"So where are you taking me, pop star?" Keely asked following in behind Seth.

They weren't in what Keely would call the best part of town, in fact, it wasn't even in that realm. She was surprised that he would leave his fancy convertible on the road, because she was sure that when they came back to it all there would be left would be door handles. If she had been blind or blindfolded, she would still be able to guess that they weren't anywhere near where Seth lived.

Not only because of the stench, but someone had just offered to pawn the cheap ring that she was wearing.

"The best place in the world," he promised not looking back.

I sincerely doubt that, Keely whispered in her head.

Instead of saying her thoughts, she hastened her pace so that she wouldn't be getting lost any time soon.

Without another word passed between them, Keely followed him obediently. Looking around, she couldn't help but be shocked. What was Mr. Seth Ryan, boy band extraordinaire doing in a part of town?

She couldn't even see herself coming there.

Seth Ryan just didn't fit in here, Keely thought quietly to herself. Not here surrounded by grey boring walls that were seemingly crumbling in front of her very eyes.

When he stopped abruptly in front of her, she took that moment to look around. The part of New York they were in was mostly crumbling warehouse, Keely really couldn't see why they were there.

With a sigh, she turned back to Seth, only to have her eyes bulge. He was kneeling down in front of the door, and, unless she was very much mistaken, picking the lock!

Why in the hell is he pick the lock?

"Seth!" she hissed, lunging forward a step and tugging on the back of his shirt. "What are you doing?! Seth, stop it! You're going to get us in so much shit!"

He just shrugged off her tugging hands, and replied, "Do you really think that?"

Keely glared at the back of his head, thinking of many interesting ways to maim him at that moment. Stupid egotistical pop star asshole selfish musician! Finding she couldn't hold herself in any longer, she reached forward and yanked back on his shirt.

To her surprise, he moved backwards with the motion, though making an odd chocking sound.

For a moment she felt rather smug, the years of working outside had really pulled off. But then she caught sight of him, shaking his head at her, and Keely scowled up at him. She didn't need any words to tell her that he'd meant to stand up at that moment.

Seth slipped the lock pick into his pocket, making Keely only wonder where boy band extrodinaire got a lock pick, before turning the doorhandle. "Go on in," he nodded, holding open the door for her as he smirked, "It's open."

Glowering up at him, she stalked inside. "If we get caught you should know I'm..."

Her words trailed off when she froze. She'd come to think that not much could surprise her any longer, but this, this was an exception.

In her first steps, she hadn't really looked around, too focused on her annoyance at Seth. Plus it didn't help that it was almost pitch black inside, the windows boarded up against the light. But her eyes had adjusted, and she could now see through the dim.

If she'd thought that Seth was out of place in this neighbourhood, it was nothing compared to the time capsule that she'd just walked through. From smelly, sleazy and a rather broken down part of New York, it was as if she'd been transported into a different time. A different era maybe. The time when this side of town hadn't been so terrible, and was actually the place to be.

Running her fingers through the dust on the grand fireplace mantel piece, Keely looked back at him. "Where are we?" Wherever they were, it would have been something in it's own time. She felt almost light in her body as she moved around, dust kicking up from her heels.

The walls that were now weathered and peeling must have been magnificent then. They obviously had once been papered immaculately with that deep red wall paper. The crown molding along the the twenty five foot ceilings would have been gold at one time, but the paint was chipping off. One of the white long clothes was skewed, and Keely could see the booth underneath. It was red and curved, as if it belonged in Las Vegas and the mafia. But somehow it was more classy, like people would have come here in the twenties and thirties just to enjoy the music that the musicians played them.

"I'm not exactly sure," Seth leaned his arm against the mantel piece so that he was looking down at her. "An ex stole my keys once, and I had to walk home. I guess I got curious and I opened the door-"

"You mean picked the lock," she interrupted.

He just raised an eyebrow at her. "And I found this place. After our first record got out, I bought it, but I haven't found a reason to come back here since."

Pushing back from the fireplace, she let the momentum carry her around in a circle so she could look closer. The idea that he owned the place, but had to pick the lock to get inside was a mystery to her, but that was not the question that was on her mind.

"What do you think this place was?" she asked with her back to him, tipping her head to look at the arched ceiling.

"I think it was like a night club in the twenties or thirties."

Keely could have smiled triumphantly if she hadn't been in awe, at least they could agree on that.

"So do you want to explain why we're here now?" she folded her arms, remembering her irritation as she swung back to him.

Against her aggravation, Seth just grinned at her. Suddenly becoming the personified image of grace and dignity. "I guess I needed to get you somewhere that you couldn't run out on me. No, not like that," he rolled his eyes at her arched eyebrow. "I mean, you don't want my advice on how to make that good song become a great one. And when we were at the studio, you could leave, because you knew where we were. And now, now you're trapped."

"Like a rat," she agreed. Shivering, she hugged her sleeves to her body. Looking up, she just saw broken lights. And anyways, she had a feeling that there wouldn't be electricity or heating in there.

"Here," Seth knelt down in front of the fireplace.

Standing beside him, Keely couldn't hold her eyes from searching. It was as if one day it had just been shut down, and forgotten about.

