In the Shadows by starbeamz2, honey
Summary: Unable to save his wife, he spends his nights in pursuit of all that is evil.  Determined to apprehend the vigilante behind the capture of dozens of low-life criminals across the country, she plans to do whatever it takes to find him.  When their paths collide, neither one will ever be the same...
Categories: Fanfiction > Backstreet Boys Characters: Brian
Genres: Action, Angst, Drama, Romance, Suspense
Warnings: Death
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 19 Completed: No Word count: 63574 Read: 39169 Published: 09/26/07 Updated: 12/14/08
Story Notes:
So after thinking about it long and hard, Kelly (aka Honey) and I decided we wanted to write a story together. Being Brian lovers, and, more importantly Brian romance lovers, we wanted to give everyone a story that's different from most of the others you've probably read, one that will blow your fuzzy bunny slippers off. After much deliberation, we have begun this tale...We hope you enjoy it, and we'll try to write as fast as we can so that we don't keep you waiting too long either! Enjoy!

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We're up for Best Action/Adventure, Best Collaboration, & Best Unfinished Thanks to whoever nominated us!

1. Prologue by starbeamz2

2. Chapter 1 by honey

3. Chapter 2 by starbeamz2

4. Chapter 3 by honey

5. Chapter 4 by starbeamz2

6. Chapter 5 by honey

7. Chapter 6 by starbeamz2

8. Chapter 7 by honey

9. Chapter 8 by starbeamz2

10. Chapter 9 by honey

11. Chapter 10 by starbeamz2

12. Chapter 11 by honey

13. Chapter 12 by starbeamz2

14. Chapter 13 by honey

15. In the Shadows...an Interlude by starbeamz2

16. Chapter 14 by starbeamz2

17. Chapter 15 by honey

18. Chapter 16 by honey

19. Chapter 17 by starbeamz2

Prologue by starbeamz2
The streets were quiet as he drove down the boulevard.  It had rained a few hours earlier, and the pavement still shone with its remains under the streetlights.  The boutiques in West Hollywood had long ago shut down business for the day, and the occasional pedestrian strolled down the sidewalks.

Glancing over at the passenger seat, he smiled at the sight of his wife.  She was asleep, and the glow from the passing lights made her golden hair gleam.  Her lashes lay against smooth skin he had always likened to porcelain in his head.  To him, she was the most beautiful gift God had ever given him.  Well, one of, he thought, remembering their son.  He felt a stab of guilt at leaving their nearly five year old at home but tried not to feel too badly.  They’d be home soon enough.

They’d had a busy night, and he patted his belly, remembering the delicious dinner they’d begun their evening with.  Tonight had been one of their monthly nights out, leaving their son in the care of a babysitter.  It had also been a night for a more private celebration of the success of the Backstreet Boys album.  Unbreakable had been holding steadily within Billboard’s top twenty albums for the third week in a row, and he couldn’t have been more delighted.

In honor of it, Leighanne had insisted on going out for dinner at one of their favorite Thai restaurants in downtown Los Angeles.  From there, they’d gone to see a movie—a comedy because he’d been in the mood for one.  She’d wanted to go for a walk on the beach while the full moon was still up, and they’d spent some very memorable moments under the pier.  Grinning at the thought, he began to quietly hum “Under the Boardwalk”.

As he drove past a grocery store, he remembered Leighanne telling him that they needed to buy milk before they went home.  Baylee would demand milk with his Cheerios in the morning, and, thinking of his son, Brian pulled into the tiny parking lot of a convenience store.

Leaning over, he brushed his lips over Leighanne’s hair.  She didn’t move, not even when he got out of the car and shut the door.  With a glance around the quiet parking lot, he walked into the store.

There was an elderly man working the register, and Brian smiled at him as he passed by on his way to the dairy section.  Britney Spears’ travesty of a song was playing over the speakers, and he tried to tune it out.  Pulling open the door of the refrigerator where the milk was, he grabbed the kind he knew Leighanne always bought—the healthy kind, he thought, remembering the whole milk days of his teenage and early adult years.

Carrying it up to the counter, he dug out his wallet and waited while the cashier rang up the sale.  

When the sound of a single gunshot pierced the air, he felt his heart stop.  Forgetting the milk, his wallet, everything, he bolted out the door in time to see a masked man shove Leighanne out of the car.  She lay on the pavement, motionless, and Brian rushed towards her.

Even as he opened his mouth to scream for help, the impact of the bullet sent him flying back.  Pain exploded in his chest, and his ears rang.  Vision hazing, he struggled to stand.  He didn’t hear the sound of his car roaring off nor did he hear the panicked yelling of the cashier in the store.

Stumbling, his fingers sticky with his own blood, he tried to get to Leighanne.  

“Brian.”

He blinked, wondering if it was his imagination or if she’d just called his name.  Focusing his blurry vision on her, he could see her blue, pain-filled eyes.  Even as his lips formed her name, he saw death film those beautiful eyes over.  

Unable to make a sound over the pain that filled his body and his heart, Brian fell to the ground.  The sound of sirens and Leighanne’s blood pooling on the pavement were the last things he saw before the world faded to black…
Chapter 1 by honey
CHAPTER ONE

He was nervous for many reasons when he showed up to work that morning, nervous enough to not notice that socks didn’t match, and he stood in front of the door debating whether or not he would actually go inside. Eight months had passed now, and he would finally have to face them. Sure they’d come to visit him in the hospital. They’d even been pallbearers at his wife’s funeral, a funeral that he hadn’t been able to attend because he’d come so near to death himself that he couldn’t escape his own bed. But from the moment he walked out those hospital doors, he’d vanished.

The phone calls were immediate and unrelenting, but, even when the months began to pass, the guys never lost hope that he’d come home. So one day, when he was ready, he made the call. They’d postponed the tour long enough for him, wondering if he would even return, and the guys deserved better than that. Besides, it was time to show the world that he was exactly what he claimed to be, unbreakable.

“Brian!”

Brian flinched at the sound of his own name and turned to face his life-long friend. There was no backing out now. He thought for sure the others would all be inside learning the choreography for the first number by now, but then, Nick Carter didn’t exactly know the meaning of punctuality. “Hey Nick.”

“They said you were coming but… Damn man! I can’t believe it, it’s great to see you.”

Nick approached Brian with caution and wrapped his arms around him, partially expecting him to evaporate as if he were really a dream. Brian returned the hug a bit relieved to see the smile in Nick’s eyes. He wouldn’t blame the guys for being angry with him, they had every right to be, but Nick smiled at him the same way he had all those years ago when they first met, and Brian was grateful for it.

Nick took another moment to size up the man that had fallen off the face of the planet and again shook his head in true bewilderment. “Brian,” he said with a sigh and finally quit shaking his head. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? I mean you just got back, and you know they’re gonna kick our butts in there today. The first show’s only a month away.”

“Honestly?” Brian asked, trying his best to force a smile. “I don’t know.”

Nick’s bright eyes began to lose their light with the bluntness of Brian’s response, letting the awkwardness of the situation finally sink in. The two men looked at each other, both knowing that things would never again be the same and wondering if they could still make it work or if they were just desperately holding on to a past that had long since expired. “Fair enough.” Nick sighed and then held the door open, gesturing for Brian to walk through.

Nick was getting reamed for being late even before he entered the rehearsal room, but, when Brian followed through the door behind him, time seemed to halt. Everyone stared as if looking at a ghost and then suddenly immersed into one giant group hug of relief. The reunion was a tearful one that quickly turned to a bunch of awkward coughs and manly pats on the back as they each attempted to wipe their eyes without being noticed.

AJ finally decided it was time to break the silence. “Where the hell have you been man? Eight months! You know Nicky and I had a bet going on whether you would really show up today.” AJ turned to the tall blonde with a smirk. “You owe me a hundred bucks, dude.”

Brian smiled, though he felt bad that Nick thought he wouldn’t show. “I did some traveling, took Baylee to Disneyland.”

“I know the traffic from here to Anaheim can be murder sometimes, but eight months? Seriously, what the hell?”

AJ’s mention of the word murder kicked the tension up a notch, and Howie elbowed him sharply in the side. AJ pouted for a moment but then looked to Brian, still wanting an explanation. Brian looked into all three curious pairs of eyes and shrugged. “I’m sorry guys, I just… I couldn’t handle it, you know?”

Each man gave Brian his version of an understanding shrug as Brian rubbed the tension out of his neck. “And the media,” he continued to explain. “I didn’t want Baylee to have to go through that, so we went someplace quiet where I could get my strength back.”

“Looks like it.” Nick chuckled, unable to stop himself from squeezing Brian’s arm. “Have you been working out?”

Brian grinned, showing the guys a hint of the man they loved so dearly. “Nah, I just had a good physical therapist.”

“I hope she was hot.”

The group laughed, and, when the initial greetings were over, Howie pulled Brian aside. He felt it his duty to be the one to say something since he was now in fact the oldest member of the Backstreet Boys, and apparently Nick and AJ couldn’t address the seriousness of the situation. “If you’re not ready…” he began.

“No. I need to do this.” Brian was determined in a way Howie’d never seen, and Howie gave him a proud smile. “Leighanne would have wanted me to keep going.”

At the mention of Brian’s wife, Howie’s smile faded. “I’m really sorry they never caught the guy who…”

Howie didn’t have the heart to finish his sentence, but there was really no need. Brian’s thoughts had already turned to the eyes of the masked man who haunted his dreams on a nightly basis. His fists curled with rage and then quickly relaxed again as he produced a smile. “It’s ok,” he said with a deep sigh. “He may have gotten away with it for now, but there’s no escaping the wrath of God. That man will have his justice one day.”

There was something about the tone in Brian’s voice that nearly sent chills up Howie’s spine. He seemed lifelessly calm about it all, and although Howie couldn’t possibly understand what Brian was going through, he figured no man, no matter how god-fearing, could be so at peace. Howie forced himself to look into Brian’s eyes again and watched a smile spread across his lips. “You’re a good friend Howie, but all you need to worry about is whether or not I still know how to dance.”

Howie watched Brian carefully as he joined the others. There was no question that Brian was hiding troubled feelings, and Howie wished there was something he could do to help.

Rehearsal that day was more of a challenge than anyone had anticipated, but not in the way they’d expected. Less than a year before Brian had been shot in the chest, with the bullet piercing his right lung. It was a miracle the man was alive and walking at all, so everyone just assumed they’d have to take it easy on the guy, but his physical stamina proved to be more potent than that of any of his band mates.

What surprised them all was how off his voice seemed. It was as if he hadn’t sung a note since the accident, and that was not the Brian they knew. Singing was one of the most important things in Brian’s life, and it was second nature to the guy, instinctive. For years, he was always the strongest voice and the first to be warmed up. The man could create vocal symphonies at the drop if a hat, but today he just didn’t have it.

His pitch was constantly wavering, and he often forgot the lyrics. Then, when they added the choreography, everything sort of fell apart. It was all just too much for him because his mind was somewhere else. Everyone could see it, but no one said a word about it. They were just so happy to have him back that they all tiptoed around the subject, hoping it was nothing more than first day jitters.

By the end of the long day, everyone was exhausted. They sat around the room ready to leave but without the energy to make themselves actually do so. Brian was sure that they were all sort of lingering because he was still there. They were worried about him, but he didn’t mind. He’d missed them and wanted the familiarity of their presence.

Conversation eventually died down, and, when everyone gathered their belongings to leave, Brian noticed a newspaper tucked into the pocket of Nick’s duffel. “Since when do you read the newspaper?” he teased.

“Since he showed up,” Nick said pointing to an article on the front page.

Howie groaned at the mere idea of having to sit through yet another discussion on Nick’s latest fascination. “The Avenging Angel?” Brian asked raising a curious brow.

“Haven’t you heard of him?”

Brian shrugged blankly. “You really were out of town, weren’t you?” AJ laughed. “That guy is everywhere right now.”

“Who is he?”

Nick could hardly curb his excitement as he pushed the paper into Brian’s hands. “He goes around beating up bad guys and saving people’s lives and stuff.”

“There’s a word for it,” Howie grumbled. “It’s called a vigilante.”

Brian glanced at Howie, surprised by the negative tone, but Nick rolled his eyes. “I got a better word for it,” he argued, “Batman.”

“Batman?”

“Yeah, the guy’s a friggin’ real life super hero,” AJ joined in, “Check this out.” AJ took the paper from Brian and began quoting the article. “ ‘ “He saved my life,” says mother of two, Joy Shoemaker of Long Beach. “He swooped down from the sky like an angel from the heavens and was gone before I could say thank you.”’”

“He’s dangerous,” Howie said defending his sour expression. “He should let the police do their job.”

“Try telling that to Joy Shoemaker,” Nick said pointing at the paper. “If she’d waited for the cops, she’d be dead.”

Brian didn’t have the heart to hear anymore of this conversation and he stood up. “It’s getting late guys. I need to get back to Baylee. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Nick, Howie and AJ watched Brian go with sad expressions, and suddenly Nick wasn’t so excited about some caped crusader making headlines. Where had this guy been when Brian had needed him?

Brian drove home with a million thoughts on his mind, but mostly he thought of Leighanne. He let the nanny know he’d made it home safely and wandered into his sleeping son’s room needing the only piece of Leighanne he had left. Baylee looked just like her, and, sometimes, when he smiled, it hurt so bad that it brought tears to Brian’s eyes.

Brian watched the toddler breathe deeply. He rested so peacefully at the moment, and Brian wished he could do the same but knew he couldn’t. He didn’t know how to make sense of his life anymore—Leighanne was the one who had always done that for him. Without her, his heart had a void that he just couldn’t manage to fill. He missed her so much he nearly went mad from heartache. Thank God for Baylee. Brian batted at a tear rolling down his cheek and carefully brushed Baylee’s curls back before placing a kiss on his forehead. “Sleep tight kiddo.”
Chapter 2 by starbeamz2
Author's Notes:

On behalf of both Kelly and myself, I'd like to thank all of you who've been reading and leaving us such encouraging reviews! They put HUGE smiles on our faces and make us that much more excited to keep writing this story. So thank you so, so, SO much! And now...Chapter 2!

The young woman hurried down the darkened sidewalk. It hadn’t been such a great idea on her part to stay so late at the library, but she’d needed to study for the LSATs. The test was only a few weeks away, and she needed to do well for her law school applications.

Flinching a little at the squeal of tires and the smell of the rotting garbage that hadn’t been collected from a nearby dumpster, she clutched her bag closer and sped up. Her apartment was only a few more blocks away, and she desperately wished she was in it already.

When her arm was grabbed roughly, she opened her mouth to scream only to have it cut off by a foul-smelling hand covered by a glove. Even as she kicked and scratched, her assailant wrapped his arm around both of hers, holding her against him as he pulled her into a side alley.

Fear burned in her. She knew what happened to women when they were dragged into dark, creepy side alleys. She tried to remember what her self-defense class had taught her, but her terror was all-encompassing, not giving her an opportunity to recall anything. The arm banded around her throat was slowly cutting off circulation, and she began to feel lightheaded.

When she was tossed to the ground and held down, she didn’t recognize that the tiny, pitiful sounds she heard was her own whimpering. Hearing the ripping of her buttons, she tried to thrash out once and was clocked, hard, for her efforts.

And then, just as suddenly as the man had grabbed her, she was freed. Stunned by relief for precious seconds, she clutched her shirtfront together and rocked herself a little before pushing to her feet to look around

She heard the thud of fists, the whip of a silken cape, and the blue cap with its silver lining. "Avenging Angel," she whispered. He’d saved her. She hadn’t believed in him before, but, watching him immobilize her attacker and tie the man up with rope, she was transformed into a believer.

In moments, her would-be rapist was lying, tied up, in a corner, and her savior walked towards her. He wasn’t as tall as she’d thought he’d be, she thought, despite her awe. He wore his signature blue and silver uniform, the one she’d often heard of, his mouth grim as he approached.

"Are you okay?" His voice was soft and kind as his eyes assessed her condition. She couldn’t tell what color they were and tried to remember everything about him.

"Y-yes." Her voice trembled. "You saved my life! I don’t know how to thank you."

His lips curved slightly. "Just doing my job." He glanced over his shoulder at the attacker. "You should call the police. He’s not going anywhere."

She turned to study her assailant, no longer frightened of him—just repulsed. "Thank you so much," she said again, turning back to her hero.

He was gone.

Her eyes searched the long alley and up and down the buildings around her, but he was nowhere to be found. Sighing with relief from his rescue and still in awe, she located her bag and did as he’d told her. She called the police.

***

"Okay, fellas!" The choreographer clapped her hands together, signaling for them to stop and come together. As the four sweaty and out of breath men gathered around her, she smiled. "You’ve made a lot of progress in the past couple weeks, but we’re coming down to the wire. Thirteen days until the opening show."

AJ dabbed the sweat off his forehead. "Think we’ll be ready?"

She studied them. "Maybe. There’re still a few things here and there that could be better. Howie, are your shoes full of lead?"

"Huh?" He looked down at his sneakers. "No. Why?"

"Because you tend to stumble a little sometimes. I just wondered if those shoes were too heavy for you because that’s what it looks like." She lifted onto her toes and jumped lightly. "Think, twinkle toes." Even as Howie blushed and Nick giggled, she turned to Nick. "Nickolas."

He stopped laughing. "Yeah?" He had to fight the urge to shuffle his feet.

"I know you’ve been on a terrific diet for the past year and a half, but don’t touch the Whoppers anymore."

"But I didn’t," he began and was cut off by her deadly stare.

"I know who and what I saw at the Burger King on La Cienega. I need you to move like a fairy, not like an elephant." Her gaze passed over AJ and rested on Brian. "Brian."

He sighed, shoulders slumping a little. "I know. I came in late on a lot of stuff. I still get a little mixed up on the words sometimes. But, I swear, all my free time is spent listening to the tracks and singing along."

AJ patted his shoulder. "Try dancing and singing in front of a mirror. It helps me out."

The choreographer smiled at him before resting her hand on Brian’s arm. "You’ve improved a lot. I didn’t even have to tell you what you still need to work on because you already know. I think we’re all pretty proud of you. Right, guys?"

There was a chorus of "yeah" and "absolutely" and a lot of pats on Brian’s back. "Thanks, guys. I promise I won’t let you down."

"We’re not worried," Howie told him. "You’ve never let us down, and you’re not about to start."

"And on that uplifting note," the choreographer grinned, "take an hour and then be back here, ready to work on the last couple songs."

Brian watched the other guys grab water bottles and let them walk out of the room before he sat in a corner and rested his head against the wall. He was excited about the tour, sure, but he was worried that he would let the others down. It didn’t matter what they said because he knew he’d already disappointed them by messing up so often on the lyrics and the way his voice was never where it should be at the right times.

Closing his eyes, he sighed. He knew Baylee was more than ready to be out on the road with the Boys, but Brian wondered if he was doing the right thing for either of them. Maybe it was too soon to be on the road. Baylee should have been starting first grade in the fall, not going on tour. True, he’d gotten his kindergarten education from a tutor when they’d been…traveling. But there was more to first grade than learning things from a tutor. He wanted Baylee to have friends and to gain experiences that every five and six year old should have. If Leighanne had been there, she wouldn’t have allowed Baylee to be on the tour all the time.

But she wasn’t, he thought, despairingly. She was gone, and, with her, any rhyme and reason to his life. Unable to sleep, his nights were full of restlessness, loneliness, and the fears and doubts of being a single parent.

***

"Look, Captain, this guy is dangerous." Mackenzie Adams slapped the latest copy of the LA Times on the desk of her commanding officer. The headline was, once again, about another rescue by the Avenging Angel. "He’s taking the law into his own hands."

Captain John Riley scanned the front page and couldn’t quite suppress a grin. "Lieutenant Adams. Mac." He gestured to a chair. "Have a seat."

Frowning, she dropped into one of the cushy armchairs across the desk from him. "You know I’m right."

"Look, maybe the guy is a little deranged. It’s not normal behavior to go rampaging across the city like a superhero or something." Riley shook his head. "Apparently, he wears a uniform, and I can’t help thinking that no sane man would strap himself up in Spandex. But I can’t argue with the fact that he’s saved at least fifty people in the past couple months."

Mac fired up again, green eyes flashing furiously behind her glasses. "Captain. If you agree that he’s not all there up here," she tapped her head, "then doesn’t it follow that he could snap at any time? Instead of saving the victim, maybe, one night, he’ll end up hurting someone."

"Now, Mac, there’s no proof of that."

"Not yet, but, if we don’t try to stop him, we might get that proof. Avenging Angel or not, he’s too dangerous out there."

Riley folded his hands on his desk and studied one of his best agents. She was brilliant, had stellar instincts, and was stubborn as hell. "The LAPD hasn’t been complaining about the extra help they’ve been getting. If it wasn’t for this Angel guy, who knows how many people would have ended up in the hospital, or, worse, in the cemetery. The fact is, Mac, no matter how much you want to do something, I just can’t give any federal authorization to apprehend the man or even set up a team to find him."

"You don’t need a team." She leaned forward, face intense, eyes determined. "I’ll do it. Just say the word, and I’ll find this guy."

"Mac, we don’t have any way to find this man. There’s no proof of his existence, other than the fact that he’s saved dozens of people. They’re the only ones who’ve seen him, had any interaction with him."

"Then, I’ll start with them. Maybe he’s been helping people in a focused part of the city. Captain, as much as it may seem so, Los Angeles is not safe with him out there."

He shook his head. "I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but this is one case that’s not going to happen. Besides, if we locked up this city’s new mascot, the media and the mass public would have our heads on a platter."

"And if we don’t find him before he does something terrible, they might have our heads on a platter because we didn’t stop him." But Mac knew the strategies of war. She knew it was better to retreat from a battle if there were other ways for her to win the war. "Fine." She stood, brushing her too-long bangs out of her eyes. "I won’t do anything. I just hope I won’t be saying I told you so at some point in the future."

"If that time comes, you can celebrate about how right you were." But Captain Riley smiled anyway. "Get back to work, Adams. I need those reports from the Blakeley case before you leave today."

Sure, Mac thought, frustrated, as she walked back into the bull pen of the FBI’s Los Angeles offices. Some of the men and women working called out greetings to her as she passed. She’d been working here for five years and had risen fairly quickly through the ranks because of her stubbornness and her instincts. Those instincts were humming now, she thought as she pinned her unruly bangs to the top of her head.

She strode into her corner office and shut the door. Tugging off the band that held her dark hair up, she tried to massage the headache that was beginning to brew. She hated being shot down when she knew she was right about something. And she was right about this Avenging Angel.

The law was wielded by those who’d been trained to handle it, not by some whacko that decided to take matters into his own hands. Mac tacked the cover page to a bulletin board already crowded with other articles about the city’s caped crusader. Stepping back, she studied the pictures and headlines with a sharp eye.

Captain Riley had been right about one thing, she decided. She didn’t have any solid place to start looking for the Avenging Angel. But she knew how to wait. Sooner or later, the guy was bound to slip up. And when he did, she’d get him.

In the meantime, she had other lives to save.

Chapter 3 by honey
Author's Notes:
Thanks for all the reviews so far. You guys are wonderful!
Chapter 3


The popping of a cork rang more like a gunshot in Mac’s head as she strode off the elevator nursing a hot cup of coffee. It was too early for a celebration after such a long night but she stopped, smiled and sarcastically curtseyed anyway, as the entire office congratulated her on cracking the Blakeley case. “Another one bites the dust, huh Mac?”

“Come on guys,” Mac laughed as she accepted a glass of champagne from one of her fellow agents, nearly blushing from all the praise. “I was just doing my job.”

“And doing it a hell of a lot better than any of us,” Agent Jake Reed laughed as he slumped an arm around the office star. “You’re making us all look bad.”

Agent Reed was the closest thing Mac had to a partner. The headstrong woman could be a bit of a hot head at times and usually preferred to work alone, but she had a small soft spot for the man she’d been partnered with in basic training. They’d remained close friends over the years and Jake was just about the only person in the office that truly understood Mac, which was why, after the round of congratulatory handshakes, he escorted her into her office and locked the door behind him. “Here,” he smiled dropping a copy of the morning’s USA Today onto Mac’s desk, “You’re gonna love this.”

Mac fell into her chair and blowing her bangs out of her face with a huff, she pulled the paper across the desk. She rolled her eyes as she read the headline crediting one of the FBI’s top agents for bringing down Los Angeles’s biggest crime boss. She wrinkled her nose at the picture of herself escorting the criminal into the precinct. “Is that really what I look like?”

