St. Elsewhere

Mia was sat in the back of the, if slightly dilapidated, tour van of The Blackout, with Sean on her right side and Nat on her left. Snoz was driving, much to everyone's relief, after Sean had offered his services as driver and had adamantly been rejected . Bob was sat up front with Snoz talking trash for most of the journey and served as DJ changing radio frequency at very interval. Matt and Rhys were also sat in the back of the van with Lauren.

To the people who drove past them on the motorway it looked like a trip amongst friends for the holidays, but it was far from a fun trip. This was a pilgrimage with a purpose.

Mia reached for the bottle of Evian water that was rolling around on the floor of the van and took a long drink from it. Her headache had multiplied since her waking up in the morning.

The cause of her headache was the amount of water that had leaked out of her eyes faster that the forty days and forty nights flood the night before, when the band announced the total amount of money raised. Mia had been able to do nothing more than sink to cream carpeted floor of the apartment, with her dress poofing out around her, and put her head in her hands and cry tears of relief, joy and gratefulness.

So with the total sum of money in mind, the next day The Blackout, Nat, Lauren and Mia piled into the much loved and traveled van and began the drive up to Oxford.

It had to be the longest journey ever. They were moving but seemed to be going nowhere, there were more traffic jams than usual and time was dragging along.

However these circumstances allowed Mia to sort out the thoughts in her head, something that she had been prevented from doing due to the hectic situation of the past three weeks.

If you had asked Mia two months ago where she saw herself in the future, she would have said either at dance school or at home with her mother. However the imminent explosion of a bleached and pink mass of matter, also know as Sean Smith, into her life, had caused a dramatic change. His arrival in her structured and regulated life brought elevation and joy. He had shown her that life didn't have to be so controlled and rigid as it was. As well as that it was such a whole new world to Mia that somebody finally paid attention to her, not just because of her family situation or because of her dancing skills. Sean liked Mia for being Mia, that meant the frequent hysterical out bursts and the quite reproach, but also her caring ways and how easy it was to make her smile and laugh.

She now knew what she was going to do with her life. She now had opportunities to grasp and hold firmly onto. She knew where she was going.

Arriving outside the family house in Oxford after what felt like years of travel, Mia was reminded of the last time that she was stood outside this house with Sean, all those clotted and conflicting emotions rose up again and caused a lump to form in her throat.

Sean supportively grabbed a hold of her hand and Nat shot her an understand smile which sent a jolt of courage through Mia.

Within fifteen minutes of their arrival nine people, whom all had a mixture of emotions flashing through their eyes, invaded the living room of the Ferguson's comfortable home and were sat on various armchairs around the room. Everyone, with the exception of Sean and Mia, were shocked. It was the first time that they had met Mia's mother as she had been in no fit state to make it down to London.

She looked so fragile and weary, sunken eyes and dark circles framed her grey eyes, which had been handed down to her daughter. But despite the physical appearance Mrs Ferguson's spirit was live and well. She smiled at all the young people and felt touched by their concern.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," said she with an amused tone. "First you never bring friends home and then suddenly 8." A small smile spread on her face, she realised that her daughter had come with news and with the presumption that it was bad news tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Mia smiled wearily down at her mother and opened her mouth to say the words that she had been practicing so hard. But the designated speech could not come out. She had planned to tell her mother exactly what the band had done, all the support from magazines and the label, but she couldn't.

"Mum we're raised more then ten thousand pounds. We've raised enough money to get you a care worker for three years," Mia said shaking with every fiber in her body.

The commotion that resulted could have happened in slow motion. Mia's father fell to his knees in much of the same fashion as Mia had done the night before, tear tracks became clear on his handsome face and his hands were shaking as he got up from the floor and shook every band member, Nat and Lauren's hand.

Mia's mother also began to cry, burying her tiered and gaunt face in her thin hands. Her tiny body was shaking through every sob that came out of her throat.

Mia reacted first and pulled her mother into her arms.

She didn't say anything because nothing needed to be said. Mia was her daughter. It's what daughters do for their mothers.

As the band, Nat and Lauren stood in the living room consoling Mia's father a deft sense of prided flooded them and something in them changed. They understood the dedication with what Mia had approached dancing and her family life, why she was able to leave London and come home. She didn’t have too, but yet she did.

It was the same dedication that flared up in the band members every night before they hit the stage to chants of 'WE WANT THE BLACKOUT'.

Dedication was what had let this miracle happen. This wonder of family affection. Mia's mother was now on longer doomed to suffer and Mia could chase her dreams. She could go and do all those things she wanted. She could dance in New York, Moscow, Rome and Paris. She could join her favorite boys on tours and see where their dedication had brought them.

It was somewhat of a miracle, and one that stayed with them always.