Reunion

Chapter 1

I step out of the taxi and into the icy London atmosphere. I breath out a puff of air and watch it blend in with the familiar scene in front of me. Dim lights and a busy street welcome me back home. I feel a tear start to roll down my cheek so I wipe it up as the memories roll through my mind. I set my old guitar case down on the pavement and hold my sweet daughter as she comes running toward me. She asks me why I'm crying, and I say it's because I'm happy. Because I am happy. Twenty years it's been. I've kept in touch with the lads but it's nothing like playing another gig with them. My dear wife takes my hand and she smiles kindly up at me. She knows how much this means to me. She fixes my cap over my dark hair and we walk to the venue, a giant sign illuminating the performance of the night- One Direction: The Reunion Concert.

The name's Niall, by the way. One-fifth of the band I call my second family. The boys meant everything to me, but when we grew up, our paths separated, some of us started families. My little girl was born and my wife and I took a step back from the fame and settled down in Madrid. But man, were those the days. Having concerts every night in front of thousands of people and living our dream. But when we weren't performing, we were writing or goofing around, having some great craic. I still keep a shoebox of my ideas for songs. Some, thankfully, made it on to our multiple albums. But the rest, the stragglers, sit it my closet to gather dust. I still take it down sometimes, wipe away the age, and remove the scraps one by one. My writing is still the same, yet now it tells another story. Not of long summer nights, wild parties, and the life of a celebrity, but of a life filled with love, longing, and remembrance. Cheesy, I know, but it's the truth. That's how life goes when you meet the woman you love and have one child with one on the way. As I write this from my bed, I see her in the other room singing and braiding my girl's hair. How beautiful she is when the light reflects off her hair and illuminates her radiant smile. It reminds me that she is an angel, an angel I'm lucky to be with forever. She stops singing only to kiss my girl on the head and whisper in her hear that her parents love her. She has blue eyes like me, but she has her mother's nose and hair color.

Enough of my wonderful family, let's get back to the real story. I hold the venue door open for my wife and daughter and look into the familiar venue. We played this professionally three times in the past and many more times for private shows. I recognize a graying old man and he waves to me happily. It's Savan Kotecha, my old vocal coach. He says he's glad to see me and that it's time to start rehearsal and warm-ups. I tell him it's been a few years and I'm a little rusty. We laugh together as we walk down the hall to meet the other lads, though only a few of them are here so far. Savan opens the door, and I can't help but embrace the other boys.

It's Louis and Harry, and they embrace me just as lovingly as I had embraced them. Louis says it's been too long and we must have lunch more in the future, and we all agree. I ask how their little girl Darcy is doing, and just as I mention her name a curly haired girl pops out from behind the sofa. "Uncle Niall!" She exclaims and jumps into my arms. Louis and Harry laugh and agree that Darcy has done well, aside from missing her uncle very dearly. Soon after our small reunion, we hear an exciting voice shouting for us from down the hall. We go to see what the ruckus is and are delighted to see Zayn and Liam, smiling, cheerful, and more importantly in high spirits. Liam remarks that Harry's Lamborghini gave us away and we all take turns exchanging endearments and embraces. Zayn says he has something for each of us, and he takes out a box and empties its contents on the floor. Our Onepiece jumpsuits! I quickly seize up the American flag one and shove my feet into the suit. I've grown a little since the last time we has these, but the memories flood through nonetheless. Louis eyes light up and he tells us he's got a brilliant idea. He order Savan to grab a camera and motions us all to follow him. We round a corner and face a worn staircase. Every boy in the band will never forget the first time we did this.

When our band was first formed on the X Factor, we would do little video diaries to keep our fans up to date. We were, oh, young kids back then. Sixteen, seventeen years old. We'd host them on a staircase, and so the tradition was born. We each take a seat on the staircase after donning our jumpsuits and command Savan to roll the camera. We start the video like we did every time, with a nice "Hello! We're One Direction." And then a cheesy smile from the lot. Harry, as our unofficial band leader, starts off and thanks everyone for supporting us from day one. As we continue to film, Simon Cowell, our old mentor and record labelist, arrives and stands to the side, arms cross and pleased with the work we've accomplished over the years. We finish, and I suggest we stroll through town in our jumpers, just like the good old days. I find my wife and she insists I take it off for I 'look like a bloody idiot' but then she looks at me with her beautiful eyes and I can tell she secretly loves it. The other boys find their families and inform them of this new great adventure. Louis and Harry leave their girl with my daughter and then the five of us hit the streets. Of course, Paul and Andy are still with us and provide our security as we take pictures and sign autographs with our faithful fans.

Our next stop is where the good stuff happens. The food. In the old days I'd go to Nando's, the finest Mozambique food around, but as our first reunion in years, we decide to go a little fancier. We step into the place and my eyes land in the sparkling chandeliers and red drapes first. Then I notice the waiters and the delicious-smelling food they haul from table to table. It's going to be a good evening. We sit down and start to search the menu when I feel my phone vibrate. I felt bad for taking this call, but hey, it could be important. I excuse myself and briskly walk to the lobby and answer it. A nervous voice is on the other end, shaking and probably close to tears. It's my wife, and she tells me she has some horrible, horrible news. Darcy had slipped on the ice outside the building while playing tag with our daughter, and now she is unconscious and won't respond to stimuli. They rushed her to the hospital and that's where my wife was calling from. I lower the phone and rustle my hair in confusion. All I can think is, why would this happen?, but I can't help but thank God above that it wasn't my own sweet daughter. I tell her it will all be okay and that I needed to tell the boys the news. I let her go and rushed back to the table, trying to look as calm as I could. They could tell, though. Harry was the first to approach me. He took my arm gently and asked me what had happened and that's when I begin to lose it. Harry has those fatherly instincts and knows immediately someone is hurt. He asks if it's his little Darcy, and that's when I really lose it. I cry for Harry and Louis then because they don't deserve the pain of almost losing a child. We quietly inform the rest of the boys and solemnly join in a silent prayer and group hug. I was never really religious as a kid, but when I had my daughter, I realized I best believe in something so someone can always be silently watching and protecting her. I look back at Louis and Harry, they've embraced each other like a could couple should, but soon they rush out the restaurant door and down the street to the hospital.