“What overworked, stressed and a little bit grumpy?” Jake smirked, “Usually.”

While Mac feigned insult, Jake came around the desk and flipped open the paper to page five. “I know you’ve never liked to see yourself in the papers, I meant you were gonna love this.”

Mac’s eyes grew wide as she scanned the article. “LA’s resident superhero visits the bay area?” She read with wonder.

“There were three different sightings of your masked man last night.” Jake explained having already read the article.

“Are you sure it’s the same guy and not a copycat?”

Agent Reed shrugged, “Same costume, same M.O. and two of the three victims commented on his charming smile and gorgeous blue eyes. The third witness was a guy and I believe his quote was closer to, ‘The dude kicked ass.’”

Mac rolled her eyes. All the accounts she’d read of encounters with the Avenging Angel were very similar. Not the least bit helpful, and all of them were star struck. “Yup, that’s him alright, but why San Francisco? Why would he suddenly leave LA?”

Jake smiled down at Mac and flipped back to the picture on the front page with a smirk. “Maybe he realized that this city is already in good hands.”

“Come on Jake, this is serious.” Mac said starting to become annoyed. “These whackos always have routines. Why would he suddenly break pattern?”

“Maybe he’s not a whacko.”

“Or maybe he is. Maybe he’s starting to lose it altogether. If he’s changing cities, maybe he’s changing other things. Maybe he’s decided he’s to start hurting people.” Mac pointed back to the article, passion growing inside her, “It says one man was treated for a mild concussion.”

“The witness said the guy came at him with a led pipe. It was self defense.”

“So will it be self defense when this whacko suddenly decides to start killing these criminals instead of tying them up and leaving them for the cops?”

Mac’s face was now flushed with anger and Jake set his hand atop of her trembling one. “Mackenzie.” He said calmly, “Don’t let this guy get to you. You’re one of the best agents the FBI has, if it bothers you so much, then go after the guy. If anyone can find him, you can.”

“Riley already said no.”

“You know Riley is tied down by bureaucracy, but the guy practically worships you. You can look into it without stepping on anybody’s toes, he’s not going to stop you. With the Blakeley case closed you’re going to have some free time on your hands, maybe it’s time for a vacation.”

Mac stared curiously at Jake, pondering the possibility. Jake knew that look in Mac’s eyes when he saw it and he smiled. “Boy do I feel sorry for this guy now,” he snickered, “No matter how much ass the dude kicks.”


***

“Dude, you look like you just got your ass kicked.” AJ laughed when Brian finally made an appearance before sound check.

“I had a long night.” Brian confessed as he made his way to the coffee station.

“Partied hard in Rice-A-Roni Town did ya? How come you didn’t invite me?”

AJ and Brian both turned around and gave Nick strange looks. “What?”

“Rice-A-Roni town?” Brian questioned.

“You know,” Nick said looking hurt, “The San Francisco treat?”

“You’re such a dork.” AJ laughed.

“You’re getting sleep right?” Howie asked pulling the conversation back to Brian’s tired appearance.

“I’m fine.” Brian said with a convincing smile, “Just pre concert jitters.”

“Well look alive!” Nick said suddenly feeling more than ready to get on with the show, “This is our first performance!” Nick threw his arm around the shorter man and pulled him close as he obnoxiously sung a familiar tune, “Backstreet’s back alright!”

Brian cracked a smile as he watched the excited young man skip off to the stage. The visual brought back memories of happier times. Times when Brian was every bit as anxious to get out in front of the crowd, times when it was him who seemed to sing his way through life.

Brian walked over to the side of the stage and peeked out at the crowd that was just starting to fill the first few rows for the sound check party. He wanted those times back but he didn’t believe it was possible. His heart was in a different place now. The smiling faces in the crowd had once been enough to make him feel like his life had purpose but now he felt he had a different purpose, one that was worlds away from the spotlight.

A hand slapping him on the back suddenly startled Brian and he glanced to his side to see AJ sizing up the crowd. “Just wait ‘till you get out there and hear them screaming your name.” AJ laughed, “It’ll come back to ya man, you’ll see.”

Brian glanced out at the see of women in their mid twenty’s and smirked, “If I recall, it’s not my name they scream.”

AJ smiled at a girl holding a large poster professing her love for him. “I can’t help being the sexy one.” He teased, “But look at it on the bright side, no one will notice when you biff it like you have in rehearsals all month because they’ll all be looking at me.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence buddy.”

“Don’t mention it.” AJ said with a wink and then stepped out onto the stage causing a roar of excitement to erupt.

In the end the concert went extremely well that night. The album was awesome, the energy was high and the guys were just as glad to be back as the fans were to have them back. Brian’s voice still faltered every now and then and his choreography was never completely in sync with the others but overall he got by and the show was better for having him there.

Brian felt that old hint of adrenaline as they took their final bow and for a few minutes it was all smiles in the locker room. His mood didn’t sink until the first mention of a press conference after the show. “Quick and relatively painless.” His manager promised, but Brian knew better, dealing with the media was never “quick and painless”.

Once the guys were all showered and dressed, they made their way into a small room where a handful of reporters were waiting to get the inside scoop. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were all really there to talk about and Brian was actually surprised when they managed to discuss something else first. “So, Backstreet’s Back again.” One reporter said, snickering to himself as if he had invented the tired joke. “Are you worried that your comeback won’t be a successful one?”

“It’s not a comeback if you were never gone.” Nick answered, trying not to let the sly jab make his temper flair.

“Unbreakable has done extremely well on the charts since it’s release.” Howie added, “And if we were worried at all, I think the response to tonight’s show was evidence enough that our fans are still around and ready to support us.”

“It’s like we always say,” AJ jumped in, “The Backstreet Boys have the greatest fans in the world. We’ve taken a couple of long breaks between albums in the past, but our fans are always patient and I think taking the time when we need it is what has kept us together all these years.”

“Well I’d say this time you definitely needed it.” Another journalist said, forcing his way into the conversation and turning his attention to Brian, “I noticed a couple of setbacks, but I have to admit I was surprised to see you keeping up so with the others only nine months after being shot. Has it been difficult?”

And there it was. All of the guys stiffened at the topic. They all knew it would most likely come up, but were hoping they would get lucky. Nick placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder and lowered his voice as he sent an icy glare to the man who had asked the question. “You don’t have to answer that.”

“It’s ok Nick.” Brian said making no attempt to whisper, “I can understand their curiosity.”

AJ and Howie both joined Nick in looking concerned, but Brian looked at them with determination and then addressed the reporter. “Yes.” He said, “It has been extremely difficult for me. Physically I have made a full recovery. I could probably even beat Nicky in a wrestling match, AJ for sure.”

“Thanks a lot buddy.” AJ pouted.

The group of reporters giggled at the playful banter but it died down immediately when they noticed Brian’s eyes glossing over. “But losing someone to a random act of violence is something you never get over.” He continued, fighting to keep his voice steady, “It’s a nightmare.” Brian’s glossy eyes turned to tears spilling down his cheeks and he looked to the three men standing beside him. “You have to find a way to keep going and that’s what these guys are doing for me. I don’t know what I’d do without them. Leighanne wouldn’t want me to give up and I don’t intend to.”

With that, Brian’s tears vanished and the hate that motivated his heart turned his feelings of sorrow into sheer determination. “That man took my wife but he won’t get me. I’m stronger that that, and I’m going to prove it. Backstreet is back,” he said nodding his head, “And we really are unbreakable.”
Chapter 4 by starbeamz2

Brian pushed open the door to his suite of rooms, thinking only of escape. Too often, he wanted to become someone else, someone who wasn't a Backstreet Boy or widower or one of the many other categories he was stuck in. He could hear Baylee giggling from somewhere in the suite and knew that being a father was the only category he hadn't come to resent in the past year. Somehow, being around Baylee made everything seem so much better.

But nothing, not even his son, could erase the horror he'd been through nine months ago.

He walked into the parlor where Baylee and his nanny were currently playing a board game. From the looks of it, it looked like Baylee was winning, and Lisa, the nanny, didn't seem to mind. Then, Baylee looked up from the game and spotted Brian in the doorway.

"Daddy!" He leapt up and hurried over, his arms wrapping around Brian's legs. "I missed you! Did the concert go good?"

Brian scooped his son into his arms and ruffled his wild curls. "It did. It was fun, and, next time, we'll have to see if you can come along and watch."

"Really?" Baylee's eyes widened. "That'll be so cool!"

Brian grinned. "Maybe you can teach Uncle Nick to dance the right way or something."

"How come? Did he trip again?"

"Nah. I almost did."

"Really? How?"

Brian's eyes twinkled with the humor that was usually missing these days. "I didn't tie my shoelace right, and I almost went right off the stage."

"Whoa."

"Yep." Brian kissed Baylee's forehead and set him down. "So did you and Lisa have a good night?"

Lisa smiled. "We sure did. Baylee's a champ at Chutes and Ladders. He beat me ten times out of fifteen."

"Nuh-uh. It was thirteen times!" Baylee fisted his hands on his hips indignantly. "No cheating, Lisa!"

She shrugged, her lips twitching in a smile. "Okay, so maybe it was thirteen times. But you know what time it is now, Baylee?"

"Uh-oh." Brian placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I think it's time, buddy."

"No." Baylee mock gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. "Please, no. Not that, anything but that!"

Lisa chuckled and held out a hand. "You promised, Bay. That was our deal, remember? Once your dad got back, you'd go to bed. And it is way past your bedtime."

"Okay." His shoulders slumped, Baylee put his hand in Lisa's and followed her towards one of the bedrooms. "'Night, Daddy."

"I'll be in to say good night in a minute, buddy," Brian promised and watched them disappear into the room. With a small sigh, he sank onto a loveseat and buried his face in his hands.

It had been a long day and one full of emotional upheaval. Getting back onto that stage had taken every bit of courage that he'd been able to muster. He should've been exhausted, he knew. But he wasn't. Ever since he'd gotten out of the hospital, the amount of sleep he'd needed had dwindled to a couple hours a night. Instead of feeling the exhaustion he normally would've felt after a grueling show, he was revved and full of energy. The city of San Francisco was pretty awesome at night, and he would wait until Baylee and Lisa were both in bed before he slipped away.

"Brian?" Lisa's voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he looked up as she sat down across from him. "I was wondering if I could talk to you after you tuck Baylee in."

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Is he in bed?"

"He's just waiting for you to sing him a song."

"Okay." Brian rose and headed towards the bedroom. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

When he returned, after singing his son to sleep, Lisa was flipping through a binder full of papers. He settled onto the sofa again, and she shut the binder and smiled a little.

"Brian, I've really enjoyed spending the past few months with Baylee and you, but I thought I should let you know that you need to start looking for another nanny."

He frowned. "Why? Baylee loves you."

"I know, and I've loved taking care of him, too, but I'm starting my senior year at UCLA in a few weeks. I'll need to get back to LA by the end of next week," she explained apologetically. "I know it's pretty late notice, but you've been so busy with rehearsals that I didn't have time to tell you before now."

"Oh. Well." Brian thought for a few moments. "I can't really stop you, Lisa, because I know school's pretty important. Bay's going to miss you, though."

"I know. I'll miss him, too, and being on this tour's been pretty exciting, too." She grinned. "Even though I was never a fan of the Backstreet Boys."

Brian smiled back. "It's okay. I bet Nick will be heartbroken when you leave."

Lisa chuckled. "Until the next nanny shows up. Anyway, thanks for understanding, Brian. I'm sorry to leave you in a lurch like this."

"Don't worry about it. I'll probably just call up one of those agencies, interview a couple nannies, and hopefully find one that Baylee likes." He shrugged. "We'll be fine."

"Great. Thanks, Brian."

When Lisa had gone to bed and he sat alone again in the parlor, Brian couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the way touring had been in the past. Late at night, after each show, he and Leighanne would always sit up and talk, and he would never be alone. Not the way he was now.

Determined not to let the depressing thoughts darken his mood, he stood and moved to the window. Staring out at the city of San Francisco, he muttered to himself for a moment. Then, stepping away from the glass, he turned and went to work.

***

The burglars had planned it all out. They'd taken care to disarm the security system and had tranquilized the guard on duty. No windows had been broken, no doors had been kicked open. They'd walked right in through the front doors as though they owned the place. In a few short minutes, they planned on owning the glittering jewels that gleamed behind display case glass.

The glowing rubies were wrapped carefully and stowed away, and the three men moved towards the impressive display of emeralds and sapphires. As one of them undid the locks, they missed the fluttering cape and the soft footsteps.

They missed nothing when one of them was suddenly swung round and used to knock the other two off balance. The case containing the jewels slid across the floor as the three men tried, unsuccessfully, to fight off their lone attacker. Within minutes, they were bound together by rope, the jewels they'd been so determined to take gleaming just feet away.

They stared at the man who'd apprehended them, unbelieving.

"Avenging Angel," one of them whispered, and even the mask couldn't hide the beaming smile of the caped crusader.

"That's right, fellas." He folded his arms over his chest as he studied them. When police sirens were heard, he shook his head. "Let's hope you boys aren't stupid enough to try to do this again."

The three men grumbled to each other, furious at being caught, and panicking at the thought of the approaching cops. But, when they looked up at Avenging Angel again, he was gone.

"Jeez! I didn't even hear the guy go," one of them muttered.

"What difference does it make?" Another one hissed furiously. "That asshole just gave the cops a huge present."

"Well," the third said, resignedly, as they heard pounding footsteps and the voices of the police, "at least we know he's real."

***

The floor was covered with printouts, maps, and articles. It wasn't what she would usually call a vacation, but Mac was thrilled. She'd piled up her vacation time from the Bureau over the past five years and now had a good three months to do nothing and enjoy herself.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't going to do nothing. She wasn't very good at doing nothing. Always needing to keep her mind busy, she rarely took the time to do nothing. It just wasn't in her.

So, here she was, two days into her vacation, and she'd spent those two days finding every article she could about the Avenging Angel. The day before, she'd interviewed three witnesses--three very adoring witnesses, she remembered. They'd been full of nothing but good things to say about the crazy caped crusader. It was pretty ridiculous how trusting people could be.

Mac picked her way around the ordered chaos on her living room floor and headed to her stereo. Knowing exactly what she was looking for, she plucked out the well-listened to CD and popped it into the stereo. Humming along to the first song, she belted out the chorus. "You're the calm when my world is crashing! My heart, my blood, my passion!"

Plopping down in the one clear spot on the floor, she reached for a stack of papers and continued to sing along. She knew if Jake saw her now, he'd never stop making fun of her. So she loved the Backstreet Boys. It wasn't a crime, was it? Besides, their latest album was pretty spectacular. And they were touring now. Skimming through another article, her mind wandered a little, and she wondered if she could see them on this tour. After all, she'd seen every other tour they'd done.

"They're in Salt Lake City, now," she muttered to herself. She'd checked on the Weird World forum earlier that day to find out. She liked keeping track of what they were up to. They'd rehearsed in LA, kicked off the tour in San Francisco, moved on to Portland, then Seattle, and, now, they were in...

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Mac grabbed a notepad and jotted down the cities the Unbreakable tour had already gone through in the past week and a half. Then, she picked up the list she'd made of the places Avenging Angel had been spotted. He'd moved out of California, she thought. When she lined up her two lists, her eyes widened in shock.

No way, she thought. There was no way there was any connection between the caped crusader and her favorite boyband. Nope. It was just a coincidence that the dates matched up exactly. Coincidence.

She shook her head at her thoughts. Coincidences were her life, her job. Just because it seemed totally unlikely, didn't mean that it was. For all she knew, one of the Backstreet Boys was a pseudo-superhero.

Mac grabbed the Unbreakable album jacket and studied the four men. She definitely couldn't see AJ as being a superhero. Nope. He might have had the whole rogue deal going, but she couldn't picture him strapping himself into Spandex and swooping all over the place to take out the bad guys. Besides, she'd always had a soft spot for AJ and didn't believe he could actually pull off the superhero thing.

Howie. Another no way, she decided. The man was too sweet, and she couldn't see him kicking bad guy ass. He was the kind of man who left things to the law, she mused, and she couldn't imagine him as the Avenging Angel.

Then there was Nick. The blond wonder of the group. She laughed out loud at the idea of Nick playing the Avenging Angel. If he was, he wouldn't have been able to resist telling someone about it.

And, finally, there was Brian. The poor man had been through a horrible tragedy almost a year ago and had spent weeks in the hospital. He couldn't possibly be physically fit enough to pull off the kinds of stunts Avenging Angel was known for. Even though Mac had never really been a huge fan of Brian's, she just couldn't picture him as a vigilante either.

It couldn't be the Backstreet Boys, she thought, but maybe it was someone who was on the tour with them. One of their technical crew or something. She couldn't pass up coincidence, she thought and reached for the phone.

"Agent Reed."

"Hey, Jake."

"Mac! Hey, how's the vacation going?"

He knew very well what she was up to, she thought with a smile. "Oh, you know. I'm just sitting on the beach with a giant margarita in my hand. How's work?"

"Sitting on the beach, my ass." He chuckled. "You'd be bored with that in five minutes. How's the secret mission going?"

"I think I may have something."

"Seriously?" His voice dropped. "It's been two days, and you've already found a lead?"

"Yep. And you're not going to believe it. Hell, I can't believe it either." She told him about the Backstreet connection and waited for him to laugh.

Sure enough, he did. "Come on, Mackenzie. You don't really believe that your masked man is part of a boyband tour, do you?"

"Well, why not? Jimmy Blakeley worked as a mime on the pier while he ran a huge drug cartel. Maybe it's just coincidence, or maybe it's not."

"The Adams instincts are sending up alarms, aren't they?"

"Yeah." She shrugged. "It sounds silly, but I think that tour holds the answer to our mystery man. Now, I just have to figure out a way to get onto it without anyone knowing I'm one of the FBI."

"You thinking about undercover work?"

"Call me crazy, but I don't think I'll get anywhere if I march up to the tour manager and tell him I'm an agent and that I'm looking for the Avenging Angel. Not only would Riley get pissed when he finds out, but it'll tip off our caped crusader, too." She paused. "Undercover's the only way I can figure this out."

There was silence on Jake's end for a few moments. "Okay. I'm gonna do some digging, see if I can find out a way to get you onto the tour. Maybe they're looking for extra roadies or something. You're sure you want to spend your vacation listening to bad pop music?"

Mac glanced over to where her stereo was paused on Unbreakable. "I think I can handle it."

Chapter 5 by honey
Author's Notes:
Hey guys! Sorry if the updates come a little slower this month. I'm going to be busy with an original fic for the National Novel Month and Sarah is going to be busy finishing Proving Them Wrong for it as well!!!!!! YAY SARAH!!!! Anyway, we're going to try and keep the updates coming, but if its slow, that's why, and we'll be back with full force in December!!! Wish us luck and thanks for all the reviews! We love you all!
Chapter 5

Brian sat atop the roof of the Belliagio wishing desperately that he could just swoop down into the glorious fountains that make up one of the Vegas Strip’s many trademarks. He pulled his mask over his head and literally wrung the sweat from it. The silky material he’d chosen for his crusade felt great against his skin, but didn’t exactly breathe like Egyptian cotton and the Nevada summer heat wasn’t exactly helping. “Superman never sweat this much.” He mused aloud. “I wonder what he uses.”

Brian sat a moment to catch his breath. After the day he’d just had he’d gained a new appreciation for the nickname Sin City. Normally the Avenging Angel strictly stayed in the shadows that were provided so generously by the moonlight, after putting his son to bed. That’s exactly how this day started as well, but thanks to his newest purchase off the black market, a handheld police scanner, Brian was kept on his toes well into the afternoon.

He could tell by the position of the sun that the afternoon was growing old. He’d already missed a rehearsal this morning, which he knew he was going to get busted for, but it was worth it. While his friends were going over a routine they’d done a thousand times over, fourteen scumbags were now behind bars thanks to him, a record for the Avenging Angel. Seven lives were saved. Four shop owners were spared a lot of grief. An elderly couple still owned their old Buick and one little girl still had the bike she got for her birthday last year.

Brian smiled as he thought of that last one; that had been his favorite. The little girl’s life may not have been in jeopardy, but she still wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly he had to pry her off of him. She told him she liked him better than Santa Clause but that she liked red better than blue and suggest he change colors. After explaining that he wouldn’t want people to confuse him with Jolly old Saint Nick, the little girl agreed blue was better and kissed his cheek before promising not to leave the house without her parents permission anymore.

Brian could still feel that little girl’s gratitude in his heart and took pride in the fact that now there was at least one seventeen-year-old kid that would think twice the next time his friends dared him to do something stupid.

Brian was pulled from his thoughts by the static of the radio attached to his belt. He knew that if he didn’t hurry he was likely to miss sound check, they’d kill him for that, and yet as the police scanner buzzed to life again, he had a very hard time turning it off. It used to be that on a concert day his mind could focus on nothing else, and now the concert was the furthest thing from his mind.

With a sigh, Brian switched the police scanner off and walked to the edge of the building.
Donning his mask one more time he looked over the edge and began counting balconies. When he’d located the one he knew to be his, he looked down at the electronic grappling hook on his belt, his favorite accessory, and sent it soaring. After giving the rope a hard tug and finding it secure, the Avenging Angel stepped up on the ledge overlooking the city. He looked at the many stories below him with a large grin, this job may be exhausting, but it did have its perks. Then, just as if he’d only ever been a mirage, he leapt from the rooftop and was gone; leaving behind only a soft breeze and the sound of a cape flapping against it.

***

Agent Reed quietly let himself through the front door of Mac’s home, wanting to surprise her with the good news in person. The house was in pristine order as always, but the flagrant sound of contemporary pop coming from the living room surprised Jake and he followed the noise curiously.

A smile spread widely across his face at the sight of Mac sprawled out on the only clear floor space amongst an endless see of papers, wearing a pair of sweats so baggy she nearly disappeared in the material. She was lying on her stomach propped up on her elbows studying the back of a CD case and long strands of hair fell from the bun she had rigged on top of her head with a couple of pencils, and her head bopped energetically to the beat.

This was a side of agent Adams Jake had never seen before, a girly side, and as he stood their admiring it, Mac lifted her eyes over the frame of her glasses to look up at him. “Jake!” She said surprised and a little self-conscious to see him standing there. “What are you doing here?”

“How much do you love me?” He replied, grinning from ear to ear as he held his hands behind his back.

“That depends.” Mac teased as she pulled herself to a sitting position. “Did you bring me some good take-out? I’m starving.”

“Better.” Jake said pulling a folder from behind his back.

Mac frowned as she took it from him. “A child care service?”

“One of the Backstreet Boys needs a nanny and he goes through this agency. I signed you up this morning.”

“That’s perfect!” Mac exclaimed as she began eagerly pouring through the agency brochure.

“Oh.” Jake continued as he pulled a white paper bag from behind his back, “I also brought some great take-out.”

Mac’s eyes brightened as Jake dangled the bag in front of her. “My hero!”

Jake laughed as Mac snatched the food from him and he in turn stole the CD cover from her fingers, immediately frowning at the four pretty boys on the cover. “Doing a little research are we?” he teased.

“Admit it, they’re kind of catchy.”

Jake listened for a moment and then smirked. “Let’s just say that I’m glad you decided to take on this case on your own before the Captain assigned it to me.”

Mac rolled her eyes as she handed Jake one of the small cardboard boxes and a pair of chopsticks. “Well then you’ll have a great time when you come visit me on tour.”

“You’ve got to get the job first. I can get you the interview, but I hear this Brian guy is really picky when it comes to his kid.”

“Baylee.”

“Right, Baylee.” Jake said eying Mac suspiciously.

“I was reading the cover.” Mac said quickly as a hint of redness crept into her cheeks. “You know, for research.”

Jake studied his colleague for a moment and then opened the folder he’d brought for Mac. “There’s a profile of the guy in here.” He said getting back to business, “Should help you figure out how to get on his good side, but I’m afraid the trickiest part is going to be convincing him that you love kids.”

“I do love kids!”

“At a girl Mac. Keep that up and the job’s yours for sure.”

Mac scoffed and she actually put down her chopsticks as she pouted. “Just because I don’t have any of my own doesn’t mean I don’t like them.”

“Come on Mac,” Jake laughed, “You, with kids?”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“Really? How come I never see you out trying to start up a family.”

