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When the phantoms first managed to break away from Caleb, they reappeared at the studio. Alex was there, alone and in full freak out mode for a full minute until Reggie suddenly appeared, looking absolutely drained. Like he could drop at any moment.
“Reggie!” Alex exclaimed, rushing toward him as the bassist collapsed to the floor. He fell to the floor, turning his friend over and helping him to sit up. They held each other there, breathing heavily, if not just try to calm themselves down.
“I didn’t know it would be like that,” Reggie confessed helplessly, meeting Alex’s eyes. “He had complete control over me.”
They were both hit by a familiar jolt, and Alex felt his whole body turned cold. As he grasped his abdomen he flashed back, remembering an all too similar scene as Reggie lay in the ambulance beside him, his pale face nearly grey as he was too weak to even cry out. He held onto Reggie tightly, determined to not let him go this time.
“Luke!” His friend exclaimed, suddenly, pointing behind Alex.
Alex turned to see Luke flash once…twice…
…then he was there, collapsed on the floor as well.
“Oh thank god!” Reggie breathed as they crawled toward him.
“He’s going to come after us!” Luke hissed as he grasped his side. He just looked so pale. “Or Julie- what if he goes after her? We have to get to Julie!”
“Yeah,” Alex sighed. He glanced up at them, almost afraid to ask. “But why are we here?”
Deep down, he knew the truth as he looked around the studio they had all once called home.
The guys looked like they knew it too.
All they wanted as the fled the club, using what felt like the last of their strength, was to get back to get back home, to Julie. Alex had felt the pull to their home within his soul, like the lifeforce of the studio itself was drawing them to it. Maybe they could still salvage their big show somehow, but the sun was setting beyond the studio windows, and Alex knew. They were too late. Again.
“Wait!” Luke exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut tight. "Do you hear that?"
Alex stared at him, all he could hear was the silence of the garage until...
"Don't blink, no I don't want to miss it."
"That's Julie!" Luke announced, his eyes lighting up as they snapped open. "It feels like..."
"It's like she's pulling me to her," Reggie commented, clutching his chest.
Concentrating, Alex focused on his friend's voice, singing out like a siren, calling them home to her.
“We can do this!” Luke insisted as he forced himself to his feet, shaking madly as he did.
Reaching out, he held out a hand to Alex. As it he took it felt like his whole body was protesting; his stomach was still tight with the fire-y pain from the jolts, and He stole a glance to the bassist, who looked the weakest. Reggie had died first. Alex felt a pang of heartache, wondering if that’s the order they would be destroyed too. The bassist didn’t look like he had much left in him as he let the guys help him up, clinging to them with the last of his strength.
“But we can’t go on like this,” Luke announced, shrugging off the suit coat, revealing a navy vest underneath.
He grabbed the fabric he always tied around his arm, and Reggie and Alex shed their jackets as well.
“I still kind of like the suits,” Reggie admitted, mumbling.
Alex loosened the top buttons of his shirt, feeling like he might suffocate while Luke fought with his hair before grabbing his guitar. He looked to each of them, throwing them reassuring grins. Just as he did the last time they were about to play the Orpheum.
“Whatever happens…” Luke stopped, swallowing hard, and the panic set in that this really was their last time seeing each other.
Who knew what happened when they crossed over. Truthfully, Alex didn't think he was ready, he wasn't sure what finding peace felt like but he was pretty sure it didn't feel like pain and desperation. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to Julie, or Willie, or possibly leave the only family he ever had. There were still so many questions he had about life and death, so much that he hadn't made peace with. But if this could work, if it could save them from being jolted out of existence...
As he looked around one last time at his best friends, his brothers, and saw how afraid they were, he knew it had to work.
“I love you guys,” Alex finished for him.
“Yeah, I love you guys too,” Reggie echoed.
“One last show,” Luke declared. "Our own great gig in the sky."
Their eyes met as they exchanged nods, signaling they were ready.
He was more than relieved when he poofed out to find himself on stage behind Julie, who was finishing her intro. He burst out the drumming to “Stand Tall”, playing like his life- like his soul- depended on it. Right on time. Julie’s eyes widened as she turned toward him, looking like she could explode into tears. Then Reggie appeared, still looking worse for wear but there. Relieved, Reggie threw Julie a reassuring smile, promising her: we're okay.
But Luke…
He still hadn’t shown.
Alex glanced around with worry, terrified what it meant. Terrified how Julie would react if he didn’t show. Was Luke able to cross over without them?
Suddenly, his friend blinked once, stealing a helpless look toward Julie.
Then twice.
Alex swallowed nervously, pleading silently for any way to make this work.
Then…
“I’m going out of my mind!”
Luke’s voice rang across the Orpheum with the power of waves, crashing to the shore. Julie lit up, bouncing across the stage toward him.
They were playing the Orpheum.
This was all they ever wanted, being on stage, together. Already Alex felt stronger, like just being near Julie was healing his tortured soul. He pounded the drums like he was taking out all of his fears, all his anxieties out on them. All the times anyone ever told them no, doubted them, doubted him. His body still burned, threatening to give out on him at any moment, but it only made him play even harder.
When it came to solos, Alex usually was the last to volunteer- the last thing he wanted was the attention of an entire audience on him while he sang. But that night, at the venue he lived and died for, where his soul was going to finally be laid to rest, Alex stood, singing proudly for his friends.
When the performance ended, they were nearly in shock, not even close to ready to say goodbye to this. There was a cathartic feeling washing over him as he joined Reggie, Luke, and Julie at the front of the stage not hesitating to grab his best friend’s hand as they took their bow.
If they were going out after this, they were going out together.
Instead, the phantoms landed in a heap on the floor of the studio. Again. A jolt hit them; it felt like the strength of all of Caleb’s fury was thrown at them with this one.
“Well…” Reggie groaned, coughing as he held his side. “That didn’t work.”