Summary: It's been two years since Chase and Zoey wed and a lot has changed since then. The band, Crushed Illusions, broke apart when Chris left with Nicole to live in Italy. A determined Chase is slowly making it back into the music career, even if it's by himself. While this is happening though, Zoey is holding a secret, she's pregnant. Here comes drama!

More Than This

Sequel to “With or Without My Love” & “It’s Gonna Be Love”

Chapter 1-The Downfall

“We’ll miss you guys.” Zoey tried to hold back her tears, but they were still streaming down her face.

“All of us will.” Lola spoke softly, as Michael has his arm wrapped around her. Nicole dropped her bags off her shoulders and dragged Zoey in to a bone-crushing hug, as well as Lola who reached out of Michael’s grasp.

Chase was talking to Chris and shook his hand, “It’s not going to be the same without you two.”

Chris started to apologize again, mentally kicking himself. He didn’t mean to bring the whole band down, he didn’t want to, but this was Nicole’s dream… he gave up his dream for her. “Yeah, look I’m sorry again for… you know bringing the band to-”

“Don’t worry about, it’s not like we were going to make it really big or something.” Chase’s voice cracked at those last remaining words he spoke. He hated feeling his wishes and hope come crushing down, after all the hard work he put in.

The two men turned towards the group of girls still entangled in each other’s arm, all not wanting to leave one another. “Nicole? It’s time,” Chris trembled at his words.

Finally letting go of each, Nicole gave them both a kiss on their cheek. “I’ll cal you both when I reach there.”

The two friends couldn’t bear to say any other words, as they felt their throats dry up and no words speak out. They nodded, tears sliding down their faces. It was a sad day to see Nicole and Chris go, but it wasn’t as though they were never going to hear or see from them again, right?

---

(A Year Later)

Chase had his hand on the steering wheel, turning up the tunes. His window was down as the wind blew his hair back and he wore a frown upon his face.

Things have been difficult since Chris left and their band Crushed Illusions breaking up. It was difficult for him to be at the top and then at the bottom again. And it was more difficult because, he was going to do it by himself.

“If I want to make it big again, I might as well do it by myself,” he tiredly said. He had just left a coffee shop, the owner said he could sing and play there. It wasn’t much money, but it was as good as it was going to get.

He turned and drove into his driveway, as he took a glimpse at his beautiful house. It was two weeks after their wedding when Chase and Zoey decided to get a house, but not just any house… a perfect and well-suited house.

As he parked his car and turned the engine off, he grabbed his guitar bag and walked into the house only to find a note on the counter. He picked it up and read it slowly.

Chase,

I’m out with Lola. We decided to get a bite out to eat, so don’t wait up for me at dinner. There are leftovers from last night’s meal, and Michael said to give him a call. Be home soon!

Love,

Zoey

Chase sighed and crumpled the note as he threw into the trash can. It wasn’t like Zoey to leave a note and it wasn’t like her to have dinner without him. He got the thoughts out of his head and took out his cell to call Michael.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

“Hello?”

“Hey Michael,” Chase said, walking into the living room to sit on the couch.

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“Nothing, just Zoey is out for the night.”

“Really? So is my wife.”

“So are you babysitting little Zach?”

“Well, sort of. He fell asleep a few minutes ago, which made my night a little easier.”

Chase chuckled into the phone, “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Just wondering what’s up with you?” There was a slight pause until Michael continued, “You know, how’s the music going?”

“I have feeling it’s going to stay this way.” Chase ran a hand through his hair and again sighed deeply. Things were definitely difficult.

“Chase, don’t give your hopes up yet.”

“I know. Well, I think I’m going to call it in for the night.”

“Alright. Bye.”

“Later.”

He closed the phone, as his grip was tight around it. He buried his head in his hands, as he rubbed his face. “Why me?” he asked the following question numerous times before too.

Walking up the stairs, he glanced at the pictures that hung around him. He wanted to get his past life back, where everything was easy and simple. Well, not exactly easy and simple, he just wanted to be at the top again.

Falling atop his king sized bed, he stared at the ceiling above him, where a small picture was taped. He smiled at the memory…

They had just finished organizing their new bedroom and were now resting on the white mattress that had no sheets on yet. “Can you believe we are going to live here?!”

“I know, we really are growing up.”

“Definitely.”

Holding her in his arms, he never wanted to let go and Zoey never wanted him to. Her eyes glimpsed towards the ceiling, where she had a thought sprang up in her mind. “There’s still something missing…”

“And what is that?”

She slid off the bed, grabbing a picture of them back in their years at PCA. Now standing atop of the mattress, she tapped it up high. “There we go!”

“Perfect, but why?”

“Because, the room felt incomplete with nothing up there, and reminds us of many stories to the children!” She giggled, getting all jumpy from the excitement.

“Children? We’re having more than one child?”

She cuddled up next him, “I sure hope so.”

Slipping back into reality he rested his arms behind his head and relaxed. “’More than one child?’ … ‘I sure hope so.’” The thought of having a child scared him a bit, but he should have nothing to worry about.

Even though that subject was brought up then, it was never brought up after that. “Right now I’m only focusing on my career and that’s all.”

A/N: First chapter… nothing exciting, but don’t worry it will be! If you liked the first two stories then you’ll like this one. Hope you review and thanks for reading!

-Jo