Mac laughed and then went back to eating her lunch. “Kids I can handle.” She laughed, “It’s the having to have a dad for them I’m not sure I could tolerate.”

“Well,” Jake said, impressed at this new information about her, “Then this job should be a fun one for a change.”

Mac ate the rest of her lunch with a smile as she listened to the beautiful harmony still pumping through her stereo. Though she’d never admit just how exciting the idea of touring with the Backstreet Boys really was, Jake was right, this could be a very fun job.

***

Exhaustion was finally starting to take over the man who’d spent his night on the streets, no matter how much Red Bull he consumed, and his eyes drifted shut as his manager lectured him in the dressing room after the performance. “Brian!”

The newest member of the Boy’s management team was nervous to have to be the one to bring it up, but the Boys had been on tour long enough now that the simple mistakes Brian kept making on stage should have been long since smoothed out. “The only reason we scheduled that rehearsal this morning was for your benefit, you know that right?”

“I’m sorry David.” Brian said as he rubbed his heavy eyelids.

“I hate to say this Brian, but I’m sorry is just not good enough. You’ve got to step it up. You’re three seconds behind the other guys all the time. It’s like your heart’s just not in it or something and you know you guys have been out of the spotlight too long for you to be giving half-rate performances.”

“Can’t you see the guy looks like shit?” Nick snapped, coming to Brian’s defense. “He’s obviously not feeling well.”

Howie and AJ had been listening to the conversation with equal interest, but neither was quite ready to but in the way Nick did. They were concerned for their band mate every bit as much as Nick, but the truth is David was right. They’d all been thinking it but said nothing, not wanting to make Brian upset. They couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for the guy and they were glad to have him back, but he didn’t seem to be bouncing back quite the way everyone had expected and it was hurting them all.

Nick didn’t see it that way though. He and Brian had been so close once that he was naturally more protective than anyone else and he didn’t care what they looked like as long as Brian was with them. The change in Brian since his return frightened Nick more than anyone and he was afraid any discouragement would only drive him away.

“It’s alright Nick.” Brian said with a yawn that quickly spread to AJ as well. “I’m just not getting much sleep these days.”

Brian’s comment gave Howie an easy in to a conversation he’d wanted to have for some time now. He quickly joined the three men, giving Brian a look of concern. “Is there anything we can do to help?” He asked, “If you need it, we can schedule more time between shows.”

David turned pale at the suggestion and opened his mouth to object, but Howie gave him a look that silenced him before he could protest. “Maybe we could get you some medication or something.” Howie continued a little more cautiously, “Or we could bring a doctor on tour with us?”

Brian was a little surprised by the suggestion and barely managed a poker face with his reply. “A doctor? You mean a psychiatrist? You think I need therapy?”

There was a tiny hint of aggression in Brian’s tone that drained Howie’s confidence and forced him to stumble over his words as he backtracked. “Well no, I just thought that maybe it might help. You’re just not quite yourself lately and I just want to do anything I can is all.”

“We’re worried about you man.” AJ added finally joining the conversation.

Brian looked at the men staring at him nervously as if they were waiting for him to explode and when he realized they were doing for him, what he once helped do for AJ he fell into a chair with a heavy sigh. “I appreciate what you guys are trying to do.” He said, “But trust me, I’m ok. I just forgot how tiring touring is. But don’t worry, I promise I’ll get some sleep, and no more missed rehearsals. In fact, no more extra rehearsals at all, I can pick up the slack.”

No one seemed very convinced so Brian flashed them a killer smile that only the Avenging Angel himself could pull off and he chuckled as he sang out with all the energy he had left in his body. “Brian’s back, alright!”

David still wasn’t quite convinced and Howie Nick and AJ all tried to stick to their guns, but they melted at the sight of the grin that made Brian famous and instantly they were all smiles again. “You’d better be.” AJ laughed as he nudged Brian lightly in the side. “We don’t want to look like Britany Spears at the Grammy’s.”

The guys burst out into laughter again until David broke up the party. “I’m glad you’re feeling better Brian,” he said responsibly, “But I’d feel better if you promise to spend these next two days off getting some rest.”

“I’d love to.” Brian joked, “But I can’t. I’ve got to catch the next flight to LA.”

“Why?” Nick gasped, “I thought we were gonna hang here together tomorrow.”

“As much as I would hate to let you drag me to a strip club and some craps tables, I’m afraid it’s not an excuse, I really do have to go.”

“Ok fine, no strip clubs and only blackjack.” Nick pouted. “Please! You know you would have fun.”

“Sorry man, Lisa’s going back to school, I have to find a new nanny for Baylee.”

Brian laughed when Nick’s eyes grew really wide. “We’re losing Lisa?”

“I’m losing Lisa Nick, not you.”

David pulled out his cell phone and was dialing 411 before he even asked the question. “Do you want me to call an agency and just have them send someone out?”

“Without meeting them first? Are you kidding? Do you know what kind of psychos try to do child care?” Brian shook his head in true bewilderment, “That’s ok. I’ll just sleep on the plane.”

Nick was still pouting over the idea of losing Baylee’s cute nanny until he sparked an idea. “Can I come?” he asked with excitement.

“You want to come help me interview nannies?” Brian asked dryly.

“Hey, Baylee’s like a nephew to me. I feel like I should at least be able to have a say in this.”

Brian knew how much Nick loved Baylee, but he wasn’t fooled for a second by the protective uncle act. “And what would be your criteria for choosing the person that I will be entrusting my son’s life to?”

Nick knew he would never be allowed to tag along anyway so he simply couldn’t resist, hoping that Brian might at least subconsciously remember some of his suggestions. “Well,” He began with a smirk, “SHE, has to be at least five – seven this time. Lisa’s cute and all, but come on? I’m six-one. You gotta work with me a little bit here.”

“That’s nice.” Brian laughed.

“Oh, and let’s change it up this time and go with some dark hair. Ooh, or maybe a red head. Oh! And would it be too much to ask for a gymnast?”

Brian shook his head and cast a look to Howie and AJ, but they weren’t much help. “I like that gymnast idea.” AJ chuckled.

“I’ve heard enough.” Brian laughed as he grabbed his coat. “I’ll see you fellas in a couple days.”

The guys all called out goodbyes and began collecting their things but stopped when Brian reappeared in the doorway with a worried look on his face. “I don’t really look like Britany out there do I?”
Chapter 6 by starbeamz2
Brian was at his wits’ end.  Absolutely at the end.  Things were just not going well, and he was just tired.  Who needed a nanny, anyway?  He figured he could do well enough taking care of Baylee while he was on tour.  Besides, the guys could help, and the bodyguards probably wouldn’t mind too much.

He looked over at where Baylee crouched in the sandbox and meticulously built a castle.  The playground was full of children accompanied by parents, babysitters, or nannies.  Where did those nannies come from? he wondered.  They all looked competent and normal.  Which was the complete opposite of the five nannies he’d interviewed already.

The first one had been the kind Nick would’ve picked, Brian thought wryly. She’d been blonde, busty, and a complete airhead.  Baylee had disliked her on sight.  She was boring, unimaginative, and only wanted to see what it was like to be on tour.

The second one had been scary.  Baylee had clutched Brian’s hand during the entire interview and stared at the ground.  The woman was a stickler for rules, as she’d explained to Brian.  She had specific bedtimes, lists of forbidden foods (all of Baylee’s favorites topped that list), and, by the end of the interview, Brian had been scared of her, too.

The third one had just turned eighteen and was too inexperienced, and the fourth had just gotten out of rehab for an alcohol problem.  Brian had no problem with recovering alcoholics, except that he remembered their relapse statistics.  AJ would’ve probably told him that it was a bad idea to hire her, too, so Brian had decided against her.  The fifth nanny had despised being outdoors, getting dirty, and hadn’t been too fond of the fact that the interview was being held at a playground.

Exasperated and exhausted, Brian sat on the grass next to the sandbox and pulled out his cell phone.  “What do you think, Baylee? Think we should try one more nanny?”

Baylee carefully poked holes into his castle walls to act as windows before he looked up.  “I don’t know, Daddy. The other ones were weird.”

Brian chuckled.  “I know, but we do need someone there to watch out for you and tutor you with all the first grade stuff.”

“Okay,” Baylee replied after several moments.  “We can try again.”

Brian dialed up the agency for the sixth time that day and spoke to the woman in charge of employment again.  “I know you’ve already sent me five potential nannies, but I wasn’t satisfied at all,” he explained.  “I’m willing to try one last time.”

“Mr. Littrell, we really don’t have that many choices left.  You have to understand how difficult it is to find a nanny who wouldn’t mind giving up her life to travel with you and your son.”

“I do understand, but if you could just send me one more,” Brian began.

There was a small sigh at the other end of the line.  “All right.  We hired a woman recently, who might just work.  I’ll get her number for you.”

“Great!” Within minutes, Brian was dialing a Mackenzie Adams’ number.  He really hoped this one worked out.  Otherwise, he was out of luck.  And time.  He glanced at his watch as the phone rang at the other end. He had three hours before he had to head back out and catch up with the tour.  

“Hello?” A woman’s voice answered.

Brian sighed. “Hi, is this Mackenzie Adams? I received your number from a nanny agency and was hoping to meet with you to discuss potential employment.”

“Oh, of course.  Yes, this is Mackenzie.” On the other end, Mac did a little dance of joy.  She’d known it was Brian the instant he’d spoken, and she couldn’t believe she was on the phone with a Backstreet Boy.  “May I ask who this is?”

“Brian Littrell.  Miss Adams, I’d really like to meet with you as soon as possible. Say, today?”

Mac’s jaw dropped.  “Uh, well, sure! Yes, today works.  What time?”

Brian checked his watch again. “Can you meet me in a half hour at Crescent Park in Beverly Hills?”

“Half an hour?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.  Is that a problem?”

Mac shook her head, even though Brian couldn’t see it.  “No! I’ll be there.  Thank you, Mr. Littrell.  I’ll see you in a little while.”

“Great.” Brian ran a hand wearily through his hair.  “We’re at the sandbox.  You can’t miss it.”

“Okay! I’ll see you soon.  ‘Bye!”

Brian hung up and shook his head.  “If Mackenzie Adams doesn’t work out, Bay, I think we’re just going to have Nick be your nanny. It’s gotta be better than nothing, right?”

Baylee’s expression looked horrified, and Brian couldn’t help but laugh.

***

Mac pulled into the parking lot of Crescent Park almost twenty-five minutes later.  She was sure she’d blown a couple red lights and broken several traffic laws, but she didn’t care.  She was going to be on time for this extremely important appointment.  Her career rested on it.

She strode through the park, searching for the sandbox and ignoring the butterflies in the pit of her stomach.  Not having had the chance to change, she still wore grubby jeans and an old shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.  As relaxed as she looked, behind her glasses, her eyes were sharp.  Finally, she spotted the sandbox and Brian next to it.

Tugging on her shirt a bit, she hesitantly approached Brian and noticed Baylee playing in the sandbox.  What on earth was she thinking? she wondered suddenly.  She’d never really babysat before, and yet she was going to jump into being a live-in nanny.  She was either crazy or determined.

She settled for determined and walked right up to Brian.  “Hi, you must be Brian.” She held out her hand.  “I’m Mackenzie Adams.”

Brian stood and shook her hand.  “Hi, Mackenzie.  It’s nice to meet you.” She looks normal, he thought.  And pretty in a smart way.  Nick would be happy. Then, he turned to Baylee.  “Come on over, Bay, and meet Miss Adams.”

Baylee let go of his shovels and pail and stood next to Brian, studying Mac.  “Hi, Miss Adams.  Do you like sandboxes?”

Mac blinked, surprised.  “Uh, sure.  I’ve always liked building castles at the beach, but yours is pretty cool, too.” She crouched until she was eye level with Baylee.  “Call me Mac.  My friends do.”

“Oh.” Now Baylee was surprised.  The other nannies never talked to him, only to his dad.  Maybe this one was going to work.  “Okay, Mac.  Do you like the beach?”

“Sure do.  Don’t you?”

“Yeah!” Baylee nodded enthusiastically.  “I love it! But we haven’t been in a long, long time.  Not since…not since Mommy died,” he whispered, and his broken voice broke Mac’s tough heart.

She ruffled his hair.  “That’s hard, Baylee.  Maybe we could go sometime.”

“Okay!” Baylee nodded and looked up at his father.  “Daddy, when we have a break, can we go to the beach with Mac?”

Brian frowned. He’d watched the easy interaction between his son and the potential nanny.  Her clothing certainly indicated that she didn’t mind getting dirty, she didn’t seem too uptight, and Baylee seemed instantly comfortable with her.

“We’ll see, Bay.  Why don’t we talk to Mac a little bit first?”

“Okay.” Baylee nodded and turned to Mac. “We have to make sure you’re a ‘sponsible person.”

Mac grinned.  “No problem.  What do you want to know?” she asked Brian.

He studied her once more before speaking. “Have you worked with children before?”

“Sure.  When I was one.” She saw his brows fly up and grinned.  “Don’t worry, I’ve had experience.  I worked in a preschool to help pay for college.”

“Oh, okay.” Point for her, he thought.  “Would you have any reservations about living with Baylee and myself for a period of six months while I tour the world with my group?”

Hell, no, she thought.  I’d give my left kidney to do it!  Out loud, she said, “Not really.  Should I?”

“It’s a possibility.” Brian shrugged.  “Aren’t you a little old to be a nanny?”

Mac’s brows lifted this time.  “Excuse me?”

“No, no.” Brian shook his head, embarrassed that the question had slipped from his lips.  “I’m not calling you old, Mac.  I just assumed that, at this point in your life—and I’m assuming you’re in your late twenties?”

“I’ll be twenty-nine in November,” she muttered.

Brian nodded.  “Okay, I just thought that, by twenty-nine, a woman who seems as competent and with it as you would have a solid place of work by now.  Not nanny work.”

“I’m between jobs,” Mac replied with the first thing that came to mind.

“Fair enough.” Brian thought for a moment.  This woman had experience, Baylee liked her, she seemed sane, and there was something honest about her.  He couldn’t say that he didn’t like her either.  “Can I be honest with you?”

Mac frowned.  “Haven’t you already been honest?”

“Why do you want this job?” he asked.  “Why would you want to spend six months of your life taking care of a five and a half year old while living in and out of tour buses and hotels?”

She considered his questions for a few moments before smiling.  “I think it’ll be an adventure.  I think working with Baylee in all those different environments will be unique and interesting.  Don’t you think so, Baylee?”

Baylee’s eyes widened.  She was actually asking him something? This nanny thought his opinion was important, which, to Baylee, meant she was a keeper.  “Yeah.  It’ll be lots of fun, Daddy! We’ll learn lots about all the different places in the world.  Mac and me will have lots of adventures!”

Brian looked from Baylee’s smiling face to Mac.  She had a half smile teasing her lips, and the expression in her eyes told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.  Well, he thought, nanny-wise, they could’ve done a lot worse.

“Can you start tomorrow?”

***

Mac waited until she was home and the door was shut behind her before she let out a shriek of joy. “Oh my god! Oh my god! I’m going on tour with the Backstreet Boys!” She jumped up and down a couple times before she stopped and smacked her forehead. “Jeez, Mackenzie. Could you be anymore unprofessional?”

It was ridiculous for a twenty-eight year old woman to act like a teenybopper, but she was ecstatic.  Thrilled beyond belief.  She was going to spend six months on the Backstreet tour taking care of Baylee, which meant she’d be in close contact with all of the Boys. Not to mention, she wouldn’t have to spend any money on concert tickets this time around.

She dashed up the stairs and pulled out a suitcase from the storage closet.  Rushing into her bedroom, she threw open her closet and began yanking clothing out right and left.  Brian had instructed her to meet up with the tour in Phoenix the following morning, which only left her thirteen hours to pack and draw up her game plan for her investigation.

She thought about her meeting with Brian and Baylee as she picked and chose clothes appropriate for travel.  Baylee had been just as cute as all the pictures she’d ever seen of him, but he had the saddest eyes she’d seen on a five year old. The same sadness lingered in Brian’s eyes, even when he smiled.  It must have been horrible to lose Leighanne, she thought, but, hopefully, while she did her investigating, she could help put a little more happiness in Baylee’s life.

Brian had definitely been exactly the way she’d imagined he would be these days.  Serious, quiet, and kind of boring.  She was definitely going to enjoy spending time with the other Boys.  Especially AJ, she thought gleefully.

When she’d pretty much emptied her closet, she turned back to study her bed.  All of her clothes were heaped on top of it and she shook her head at herself.  “Organization is the key to success, Mac,” she muttered to herself and began folding clothes neatly to fit into the suitcase.

Halfway through, she remembered Jake and found her phone to call him.

“Hello?”

“Jake!” Mac fought to hold back the squeal of excitement rather unsuccessfully. She hoped he thought her excitement was because of the case.  “Guess what?”

“Mac?” He chuckled at the tone of her voice.  “What’s up?”

The smile on her face hurt her cheeks, it was so wide.  “I got the job! I’m going on tour and undercover!”

“What? As Littrell’s nanny? Whoa, that was fast!” Jake was amazed.  She definitely didn’t waste time.

“Yeah, I know. I got a phone call from Brian a couple hours ago, I met with him and Baylee, and now I’m packing! I have a flight to catch to Phoenix in the morning.” Mac did a little dance as she talked and folded clothes simultaneously.

Jake shook his head on the other line.  “Wow, you sound really excited.  Want me to come over? We can celebrate the fact that you’re going to solve another case in no time.”

“Nah. It’s okay. I should probably get some sleep.” Or spend the night dancing to all Backstreet music, she thought. “Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Sure. I’ll drive you to the airport, then.  How’s that?”

Mac started stowing things into her suitcase and remembered that she had to get her toiletries, too.  “Okay, yeah. Thanks, Jake! I’ll see you at five tomorrow morning.”

Excited, she hung up and missed his indignant voice saying, “Five in the morning?!  Mac, are you-”

Her toothbrush in one hand and a bottle of Listerine in the other, she danced from the bathroom to her suitcase and grinned to herself.  This was going to be the best vacation ever.

***

It only took five minutes after Brian and Baylee had climbed aboard their tour bus for the nighttime trip from Vegas to Phoenix before there was a pounding on the door.  Brian exchanged a mischievous look with Baylee as he headed down to open the door.

“Brian!” Nick hopped on the bus, grinning.  “So, how was your trip? Did you find a new nanny? Is she hot?”

Baylee giggled as Brian just shook his head, resigned to Nick’s one track mind.  “We had a nice trip, and, yes, we found a nanny.”

“And…?” Nick folded his arms on his chest and tapped his foot.  

Brian suppressed the chuckle.  “And what?”

“Ugh! Brian! Is she hot? What’s her name? What does she look like? Is she five-seven or what?” Nick demanded.

“Her name’s Mac,” Baylee piped up.  “She’s really nice.  She likes the beach, too, and we’re gonna go with her maybe when we have a break!”

Nick digested the information.  “Mac? What kind of a name is Mac? Are you sure she’s a she?”

“Nick.” Brian groaned.  “Can you use your upstairs brain for once? Mac is definitely a woman, but,” he paused as an idea occurred to him.  “But I don’t think she’s your type at all.  She’s older.”

“Older?” Nick’s eyes narrowed.  “How much older? Twenty-nine, thirty?”

Brian’s eyes twinkled when they met Baylee’s past Nick.  “Nope. More like fifty-ish.  She’s very motherly. That’s why she’s going to be perfect.”

Nick’s jaw dropped, and he was speechless for several moments.  “Are you out of your mind, Brian?! I asked, specifically asked, you to pick someone good.  Picking a woman old enough to be my mom is not what I meant!”

“Sorry, Nick.” Brian shrugged. “That’s just how things worked out this time.  Maybe next tour it’ll be better.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nick grumbled.  “I gotta get back to my bus.  I hope you both enjoy spending time with Grandma Mac.” Frowning, he stomped off the bus.

When Brian heard the door slam shut, he laughed, really laughed for the first time in months and months.  Baylee liked hearing the now unfamiliar sound of his father’s laughter and joined in.  They were definitely in for an interesting next few months.
Chapter 7 by honey
Author's Notes:
ok everyone, blame me (honey) for the slow update this time and thank Sarah for keeping me on track! She's really just the best, isn't she?
Chapter 7

Mac hardly slept a wink all night, but she was so pumped full of adrenaline over meeting the Backstreet Boys that fatigue probably wouldn’t hit her until the following evening. And, since she’d had nothing else to do all night long, her suitcases could make even Monk proud. That’s a good show, she thought to herself as she doodled in a leather bound journal.

Mac was meticulous about carrying her journal with her at all times; it came from working under cover so much. There was never a time that Mac wasn’t working. Even in her sleep, her dreams were hard at work trying to make sense of whatever case she happened to be on. She was a little anal and a bit of a workaholic, but her captain always said that’s why she made such a “damn fine agent”.

Everything Mac saw was treated like a keen observation that she turned into a mental snapshot. The problem was, all those pictures she took all the time could get lost in the never-ending file cabinet she had for a brain. That’s what the journal was for. She bought a new journal every time she started a new case. She bought this newest one right after her meeting with Brian and immediately started four different pages for her notes on each of the boys. She had a particularly fun time googling them to find the perfect pictures for each page.

She stared down at the open page in front of her at the picture she’d chosen for Brian. It was one of him and Baylee together, but it had obviously been taken pre-Leighanne’s death because the sparkle in both their eyes as they smiled was enough to bring a smile to Mac’s face as well. He’s not the sexiest Backstreet Boy, she thought, but he and Baylee sure are cute together.

Mac’s eyes dropped below the picture to the nearly blank page, and she sighed. She was supposed to be using the hour and fifteen minute flight to write about her first encounter with the man but all she had so far was: “serious, quiet, and probably wouldn’t look too bad in a spandex suit.” That last one was more of a joke, but she had been surprised by Brian’s physique when she saw him; he always seemed so tiny on stage and in pictures. True, he wasn’t any taller than she was, but she guessed he could easily bench-press two of her.

Mac tried to focus, but the thought of going on tour had turned her into some kind of fourteen-year-old groupie. She zoned out for a minute until the captain announced their final approach and asked everyone to please return their seatbacks and tray tables to their upright positions. When she realized she’d just been sketching things like “I heart AJ” and “KTBSPA” in the corners of the paper she groaned inwardly, slammed the book shut, and waited very impatiently for her plane to land.

She was a little relieved to see a man in a dark suit holding a sign with her name on it when she arrived because it would give her a chance to get rid of the butterflies that formed in her stomach when she realized just how close she was to meeting the rest of the boys. Then she thanked heaven that she’d decided to get up early and get ready before her flight because the car took her straight to the venue in downtown Phoenix where the Backstreet Boys were slated to perform that evening, and apparently having a rehearsal at 10 am, and she wanted to look perfect for her first meeting.

When Mac arrived, she was greeted by a well-dressed woman in her late thirties carrying a Blackberry and a walkie-talkie. “You must be Ms. Adams,” she said with a friendly smile and a firm handshake.

“Mac.”

“Well, Mac, am I glad to see you!”

“Really?” Mac asked curiously.

The woman nodded. “I’m Geneen, the Boys’ tour manager, but I’ve been on nanny duty since Lisa left and don’t get me wrong Baylee’s a sweet boy, but there’s a reason I don’t have any of the little buggers of my own.”

“Consider yourself relieved then.” Mac laughed. “Just point me in the right direction.”

“Gladly.”

Geneen instructed the driver to take Mac’s luggage to the busses and led Mac inside. “The guys are on the stage right now, and Baylee’s just hanging out in the front row. If you want to just hang out until they’re done, I’m sure Brian will go over everything else with you.”

When they reached the auditorium doors, Mac’s heart fluttered with nerves and she stopped just a foot short. “Do you think I could find a ladies room first?” she asked with a nervous laugh. “It was an early flight. I’ve had a little too much coffee this morning.”

“Story of my life honey.” Geneen laughed and then handed Mac a badge to hang over her neck. “Listen I’ve gotta go, our brilliant sound crew misplaced one of their amps, but the bathroom’s just down the hall there. You’ll need this. Keep it pretty visible, our security guards can be a little overzealous.”

In the restroom Mac stared at her self in the mirror. “Get a grip Mac! You’re FBI for crying out loud, you’re trained to keep calm under pressure!”