There was still silver wear on the tables, from her inexperienced eye, it looked as if it was fancy. It was surprising it was still here, from the look of the neighbourhood around. But they were also in a building that looked like it was falling down and in the basement. People probably just didn't bother coming down here anymore, and if they did, they didn't care enough to pick the lock.

It looked absolutely untouched, and even though Seth had been here before her, Keely felt a glow of discovery in her stomach. The having dropped everything and left suspicion was becoming more apparent as Seth lit the wood in the fireplace. There was still wood in the fireplace. What had happened to make the people just get up and leave like that?

Curiosity seemed to be taking over Seth as well. He had pulled off the cover to a bar and stools as well as a couple more booths and their tables. But it wasn't until he reached the middle of the room that Keely was truly surprised again.

He pulled on the edge of the tablecloth, and the dust flew up into the air, causing him to cough, but the result was quite worth it. Underneath that tablecloth had been a grand piano. Not a white one like you saw in most movies, but it was pure black. Fitting the room perfectly. Keely could almost imagine the club like it had been in it's day, the black piano completed the puzzle.

Seth just stood there blankly, the dust settling about him as Keely stared back at him, the still gleaming black piano in front of them. Then, without so much as a glance in her direction, he slid onto the matching piano bench. His eyes were focused only upon the keys in front of him, his hazel eyes shining almost golden in the darkness.

Opening her mouth to speak, though not sure what she would say, Keely hastily shut it again when he settled his hands upon the keyboard. Then he began to play.

She recognized Beethoven's Sonata No. 8, or rather Sonata Pathetique, but that was the last thing on her mind.

Keely could only stare in amazement as she watched his fingers dance so lithely across the keys. At first harsh, then soft and then careful, switching back so easily through the emotions that she found herself marvelling at the control he was showing as he played, his brow furrowed slightly in concentration. As she gaped, entranced in the music that was prevading through the room, she couldn't help but think it was like he was stroking the music from the keys, almost crooning it to come out instead of forcing it.

Coming out of the stupor she'd been caught in from watching him play, Keely stepped forward, her light footsteps hidden underneath the music, and she sat down next to him on the bench. Seth didn't even glance her way, not a hitch in his playing, as if he hadn't even noticed her there. How can he play like this? She wondered as she closed her eyes for a moment, so she could just enjoy the sound of the music. However Keely couldn't help herself, she opened them again to look at his face.

His eyes were focused on the keys, and the golden hazel seemed to have darkened now. The only lights from the glint of the fire light in the corner of his eyes. This was someone she could respect, Keely realized staring at him her ears bewitching her. He was an amazing musician, you just had to watch his fingers so swift and careful brush the keys, or watch the way his eyes became so intent.

But there was something in his eyes that she'd never noticed before, something dark that seemed to hedge on the boarders. Like he was trying to push some deep, powerful emotion from his thoughts.

There was a long moment when he stopped, and Keely had to pull her eyes from him, pushing the odd thoughts from her mind. She was probably just imagining it. "You got me here," she joked lamely, "What's the plan now?"

He smiled at her, really smiled which was surprising, she'd never actually seen him smile before. Even before they had met and she'd just seen him on the covers of magazines, he'd been more smirking or just giving a small grin. It only became apparent now because he was really smiling, showing a dimple in his left cheek. "I would advise you to totally forget about that song, and we'll replace it now. So go get a pencil."

*

"Somehow it was softer, but that was with you," Keely finished singing about two hours later.

She was now standing on the other side of the piano now. After some - and by some, she meant continuous - arguing over what to do with the song, they had completed it. It was amazing. This song was probably the best she'd ever written, and it was with Seth. Just being with him was surprising. Let alone being in a room with him writing a song by a fire, and actually being happy that she was there.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted buy the loud growling of her stomach.

"Was that your stomach?" Seth asked, his eyes widening up at her. He'd been finishing the piano riff that they had finally agreed on, but he faltered when her stomach growling had echoed all around them.

"Maybe," she grinned sheepishly placing a hand on her stomach. "I haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch," her voice was now defensive.

He frowned up at her, finally taking his hands off the keyboard as she leaned her hips against the piano on the opposite side. "You know that's stupid, right?"

"Yeah, because I didn't know that," she said sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him.

Sighing, he stood up. "C'mon, let's go, we'll get you something to eat and then we can start recording this song."

- Finally I finished that f--------!!!!!!!

Sorry about that, seriously this chapter got deleted like four times while I was trying to write it and now I'm just annoyed with it. It probably wasn't that good, because things tend to suffer when I've had to write them over and over again for no paticular reason.

Well..

Advice. Do not go to a job fair with your neighbor and make fun of people very loudly from the corner, because - although it might be funny as hell - people tend to get insulted. And you two will eventually be escorted off the premises.

Yup, not a good idea.

Guess what? Pearl Jam is in two days!!!!! And then exactly a month until the Foo Fighters. Now I want to see Kings of Leon really bad too.

The song on the side is the one Seth played, and the cover - which is gorgeous - was made by KaraGlory and that's why she has the dedication! -