Reunion

The drive from London had taken longer than Niall had expected with weekend travellers making their way to their vacation homes. He had been planning on leaving before they did but his fear of leaving Lisa had made it very hard to leave. She was now over nine months pregnant and his guilt over making her face the next two weeks alone had almost made him turn around several times even after he had left. She had encouraged him to go, her understanding of what he needed to do overriding her own concerns. They had gone to the doctor only two days earlier and had been told that the pregnancy was progressing normally and he had no concerns. With a final kiss and hug, she had pushed him out the door and told him that she would contact him the minute that anything happened.

During the drive, he had let his mind wander down memory lane. Through the first weeks and years that had brought five boys together to experience a ride that could only be called exciting and frightening at the same time. It had drawn them closer than they had ever thought possible. It had been a good first few years with travel and fans and enough adventures that could fill multiple lifetimes. But eventually real life had started to leak in. Girlfriends and breakups, side projects to fill the time, tabloids and internet stories that made the members question different things about each other. All of it had created an atmosphere of protecting yourself instead of the group.

Eventually Niall found his way out of the sprawling London machine and out to the relaxing country roads. By the time he made it to the same gas station Louis had called him from, he was in the last stages of the group before the breakup. They all hadn't been in the same room for over a week at that point and Simon was pushing for them to finish/start the new album. He had called a meeting that they had all tried to avoid going to before insisting on it and telling them to get their arrogant, frustrating asses to his office.

Niall had gone to the meeting under protest and he was the most eager to besides Liam. Liam had been telling him for weeks that they had to sit down and make some decisions about the future but he had only told him all they needed to just get in the recording studio, lay down the tracks and head back out again. Liam would only sigh before shrugging his shoulders and saying that it will come eventually.

That day, Niall had driven to Simon's offices and parked in the underground parking with a heavy heart. His feeling had been that an era was coming to an end. He just hadn't been able to see a future where the five now men could co-exist within a working framework. Liam was focussed on his family, Louis and Eleanor were always on the brink of drama, Harry's musical direction just wasn't aligning with the rest of them and Zayn's drinking was making him a shadow of his former self. Even Niall had found himself looking outside the group for creative satisfaction.

-Flashback-

He had slowly made his way out of the garage and up to Simon's office. He had been there many times before and even since but this time it was awkward and stiff and he wanted to bolt and run. Patricia, Simon's longtime secretary must have even sensed something was going on because she gave him a small but apologetic smile before waving him directly through to the office. Simon was sitting at a large wooden desk while speaking on the phone.

"Yes, I know we said they would start yesterday but some stuff has come up. I will cover the studio cost and get back to you with a new date." Simon paused, a grimace on his face as he nodded at Niall. "I'm telling you, I personally promise you that this will be sorted out. I'm meeting with them today and we will have a new timeline before they leave."

Simon said a few more words before hanging up and sitting back in his chair. He remained quiet as he stared intently at his protege. Niall shifted uncomfortably as the dark eyes seemed to dig beneath his skin and try to find the reason for the current discontent between the group members. After a few more moments, he sighed deeply.

"Well Niall," he said as he tapped his fingers on the desk. "Maybe you can tell me why no one except Liam decided to show up at the studio I now have to pay for yesterday. This session was booked two weeks ago so don't try and tell me that you didn't know about it."

Niall shrugged. He had no valid reason and Simon could read through any bull that he attempted to pass off as the truth. "I met a bird and we were hanging out. By the time I realized what time it was, I figured it was too late to get anything done. I don't know about anyone else."

Simon shook his head. "A girl? You missed a recording session for a multi-million record selling group and cost me thousands of dollars for a girl?"

Niall chuckled at that particular part of the memory. The girl had been Lisa. Thankfully, the anger of Simon was swayed away from him when the babbling of Louis and Harry came into the room, both of their bodies dragging themselves as they made their way inside the room and dropped into another set of chairs across from the desk. They didn't even acknowledge the presence of Niall as they turned towards Simon.

"Hey Simon," Louis said with a drag in his voice. "What did you need to see us for?"

Simon glared at the younger man but kept his anger in check as he spoke. "So, I am so glad that you deigned it important enough for you to come in today, Louis." He may have kept his anger in check but that didn't mean that it wasn't clearly heard. "I mean, I know how demanding a schedule you have with all of the breaking up and getting back together you do."

Smartly, Louis didn't take the bait. "Look, if this is about yesterday, I'm sorry. I'd been up all night the night before trying to calm Eleanor down over some stuff they posted on Twitter. By the time I woke up, it was the middle of the afternoon and I didn't think there was any point in going into the studio."

Simon rolled his eyes and turned his attention towards Harry and his own slumped over body. "And your reason for not deciding to perform your job that you supposedly love?"

Harry shrugged. "Ed and I were in the studio recording some solo stuff and I figured I could cut my tracks another day." Harry was in the process of recording a possible solo album. Simon had given the go-ahead on it in the hope that it would help to keep him interested in the group project. It had backfired and now he was spending more and more time on it and less on the One Direction program.

Next to arrive was Liam. He looked tired as well with an unshaven face and a ring of red around his eyes and waved distractedly at the other occupants of the room before sinking into an empty chair. He didn't bother even waiting for Simon to ask where he had been the day before. Instead, he quickly volunteered the information.

"Look Simon, I know this is about yesterday and I'm sorry. We had a serious issue with Danielle's pregnancy yesterday and she ended up in the hospital. We lost the baby this morning."