After making a note in her journal to look into the overzealous security guards, she took a deep breath and reapplied her lip-gloss. She tugged at her outfit and then pushed a dark lock behind her ear that had fallen from her twisted up hair, cursing the bangs she was trying to grow out as she did. Then, allowing herself to think she looked decent for once, cute even, she crossed the hall and slipped quietly into the auditorium.

For a split second, Mac grinned like a lovesick teenager as she watched the boys working with their choreographer, but she quickly donned her game face and turned her attention to the small boy coloring in the center aisle. She walked up behind him and grinned at the picture of four stick men on a stage. Baylee had given each of them just enough characteristics that she knew exactly who was who. “You didn’t tell me you were a junior Picasso,” she said, surprising Baylee as she tussled his mop of curls.

“You’re here!” Baylee squealed.

Mac was so surprised when Baylee tackled her with an enormous hug that she nearly fell backward and cautiously gave him a gentle squeeze back. The interaction caught the attention of all four Backstreet Boys and, as Baylee proceeded to explain his artwork to Mac, they each took a minute to check out the newcomer.

Brian gulped nervously as he tried to decide if the classy looking woman with his son was indeed the same person he’d hired in the park yesterday. He’d noticed she had attractive features before, but she certainly hadn’t look like this. He was pulled from his thoughts by a surprise jab in his side from Nick, who was practically drooling as he whispered, “Baylee got a long lost majorly hot aunt you’ve never told us about or something?”

Brian’s gaze returned to Mac, and Howie answered Nick’s question for him. “I think that’s the new nanny.”

“That’s grandma Mac?” AJ coughed in surprise.

“Excuse me?” Mac said as she whirled around just in time to see Nick elbow AJ.

“She certainly hears better than a grandma,” Howie snickered.

“This is a concert hall, Mr. Dorough. They’re specifically designed to make your voice resonate.”

Howie immediately stopped giggling and shrugged apologetically, falsely thinking he’d managed to whisper that quietly enough. There was no way for him to know that, aside from Mac’s keen ears, she was trained in the bureau to be an expert lip reader.

“I’m sorry,” AJ said feeling horribly embarrassed and then nervously blurted, “Nick said it first.”

“Dude!” Nick hissed and then turned his bright red face to the woman staring at him with wide eyes. “It’s not my fault. Brian told me you were like fifty.”

Mac’s jaw dropped as she slowly met Brian’s horrified expression. After blinking back her astonishment she finally managed to gain control of her surprise. “Are you trying to give me a complex?”

Brian couldn’t manage to find his voice enough to explain, and Mac looked down when she felt someone tugging on her pants. “Dad was just teasing Nick because Nick was mad that Dad said you weren’t his type.”

“Not helping little man,” Nick said as he glared at Baylee.

There was a nice awkward silence for a minute and finally Mac cracked a smile. “Ok then Baylee,” she said playfully as she knelt down to his level. “Whose type am I?”

“I think you’re really pretty.”

“Why, thank you Baylee, as it happens I think you are completely adorable as well.”

Baylee grinned widely at Mac and then looked up at the four men on the stage, beaming with pride. “Did ya hear that Nick? I get first dibbs this time.”

Nick turned bright red again, and Brian slapped his hand over his face with a groan, utterly humiliated.

“I guess I underestimated the need for my presence.” Mac laughed forcefully. “What are you guys teaching this child?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know the half of it,” laughed the choreographer, who had watched the entire scene play out. “Welcome to the team, honey.”

“Mac.”

“Nice to meet you, Mac. I’m Karen, and I hate to sound like a stickler, but I only have 45 minutes left to whip these guys into shape for tonight and apparently some of them, eh-hem, NICK, had too much fun in Las Vegas…”

“Oh, no, please, carry on. I’m sorry for the distraction. I’ll just have Baylee take me on a tour then?” Mac looked to Brian for approval, and he barely shrugged a nod.

Once she was safely out of the room Brian was immediately met with an arm over his shoulder. “I take back anything I ever said about you,” Nick said, taking a moment to form a mental picture. “And that whole sexy sophisticated, Lois Lane look she’s got going on? Mmm!”

“Whoa there, tiger.” AJ laughed, “I guarantee you that girl is way too much woman for you to handle.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Fifty bucks says she’d rather go out with me.”

“Guys!” Brian groaned. “The nanny, I mean Mac, is off limits! Got it?”

“You’re not just trying to keep her all for yourself are you?”

“OFF LIMITS!”

***

Brian could hear the low hum of voices as he neared his tour bus after rehearsal. He stopped outside the door, dreading having to face Mac after that horrific display inside. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, but there was no avoiding it, so he heaved the door open and climbed heavily up the steps. He stopped when he saw Baylee sitting in Mac’s lap reading The Cat In The Hat together, exactly the way he and Leighanne used to. For a moment Brian could see his wife’s face, but the image was shattered by the sound of Mac’s voice.

“How was rehearsal?” She asked timidly, seeing the pain in Brian’s eyes. Brian didn’t respond to Mac’s question though. “I’m so sorry,” Mac muttered nervously after seeing the way Brian kept shifting his eyes between her and his son. “He just kind of climbed up here when we sat down,” she explained as she scooted Baylee onto the bench beside her. “He’s an awfully friendly little guy.”

“Oh, no,” Brian replied quickly when he realized why Mac was nervous. “Um, that’s fine. He’s probably a little attention starved truthfully.”

“Then why are you looking at me like I just killed your cat or something?”

Brian was surprised by the bluntness of her question. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, shaking himself from his daze. “You just reminded me of…” His voice trailed off and he again had to shake himself back to the present. “Never mind.”

He smiled, but his eyes seemed lifeless, and, for the first time, Mac got a real dose of the heartache he lived with. It broke her heart and made the situation extremely uncomfortable. Mac smiled at Baylee and reached for his box of crayons. “Hey Baylee, how would you like to draw a picture for me while your Dad and I step outside for a minute?”

Brian was surprised by the request, but not as much as Baylee was. He looked up at Mac with wide eyes. “Are you guys gonna kiss?”

“What?” Mac laughed.

“That’s what Nick always said when he came to see me and Lisa, and they used to kiss.”

Just when Brian thought their first day couldn’t get any worse. “He’s a dead man,” he grumbled with a horrified expression.

Mac gave Brian a smirk and then plastered a serious yet sweet look on her face before facing Baylee again. “No Baylee, we’re not going to kiss. We just need to have some grown up talk. Is that ok?”

Baylee wrinkled his nose at the sound of grown up talk and then sighed as he accepted the crayons from Mac. “OK,” he said. “I’ll draw you a picture of the beach since you like it a lot.”

“That sounds great.”

Brian wasn’t looking forward to whatever “grown up talk” meant, and he nervously followed Mac a safe distance from the bus. When she stopped, he immediately began with the huge apology he felt he owed her. “Look, I am so sorry about the whole grandma thing,” he began. “I wasn’t calling you old, you just have to understand Nick. He was hounding me for details and I was tired so I said what I knew would get him to go away. After that it was too funny letting him think I’d hired someone he couldn’t hit on.”

Mac had already figured that out and wasn’t the least bit upset about it, but Brian was too funny at the moment, so she stood there letting him fumble his way through a nervous apology anyway. “And that whole thing about not being his type, that’s sort of a compliment. I mean the girls he likes are usually, well, girls, and you’re more like a wo–“

Brian stopped himself, embarrassed by his thoughts, and Mac couldn’t help smirking. “Like a grandma?” she teased.

“Woman.” Brian cringed sheepishly.

“It’s alright Mr. Littrell. I get it. Nick’s a horn dog. If it was me, I probably would have told him I hired a gay guy that had a thing for tall blondes, but a grandma’s just as funny. No offense taken, okay?”

Brian released a giant breath of relief. “Thanks, and please, its just Brian.”

“Okay, Brian.” Mac wiped the smirk from her face and then sighed. “Can I say something?”

Brian gave Mac a curious look and that was all she needed to spill what was on her mind. “I know what happened to your wife, I did my homework. I’m sorry you had to go through that; it must have been awful for you.”

Brian’s face paled at the mention of Leighanne, so Mac softened her expression and continued as gently as she could. “You’re right, I am a lot older than most nannies. I can imagine it’s difficult for you to have another woman around. It’s probably a little confusing for Baylee too.”

Brian opened his mouth to say something, but Mac didn’t give him the chance to deny it, “No,” she continued. “I don’t want this to be awkward for the next six months and certainly don’t want to overstep any kind of boundaries. I’m not his mother, I would never try to fill those shoes, so I think maybe we should talk tonight after Baylee goes to sleep and try to set some ground rules. It might help if you tell me about her.”

Brian was always reluctant to talk about Leighanne, especially with another woman, but Mac was right. And after the morning they’d had so far, Brian was willing to try anything to ease the tension. He was impressed with the way Mac was able to handle the situation and even though it would be strange to have another woman in his life, he relaxed a little thinking that he’d made the right decision in hiring her. After thinking for a moment he finally cracked a small smile. “I’d like that.”
Chapter 8 by starbeamz2
Author's Notes:
Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken us a while to get the next chapter up. Both Kelly and I have been super busy, but, luckily, we found time to come up with the next chapter! Things start rolling in this one, so it's pretty exciting! We hope you enjoy it!
Mac’s first few days on tour flew by quickly.  Having worked undercover several times before, she didn’t have any difficulty adjusting to being in a new place, sleeping in a new bed or beds, depending on where the Boys were bunked for the night.  Maybe she didn’t relish the sensation of sleeping on a tour bus what with all the bumping and jostling, but she didn’t mind it too much either.  Besides, she liked her new roommates and hoped that they felt the same about her.

Baylee was the most charismatic five year old she had ever met.  She didn’t know of a single female on the tour that he hadn’t already wrapped around his little finger.  They were constantly bringing him toys and treats, even though she’d heard Brian tell them not to at least a dozen times.  Mac knew Brian didn’t want to spoil Baylee to pieces, but she knew that Baylee was too sweet to be easily spoiled.  

She thought it was the cutest thing that, on her third night with the tour, Baylee showed up at the door to her hotel room in Albuquerque.  He’d dragged an enormous stuffed bear with him, and a tired, grumpy-looking Brian apologized and explained that Baylee wanted to spend the night with her.  She had been incredibly surprised but had agreed.  Baylee had crawled into bed with her and, pulling her arms around him, had proceeded to fall asleep.  Mac had been amazed at the ease with which he had gotten used to having her around, and she rather liked the warm feelings that had spread through her when Baylee had cuddled close to her.  

As for Baylee’s father, Brian was obviously finding it a bit more difficult to adjust to her presence. Though their talk that first night had consisted of him telling Mac about Leighanne and her murder and Mac beginning to understand his current strained behavior, their conversations still consisted of stilted words and stayed on the topic of Baylee.  Mac had decided to just deal with the fact that it would be a long time, if ever, before she and Brian might actually be friends.

That was definitely not the case with Brian’s bandmates, though.  Howie had quickly become a regular visitor during those times of the day when she and Baylee spent time working on a geometric paper quilt. Howie would sit with them and help cut colorful circles, squares, and triangles and assist Mac in correcting Baylee on which shapes were which and how many triangles it took to make a square.  Sometimes, if he’d had time, Howie would bring her coffee and, later, they would talk about how excited he was that his wife, Leigh, was going to have their first child right after the end of the tour.  He was too cute, and Mac had scribbled in her journal about how she was positive that the Avenging Angel was not Howie.  There was no way that straight-laced Howie D would strap himself into Spandex and take the law into his own hands.  Nope.

Then, there was Nick.  The two of them had quickly gotten past the “Grandma Mac” incident and could laugh about it now.  Surprisingly, he was one of her favorite people on the tour, and, instead of the two of them developing a romantic relationship the way Nick had hoped, they were like big sister and little brother, now.  He’d easily gotten over his mini-heartbreak when Mac had told him that she didn’t really date younger men and definitely not blondes, and now, he’d moved on to flirt obsessively with one of the women that worked with the sound team.  He was a hopeless case, but Mac was growing to love him.

Finally, there was AJ.  Where she’d once thought him outrageously attractive, those thoughts had only been based upon pictures, concerts, and video footage.  Up close and personal, AJ blew her away.  He was certainly attractive, but she discovered that he had a heart of gold and a personality as soft as a teddy bear.  Though she didn’t see him as often as she would have liked, she still saw him before sound checks and whenever he dropped by to play with Baylee, who he considered his honorary nephew.  It was adorable to watch the way Baylee and AJ lit up around each other.  Not as cute as the way Baylee and Brian often fooled around when Brian thought she wasn’t watching, but still seriously cute.

“Mac! Hey, Mac!” She glanced up from the journal she’d been writing in to find Baylee clutching himself and hopping from one foot to the other.

She suppressed the giggle that tickled her throat at his antics.  “What’s up, Bay? Did you finish writing out the vocabulary list?”

“Not yet.” His face scrunched up and slowly turned red.  “Mac! I gotta go! Can you take me? Please!”

This time, she chuckled.  “Sure thing. I’d better carry you because you look like you’re about to burst, kiddo.”

“I might!”

Mac laughed and, scooping him up, she carted him out of the room and down the hall to where the backstage bathrooms were located.  As she waited for him outside the men’s room, she could hear the cheering of fans from the sound check party going on in the main concert hall.  She could easily pick out Howie’s cheerful voice, AJ’s raspy, but energetic one, and Nick’s excited chattering.  Dimly, she wondered where Brian was.

Baylee burst out of the bathroom and grinned up at her.  “Thanks! I feel much better.”

“You are too cute for words, Bayster.” Mac ruffled his hair affectionately and held out a hand.  Baylee stuck his hand in hers, and they began to walk back to the dressing room they’d been assigned.  “Since you finished the vocab so fast, I think we can go find your dad and the guys once I check your work.  How’s that sound?”

“Can I go out onstage? It’s so much fun! You should come, too.” Baylee beamed up at her.  “You can meet all the pretty girls.”

Mac shook her head, grinning.  “I thought I was the only girl for you.  Did you find a replacement for me?”

“ ‘Course not!” Baylee stopped to hug her legs.  “You know you’re the only one for me, Mac! I jus’ like looking at the others.”

She knelt to properly hug him and kissed his forehead.  “You are going to be a terror to womankind when you grow up, Baylee.  Someone’s going to have to watch out for you.”

“You can keep me in line all the time, Mac.” Baylee pressed his little hands to her cheeks and kissed her nose.  “Watch my back, right?”

She chuckled at his choice of phrases.  But, before she could respond, another voice spoke. “Well, it looks like Baylee’s found a partner in crime.”

Mac turned to find AJ standing a few feet away, smiling at the two of them.  “Oh, you know, a man can only go solo for so long.  Right, Baylee?”

“Yup.  I need me a partner in crime.  Whaddya say, Mac?” He held out a hand.

She shook it.  “I accept.  Now, my little criminal friend, you’d better get into that room and check your work for mistakes.  You lose one minute of break time for every mistake.  Go.”

“A whole minute?” Baylee pouted, but he dragged himself into their dressing room.

AJ watched him go then waited for Mac to stand up before he said, “Wow, you’re doing a great job with him.  Lisa had to practically pull teeth to get him to do his work.  Then again, she was easily convinced to not try so hard by Nick.”

Mac thought of Nick for a moment.  “Yeah, I bet she did.  He could charm a dead woman if he tried hard enough.”

AJ grinned.  “Probably.  Although it seems to me like you’ve managed to escape the Nick Carter spell.”

“I guess.” She shrugged.  “He’s harmless and sweet.  Kinda like having a puppy around, you know?”

He burst into laughter.  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Nick called a puppy before, but I guess it works.”

Mac couldn’t help but feel her pulse speed up when he took her hand in his.  “It works for me, and he’s stopped thinking I’ll date him.  Not that he didn’t try really hard the first couple days,” she added, sounding a little breathless because of the way AJ watched her.

“Obviously, it didn’t work out, huh?” AJ rubbed his thumb lightly over her knuckles.  “Maybe it could work out between us then.”

Oh, wow. Is AJ McLean actually asking me out? Mac tried to sound like a mature woman.  “Maybe.  Were you thinking of trying your luck?”

AJ flashed a grin at her, and she nearly melted into a puddle.  “Definitely.  I would’ve asked before, but I didn’t really have the time.  Tomorrow night, after the concert, we have almost two hours before the buses head out from here.  Maybe we could go out, get something to eat because I’m always starving after a show. I mean, I’m sure Brian wouldn’t mind if you took a break, since you’ve been pretty great with Baylee and all,” he added quickly.  “So, what do you think?”

What did she think? She thought that the big man upstairs was finally paying attention to her.  “Sure, why not? I’ll clear it with Brian.  Thanks for the offer, AJ.”

“No problem.  Like I said, I’ve been wanting to ask for a while, and I figured an opportunity like this was too good to pass up.”

“Well, I’m glad you asked.” She smiled and glanced over her shoulder when she heard Baylee call her name.  “I guess I’d better get back to the Bayster.  I’ll talk to you later then?”

“Sure, yeah.” AJ nodded and watched her go with a huge grin plastered across her face.  He was whistling as he turned to head down the hall to meet up with Nick, but he stopped when he saw Brian leaning against the wall, his expression anything but pleased. “Uh, hey, Brian.  Are you feeling better?”

Brian straightened and narrowed his eyes. “I feel fine, but I can’t believe you, AJ!”

“What?”

“Oh, don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Brian didn’t know why he was so angry at the idea that AJ was going out with Mac, but he was.  “I can’t believe you actually asked Mac out! Couldn’t you control yourself?”

“Hey!” AJ was insulted.  “I didn’t do anything wrong.  It’s not like you cared when Nick and Lisa were playing patty-cake.”

Brian scowled.  “That’s because I completely missed the fact that it was happening! But, this…AJ, do you have to do this?”

AJ frowned now because Brian sounded half-worried and half-angry.  There was obviously something else bothering him.  “Brian, why is this bugging you so much? I mean, it’s not like you like Mac in that way.” He paused, eyes narrowing on Brian.  “Wait a minute.  Do you like Mac?”

“No, of course not!” Brian snapped.  “Not in that way.” God, he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation.  “In case you’ve forgotten, my wife, the woman I will love until the day I die, was killed last year.  I have no intention of replacing her.”

“Brian, I don’t think I could forget if I wanted to.  Leighanne was my friend, too,” he said softly.

Brian squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.  “I know.” His eyes met AJ’s.  “I know she was.  I’m not planning on replacing her any time soon, if ever.  Look, it took me five horrible nanny interviews to find Mac on the sixth try.  I really don’t want to lose her because Baylee is so attached to her, and she does such a good job.” He sighed again.  “I guess I just don’t want the two of you to get involved and have her quit her job if things go downhill between the two of you.  That’s all.”

AJ nodded.  “Fair enough.  But, let’s be serious here, Brian.  I haven’t even gone out with Mac yet, so you shouldn’t go jumping to crazy conclusions yet.  And trust me when I say that Mac and I are both adults and professional, so, if something goes wrong, I doubt she’ll disappear on you.”

“Yeah,” Brian said after a few moments.  “I guess you’re right.  I’m sorry I went off on you like that.”

“Don’t sweat it.  So, are you feeling better?” AJ asked, putting an arm around Brian’s shoulder as they began to walk.

Brian smiled a little.  “Yeah.  It must have been one of those twelve hour stomach bugs or something.”

“Oh, ew.”

Mac leaned against the doorway and watched them go.  Well, she thought, that had been quite the interesting conversation to overhear.  It had certainly given her a greater insight into Brian’s personality and character.  He was loyal, he obviously cared about his friends, and he had admitted that he did like her.  Maybe not in the romantic sense, and that was okay with Mac because, if he had, it would’ve made her dating AJ a bit of a sticky situation.  But, on top of all that, he was still very broken inside over his wife’s death.  Mac found herself wishing she’d had a chance to meet Leighanne.

Sighing a little, Mac turned from watching Brian leave to his energetic son bouncing in his seat.  Well, at least Baylee seemed to be getting past the misery of losing his mother, even if his father was far from it.

***

Brian was slumped on the couch and flipped through channels on the television.  There was an incredible amount of energy rampaging through his system, the way it always was after a great concert.  Tonight was the first show where he’d actually hit every note the way he was supposed to, and he was thrilled beyond compare. The proud looks he’d gotten from the guys and the way they’d hugged him had told him more than words could that they, too, were excited about his improvement.  Maybe he’d still messed up more than a few times on the dance moves, but, as long as his voice was finally falling into place, he was more than okay with slipping up a few times in his footwork.

Unfortunately, with all the energy running through his system, he had no way to release it.  Usually, he would’ve donned his mask and gone out to hunt the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico, but, because the Backstreet tour was moving from Santa Fe on to Colorado Springs that night, he was stuck on his bus.

Glancing at his watch, he noted that there were still nearly fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to depart, and he wondered if AJ and Mac would make it back in time.  He hadn’t bothered to dissect why he’d felt so angry that AJ was taking Mac out, but he’d decided not to dwell on it.  Truth be told, he was jealous of the two of them.  There had once been a time that he and Leighanne would have done the exact same thing after a show and before they had to be back at the buses.

Now, Leighanne was gone, and he was stuck watching the…Home Shopping Network, he thought with a sad sigh.

The bus door opened and Mac bounded aboard and flashed a smile his way.  “I’m back, and just in time, too! Is Baylee asleep yet?”

“Yeah, he went to bed almost as soon as you left.  He wanted you to tuck him in, and I promised you would when you got back.” Brian was definitely jealous of her now when he saw how obviously happy she looked after her date.  He wanted to be that happy again, but the only way to do it was by bringing Leighanne back from the dead.  Since that was unlikely to happen, he would have to content himself with justice.

“Aww, that’s so cute. I’ll check in on him before I go to bed.” She smiled again before she headed towards the bunks in the back of the bus.  “I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

Brian shrugged and turned back to the television.  “Yeah, sure.  Good night.”

Mac frowned at his bitter tone and remembered the conversation she’d overheard the day before.  Not wanting to press, she shrugged it off and went back to find Baylee.  When she’d tucked his blankets around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead, she simply stood for a moment and watched him. If she ever had a child, she thought, she would want one just like Baylee Littrell. He was adorable, funny, and smart.  A ball of energy, she mused and brushed a hand over his tousled curls.  

One day, she thought wistfully before leaving him to go change and get ready for bed.

***

Mac tossed and turned for nearly an hour before realizing that she probably wouldn’t fall asleep any time soon.  The movements of the bus were keeping her up, and she sat up straight in bed, careful not to bump her head on the ceiling.  She hadn’t heard Brian come back to the bunks, and she wondered if he was still in front of the TV.  She hated being bored, but, other than working on the case, her only other option was to join him in front of the TV and risk having him snap at her.

Mr. Grumpy Pants, she thought disdainfully.  Well, he was just going to have to get over it for a little while.  Swinging her legs out of bed, she hopped down from the top bunk and walked towards the front of the bus.  

Brian was watching a late-night movie on HBO and trying hard not to blubber at the current scene.  He knew exactly how Kate felt and could sympathize with her.  After all, her sister was dead, she was now a single parent to her niece, and she covered up her pain with every other possible emotion, mostly, anger.  Yup, he knew exactly what she was going through.

“No Reservations! Oh, this movie was cute.”

He glanced up an instant before Mac plopped onto the couch next to him.  “You’re still awake?”

“Yeah.” She wiggled a bit, making herself comfortable.  Brian had to admit it was kinda cute the way she seemed to burrow herself into the cushions.  “I can’t entirely get used to the way the bus bumps up and down.  Oh, shhh. This is such a great scene!” Her eyes were glued to the screen.

Brian glanced back up at the movie, and, together, they watched the scene where Nick and Zoe baked pizzas in Kate’s meticulously organized kitchen.  He had to admit the way Nick made the dinner into an African safari adventure for mourning, ten-year-old Zoe was pretty touching.  

“Wasn’t that the cutest thing ever?” Mac sighed.  “Too bad movies never translate to real life.”

He frowned and shifted to look at her.  “What do you mean? I think it’s possible that Kate’s sister could have died.  This whole movie could have happened.”

“Yeah, right.” Mac snorted.  “Nick doesn’t exist.  A man like that would be snapped up so fast by any woman.  Hell, if I found myself a guy like that, I’d throw myself into his arms.”

“Really.” Brian’s brows lifted.  “He was a jerk to her in the beginning.  He totally didn’t understand the way she was feeling, and, now, he just wants to get her in bed.  That’s the kind of guy you want?”

