envelope filled with about $8,000. All the money that she got for the photoshoot and her 'savings'. They tried to give it back to her but she wouldn't budge and told them to spend it on the tour, merch-stuff, demos or whatever they want to do with it, just make her proud.

Still, that still wasn't the most shocking for the guys. A few years later a little after Lo just celebrated her second year spent in New York, she called the guys on one evening while it was still in the afternoon in California. It was band practice, so point black Lo just told Matt to go home and check the mail for that day, make the others go with him and of course after they found what they were looking for call her back.

Little did they know that, an envelope was waiting for Matt with a paycheck in it and a letter that in Lo basically thanked them for helping her run away to New York and being the best friends in the world. The band still was having troubles with finding a record label and Lo kind of made a few calls in the City and asked around if there was anyone who had a contect with record company that would help her brother's band and give them a hand.

Brian was really proud of her sister, but he also scolded her when he found out that she had taken a part time job as a bartender so that she could get some more money for them. Lo told them that she took some money from what she got for modeling and some from the bartending job.

The truth was that she saved up five pay checks from modeling and after taking the money up, then she wrote each for Matt's and Brian's paychecks worth of $25,000.

Matt fell more and more for her if that was possible. He's always liked her, but when he got to know her on the tour he tried to work up some courage to ask her out, but something or someone just always interrupted. And of course like every men in the world, Matt was afraid of rejection.

Still, he never thought that a few years after he lost his hopes for having a relationship with Lo, she would be lying in his arms completely naked. Matt smiled at how she wrinkled her nose as she stirred. Lo never opened her eyes, she just cuddled closer to Matt if that was possible.

"Please be real, please be real." he heard her mutter quietly as she opened one eye and then widely the other one too as she noticed the tattooed chest under her head.

Matt grinned at her as she opened her eyes and smirked at him. "Morning, sunshine."

Lo smiled at kissed his tattooed chest before placing her head in the crook of his neck. "Matt?"

"Hm?"

"Last night wasn't just a dream, right?"

"It's pretty obvious that it wasn't, Lo." he chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked hopefully and sat up a bit and winced as she felt the soreness in the lower parts of her body.

"Shoot, baby." Matt told her as he stroked her arm with the back of his hand.

"I know it may seem a little bit forward, but I was wondering if you, um-" she sighed and took a deep breath. "IfyouwantedtocometoNewYorkaftertheNewYears."

He laughed at her and sat up too, inching closer to her. "All I could get from that was New York and something about New Years."

"Do you want to come with me to New York after the New Year's?"