Niall had wanted to hug his friend but their relationship had become strained and it didn't seem like the right moment. Liam had been so excited when he had announced to the group that he and Danielle were finally able to conceive their first child. They had been trying for several months and once she became pregnant, Danielle had often been struggling physically to deal with it. Niall could only imagine the scene when they had found out she had miscarried. His heart broke for them but his feelings were also hurt that Liam hadn't told him Danielle had been taken to the hospital.

Simon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, let's review the current situation. Liam, first let me say that I am so sorry to hear about the baby. I know how excited you were and if there is anything I can do, please let me know." Simon turned slightly and pointed his finger at Niall. "Now, Liam is the only one who I can understand not showing up yesterday. You decided to not show up because of a bird that you just met." He moved over to Louis. "You decided to not show up because of the same drama I've been hearing about since you two started to date." And then Harry. "And you decided to skip it because you wanted to be selfish and work on your own stuff instead of keeping your commitments to a group you helped to create." He then pointed at the last empty chair beside Harry. "And the other one decided to skip today as well probably for the bottom of a bottle."

Niall felt the words like whips as Simon spoke them. His anger was well deserved but it still stung because he had been such a mentor to them as a group and to each of them personally. For years they had looked to him for guidance through the complicated and duplicitous business they were in. But he had dealt with them over the last couple of years and each time a catastrophe loomed, Niall was sure he would walk away and leave them to the wolves. But he hadn't. Yet.

Simon took another moment to let the words he had spoken sink in. All of them were smart enough to know not to respond and to let him vent his frustration. Niall shifted uncomfortably as the guilt really started to hit him but he was unable to look at the other three.

"And because you all decided not to show yesterday, I had to pay thousands of dollars for studio time and a producer to show up for nothing. And now I have to personally promise that the next time something is scheduled, your sorry asses will show up and put in an actual day of work. Now, I am not a bloody psychiatrist and I don't want to sit here and sort through all of your problems." He took a quick glance at Liam and paused for a moment as if he wanted to reassure him that those words were not meant for him. "I am tired of excuses. You guys are getting one more chance before I am moving on. I am going to be booking a studio for next week solid. If even one of you decides not to show up for one day, the contract we signed is considered void and done. And by the end of the week, I want to have some solid tracks on my desk. And you had better make sure that this message gets to Zayn because just because he wasn't here to hear it doesn't mean that he's exempt."

With that Simon went silent and the men took it as a sign of dismissal. They all stood to leave but Simon waved his hand towards Liam. Some of the anger had dropped from his tone and it now held the care that he had shown towards them for so many years.

"I would like you to stay so we can talk for a minute." Liam hesitated before taking his seat again. The rest of them had left without saying anything to each other and had gone separate ways to each of their cars.

-End Flashback-

They had all made it to the studio that next week, even Zayn. But the tension had been thick as it hung between them and the work had been subpar at best. The tracks had ended up on Simon's desk but he hadn't been happy with the results. He had booked more studio time with the same caveat and through only the sheer will of the producer and the magic of his mixing, they had useable product at the end. But the reports back to Simon had been ones of once close friends not speaking to each other and hibernating in their separate corners. This was a death knell to groups like theirs that depended on the intermeshing of different ideas and voices to create a kick-ass product.

And then one month after that meeting, they had come down to the final day. The day that they had decided to walk away from it all. Niall still flinched at the harsh words and angry accusations that had been made as years of frustration had boiled over between the five of them. It had happened at the studio as they had been forced into yet another recording session by Simon. Niall was about to walk down that memory lane when he saw that he had reached the driveway of the house he had rented for them. He saw that there was only one car already there and he knew it had been Louis from the earlier phone call. The sun was beginning to dip as he pulled his own car in beside Louis' and put it in park. He slowly grabbed his things from behind him before climbing out of the car and heading towards the front door.

Niall slowly turned the door handle and swung the door in before walking into the room. He had already been to the house so the aesthetics and view didn't register with him. What did was the form sitting in the chair and facing the window and the shore view. It was Louis and from what Niall could see he too had a look on his face that said that he was remembering some things of his own. He did turn to face Niall when he came closer and Niall could swear that he could see tears threatening to escape the corner of his eyes.

"Hey man," Niall said as Louis stood up and approached him. Niall immediately smelled the smoke haze from the cigarette he had been smoking. The rental was a non-smoking but Niall decided not to push it this time. He would deal with it after. "It's good to see you."

And it truly was for Niall. Even though it still felt strained and awkward, the time they had spent together with Liam did ease it a little bit. Niall held out his hand and Louis took it before pulling him closer and engulfing him in a hug.

"It's good to see you too." The hug was quick and Louis pulled back and returned to his seat on the chair. Niall joined him by sitting on the sofa beside him. "Don't tell me the other guys backed out."

Niall shook his head. "Not that they've told me. I talked to both of them during the last couple of days to give them the info and they confirmed that they were coming. I know that Zayn had to work today so he wouldn't be here until almost nine o'clock but I did think that Harry would already be here. Did he say anything to you?"

"We haven't really talked in the last couple of weeks." Liam's death and Harry's avoidance of it had stretched the thin fabric that held their friendship and Louis had avoided the few phone calls that Harry had made. "I have to say that I am still unsure about this. The last time we did this, some pretty nasty things were said. And I have a feeling that we are going to be picking up right where we left off."

Niall shrugged. "I know that might happen but Lisa said something to me when I told her about this a few weeks ago. She said that whatever broke us apart can't be bigger than what kept us together for so many years. And I think for the first few days, we just have to believe that. We just have to have faith that we can always remember the beginning and not the end."

Louis sighed before taking another drag of his cigarette. "I hope you're right. I hope that we can go back to the good and not the bad."

"I hope so too." Niall thought of both Lisa and Liam's words and tried to engrave them in his heart. He seemed to understand that they only had one shot at this and they had to do it right.