Mac shook her head.  “Brian, you’re missing the point.  Nick knows what’s good for her.  He knows she’s hurting, but he’s trying to make her smile.”

“Oh, sure.  You can think that, but I prefer to see him for the real character he is.”

She lifted an eyebrow at his tone.  “Whoa, pal.  I didn’t realize you were really that angry at Nick.  Seriously, it’s just a movie.”

“But things like Kate’s sister’s death happen all the time! I can completely understand where she’s coming from with her anger.  She needs time to deal with it instead of having stupid Nick try to make it all better by playing games.” He huffed a little.  “Why can’t people just understand that, sometimes, when you’re grieving, you want to be able to just feel whatever you’re feeling instead of having everyone try to make it all better by taking your mind off of it?” He stopped, surprised at how far he’d flown off the handle.  They’d been talking about a movie, and, somehow, it had changed.

There was an awkward silence following his outburst, and Mac didn’t know what to say.  She was sure that, no matter what she did say, he’d blow up at her.  When she looked over at him, though, she could see the tears glistening in his eyes.  Her own eyes misted at how sad he looked, and she couldn’t help herself.

Reaching out a hand tentatively, she covered his hand with hers and squeezed a little.  Brian looked down at their hands, surprised, before looking up at her.  Then, he turned his hand over and linked their fingers, feeling comforted by the simple contact.

Neither one said a word as they watched the rest of the movie in silence.
Chapter 9 by honey
Author's Notes:
Its a bird, it's a plane, NO! It's A NEW CHAPTER OF IN THE SHADOWS!!!! I know I can hardly believe it myself! But thanks to those who have faithfully poked us when we were being slow!!! We love you for it!! Hope you like!
Chapter Nine

Normally Brian hated being on the road. He always opted for as few stops as possible in order to reach whatever destination they were headed for faster, but the next show wasn’t until tomorrow and, as much as everyone else was looking forward to an evening out in Denver, it simply meant another lonely night in a hotel for him, so he was in no particular hurry this time.

Mac was shocked when he suggested they stop for lunch somewhere that didn’t have a walk up counter, but she happily agreed to it. More than the fact that she valued every precious moment she had on solid ground, she was intrigued by Brian’s mood. He’d seemed slightly more relaxed ever since the late night movie they shared on the tour bus a couple nights back. And today, as he sat with his son across a booth from her, it was almost as if he were enjoying himself. “Which one is this?” he asked as he pointed to a brightly colored picture on a kid’s menu.

“California,” Baylee replied as if the question was too easy. “And that’s Los Angeles where we live sometimes.”

“Ok Mr. Smarty-pants.” Mac laughed. “Which one is this?”

Baylee studied the map for a moment and then shrugged. “You don’t know the state where Nick and Howie used to live? Where your daddy lived when he first became a Backstreet Boy?”

Mac was too captured by the devilishly innocent pout on Baylee’s face to notice Brian’s curious glance. “Where Disneyworld is?” she continued to hint.

“Florida!” Baylee squealed.

“That’s right, that’s Florida.” Mac laughed. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try our hand at geography in our study time this week, huh?”

Mac laughed again when Baylee wrinkled his nose at the mention of study time. “Someone’s up on her Backstreet trivia.” Brian finally spoke up with a twinkle in his eyes that Mac had never seen before.

The guilty woman was caught so off guard by the statement that she couldn’t stop her cheeks from turning pink. The undercover agent had an excellent poker face, but Brian had been in the business way too long not to recognize the look she quickly covered up. “Oh my God, you’re so busted!” He laughed. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”

“I may have an album at home somewhere,” Mac said, trying to casually brush off the comment, but her jaw dropped at the way Brian raised a questioning brow at her. “Ok fine, a few,” she snapped, annoyed and mortified that Brian of all people had figured out her secret.

“It’s okay,” Brian said, toning his laugh down to a giggle when he saw her embarrassment. “I mean fans are kind of what we’re going for, I just didn’t expect it from you.”

“Yeah, well it’s a little known fact that I’d appreciate your secrecy on.”

Brian laughed again and crossed his heart with his finger but after a moment he suddenly frowned. “What is it?” Mac asked when she noticed that he was staring at her.

“Its nothing, I just realized that I don’t really know anything about you.” Brian shrugged and then quickly averted his eyes to the plate of food in front of him.

“Well that’s because you’ve never asked. If you haven’t noticed, you don’t exactly talk to me unless it’s about Baylee.”

Brian frowned at Mac’s blunt comment, and, after seeing his hint of guilt, Mac felt bad for saying it. “Well we’re talking now,” Brian began again, a little more cautiously, “So tell me about yourself.”

Mac thought for a minute and decided this wasn’t exactly the best idea considering she would most likely have to lie to him to keep her cover safe. “There’s not much to tell really.”

“I know lots about Mac!” Baylee interrupted, unhappy that the attention had somehow turned away from him.

“Like what?” Brian asked his son curiously.

“She can do a hundred push-ups!” Baylee said with wide eyes.

“A hundred?” Brian repeated impressed.

“Yup, she showed me and we counted them together.”

Brian laughed and happily asked, “What else?”

“She used to have a fish named Jake Jr., but it died and she flushed it down the potty. And, she likes the yucky kind of chocolate.”

“Is there a yucky kind of chocolate?”

“Dark,” Mac specified and Brian gave an understanding nod.

“Anything else?” Brian asked, with the twinkle back in his eyes.

“I think he about summed it up,” Mac said, wanting to get the conversation off of her.

“Just one more thing.” Baylee smiled. “I know a secret.”

Brian smirked at the sudden look of concern on Mac’s face. “Mac isn’t the kind of girl that puts out on the first date,” Baylee announced proudly.

Mac blinked in shock, certain the boy didn’t say what she thought he said until Brian choked on his food, confirming that he’d heard the same thing. “Baylee!” he gasped, and now it was his turn to blush. “Where did you hear that?”

“AJ said it yesterday when Nick asked if he had a lucky date.”

Brian leaned his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands for a moment before looking sheepishly at Mac. “I am so sorry.”

He felt a little relief when Mac smiled at him, but not nearly enough. “Bayster, what did I tell you about the things Nick and AJ say?”

Baylee frowned, but obediently answered his father. “You said if they were laughing about something, then I should pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Mac had to hide a smirk at the response, but for Brian it was no laughing matter. “That’s right,” he instructed. “And you should definitely never repeat it.”

“But AJ wasn’t laughing when he said it!” Baylee whined in his own defense. “Nick said he was losing his touch, and then AJ said Mac wasn’t like the slutty little girls Nick likes, he said she’s a real woman who has some self espec.”

“Respect,” Brian muttered as he buried face in his hands one more time. “Okay, new rule,” he said after taking a big breath and releasing it forcefully. “From now on, just don’t repeat anything Nick and AJ say. Ever.”

Baylee frowned and Mac laughed, but she felt a hint of sadness as she watched Brian rub his temples as if his head now hurt. “Maybe we should get going again,” she offered. “So we can get to Denver while we still have an evening to enjoy. You know if you want to go out with the guys tonight, maybe blow off some steam, I can take Baylee for you.”

“Yeah!” Baylee squealed.

“Oh no,” Brian said, surprised by the kind offer. “It’s your night off, you should take advantage of it. Those don’t come around very often, and I’m not really the going out type anyway.”

“Okay,” Mac said eying the man as she rose from the table. “But if you change your mind, just say the word.” Mac turned her smile to the energetic five-year-old sitting next to his father. “Come on Baylee. You should make one last pit stop before we get going again.”

Brian watched his son leap from the booth, anxiously grabbing Mac’s outstretched hand. He could see how much his son liked her, and even needed her to an extent, and he smiled to himself, secretly grateful that Mac had come into their lives.

The mood stayed light the rest of the day, but it lost the playfulness that had been present at lunch, and, once they reached the hotel in Denver, Brian and Baylee parted ways with Mac. She only went as far as the room next door to theirs, but she was still grateful for the alone time. Being on the road with Brian and Baylee had proven to be a lot less private than she expected, and it was hard for her to find time to work on her investigation without having to worry about being caught.

First things first, she filled the tub with steaming water and climbed into it letting her sore muscles relax while she looked over the case files in her journal. It hadn’t taken her long to learn who the useful people were on tour, and, after only a ten minute flirtatious conversation with the tour manager, she had her hands on a crew list and now had a page in her book for every single person on tour. After narrowing down everyone not fitting the description of a white male with bright blue eyes, the only things consistent with every single police report, she still had a list of about twelve possible suspects.

As she soaked in the bath, she began ordering that list of men by who she felt were the most likely candidates. At the top of her list was a man named Jeff Sanders. He was on the security team and not only fit the general height and build of the hero in question, but he was quiet, kept to himself, and had lost his sister just over two years ago to a drunk driver. He seemed nervous anytime Mac tried to talk to him, and Mac always got the feeling that he was trying to hide something. All the pieces seemed to fit for him, so Mac decided he would become her main priority. After him, the rest of the list was a lot more difficult. The only thing she knew for sure was that Brian’s name went at the very bottom of the list.

She laughed a little to herself as she wrote his name down, thinking the possibility ridiculous, but she couldn’t discount the fact that he fit not only the physical description, but if anyone had cause to want justice, it was him. She flipped back to the page in her journal that had Brian’s picture glued to the top and laughed again. He certainly did have the striking blue eyes that seemed to capture the hearts of every woman the Avenging Angel rescued, but they always seemed to lack the life that these women spoke of, until today that is.

Mac thought of her lunch with Brian today and was still truly baffled. She’d seen that fun playful side of him try to break out every now and then when he was with his son, but today he’d taken a step beyond that and let her in. He let his guard down, however briefly, and Mac could hardly believe the transformation. What she couldn’t figure out was what had caused the change. She thought about it a while longer and sighed when she figured she would never fully understand the man.

Finally, she pulled herself from the water and, after donning her favorite pair of giant sweats, she plopped down on her bed, thinking that after the bunks on the bus, this might be the first time she was actually excited about sleeping on a hotel mattress. She didn’t rest long, though, because soon there was a soft knock at her door. She was surprised when she looked through the peephole and saw Brian standing in the hallway. “Did you change your mind about going out?” she asked hopefully when she opened the door.

“Actually, Baylee’s really mad at me for turning down your offer to take him tonight, and he’s refusing to go to sleep until you tuck him. I hate to ask, but I don’t think I’m going to win this time.”

Mac smiled, but Brian seemed truly exhausted, and it was a little disappointing to see the lifeless quality back in his eyes. “Sure.” She smiled and followed Brian next door.

After she kissed and tucked in her favorite five year old, Mac found Brian lying on the sofa, staring mindlessly at the TV set. “Sound asleep before I could turn out the light,” she promised him as she made her way to the door. “But don’t beat yourself up over it, sometimes it just takes a women’s touch.”

“Thanks again.” Brian sighed, deciding to turn off the TV.

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Mac smiled again and then opened the door to let herself out, but before she could leave Brian called her back. “Hey, Mac?”

He looked nervous, but not upset, and it had Mac puzzled. There was definitely something on his mind, so she joined him on the couch. “What you said at lunch, about me not talking to you?”

“I shouldn’t have said that, Brian. It was uncalled for, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t looking for an apology. It’s just that, I think the guys kind of give me special treatment because of everything that happened, but you’re always very straightforward with me, and I appreciate that. And you were right today, I’ve been a jerk.”

“Definitely a little grumpy, but I wouldn’t say jerk,” Mac teased and was grateful for the weak smile she got for it.

“I’m sorry.”

Mac was touched by the apology and even a little relieved that Brian was acknowledging his moodiness because, the fact is, the last couple weeks really had been extremely uncomfortable between the two of them, and Mac was thrilled at the thought of getting past that. She gave him a very sincere, sweet smile and gently patted his knee. “Don’t be sorry,” she said. “We had a good day today. Lets just try to do that more often.”

“Okay,” Brian whispered.

Mac was glad to see somewhat of a smile return to Brian’s face, but, when his eyes drifted to her hand on his knee, she quickly gave him one more friendly pat and then rose to her feet. “Well, if you’re sure you don’t want to get out for a while?”

“I’m sure. You go enjoy the night off. Have a good time for the both of us.”

Mac smirked as she thought of all the work she still had to do tonight. “Actually, I was just thinking of maybe hitting the gym for a while and then calling it a night.”

“That’s it?” Brian asked with a smirk starting to spread across his face. “No, uh, plans with AJ tonight?”

As much as she was surprised by the question and could feel herself blushing over it, Mac was kind of excited by this new playful side of Brian. She simply met his smirk with one of her own and said, “Goodnight boss.”

“Goodnight Mac.” Brian laughed.

The smile stayed on Mac’s face until she got back in her room and saw the journal lying on her bed. The minute she sat down she felt her eyelids get heavy and decided that if she were going to get through all the background checks Jake faxed her earlier of her twelve suspects, without falling asleep, she needed to get her blood pumping first, so she changed into some more suitable workout clothes and decided to go for a good run.

Once Mac left, Brian lay back down on the couch, wanting to just drift off to sleep with the hum of the TV in the background, but, when he turned it on, it was showing a high-speed car chase on the local news. He perked up instantly but was really surprised that he hadn’t once thought of taking up Mac on her offer to watch Baylee. Just the other day, he’d been thinking that being on the road didn’t leave him much time for the avenging business. And now that he’d had the perfect opportunity, it simply slipped his mind; he was more concerned that Mac get the night off that she deserved.

Brian couldn’t leave Baylee alone, so he decided that he would just close his eyes and tell himself that the Avenging Angel couldn’t be everywhere all the time and the cops could take care of it. But the longer the stolen sedan raced down the freeway, the more that feeling of vengeance itched inside Brian’s heart. After a few minutes, he simply couldn’t take it, and he called up Howie. He was relieved to hear that he and Leigh were planning on just spending the night alone, and, when he told them that he really needed to get out, they happily agreed to watch the sleeping child for a few hours.

After thanking Howie and Leigh once more, Brian left with his secret identity hidden beneath the disguise of a jogging suit. He quietly snuck past the gym, not wanting to have to explain himself to Mac. But when he crept passed the door, Mac was nowhere to be seen. He wondered for a minute if she was still in her room or if she had decided to go out after all, but it was just a brief thought that passed quickly and, just a few short minutes later, the city of Denver was being guarded by an angel.

At first, the treadmill in the hotel’s gym had been more than suitable for Mac, but, as she was running, she saw her number one suspect pass by and decided to see what he was up to. She tailed the man for nearly half an hour as he wandered along the 16th street mall until he finally took a seat at the counter in one of the local bars. Mac found a nearby bench and watched as he chatted with the bartender and a few random people here and there, and, soon enough, another hour had passed.

Mac was starting to give up on the idea that this man was going to find a phone booth to change clothes in and suddenly start scaling buildings and fighting crime, but when a large group of people from the tour approached, she wasn’t the only one to notice them. Mac thought it very suspicious when her target opted to leave the bar before his co-workers could spot him, and she decided to stick to him and find out what he was really up to. She followed him to the end of the street and had to wait a few minutes when he turned a corner down a much darker side street. She waited for him to get a safe distance away and then quietly headed down the street behind him, but she only got a block before she heard footsteps behind her. “Mac?”

The question came too late, and years of training took over when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Within a single second, AJ was lying on his back on the sidewalk. “Jesus AJ, you scared the shit out of me!”

“I thought that was you.” AJ coughed as Mac helped him to his feet apologetically. “What the hell did you just do?”

“I was born and raised in downtown Los Angeles.” Mac shrugged. “I took a lot of self defense classes.”

“I guess they worked,” AJ whined as he rubbed his lower back still a little stunned by the attack. “I think you broke something.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.” Mac laughed as she started to rub the sore spot on AJ’s back for him.

She glanced down the street, but Jeff Sanders was long gone already. AJ frowned when he saw her looking around as if she were lost. “What the hell were you doing walking down a creepy-ass street in the middle of the night anyway?”

“Oh, um, I was just…” Mac’s mind raced for some sort of excuse until she noticed a drug store just a block down the street ahead of her. “…not feeling all that well. I was headed over there to the drug store.”

“Oh.” AJ frowned and then held out his arm. “Well, even though it appears you can more than take care of yourself, I’d still feel better if you let me walk with you.”

Minutes later, AJ and Mac were browsing an aisle of over the counter remedies, and it didn’t occur to Mac that she didn’t know what she was looking for until AJ asked, “So you’re not like, contagious, are you? I’m not going to wake up with your crap in the morning, am I?”

Mac scanned the shelf in front of her and smirked when she saw a small blue box. “Not unless there’s more to you than I know about,” she replied and handed him the box of Midol.

Mac smirked at the look on AJ’s face when he realized that the pills were for menstrual cramps and quickly handed it back like it was infested with cooties. “Ooookay,” he said nervously. “So is that all you need or are we actually gonna have to get some… you know… some of the other things, too?”

Mac burst into laughter and for a moment thought about torturing him, but finally shook her head. “I got that covered,” she said, laughing at the look of pure relief on AJ’s face.

Mac was still kind of giggling when she and AJ left the store but, as they headed back up the dark deserted road they’d come from, things got quiet. AJ looked at the busy street, just booming with nightlife, a few blocks ahead of him and quickly pulled Mac into a nice private side alley. She was surprised by the move but was more nervous about the look in AJ’s eyes than their surroundings. “Thanks for walking with me tonight,” she said nervously and laughed as she held up the box of medicine. “I’m sure this is not how you wanted to spend your night off.”

“It was worth it,” AJ said as he leaned in.

Mac’s heart fluttered when she realized that AJ McLean was about to kiss her and she leaned against the building, half expecting her knees to give out from the experience.

And then it happened. He leaned in, she leaned up, and, and…and their lips met in what was surely meant to be, in Mac’s opinion, the most amazing kiss ever and would prove to both of them that Mackenzie Adams and AJ McLean were meant to be together. Her eyes closed. His arms came around her.

From three stories up and across the alley, Brian crouched on a fire escape and watched it all happen. His hands clenched into tight fists as an unreasonable anger knotted in his stomach. He had no idea why he was suddenly so angry at seeing Mac and AJ kissing, but he wasn’t going to sit there and try to rationally understand his rage. His vision obscured by a haze of red, he turned away and leapt off into the darkness, fury burning inside him.

Down below, Mac and AJ pulled apart and, after a moment of staring at each other, started giggling like a couple of crazed maniacs. AJ was laughing so hard there were tears dripping from his eyes, and Mac’s stomach hurt because she was giggling so much.

“Wow, AJ. Just wow.” She placed a hand on a nearby brick wall to hold her steady as she tried to talk between her laughter. “No offense, but I was expecting fireworks, you know.”

“Boy, do I know.” He wiped his eyes and grinned at her. “That felt more like I was kissing my cousin or something. No offense.”

She smiled back, her eyes twinkling with humor. “None taken. Well.” She let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad I don’t have to hurt your feelings when I say I think we’re better off as friends.”

“Me, too.” He slid his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk again. “I think it’ll be fun being friends.”

“Especially since we won’t have all those woo-woo sexual vibes between us.” Mac patted his arm companionably.

AJ’s brows furrowed for a moment. “ ‘Woo-woo’? You’re sooo weird, Mac. But in a good way,” he added quickly. “Anyway, since we’re going to be friends, I just have one, teeny favor to ask you.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“Please don’t ever talk to me about your, uh, feminine issues ever again. Please.”

Mac burst into peals of laughter as they walked along the brightly-lit sidewalk on their way to becoming good friends. What they didn’t know was that their actions had caused a definitely opposite reaction in someone else.

Someone who wasn’t about to have quite the carefree night that they were having…
Chapter 10 by starbeamz2
Gina Zambetti was not very fond of her boyfriend at the moment.  In fact, she hadn’t been fond of him since he’d started on his “we should have sex” campaign last month.  Barry Walters, she thought, was well on his way to becoming her ex-boyfriend.  At the moment, though, she was letting him kiss her, and she had to admit he had a phenomenal pair of lips.

Of course, her opinion of his lips changed when they moved down her neck as his fingers sneakily moved in to unbutton her top.  She pulled away immediately and glared at him.  “What did I tell you, Barry? I meant it when I said I’m not going to have sex with you right now.” She hitched up the collar of her shirt.  “Why don’t you get it?”

“But Gina,” Barry began, his eyes pleading with her.  “I love you so much, baby.  Let’s just try, and, if you want me to stop, I will.”

“Barry! You’ve been trying, and I’m saying no.” She turned on her heel to march away down the darkened park’s sidewalk.  “I’m going home.”

Her scream didn’t have time to materialize when Barry grabbed her from behind, clamped his hand over her mouth to muffle her yelps, and pulled her off the sidewalk and into a dark alcove.  

“You stupid bitch,” Barry muttered as he shoved her to the ground and straddled her.  “Why won’t you just listen and do what I want for once?”

When his hand lifted from her mouth, she struggled to plead with him.  “Come on, Barry.  Let me up.” Fear fluttered in her heart.  “Please, I swear I’ll listen to you.  Don’t do this.”

Barry looked down when her hands clutched at his arms. He could see the fear in her eyes and felt instantly disgusted with himself.  Sighing, he moved off of her and reached out to help her up.  “I’m sorry, Gina.  I don’t know why I just-”

His words were cut off when he was dragged away by an unknown attacker.  Gina screamed as she heard the pounding of fists against bone and Barry’s pain-filled shouts.  When she saw the gleam of silver against the attacker’s dark mask, her brows shot up, and she hurried forward.

“Please stop!” she pleaded with the Avenging Angel.  “Please, he didn’t hurt me. I swear.  Let him go please!”

Brian barely flicked a glance her way as his fury drove him to teach this jerk a lesson.  Guys that thought they could take advantage of women were so low.  In his mind’s eye, he saw AJ pull Mac into the alley, and his fury doubled. Beneath his fists, Barry grunted in pain.  With every punch, the sight of AJ kissing Mac burned in his brain, and he couldn’t stop.

Gina started yelling at him.  “Look, he made a mistake, and he apologized.  He’s just stupid sometimes! Please stop hurting him!”

She was right, he thought after a few moments.  Reigning in his temper, Brian took a deep breath and, standing up, hauled Barry to his feet to face Gina.  The young man was bruised, and his nose was now crooked and bleeding.  “Listen up, moron,” he growled menacingly.  “You better have a damn good explanation and apology for this innocent woman.  Why were you about to rape her?”

“I wasn’t,” Barry gasped.  “I…swear!”

“See?” Gina reached out to grab Barry’s hand tight.  “He’s sorry, and it was just a mistake.  Barry understands now that I don’t want to have sex with him.  Right, Barry?”

Barry gulped a little.  “But Gina! I didn’t mean that it was okay that we, uh, never have sex.  Baby, I thought you meant we could maybe do it on our next date.”

Gina’s jaw dropped, and so did Barry’s hand from her grasp.  She turned to Brian.  “I’m sorry.  I guess you were right.” Huffing a little from irritation, she turned on her heel and stomped away.

Barry was left to look into the gleaming eyes of Avenging Angel, and he began to panic at what would happen to him now.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he worried at the possibilities.

Brian stared at the quivering, terrified young man huddling on the ground in front of him and shook his head.  His fury was gone, his anger deflated.  Taking out a piece of rope, he tied Barry’s hands and feet together.

“I’m going to call the police,” he said calmly.  “I hope your girlfriend presses all sorts of charges against you.  You’re police business now.”

So saying, he walked away.

***

How could he have done that? Brian thought, as he sat on the edge of the rooftop of his hotel building.  Streaks of pink and yellow were visible on the horizon, and a new day was about to begin.  But, for Brian, his actions a few hours ago were causing him a great deal of worry.

He’d always tried to be objective in his rescues and crime-busting, but he’d broken the leash on his control that night.  Avenging Angel had never been known for his violence; in fact, he was known for his relative non-violence.  Now, Brian had ruined that reputation.  Not that the guy hadn’t deserved it, but still.

He didn’t know why seeing Mac and AJ kiss had caused him to go off the handle like he had.  After all, he knew AJ had always been quite the ladies’ man, and Mac was her own woman, free to do what she wanted with whoever she wanted—as long as it didn’t affect her job.  Brian knew he was just her employer and had no say in her choices, but, for whatever reason, it bothered him a lot that she’d kissed AJ.

Well, whatever had happened, happened, he told himself.  There was no point in dwelling on what he could’ve and should’ve done better.  Maybe he’d broken Barry’s nose, but he couldn’t exactly go back and change it, could he?

Brian stood up and stepped away from the building’s edge.  His hands were in pain, and his knuckles were swollen from how hard he’d punched Barry.  He should probably get some ice for it, he thought, and hope the swelling went down before the show.

Lesson learned, he thought as he headed inside.  He was just going to have to work doubly hard to be objective and be in control two hundred percent of the time when he was Avenging Angel.  Not to mention, he’d have to deal with being supportive of Mac and AJ’s budding relationship.

It didn’t occur to him, as he climbed aboard the elevator to go down to his floor, that he hadn’t once thought of Leighanne that night.

***

The blaring ring of her cell phone jolted Mac out of a deep sleep an hour before she had to be up to start her day with Baylee.  Blinking groggily, she reached out a hand to find it on her bedside table.  She winced as her arm knocked other things to the floor before she found the phone.

“Hello,” she grumbled.

“Mackenzie Adams, you’d better wake up!” Jake’s voice was tinged with excitement on the other end.

Mac shoved her hair back and sat up.  “What? Why? What happened?”

“Have you read the paper yet? Holy crap, Mac! You’re gonna flip out.”

She squinted to read what time it was on the digital clock next to her. “Jake, you just woke me up at—what the hell time is it? No, I haven’t read the paper.  What does it say?”

“ ‘Everyone’s favorite superhero draws first blood,’” Jake read from his paper and had Mac instantly awake.

“What?! Keep reading, Jake,” she ordered as she leapt out of bed, narrowly avoiding stepping on her glasses.  Snatching them up, she shoved them on her nose and pulled out her notes.

“ ‘The Avenging Angel did a bit more than simply rescue Gina Zambetti from ex-boyfriend Barry Walters’ over-amorous advances.  He broke Walters’ nose and blackened the twenty-two year old’s eyes.  According to Zambetti, Walters “deserved the broken nose and everything else the Avenging Angel did.” However, police across the western US, where the Avenging Angel has been sighted numerous times, are now beginning to worry that the increasingly popular masked figure may be spinning out of control.’” Jake paused.  “So, that’s the news here.  Got anything to tell me, Mac?”

Mac scrunched her nose, annoyed.  It had to be Jeff, she thought.  He’d vanished from sight, and he must have taken off to break some poor guy’s nose.  “No,” she said finally.  “I think I might have been able to stop it, but I got caught snooping.”

“Oops.  Well, Riley called me in early today to tell me that, since you’re off on vacation, he’s assigning me to the case.  I’m in charge of investigating who the man behind the mask is.”

She smacked a hand to her forehead.  “I told him he should listen to me before things started going badly! Ugh. Well,” she sighed, “at least he put you on the case and not someone else.”

“Yeah, but Mac, how long do you think it’s going to take before my investigation sends me your way?”

She hadn’t thought of that. Maybe she’d figured out the Backstreet connection so quickly because she was a fan, but that didn’t mean Jake or any other skilled agent wouldn’t eventually come to the same conclusions.  “Look, Jake. I need you to fumble around for a while before you head towards the Unbreakable tour.  I need some time, but I swear I’ll make it worth your while.  I’ll collar this guy soon. I can feel it.”

“I trust your instincts, Mac.” Jake paused.  “I’ll see what I can do, but I thought I’d give you the heads up.  The FBI is officially on the Avenging Angel’s ass.”

When she hung up with Jake, Mac leaned back against her bed and sighed.  If she hadn’t run into AJ, she probably would have been able to stop Jeff from turning into the Avenging Angel.  But she hadn’t, and she wasn’t about to dwell on what she could or should have done.  She would simply do her job as Baylee’s nanny and work twice as hard to keep an eye on Jeff Sanders.  The next time he broke from the group, she’d get him.

She never considered the possibility that someone else could be the Avenging Angel.  After all, looks can be quite deceiving…

***

Flexing his swollen hands, Brian strolled towards the breakfast buffet at the venue they were to play at that night.  The ice he’d used had managed to bring the swelling down a little, but his knuckles still hurt like hell.  He just hoped he could use the excuse that he was cold to explain away why he was wearing tipless gloves.  They covered up his raw, red knuckles, and he was glad Denver was beginning to get much cooler as it only helped his excuse.  

He spotted Nick, Howie, and Leigh huddled together around a newspaper and wrinkled his brows.  What were they up to?

“I’m telling you, Howie, Avenging Angel only broke the guy’s nose because he was a jerk to his girlfriend! He’s still the good guy!” Nick insisted, waving the paper slightly.

Brian’s eyes widened slightly as he grabbed a plate and began to work his way down the buffet.  His ears were perked for every piece of conversation he could hear.  He supposed Avenging Angel’s break from non-violence had made the news.

“Look, Nick, I’m not saying he’s bad.  I mean, I bet he has the best intentions he can.  But you know what they say about intentions,” Howie pointed out.

Nick sounded confused.  “No.  What do they say?”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Howie informed him.  “I still think this guy’s got plenty of screws loose.  He needs to be in therapy, not roaming all over the country.  Now, look.  He’s broken some guy’s nose.  What if he starts killing people instead of leaving them for the police to find?”

Nick shrugged.  “I just know he won’t.  You can think what you think, but I know he’s a real superhero.”

Brian didn’t get to hear the rest because Leigh spotted him and, walking over to where he was, began talking to him about how great Baylee was when he spent the night with her and Howie.  Sighing a little, Brian smiled and tried to pay attention.

***

After the quick rehearsal that morning during which Brian missed notes but nailed every dance step exactly, he slipped away from the group headed to lunch.  His hands were aching again, and he needed ice pretty badly.  He remembered seeing an ice machine in one of the back hallways by the venue’s concession stands, and he headed there.

He filled a plastic bag with ice from the machine and, knotting the bag to keep ice from slipping out, began to walk down the hall. He pulled his gloves off gingerly, wincing at the way his fingers were so stiff.  When he put the ice to his knuckles, though, he sighed in relief as the numbing effect of the ice pushed his pain away.

“Brian? Oh my gosh, what happened to your hands?”

Brian’s head jerked up to find Mac hurrying down the hall towards him.  Her eyes were on his hands, and his mind raced to come up with excuses.  “Uh, it’s nothing,” he managed to say before she reached for his hands.

She examined the way his hands were swollen and the way his knuckles were raw and red.  “Oh, Brian.  It looks like you were punching something to pieces.  What did you do?” As soon as the words were out, Mac froze.  No, she told herself, it simply was not possible.  Brian couldn’t be the Avenging Angel…could he? She hadn’t kept an eye on him at all the night before, so it was certainly possible.  His hands were torn up, too, as though he’d punched someone’s face.  Carefully, she lifted her eyes and met Brian’s.  “Did something happen?”

“Huh? What?” Brian tried to play it off, though his heart was racing.  Not only did Mac’s hands feel absolutely marvelous as they stroked over his sore hands, but he could swear there was a suspicious gleam in her eyes, as though she knew his secret.  But she couldn’t, he told himself.  “No, I was just working out this morning,” he began.  “I, uh, sometimes visualize the man that killed my wife when I use the punching bag.” He glanced down at his hands.  “This morning, I guess I got a little heated up over it. It’s no big deal,” he added.  “My hands are killing me, but I’ll live.”

Mac studied him for another moment before nodding.  “I’m sorry.  It must be hard to live with her loss.  Especially since the police never found who did it.”

Brian tried not to let her soft voice affect him.  “It’s hard, but I deal with as best as I can.  If it means taking out my anger on a punching bag,” he shrugged, “I guess it’s better than crying all the time.  Which is what I did for the first few weeks after she was gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Mac murmured and patted his hands gently before taking the ice bag from him to apply it to his hands again.  “The only person I’ve ever lost was my grandfather.  He was like a third parent to me, so when he was killed during some convenience store robbery, it hurt like all hell.” There was a slight twinge in her heart as she remembered.  After all, his death was what led her to wanting to be part of law enforcement.  “It’s not quite like losing your wife, but it’s close.”

“Yeah.” Brian could smell the fruity, floral scent of her shampoo.  “Well, um, I guess I should go find Baylee for lunch,” he said, trying to change the subject.  The smell of her and the feel of her touch were causing all sorts of sensations inside him; ones he wasn’t sure he was ready to analyze.

“Oh, yeah.  Well, actually, AJ dropped by to pick Baylee up,” Mac explained.  “He said you wouldn’t mind if he took Baylee out for lunch.  If you want, AJ told me they’d be in the ball pit at the nearest McDonald’s.”

Brian chuckled, trying to relieve the weird feeling in his stomach.  “Oh, AJ.  McDonald’s is his crack.  I should’ve figured he’d be there.  Thanks for letting me know.”  And then, because he couldn’t quite prevent himself from asking, he blurted out, “So how are things with the two of you? You know, you and AJ, the whole dating thing?”

“Oh!” Mac let him have the ice bag back and stepped back with a smile.  “Well, actually, we’ve decided we’re better off as friends.”

His brows shot up.  “Oh, really? That’s, um, interesting.” He didn’t know why he felt like doing cartwheels down the hallway.  “That’s not what most women want to do with AJ.  Be friends,” he clarified, his cheeks turning pink when Mac lifted a brow.

“Yeah, it wasn’t my intention either.” Mac laughed a little, remembering her time with AJ the night before.  “We just realized that there isn’t that attraction between us.  I mean, yeah, he’s outrageously attractive, but I guess he’s not my type.”

“Oh.” He nodded. “Okay.”

Mac took a chance and reached out to pat his shoulder.  “Anyway, you’d better get over to Mickey D’s and get lunch with them.  I’ll see you later?”

“Sure, yeah.” Brian smiled.  “I like this, Mac.”

“Hmm?”

“You know, this thing with us.” He gestured to the two of them.  “The friends thing.  We are friends, right?”

She smiled, knowing it was true.  She actually liked being around him now.  It didn’t feel awkward or stilted anymore.  “Definitely.  And I like it, too.”  And she was definitely sure he wasn’t the Avenging Angel.  There was no way.

Later, when Brian stepped outside, he smiled to himself.  AJ and Mac weren’t together, and, for whatever reason, he was thrilled with the idea.  Whistling a bright, happy tune, he walked down the street towards the McDonald’s.
Chapter 11 by honey
Author's Notes:
yay! glad to see people still taking interest in this story! Thank you all for the fun reviews so far!!! We love you all!!!
Chapter Eleven

Everything changed that night in Denver when the country’s so-called angel acted a little more like the devil, beating some stupid shmuck senseless. In a discussion around the lunch table in Kansas City, Howie had made an excellent point that even though the guy in Denver was a creep, the fact of the matter was, he was still an innocent man. He’d committed no crime other than being a lousy boyfriend.

Mac was driving herself nuts over the whole incident for a number of reasons. As ridiculous as it may be, she blamed herself for Barry Walters’ attack. She knew she had been a little relaxed about the case lately and told herself it was because she was still adjusting to her new lifestyle, but now she had to admit that somewhere along the way she’d become more worried about Baylee than the wannabe super hero. She was even starting to be swayed by all of Nick’s rants about the sheer awesomness of the guy and was highly amused by all the comics he drew on the subject; especially the fact that he always chose to draw her as the nosy reporter trying to catch the Avenging Angel. Mac despised reporters, but still, he wasn’t that far off.

But Nick’s defense that the vigilante went out of his way to be nonviolent, polite even, and the fact that he’d never broken any laws other than possibly fleeing the scene of a crime were shattered, and Mac now remembered why this case had been so important to her to begin with. And especially now, with Jake and the rest of the FBI on his case, Mac had a new sense of urgency to solve the mystery and do it fast.

She’d been highly annoyed that she wasn’t able to interview the Denver witnesses, but Jake promised to give her a full report just as soon as he talked to them, so she decided her best bet was to find substantial evidence against the man she was sure was guilty of donning the costume. But much to her dismay, the Avenging Angel failed to make any appearance the night the tour stayed in Kansas City.

Mac actually had a nice evening in Kansas City with Brian and Baylee watching The Lion King and then when it was over she used her excuse of the gym to try and follow Jeff some more. She found him eventually and tailed him for a while, but he’d given her the slip and then there were no AA sightings that night. Mac was worried that Jeff might be on to her so, while very frustrated about it, she decided she needed to back off for a while. She tried to find out more about him from a different approach and once they reached the venue in Saint Louis, Mac decided that she would study him from another angle.

There are always a couple hours between morning rehearsals and sound check that Brian had free and he usually liked to use that as good father and son time with Baylee. Today he’d taken Baylee out to see the trademark Arch that makes the city of Saint Louis so recognizable and while they were gone, it was the perfect opportunity for Mac to do some real digging.


The guys may have had the time off, but the majority of the crew still had a lot of work to do preparing for that evenings performance. Mac Began her interrogation with the security team, asking them random questions as if she were only trying to get to know them a little. Unfortunately, none of them seemed to know much about Jeff Saunders. No one really had any problems with the guy, but he wasn’t exactly wining any popularity votes while on tour either. In fact he just sort of blended into the woodworks and no one really gave him any thought. It was the perfect cover, Mac thought, but the guy was too good. There was literally no evidence pointing to the man except for the fact that he looked a little shady and had a tendency to disappear into the night. “Nope, tailing him is the only way.” She mused aloud as she finished writing notes in her journal about talking to the security team.

She sighed thinking that she was simply going to have to hone her skills in the snooping department and catch the criminal in action. As she tossed the journal on her bed, one of Nick’s latest AA comic strips came flying out from between the pages. Mac laughed at the drawing and then, as she flipped the book open to Nick’s page to set the picture back in its place, she noticed exactly what the picture was a drawing of. Mac, as always, was a reporter and this time she was being attacked and the AA was swooping down to rescue her.

Mac slipped the cartoon back in the journal and shut it quickly, laughing at the absurdity of the idea. It was ridiculous. She couldn’t possibly. That only worked in the movies. “Although,” she said, talking to herself again, “Super Heroes are only in the movies too and yet here I am. It’s not like I can’t take care of myself, and coming face to face with the Avenging Angel would make this case as good as solved.”

Mac had always had a bit of a reckless, aggressive streak in her, which is why she excelled so quickly within the bureau when most women failed, and it only took thirty seconds to convince herself that staging a meeting with the dreamy-eyed caped crusader was the best idea she’d ever had. Or rather, the best idea Nick ever had, but he didn’t need to know that. “He’s already got enough of an ego.” Mac laughed.

Mac took a deep breath and for the first time since Denver, was able to truly relax. All she had to do now was wait. The tour was leaving Saint Louis directly after the show, and doing the same the following nights in Indianapolis and Green Bay. But they were staying over in Michigan the night after that and surely the AA couldn’t resist such temptation as the evils of Detroit.

Mac decided that even she deserved a night off once in a while and happily tucked her journal in the bottom of her suitcase. After that she was suddenly in a great mood and left the hotel to go back to the venue hoping she might find some Backstreet Boys to keep her company. When she reached the venue she found AJ flipping through a magazine. She smirked as she entered the room, still a little entertained by the memory of their kiss. “Hey stranger.” She laughed.

AJ couldn’t hide the smirk when he saw her either, but he patted the sofa next to him and Mac happily sat down. They talked for a few minutes until Nick found his way into the room and laughed at the sight of them sitting alone together. “I thought you two were done already.” He said and then looked directly at AJ, “You still trying to score even after what you told me.”

Mac saw the dirty look AJ gave Nick and couldn’t help asking the million-dollar question. “What did he tell you?”

“He said you were a bad kisser.”

Before Mac could raise a brow AJ’s direction, the poor guy was already defending himself. “I did not!” He yelled and then shrugged apologetically at Mac with obvious humiliation. “I just said it was missing something when he asked why we didn’t hook up. I swear. He’s just jealous that he doesn’t know first hand.”

“That’s ok, I told Brian the same thing.” Mac said as she reassuringly patted AJ’s leg and then grinned wickedly at Nick. “Besides, that’s nothing compared to what I heard Paris Hilton said about you in bed.”

Nicks jaw hit the floor and AJ doubled over, clutching his stomach as he tried to control wild fits of laughter. Mac jumped up off the couch and smirked as she walked coolly past a raging Nick. “If you’re going to start it, make sure you can finish it.” She said with a wink.

When she got to the door she turned around to face the man who was still speechless. “And for the record?” She stated matter of factly, “I happen to be an excellent kisser.”

With that she whirled around to exit the room and froze at the sight of Brian and Baylee standing there with identical grins on their faces. “Well now, that little fact is right up there with likes dark chocolate and kills pet fish.” Brian teased forcing redness into Mac’s cheeks.

She wasn’t sure why she was blushing, but for some reason the curious smile on Brian’s face was making her want to crawl into a hole and never come out. “You’re back early.” She said, failing at her attempt to hide how flustered she was.

“Apparently not early enough. Sounds like I missed an interesting conversation.”

“I wish my love life were an interesting conversation.” Mac laughed, finally overcoming the embarrassment. “But if you really want the details, I’m sure Nick will have a mouthful to say after I leave.”

Brian looked curiously at the pout on Nick’s face and then at AJ who was still slightly giggling over the psycho ex-girlfriend crack. When he turned back around to ask Mac another question he was surprised to find her already gone. He and his son gave each other confused looks and then Brian scooped the boy into his arms and went running down the hall after her. “Hey Mac, wait up. You got a minute?” He called just as Mac reached the front doors to the venue.

“For my favorite Backstreet Boy?” Mac replied playfully, “Always!”

For an instant Brian was intrigued by the comment until Mac crouched down and held out her arms. When Baylee ran into them Brian felt stupid, and strangely disappointed, but he was at least glad that Mac hadn’t noticed the look on his face. “I was just going to run to the store real quick before sound check.” Mac explained as she returned to eye lever with Brian, now holding Baylee in her arms. “I’m out of shampoo and the hotel stuff is murder on my hair.”

Brian glanced up at Mac’s beautiful brunette locks that were, no surprise, pulled back in a clip, and smiled at the bangs that always seemed to fall into her eyes no matter what she tried to do with them. “Your hair always looks good to me.” He said and reached up without thinking to push a strand that had fallen loose behind her ear. “Its really soft.” He added fighting the urge to deeply inhale the scent that was quickly becoming very familiar to him.

“That’s because I don’t use hotel shampoo.” Mac laughed, “Do you guys want to walk with me? It’s just down the street, you’ll be back in plenty of time.”

As good as the offer sounded, Brian looked out the tinted doors of the venue where a line of excited fans had formed some time ago and he shook his head. “That’s probably not the best idea right now.”

Mac followed his gaze and smirked. “Oh that’s right. I forgot that you were listed as one of People Magazine’s sexiest single dads. I would hate to send all the adoring fans into a frenzy.”

Brian rolled his eyes at the title, but then his smirk grew even bigger than Mac’s as he remembered the reason he’d stopped her in the first place. “Speaking of adoring fans,” he teased. Mac’s temper flared at the mention of her pesky flaw but her look of annoyance only brought Brian more pleasure. “I have a surprise for you.”

Mac’s anger vanished and her heart began to thump wildly in her chest. “Should I be scared?” She asked trying to play it cool.

“Hey now,” Brian pouted, “I promised I wouldn’t say anything, no matter how much I want to.” He smiled at the dirty look Mac shot him. “I know how to keep a secret. Unlike some people I know.”

“Hey!” Baylee protested when he realized his father was talking about him.

Mac laughed, but when Brian held out an envelope she set Baylee down and shyly took it. For some reason Brian was so excited for her to see what was inside that he couldn’t wipe the grin from his face. “I’m giving you the night off.” He explained eagerly as Mac stared in confusion at the front row ticket in her hand. “I can’t let you go the entire tour without seeing a show from the front of the house, the way it’s meant to be seen. Geneen said she’d watch Baylee for us tonight.”

“Uh!” Baylee grunted in disgust, “Mac’s not gonna stay with me?”

“I think you can survive without her for a couple of hours.” Brian laughed.

Mac looked again at the ticket in her hand, she’d always wanted to be in the front row, and for a moment she was so excited that she startled Brian with an enormous hug, barely containing the giddy squeal that rang in her mind. Brian was surprised not only by the hug itself, but by how good it felt and how easy it was to wrap his arms around her in return. And even more startling was how hard it was to let go of her when she finally realized what she’d done.

Mac pulled back completely shocked by her own behavior. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just went all fan-girly on you.” She cringed as her face turned beet red, “Excuse me while I go die of embarrassment.”

Mac turned to leave and Brian gave a hearty laugh but pulled her hand into his before she could walk away from him. “You can’t die on me.” He laughed, not once thinking of Leighanne as the words escaped his mouth, “Baylee’s grown way too attached to you and I think my tour manager would kill me if she had to watch him for more than a few hours.”

Mac was captured by his sparkling blue eyes and finally regained her composure. Realizing what a truly sweet gesture it was, she smiled graciously and gave his hand a gently squeeze. “Thank you, Brian. That was incredibly thoughtful.”

“Well you’ve been such a life savor for Baylee and I since you got here, it was the least I could do.”

Things got quiet for a moment as Mac and Brian continued to smile at one another and only Baylee realized that they were still holding hands. The adults were broken from the moment when Baylee huffed dramatically. “What’s wrong with you squirt?” Brian laughed as he tousled his son’s curls.

“You’re stealing Mac!” Baylee frowned, “She’s gonna like you more than me now.”

Brian was horrified when he felt the heat in his cheeks, but again Mac didn’t notice him because Baylee had her full attention. “I could never!” She gasped as she feigned heartbreak and scooped the child into her arms again. “You know you’re the only man for me.”

Baylee held his pout like a pro and it tugged horribly at Mac’s heartstrings. “I’ll make you a deal, you be good for Geneen while I’m gone tonight and after the concert we’ll do something special, just me and you.”

“You promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

***

Mac loved every minute of the concert that night, but it was quite the different experience than any one she’d previously been to. Aside from the fact that she saw the Boys more as people now than performers, and couldn’t help the giggling whenever Nick or AJ tried to act all sexy up on stage, things felt different because she couldn’t let herself scream and cheer along with all the fans around her. Being right on the front row and slightly left stage, she was standing basically ten feet from Brian most of the night and there was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her groupie side.

Not to mention that throughout the night Nick, Howie and AJ had all noticed her standing there and either waved or made strange faces at her. Mac had patronized them all with waves back and didn’t think much of it until she noticed the young girls next to her watching her every move. She ignored them just fine until their conversation turned to Brian and for some reason she couldn’t help but soak up every word. “He’s doing awesome tonight.” One of the girls said, making Mac smile proudly as her eyes drifted back to Brian.

“Yeah, it’s like he’s the old Brian again.”

Mac watched him carefully as he bounced energetically around the stage, and the girls were right. He was nailing every dance step and his voice sounded like that of an angel. She’d seen so many rehearsals and watched the concerts from backstage more than enough to see that there was definitely a change in him. She was curious how he’d managed it, but she was grateful to see it because this change wasn’t only happening up on stage. Something about him was just different now. He wasn’t the man she expected him to be at all and Mac’s instincts about people were rarely wrong.

Mac continued to watch Brian, analyzing his every move, never noticing the way her heart sped up every time he opened his mouth to sing or sent a quick glance her direction. For a while she was caught up in her own little world until she noticed the girl next to her glance quickly at her again and then lower her voice to her friend. The conversation was quiet, but Mac still heard every word. “Is it just me, or does Brian keep staring at the girl next to me?”

“Ohmigod! I totally noticed that too!” the other girl whispered.

“Do you think they’re together?”

“No way!” the other girl hissed even quieter now, “He would never replace Leighanne so soon. He loved her so much. Besides, she’s not even cute. He could do so much better.”

Mac had to hold back a laugh at the petty insult, but she couldn’t get what they said about Brian out of her head. She hadn’t noticed him paying her any extra attention, but when she looked back up to stage, she noticed he was looking her direction. For a second she wanted to blush, but she could feel the extra eyes on her again as the girls next to her scowled and she couldn’t resist blowing Brian a big dramatic kiss. When he laughed, kissed his hand and waved back, Mac could practically hear the shock of the two girls next to her and she spent the rest of the concert being extra flirty with all of the boys, simply to drive them crazy.

***

There was a lot of energy in the locker room after the show that night, the way there always is when they’ve put on a great show, but tonight was especially interesting because everyone had noticed Brian’s amazing performance and were every bit as thrilled, and relieved, about it as he was. They all congratulated him and laughed and joked together and it was just like old times again. It was so nice in fact, that Brian took a moment to himself to get hold of his emotions when no one was looking. Tonight had been the first night back on tour where he honestly felt that maybe he could continue on being a Backstreet Boy and feel completed by it they way he used to. Singing tonight was just fun and it was like he’d finally found his voice again.

After joking around with the guys, Brian was anxious to get back to his bus and share his excitement with Baylee and Mac. And though he wouldn’t admit it to himself, he was kind of glad that they were leaving tonight instead of staying the night in a hotel. He bounded aboard the bus, still humming to himself and kissed the top of his son’s head as he walked past to put his stuff away. “Are you still up?”

“Mac promised to play with me after the concert tonight!” Baylee chirped, excited that she’d kept her promise. “Look! She bought a new game for us to play on the bus!”

“Trouble?” Brian questioned seeing the game set out in front of them, “That sounds about right for you.”

Brian threw his duffel on his bunk and then moseyed over behind his son, “Looks like fun. Can I play?”

“No!” Baylee practically growled, “Mac promised to play with only me tonight.”

Brian laughed and threw his hands up in defeat as he retreated to the couch. “Ok,” he sighed, exchanging smiles with Mac, “I guess I’ll just stay over here… All by myself… Watching boring old tv…”

Brian’s guilt trip had zero effect on the possessive child, but it worked wonders on Mac whether he meant it to or not. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he blatantly pouted on the other end of the bus. She kept playing though, knowing that Baylee was definitely the one in charge of the situation. As they played Brian would occasionally sigh and flip through the channels as if he were completely miserable and it was so cute that Mac didn’t realize it was her turn. “Hello??? Earth to Mac???” Baylee squawked.

The whining made Brian look up and the smile on his face made Mac finally sigh. “I don’t know Baylee,” she said, “Your dad looks awful lonely over there. Maybe we should let him play, just for a little while.”

“Fine.” Baylee sighed after eyeing his dad suspiciously. “But only if you promise to read me a story before bed.”

“I suppose I could manage that.” Mac said and laughed when Brian was huddled around the game board claiming to be blue before he was even technically invited to join them.

Neither Mac nor Brian realized how much fun the game of Trouble could be, but they had a blast until Baylee was finally so exhausted that he simply couldn’t keep his eyes open. Brian laid him on his bunk and even though he was half asleep, Baylee still insisted Mac read him a story. As she did, Brian fell to the couch and let the soothing sound of her voice bring him down from his adrenaline rush. “He is so precious.” Mac laughed once Baylee was asleep.

“I think you mean possessive.” Brian teased. “You’d better be careful or he’ll be sabotaging your dates next.”

Brian was surprised at the way his whole body tensed up when Mac sat down next to him. His thoughts automatically focused on her smell, and the feel of her hands when she touched him, and his heart suddenly began to pick up its pace.

“Aw,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, “It’s gotta be hard having to compete with the four of you all the time.”

“Not as hard as you’d think. He’s got more charm than all of us put together.”

“Don’t I know it!” Mac laughed, “And I’m the biggest sucker of ‘em all.”

“That’s why he likes you so much.” Brian said, failing miserably to keep his attention focused. Her voice was so soft, and the smile it came from was so captivating. And her lips…

Brian’s gaze fell to her soft, warm, inviting lips, and when he realized how eager he was to feel them against his own he nearly panicked. Not once since the day he’d met Leighanne had he desired to know what another woman tasted like. And he didn’t just want to kiss Mac; he needed to. Desperately.

Brian could feel his desire growing by the second and the longer he sat there with her; the more he couldn’t deny his feelings for her. He was suddenly filled with a hundred different emotions that he neither understood nor had any clue how to control, so he rose to his feet, gave Mac a weak smile, said goodnight, and then disappeared into his bunk, leaving Mac alone on the couch to wonder what on Earth just happened.
Chapter 12 by starbeamz2
Author's Notes:
Yay for a new chapter! I think we're going to try to get you a chapter a week because we're pretty excited about this story and already have the next chapter hammered out as well. Thanks for being such awesome readers! We sincerely hope you enjoy this next one ;)
He didn’t sleep that night.  Instead, he lay in bed, staring up at the bus ceiling and letting his mind run rampant with so many confusing thoughts.  He heard Mac go to bed soon after he’d left her, and he still couldn’t get rid of that sudden desire he had to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless.

It was a dangerous idea, he told himself.  She was his son’s nanny, and it just wouldn’t be right.  Besides, he hadn’t known her long, and her type was someone like AJ. Hadn’t she said so herself? He could never compare with AJ’s confidence with women, and, thus, he’d never stand a chance with Mac.  She would probably laugh at him if he tried to kiss her.

Brian punched his pillow, frustrated, and rolled over to find a more comfortable position…for the thousandth time that night.  Maybe, he realized after a while, he couldn’t let his mind rest because he was avoiding the truth…  

Though he could make up excuse after excuse in his head as to why he shouldn’t want to kiss Mac, the real reason he was so freaked out was because of the guilt he felt.  For ten years, he’d had Leighanne by his side, and he’d never once thought of being with another woman because Leighanne had meant the world to him.  He’d never needed or wanted anyone else.  Of course, he was a man, so it wasn’t as though he’d never thought other women were attractive.  But, nevertheless, the thought of doing anything with a woman not Leighanne had never crossed his mind.  When she’d died, he’d felt as though a part of him had died with her, and he’d doubted that he’d ever be whole again.  

Certainly, he’d never expected to feel attraction for another woman again.

Now, there was Mac.

His worrisome thoughts plagued him as the moon set, the stars faded, and the first streaks of sunlight heralded dawn.  Instead of feeling fuzzy with fatigue, he couldn’t find any comfort in knowing that, a mere ten feet away, lay the woman who’d broken through the walls he’d put up around himself.  He had to admit that being around Mac had brought the first real feelings he’d had in the year since Leighanne’s murder.  The guys had told him that he looked like, walked like, and sounded like a zombie, but he’d also seen their surprised looks when he’d bounced off the stage the night before after nailing his performance on the head.

If the cause of his recovery was Mac, he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it.  In fact, he didn’t want to feel anything about it, he decided, because that meant he was emotionally cheating on Leighanne.  Maybe these feelings he had for Mac would just go away if he just stayed away from her for a few days.

Mind made up, he rolled over again and tried to sleep.

Three hours later, he was still wide awake and heard Baylee bounce out of bed, chattering happily with Mac.  The low tone of her voice caused butterflies to erupt in Brian’s belly, but he fought to remember that he was supposed to stay away from her.

He could hear them eating breakfast, the clinking of spoons against bowls as Baylee announced that Fruit Loops was “the bestest cereal in the whole wide world” to which Mac stated that it would rot his teeth and make them fall out because the Loops were all sugar.  Brian smiled when he heard Baylee’s shocked gasp and his following announcement: “I’m gonna keep my teef, Mac, so gimme something better!”

Twenty minutes later, the little curtain separating Brian’s bunk from the rest of the bus was tossed open, and Baylee stood, hands on hips, and frowned.  “Daddy, it is way past rise and shine time.  Mac says the kitchen’s closing in five minutes, so you gotta eat breakfast soon.  Otherwise, you’ll starve.”

Brian propped himself up on one elbow, careful not to let his gaze stray to where Mac still sat at the tiny table.  “Thanks for the wake up call, buddy, but I think I’m gonna stay in bed today.”

Baylee cocked his head to the side, his expression quizzical.  “How come, Daddy? Are you sick?”

“Uh, yeah. A little.  Do you mind spending the day with just Mac?” he asked his son, reaching out a hand to ruffle Baylee’s hair.

“Aww, but I thought we could play more Trouble,” Baylee replied, his voice dangerously close to whining.  “You’re not too sick to play Trouble, are you?”

Brian bit his lip and tried not to feel bad about disappointing his son.  “I guess I could play one game, if you really want.”

Instantly, the frown on Baylee’s face vanished.  “Yay! We can play it right here, so you don’t hafta get out of bed.  I’ll go get the game and then you, me, and Mac can play again!”

Mac? On his bed? Brian tried to think up an excuse.  He knew his face had paled at the mention of Mac, so he figured he looked sick enough.  “Um, Bay, maybe that’s not such a good idea,” he began, pressing a hand over his mouth.  “I think I might be sick.”

Scrambling out of bed, he rushed into the bathroom and hoped that his faking looked fairly legitimate to get him out of having to do anything with Mac.

When the bathroom door shut, Mac looked from the door to Baylee’s fallen expression and sighed.  “Well, Baylee, I guess it’s just you and me, kiddo.”

Baylee grumbled a little, but he didn’t put up too much of a fight.  As she helped set him up with his reading assignment for the day, Mac couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder to where Brian had holed up in the bathroom.  She hoped he wasn’t too sick, but illness definitely explained his bizarre behavior the night before.  It had been rather strange when, after hours of being hyper and exuberant, he’d all of a sudden gotten quiet and escaped to his bunk.

She heard the toilet flush and the water run before the door opened and a still pale-faced Brian bolted back to his bunk, snapping the curtains shut.  Poor thing, she thought before she turned her attention back on her charge.

***

When they stopped for lunch a few hours from Billings, Montana—the next stop on the tour—Brian didn’t leave his bed.  Mac offered to bring him soup or something to eat, but he waved it off and pulled the covers over his head.  He knew he’d been rude, but he hoped that she’d forgive him for it.  After all, he was trying to get over her so that she wouldn’t suffer too much embarrassment and awkwardness in case he made the horrible mistake of kissing her and having her not feel the same.  It was like doing her a favor, really.

It sucked to be a martyr.

It also didn’t help that, when he’d finally fallen asleep while everyone was out to lunch, he’d dreamed of Mac.  It was such a vivid dream that, when AJ shook him awake, he clutched his pillow tighter, burrowing his face into it, and murmured, “Mmm, baby. Come here.”

“Oh, gross!” AJ wrinkled his nose and fought to not laugh when Brian jerked awake and blinked, dazed, into his face.

“Huh? What? Where…?” When he looked down at his arms, instead of finding Mac, he found his pillow.  Stifling his disappointment, he turned his attention back to AJ who was shaking with suppressed laughter.  “Ugh, AJ. What do you want? What are you doing here? Are we in Billings yet?”

AJ rocked back on his heels as he studied Brian’s face.  “No, everyone’s cleaning up and getting back on the buses.  I thought I’d come check on you, since, you know, Mac said you weren’t feeling too great. Although,” he wiggled his brows, “I don’t think horniness is an illness, Brian. And, trust me, I’d know.”

Brian muffled a groan as his hands covered his face.  “That’s so disgusting, AJ.  I don’t want to think about you and…and…eww.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly want to hear your erotic dream either, so consider it payback.”

“Erotic dream?!” He sat up and glared at AJ.  “It was not an erotic dream! In fact, I don’t even remember what I dreamed about.” Which was a glaring lie because he’d definitely dreamed of being on a beach with a bikini-clad Mac.  Thinking about it made his ears turn red—something that didn’t go unnoticed.

AJ burst into laughter.  “Oh my god! You so did! Was it about Leighanne? ‘Cause that’s really cute and sad all at the same time.”

“No!” Brian snapped. “It wasn’t about Leighanne.” And then he froze.  “Uhh, but it wasn’t a sex dream,” he added in a tiny voice.

“Uh-huh. Suuuure.” AJ shrugged.  “Hey, I don’t think Leighanne would hold it against ya if you found another woman attractive and wanted to bang her or something.”

“AJ!” Brian hissed.  “Shut up. I am not having this conversation with you, so just drop it.”

AJ’s brows lifted.  “Okay, alright.  So, I guess you won’t tell me who you’re dreaming about, huh?”

“No,” Brian muttered, irritated.  “Go away.”

“Man, if that’s the thanks I get for being concerned about my friend’s health…” AJ grumbled.

Brian began to feel guilty.  “Sorry. I don’t really feel so great. I didn’t sleep all night, and you woke me up out of the first real sleep I got, so…I guess I’m just cranky,” he offered as an explanation.

AJ studied him for a moment before nodding.  “Okay. Sorry about waking you up. We’ll be in a hotel soon, so you’ll be able to sleep better then.” He glanced over his shoulder when he heard Mac and Baylee’s voices.  “Ahh, the return of the beautiful nanny and her adorable charge.”

The instant AJ’s words registered in Brian’s head, he laid back down, pulled the curtain shut, and muttered, “Tell them I’m sleeping, okay? I’ll talk to you later.”

Though AJ was taken aback at Brian’s actions, he figured the lack of sleep was probably getting to Brian.  Agreeing to the plan, he passed along the message to Mac and Baylee before heading back to his own bus.  Something was definitely up with Brian, AJ thought, and he was going to figure it out before too long.

Brian listened to AJ feed his busmates the lie before he burrowed deeper under the covers and tried to fall asleep again.  AJ’s words about Leighanne had strengthened his decision to stay away from Mac, and he figured that hiding out, though cowardly, would help him accomplish that.

***

Three days passed, and, for Mac, they seemed like an eternity.  What had seemed like the beginning of a great friendship between her and Brian seemed to crash to a halt, and she couldn’t figure out where she’d gone wrong.  Of course, she knew it couldn’t all be her fault, but she was truly unable to come up with any reason why Brian would just drop her in a finger’s snap of time.  

It was just so difficult for her to grasp why he was so moody and distant from her.  After all, he was the one who’d gotten her a front row seat to their show, he had been the one who’d been super excited about their friendship and had shown off at their Denver show for her.  And, now, suddenly, he pretended like she was nothing more than his son’s nanny?

Well, Mac argued with herself, she technically was just his son’s nanny. But still…He treated her as though she were invisible, and that, no matter how she denied it to herself, was what hurt the most.

The whole thing bothered her so much, in fact, that she couldn’t concentrate on her investigation.  She should’ve been focusing her efforts on tracking Jeff Saunders and catching him in the act of being the Avenging Angel.  But the depression that settled over her because of Brian’s distance broke her concentration.  Not even the reported sightings of the Avenging Angel in both Billings and Bismarck, North Dakota could inspire her enough to take action.

“You sound blue, Mac,” Jake commented during one of their regular phone calls.  “What’s wrong?”

Mac sighed. Obviously, she wasn’t good at hiding her gloom from him.  “Nothing.  It’s just stupid.”

“Still having trouble with your prime suspect?”

“No, it’s not him,” she mumbled as she stared out at the desolate South Dakota landscape.  It didn’t help her mood that there were fat raindrops pounding against the bus windows.  “Like I said, it’s stupid.”

Jake was quiet for a moment. Then, “Come on, Mac. What’s wrong? Did you fight with your employers or something? I bet they couldn’t hold up against that awesome Adams temper, though.”

“God, Jake, I didn’t fight with anyone, okay?” she snapped, her voice rising enough that Brian, despite his self-imposed Mac-exile, glanced over at her.  She turned beet red and lowered her voice.  “It’s not a big deal, okay? It’s just that-” She bit her lip, wondering how she could tell Jake what she was feeling when she didn’t even know why it was bothering her so much that Brian wasn’t talking to her.

“What?”

“Brian’s not talking to me anymore,” she muttered, one eye on the man in question to make sure he wasn’t paying attention.  Sure enough, he wasn’t.  His eyes were glued to the action flick playing.

Jake hesitated. “Uh, okay.  So? Did you two fight or what?”

“No. I don’t know.  One minute he’s all friendly with me and getting me front row seats for a concert, then the next instant, he’s all grouchy with me.  He’s nice to everyone else, but he’s Mr. Scrooge when it comes to me.” She pouted a little.  “I didn’t even do anything.”

“Well—and don’t kill me for saying this but…” Jake trailed off, clearly wondering if he should say what he thought.

Mac frowned.  “What?”

“Maybe he likes you, Mac.”

“Huh?” Her mouth fell open for a second. Then, she shook her head.  “Well, we were friends, so that’s a possibility but it doesn’t explain-”

“No, Mac.” Jake’s voice was patient. And cautious.  He hadn’t been joking about Mac’s temper.  “I meant, maybe he likes you in a more than friends way.  Sometimes, guys push women away when all they want is for them to be close, like in a romantic way. God,” he muttered, “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you.”

Mac’s jaw was hanging, practically dragging along the floor.  “You’re joking, right? Because that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.  There is nothing like that going on, and, besides, he’s too blond for me.”

Jake chuckled.  “Well, you think what you want, but I was just giving my opinion.  Anyway, I’d better get going before Riley marches in and demands to know why I haven’t turned in my preliminary reports yet.  Keep me posted on, uh, everything, okay?”

“I still think you’re wrong.” She scowled when he chuckled again. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep you updated.  Bye.”

She didn’t bother to dwell on Jake’s theory about Brian’s behavior because it was just so bizarre that it couldn’t be true.  For goodness’ sake, she thought, the love of his life had been tragically murdered the year before, and it was highly doubtful that he was ready to move on.  When her mind murmured that maybe she was deluding herself, she shut it down and focused on teaching Baylee about gravity and magnets as per his science lesson for the day.

The following day, though, nothing was much better with the Brian situation, and she was nearing her wits’ end.  At lunch, she left Baylee with his jerk of a father and tracked AJ and Nick down.  She found them arguing over which Dakota was more boring, North or South, and rolled her eyes.

She plopped herself down next to Nick and stole some of his French fries.  “Hey, guys. Nick, aren’t you supposed to be on a diet?”

He wrinkled his nose and held his arms over his fries to keep her from getting to them.  “So what?  And you can’t have anymore.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Brian and Baylee were giggling over something.  “So, why aren’t you with B-squared today?”

“ ‘B-squared’?” she asked with a giggle and snuck away another fry.

“Yeah, you know, Brian and Baylee? B-squared.” He shrugged.  “Anyway, what brings you to our neck of the, um, Burger King?”

Mac propped her head on her hands and sighed.  “There’s something wrong with Brian, and he won’t talk to me.”

“Really?” AJ looked over at their bandmate.  “Funny, I haven’t noticed anything.  He’s actually been pretty awesome lately.  Well, other than tripping over himself again at the concert in Billings, but yeah.”

“Well, he’s been all sunshine and bunnies with all of you, but he acts like I’m the bane of his existence all of a sudden.  I mean, one second we’re laughing over Baylee’s possessiveness of me, and, the next, he acts like I have the plague.  He hasn’t talked to me all week.” She scowled.  “We were making such progress with being friends, too.”

Nick looped an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll still be your friend, Mac.”

“Aww, thanks, Nicky,” she said sweetly, grinning when he scowled at the nickname.  “Seriously, though, it’s getting too awkward to be in that bus with him all day when he pretends like I don’t exist.  He won’t even talk to me about what’s wrong.”

“Well, he was kind of strange that day when he was sick,” AJ thought aloud.  “But I just figured that was because he hadn’t slept the night before and, uh, had an embarrassing dream before I woke him up.”

Nick perked up.  “Oh yeah? Was he having sex with Pam Anderson? You know, before Leighanne came along, Pam was Brian’s number one wet dream,” he informed Mac.

She swatted his arm.  “You’re so sick.  I don’t want to know about that! He’s my boss, for Pete’s sake.”

AJ looked thoughtful.  “Well, he didn’t exactly deny the erotic dream part.  I wonder if he’s got a crush on someone.”

“Really?” Mac straightened from her slouch. “That’s so cute. I wonder who it is.  I mean, I never expected that he’d ever get over Leighanne.”

“Yeah, me neither,” AJ replied.  “Then again, he’s not exactly old, and there’re plenty of attractive women working with us on the tour.” His eyes roamed their band and crew spread out around the restaurant.  “Maybe it’s one of them.”

Mac turned and joined him in perusing the females.  “What about Geneen? She’s pretty, and she’s around you guys all the time.”

“Married,” Nick said.

“Oh.”

“Well, it could be Erica,” AJ suggested, as he eyed one of the technical assistants.  “She’s pretty, petite, and blonde.  Brian’s three requirements in women,” he added when Mac looked confused.

“Gotcha.” She tried to remember what she knew about Erica.  “No, it can’t be her,” she said after a few moments.  “She’s going out with Dan.”

Nick’s brows lifted. “Dan? Like Dan in our band, Dan?”

“Yep.”

“Wow.  AJ, our tour brings people together,” Nick said in a sickly sweet tone.  “How adorable.  Maybe it’ll bring you and me together, Mac,” he added, kissing her hand lavishly.  “Say you’ll be mine.”

Her eyes twinkled behind her glasses.  “You know you’ll always have my heart, Nick.” When she turned to AJ, he was studying her curiously.  “What? Is there ketchup on my face?”

He shook his head.  “No, no.  It’s just…you said Brian isn’t speaking to you, and he was having a dream about someone who’s not Leighanne. Right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Well, what if he’s attracted to you?”

Her jaw dropped as she was shocked speechless.  Recovering quickly, she glared at him.  “What is wrong with you men? Seriously.  Just because a guy is mad at a girl doesn’t mean he likes her. We’re not in middle school anymore, you know.”

“You gotta admit, Mac, it makes sense,” Nick said quietly. “I mean, the two of you were flirting a lot at that concert in Denver.”

Her face turned bright red. “We were not! It was all in good fun.”

“Uh huh, sure.” Nick winked.  “I get it. You don’t have to worry about breaking my heart.  If you want Brian, go for it.  You’d be good for him.”

“Shut up, Nick,” she hissed, irritated now.

AJ folded his arms over his chest and leaned back to watch her.  “What’s so wrong with being attracted to Brian?”

“Nothing,” she muttered, “but I’m not attracted to him! Seriously.”

“Well, why not? He’s not half bad-looking, he’s got that Southern accent that makes women go gaga over him, and he’s more of a gentleman than the rest of us,” AJ pointed out.  “He’d be perfect for you.  And it would totally explain why he’s uncomfortable with you all of a sudden.  He probably realized that he likes you.”

Nick jumped in before Mac could retort.  “You know, if you don’t like him back, he’ll be pretty broken up over it.  You’re the first woman he’s had a thing for since Leighanne. It’s probably a big deal for him because he was with her for ten years, and he probably doesn’t know what to do with how he feels for you.”

Mac wondered how, with as angry as she was getting over their stupid theories, there wasn’t any steam pouring out of her ears. “Listen, you Neanderthals.  Brian may be nice and mildly attractive, but I don’t like him that way.  He’s not my type and never will be.  Besides, I’m not petite or blonde, so that means I’m not his type either.  I doubt he feels that way about me, too, because, like you said, he was with Leighanne for all those years, and he couldn’t possibly be over her yet.  There’s probably a perfectly reasonable explanation for his behavior lately, and I’m going to figure it out.  Soon.”

There was silence for a few moments.  Then, Nick grinned.  “Wow.  No wonder you’re such a good nanny.  I’m shaking in my shoes from that voice.”

She threw his fries at him.

***

Mac tucked Baylee into the bed in Brian’s suite.  They were in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it had only been eight hours since her rather infuriating conversation with AJ and Nick.  She was still fuming over it.  She still couldn’t believe the nerve they’d had to even suggest that she and Brian might be attracted to each other.

“Mac?” Baylee was clearly fighting sleep as he fought to keep his drooping eyelids open.

“Yes, Bay?” She sat on the edge of his bed and ruffled his hair.

He rubbed at his eyes and gave her his most charming smile. “Can you tell me a story?”

“Aww, Baylee, I’m sorry. I left all the storybooks on the bus. Maybe your dad can sing you to sleep,” she offered, but he shook his head.

“I want a story,” he whined, sleepily.  “Please, Mac.”

She sighed a little before scooting him over on the bed to make room for herself.  When his head was resting against her shoulder, she told him the first story she could think of: The Frog Prince.  She added silly voices for the frog and made Baylee giggle.

Brian paused as he passed the door to the bedroom and stared.  It was so perfect, he couldn’t help but think.  Mac and Baylee curled up together just the way Leighanne had once done for their son.  He shook his head, trying to banish the thought of Mac as part of his little family.  Those kinds of thoughts weren’t going to help his failing plan to get rid of his attraction to her.  With some difficulty, he dragged himself away from the cute scene.

Mac had seen him, and she’d also seen the scowl on his face as he’d watched them.  It sparked her own temper, and, the instant Baylee fell asleep, she edged out of bed and went to ream his father out.

She found him on the balcony, staring out over the quiet city.  If she were a photographer, he would’ve been the perfect picture opportunity.  She couldn’t deny that he was attractive, or the fact that he looked ridiculously delicious with that somber look on his face and the city lights reflected in the background.  But there was something else about him that tugged at her heart.

He looked…lonely, she realized, and sighed.  Feeling sorry for him wasn’t going to help her drag his problem out of him.

“Brian?”

His head whipped around, and she noticed that his expression was wary.  “Yeah?”

His slightly irritated voice fueled her temper. “Look, I know you’ve got some sort of problem with me, but giving me the cold shoulder is not exactly mature.  Why don’t you grow up and just say it to my face.  What did I do that’s bugging you so much?”

“Uh,” his mind scrambled for an excuse, “I’m not giving you the cold shoulder.”  Oh, that’s a good one, he scolded himself.  That’s real mature. Denial.

Clearly, she wasn’t buying it either.  “Give me a break, Brian.  You’ve been avoiding me like I’ve got some contagious disease or something, and you go around acting all pissed off with me.  I thought we were friends,” she added, her voice softening.

He wanted to reach out and hold her close, but he knew he couldn’t.  Now, his voice reflected his annoyance with himself, though Mac didn’t know it. “We are friends, Mac, but, sometimes, you gotta back off, okay? I don’t need you breathing down my neck all the time.  We’re trapped on a bus together seventy-five percent of the time, so I don’t know why you can’t just give me some space when we’re not.  Instead, you come barging in to yell at me.  Jeez, talk about clingy.”

“Excuse me?” She was shocked and hurt.  The pain only added to her anger.  “I didn’t know you felt like you were stuck with me.  If you didn’t want me as Baylee’s nanny, you didn’t have to hire me.”

Brian shook his head.  “I didn’t have a choice.  You seemed like the sanest one of all of them, but, suddenly, I’m rethinking that decision.  Why don’t you just leave me alone? You’re giving me a headache with your hysterics.” God, he thought.  He hadn’t been this mean to a woman in…ever.  He was disgusted with himself, but he kept reminding himself that it was for the best.

Mac was silent for several moments, and Brian began to sweat about what she was thinking.  Finally, she spoke.

“You know, I always thought you were a self-righteous jerk, who didn’t care about anyone or anything but yourself.  I figure the rest of the band and your family are the exception to the rule, but I guess I was crazy to think that I was, too.  I was right about you, Brian.  You’re definitely that bastard, and I-”

His lips cut her off as he pressed them firmly to hers.  For an instant, she was absolutely still.  Then, as every last thought flew out of her head, she kissed him back.  The kiss tasted of anger, and Brian forgot to be gentle.  When he yanked her into his arms, she banded her arms around his neck as her lips opened.  Not hesitating for a second, he took advantage of it and shoved the kiss deeper and into darker depths than he’d ever been in before.

If it wasn’t for the fact that they were both still vibrating with fury, Mac would have melted against him.  Instead, her hands clawed down his back and slid under his shirt to his skin.  Brian’s arms tightened around her so that they were pressed together, curve to curve, angle to angle.  His hands dragged through her curly hair, the band holding it back flying off, pulling her head back, so that he could change the angle of the kiss and deepen it.  Neither of them seemed to be able to get enough of the other.

Only when her back hit the wall and a nearby picture fell of the wall, did their senses return.  Mac’s head rested against his shoulder as she breathed in his scent and wondered what the hell had just happened.  

Brian let his head fall against the wall as he berated himself.  So much for restraint and avoidance, he thought.  But, God, he’d never take back that kiss with Mac.  It had been…

Mind-blowing. Earth-shattering.

Carefully, he shifted back enough to look down at her.  Her eyes fluttered open, the shock and arousal reflected in their pretty green depths.

“Well,” he began, cracking a smile, “you were right.  You are definitely a good kisser.”
Chapter 13 by honey
Author's Notes:
So, mad props for Sarah's kiss right??? I know I was excited about it. My only regret is that I had to follow it... (So I apologize in advance.) Thanks again for all the enthusiastic reviews! Y'all are the best! We love you!
Chapter 13

Still panting heavily, trying to reclaim some of the breath Brian had stolen from her, Mac fell victim to his piercing stare the instant her eyes fluttered open. He was smirking at his own words, but his eyes were still severely dark with passion, and the few centimeters of space he’d placed between them merely teased her now-aching body. Closing her eyes again, she threw her head back, resting the weight of her body against the wall in order to give her knees a chance to regain their strength.

“Jesus Brian,” she muttered, still unable to collect a single thought.

Brian watched her fight the stimulation she felt, and his mouth watered at the way her body seemed to tremble with desire. God, she was beautiful. And she wanted it; he could tell. She wanted it as badly as he wanted it. Something in his head told him they couldn’t, but, every time her chest rose and fell, it seemed to lure him closer to her until he could taste each breath she exhaled. When their eyes met again, there was a brief pause as they second-guessed their instincts, and then they crashed together again in an explosion so passionate it nearly sent them through the thin hotel wall.

The next few moments were a blur of heated lust as they struggled to free themselves of their clothes and find the couch. Unable to tear themselves from one another, they barely noticed when they missed their target and went crashing to the floor. Their fingers were in a frenzy to find one another’s flesh, and they couldn’t seem to suck enough passion from each other’s skin to appease the cravings burning inside them.

Brian shivered at the intoxicating feel of her skin against his, and it broke him from the throes of passion just long enough to realize what was about to happen. “We shouldn’t,” he stammered as Mac climbed into his lap, yanking his belt free from its grip, but the sensation he got as she unzipped his pants dissolved any rational thought he had.

He pulled Mac against him, and she gasped a sharp intake of breath when he sank his teeth lightly into the crook of her neck and let his hands explore her every curve. “You’re right,” she agreed between kisses. “It’s completely wrong.”

The cool air of the chilled hotel room pricking his bare skin, mixed with the heat radiating from Mac, was driving Brian in a way he’d never experienced, and he threw her on her back, crushing his lips hard against hers. Strangely excited by his aggression, Mac pulled him into a kiss so violently deep that darkness blurred his vision, and, knowing he was about to lose all self control, he pulled himself back a moment to give her the opportunity to refuse him if she needed. “We could stop,” he panted, praying to God that she wouldn’t.

He received his answer in the way Mac squirmed when his body lifted away from her. “Oh God Brian,” she breathed as if she were in pain, “don’t make me wait any longer.”

Hearing her call out his name, begging him to take her, awakened sensations in Brian that he didn’t know could be resurrected and all thoughts of hesitation vanished. There was no way something that felt so right could be wrong.

***

It wasn’t until they were finished and lying in a sweaty tangled mess of limbs that reality began to catch up with them. And the reality of the situation was that neither of them knew where to go from here. There was no denying it was the greatest sex either of them had ever had, but what should have been a blissful afterglow felt much more like a painful guilt-fest as they each scrutinized their impulsive behavior.

While Mac worried about how getting involved with Brian could distract her from her mission, jeopardize her cover, and ultimately ruin her career, Brian’s thoughts lingered in a much darker corner of his mind. When she’d yelled at him, he fed off of her anger and let his deepest, darkest desires control his actions. The way he’d ravaged her was, rough, dirty, and like nothing he’d ever done before. It was almost as if it hadn’t even been him anymore, and what perturbed him about it the most was the fact that this was not the first time he’d felt that way.

There was a darkness inside him, Brian knew, that was growing stronger everyday as the Avenging Angel struggled to conquer the mild mannered man beneath the mask. He knew he was playing with fire, but he liked the power. He liked the feeling of control his strength gave him, and the feeling of vengeance that came when he stopped a criminal or saved a life was like a drug. He knew he wouldn’t stop his moonlighting hero work, but he had to gain control of the domineering alter ego.

Brian looked down at the woman he still held in his arms and realized just how dangerous she was to him. Her voice, her smile, and the way she was with his son may have shattered the walls he’d put up around his heart, but the distraction that it caused made him careless. The more she controlled his emotions, the more his emotions controlled the Avenging Angel, and the consequences of that could be disastrous. But, even as he lay there telling himself he couldn’t be with her, his fingers grazed her skin with the physical impossibility of pulling away. He was eventually dragged from his inner turmoil by the sound of her soft yet firm voice.

“Brian, we can’t do this.”

He wondered what her reasons were for dismissing the possibility of a relationship, but he didn’t dare ask. The last thing he needed to do was accidentally talk her out of the decision he wouldn’t be able to make on his own.

“I know.” He sighed.

“I should probably go.”

Mac sat up and began clumsily putting her clothes back on, and, while Brian knew it was for the best, anger and frustration crept into his heart. Mac noticed the grim look and understood exactly how he felt. She’d never had a connection like that with any man, and, as much as she secretly wished he would scoop her into his arms and keep her forever, she knew it just couldn’t happen.

Their entire relationship thus far was based on a lie. And, even if they could get past that one day, their careers would never allow them to be together. Then there was Baylee to think of. That poor, sweet boy had already lost his mother. He didn’t need to be dragged into the kind of mess that a relationship with Brian could potentially—no would—be. And, as much as she hated to admit it, Brian was still a suspect in her case. She could be sleeping with the enemy.

No, it was impossible.

Mac sighed and managed a weak smile that Brian was barely able to mimic. “It’s just…”

“Too complicated,” Brian offered when Mac had to search for the right words and came up empty.

“Yeah,” she agreed and then slipped out the door and down the hall to the safety of her own room.

***

The awkwardness began the next morning with the bus ride to Des Moines, and only got worse over the next two days. Things weren’t so bad when they were stopped. They could greet each other pleasantly enough and then avoid each other just as easily because there was always work to be done. But it was the endless hours on a tiny bus together that proved to be the most difficult. Pretending that nothing had happened, pretending they hadn’t both liked it, and especially pretending that they didn’t have any desire to do it again. Neither would own up to it, but there was electricity between them now that they had to fight with great effort when they got too close to each other.

It was the third night that nearly cracked them though. After the performance in Dallas, Baylee was already asleep by the time Brian showed up at the hotel, which left him and Mac in the situation they’d both feared for days. Brian smiled nervously when he saw Mac curled up on the couch with that big leather journal she always seemed to be writing in. She looked so cute in those giant sweats she often wore, and he gulped because he loved the way she seemed to disappear in them.

“Baylee’s already asleep?” he asked, stating the obvious just to break himself from the image of pulling the baggy clothes right off of her.

“For an hour already, so I’m afraid it’s just us tonight.”

Mac’s words made her heart flutter the instant they escaped her lips. There was a moment of deathly silence until finally Brian sighed and took a seat next to her on the couch. “Maybe it’s a good thing I have you to myself for once,” he began, “because there’s something I’ve been needing to tell you. I’m so sorry, about the other night. I should never have-”

“Oh no, Brian, don’t be sorry about that,” Mac interrupted, shutting her journal and pulling it tightly to her chest. “In case you didn’t notice, you weren’t the only one misbehaving.”

Brian had noticed, and that was the reason he’d been going so crazy since it had happened. He was still surprised at the way Mac had seemed to match his physical stamina that night, and his body was aching to find out if she could do it again. But he knew he couldn’t, so he shook himself of the vivid memory and tried to keep the conversation focused.

“I wasn’t referring to that,” he admitted shyly, “I was actually talking about before we um, well, before that. All those things I said to you? I was just frustrated. I didn’t mean any of it and I feel awful.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mac said sincerely and then smirked. “I figured it was probably something like that when you kissed me, and nothing says I’m sorry like a little angry sex.” She smirked at the horrified look on Brian’s face. “It’s okay.” She laughed, giving his leg a reassuring pat. “It was by far the best apology I’ve ever had. In fact, it was so good I can’t even remember what you said.”

Normally, such a comment would have made Brian blush horribly, but the only thing he was thinking about was her hand still resting gently on his thigh and the smile that had been plaguing his dreams. “Even still,” he muttered, unable to look away from her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” Mac whispered.

There was silence again, and, next thing Mac knew, Brian was tucking her bangs behind her ear. “You should really cut these things,” he mused aloud, trying his hardest not to pull her lips to his.

Mac was bewitched by his touch and accidentally let her journal fall to the floor, sending a few papers flying from its pages. The small thud startled them from their trance, and they both forced nervous laughs. Mac’s heart jumped when Brian reached for the book, but he simply handed it back to her without giving it a second thought, and, as she clutched the journal, she realized how easily she could have just blown her entire case. She cursed herself for being so careless and was shocked that Brian could have such an effect on her. This had to stop, and it had to stop now.

“I should get going,” she said, jumping to her feet.

As Mac chastised herself for losing her head and hurried to the door, Brian gathered the few scattered papers that had fallen from her journal. His eyes widened at the pictures in his hands, and he quickly tried to hide his look of surprise. He covered it with a smirk and held up the drawings. “What are these?”

Mac panicked for a moment, but let out a breath of relief when she saw the pile of comic strips. Brian smirked at her obvious discomfort. “Don’t tell me you have a secret crush on the Avenging Angel,” he teased.

“I think you mean Nick.” Mac laughed nervously.

Brian jolted with surprise. “You have a thing for Nick?” he gasped, sending Mac into a fit of laughter so wild she had to throw her hand over her face to muffle the sound.

“Yeah genius.” She giggled more quietly. “I’m having a hard time not kissing you right now because I want Nick.” Mac choked on her sentence and turned bright red, shocked by her surprise confession. “Not that I want… Um, I just meant that Nick likes…” She gave up trying to backpedal, realizing it was useless, and snatched the drawings from Brian’s hand. “Good night, Brian.”

Brian was startled by the abrupt exit and hated to think she was upset, especially when he was feeling the exact same way. He figured it was time to talk about it, so he followed her out the door. “Mac, wait a minute,” he called as she unlocked her hotel room door.

He caught up to her just before she got inside and he placed his hand on the door so that she couldn’t shut it on him. “You’re not the only one having a difficult time here, ok? Why don’t you come back, just for a few minutes, so we can talk about this.”

Mac looked down at the picture of the Avenging Angel in her hand and then smiled up at Brian with pained eyes. “I think we both know what will happen if I come back to your room right now, and you know that’s not a good idea.”

Brian wanted to argue with her, but he knew she was right. And it was a bad idea, he reminded himself. When he sighed, Mac took his hand off of her door and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it go. “Good night, Brian,” she said again, and he didn’t stop her when she shut the door this time.

When the hallway was quiet, Brian’s emotions overwhelmed him. He was upset about Mac, and it made him think of Leighanne. How his heart could have been turned from his wife in such a short time was still a mystery, but he’d moved on from those thoughts to new ones. It wasn’t that he didn’t still love her and miss her so badly it hurt, it was just that Mac seemed to fill that void in his life. And, no matter how much he was afraid of replacing Leighanne, he liked the way Mac made him feel.

These past three days, she’d been all he could think about, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to ignore those feelings much longer. When he was with her, the loneliness dissipated, and his heart threatened to be happy.

But…

He hated her for it. He hated the fact that he wanted her so badly. He hated that she made him feel guilty for wanting someone who wasn’t his wife when his wife hadn’t even been dead a year. But, even more than that, he hated that she was right, that he couldn’t just have her.

Anger swept through him quickly and he wanted to just beat down her door and yank her into his arms. The desire was so strong that he had to do the only other thing that could possibly deter his mind from his struggles, and, after talking AJ into staying with his son while he went to the gym, he disappeared into the night.

***

Nearly twenty minutes after she’d said goodnight to Brian, Mac was still festering about it. She tried to take her mind off of him by working on her case, but she knew she was only fooling herself. She’d been so preoccupied for over a week now that she simply had nothing to do. Her journal wasn’t going to tell her anything more right now than it had the last time she looked over it. Mac walked down the hall to get a soda from a vending machine, and, as she headed back to her room, she stopped in front of Brian’s door.

She debated for a minute, wondering how much it was all worth it. Her mind instantly turned back to the night she, Baylee, and Brian had sat on the bus, playing games together. It had almost felt as though they were a family. Mac’s stomach lurched up into her throat when she realized she was actually imagining what it would be like to be in their lives that way. She didn’t know what scared her more: the fact that being a wife and mother suddenly didn’t seem all that scary, or the fact that she was seriously thinking about dropping her case to see if a relationship with Brian was really possible.

Of course not, she scolded herself internally. It was impossible, and she didn’t want it. It was just the situation. Too much time in too close of quarters, that’s all it was. It was just the tour life making her go stir crazy.

Mac ran to her room to change her clothes. She didn’t care that, when she had told Jake of her plan to meet the Avenging Angel, he’d threatened to come and drag her home if she tried something so stupid. She didn’t care that it was a long shot, or that it was dangerous. She had to do it because she was losing her mind. She’d heard other agents speak of getting in too deep while being undercover that they began to forget which life was the real one. That’s what was happening here. Mac was getting in too deep, and, the sooner she brought this case to a close, the sooner she could get out.

She worked up a sweat as she ran through the streets of Dallas, feeling a little more clear and focused from the rush of endorphins the workout produced. She slowed her run to a light jog, heart pounding, as she neared the part of town the hotel clerk specifically specified was the worst.

The streets were lonely and dim, and, despite the hot muggy atmosphere, a chill ran up Mac’s spine when she eyed two men looking in her direction. She’d opted to leave her gun at home because of her undercover profession, but she started to regret that decision as the men started walking toward her. There were only two of them, though, and she was sure she could handle it. After all, the point was to get herself into a little trouble. She took a deep breath and waited for the men to get a little closer, ready to defend herself.

“You look lost, sugar.” The larger man laughed as he came to a stop right in front of her.

“Not exactly.” Mac smirked.

The men were surprised by Mac’s confidence, and it made her realize that she would have to act afraid and even scream for help if she expected the Avenging Angel to come find her. “I’m sure I can find my way home,” she said quietly as she slowly began to back away from them.

“What’s your hurry, babe?” the smaller one asked.

Smiles returned to the men’s faces, and Mac’s temper raged inside her as she realized they were getting off on seeing her afraid. It was this type of man that fueled Mac on her quest to make the world a better place. When the smaller man reached out and ran the back of his hand down Mac’s arm, she instinctively swatted him away. “Don’t touch me,” she ordered.

She took a defiant stance, which amused the men, and they laughed to one another before both stepping toward her. The smaller man’s hands were on her first, and she thrust the palm of her hand into this face, instantly forcing a river of blood to stream down it. “Shit!” he yelled, doubling over in pain. “The bitch just broke my nose.”

“You want to play rough, huh?” the second, much larger man asked, flipping open a switchblade.

Mac saw the knife glisten in the moonlight and thought for a moment that maybe Jake had been right. She was unarmed, and there was way to know for sure if the Avenging Angel would come to her rescue. Thinking it was time to call it quits, she began backing away again, but, before she could make a run for it, the man jumped at her and tackled her to the ground.

He was much larger than she was, but Mac knew how to fight and managed to free herself with a knee to the groin so hard she was sure it would take doctors to find his testicles. She got to her feet as fast as she could only to meet her first attacker, and he was more than a little angry about his nose. “Going somewhere bitch?” he asked, thrusting a knife of his own at her.

Mac jumped back, but the man still managed to slice through her arm. The surprising pain caused her to stumble, and the man balled up his fist and cracked it against her face so hard she fell to the ground. Her head hit the curb on her way to the pavement, and she had to fight to keep conscious as she felt the warmth of blood start to trickle to the ground beneath her.

The man jumped on her, but was instantly lifted away. Mac was confused and forced her eyes to open when she heard loud crashes and grown men groaning. It was him, she thought. The Avenging Angel.

Mac tried to sit up, needing desperately to catch a glimpse of her rescuer, but her head would not allow it, so she lay there, waiting for the sounds of beatings to stop. As she listened, she remembered why she’d come on this mission in the first place and became angry. “Stop!” she yelled as loudly as she was capable of doing.

Brian froze, surprised by the command, and dropped the bloody man to the ground. He curiously approached the woman lying on the street, never dreaming for a second that he would meet such a familiar face. He recognized her instantly and started to gasp her name in horror but caught himself just in time. “Ma- am, ma’am,” he stuttered and then lowered his voice to a rough grumble. “Ma’am, are you alright?”

“You have to stop this,” Mac said again.

She tried to look up at him, but he seemed to be standing just outside the reaches of the moonlight, and she barely managed to make out his form at all. She forced herself into a sitting position in an attempt to get a better look, but, the minute she did, dizziness took over. She swayed but was secure in his arms before she could fall back to the ground. As he scooped her up, she looked into his eyes, and, for the tiniest brief second before she fell unconscious, she thought of Brian and hoped he would be there when she woke up.

***

Mac’s wish went un-granted though, because the only person there to greet her when she woke up was a pushy doctor that was poking at her arm. After explaining that the extent of her injuries were a mild concussion and a few stitches, he gave Mac a handful of painkillers and then passed her off to the waiting Dallas PD.

The rookie cop questioned Mac while she waited to be released from the hospital, but, much to her annoyance, he seemed as star struck as anyone who’d come in contact with the Avenging Angel. He seemed infinitely more interested in the superhero that dropped her off at the hospital than actually investigating the crime. He asked a few questions but then took down her information and told her he’d call if he needed anything further.

Mac was so angry that her head throbbed over the dulling affect of the Vicodin in her system. Then, to make matters worse, the hospital called the tour manager just as soon as she’d given them her information. Geneen called Brian first, and he, of course, was already pacing his hotel room like a nervous wreck waiting for the call.

After the Avenging Angel had dropped Mac at the emergency room, he’d known it would only be a matter of time before someone would call Brian. He knew he would have to be in his hotel room when they did, so he went straight back and somehow managed to smile through a ten-minute conversation with AJ about needing to go out together one of these times.

The hardest part for him was the acting like everything was completely normal and, then again, acting surprised when he finally got the call from Geneen. But the worry in his voice was genuine, and it was only natural that he would want to be the one to go get her, so he insisted that Geneen stay with Baylee, and he hurried to the hospital as fast as he could.

Mac wasn’t surprised at all when Brian showed up; she’d known he would’ve been worried sick and would probably overreact to the whole thing, but it felt so good when he pulled her into his arms.

“Are you alright?” Brian whispered, practically fighting back tears as he spoke.

“I’m fine,” Mac promised. “I just want to get out of here.”

Brian didn’t have to be told twice, and he took her back to the hotel, refusing to let her stay alone that night. It was nearly 4am, and her head hurt, so Mac didn’t put up a fight when Brian moved his sleeping child to the sofa bed in his suite and carried her into the bedroom without giving her a choice in the matter. She even waited very impatiently for him to come back while he gave Geneen the rest of the details and promised that they could still leave the hotel in the morning as scheduled.

When Brian entered the bedroom again, he didn’t bother to say anything. He just climbed onto the bed beside Mac and gently pressed his lips to hers as if he’d never needed a kiss so badly in all his life.

“Brian,” Mac protested.

“I can’t help it, Mac. I’m just so glad you’re okay. I about had a heart attack when Geneen called me,” Brian said and kissed her again despite her weak attempt to push him away.

Mac gave in and let him kiss her, but she gave him a stern look when he climbed beneath the covers and pulled her tightly into his arms. He clung to her as if she’d nearly disappeared on him, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. Mac wanted to resist him, but the feeling of his strong, safe arms pulling her against him so tightly that she could feel his heart beating, made it impossible. Her tough outer shell began to break down, and she just wanted him to take care of her.

The sigh she subconsciously released as her tired, sore body relaxed against him made Brian’s heart melt. He lay there in silence for a few minutes with so many questions plaguing his mind, most of which he couldn’t ask without revealing the truth of his involvement. Finally, he decided there was at least one that was safe. “Mac?”

“Hmm?” she murmured sleepily, and the way she nestled herself against him was torture.

“What on Earth were you doing out there by yourself late at night?”

Mac had known this question was coming. She was actually surprised it took as long for him to ask as it did, but she was glad because it had given her time to prepare her answer. “I really needed to clear my head, so I went for a run. I never expected things would turn out like they did.”

That was the truth. Sort of.

Brian thought for a moment and then let out a giant sigh of defeat. “Mac,” he began again, “if we’re both so frustrated that we can’t think clearly, then maybe we’re better off not fighting it. Maybe we should just let this happed. I know I’d be a lot more focused if I wasn’t so busy trying to push you out of my head all the time.”

Brian had a point. Mac had been spending all her energy stressing about Brian, and surely she could be more focused on her case if she didn’t constantly have him clouding her thoughts. It was clearly not helping to stay away from him, so being with him couldn’t really make it any worse. And, besides, Brian had been at the hotel with Baylee all night, so it couldn’t have been him coming to her rescue. So if he wasn’t a suspect, then why wouldn’t it be okay to be with him?

Right?

Mac looked up at Brian, who was waiting patiently for a response, and ignored the ache in her head as she answered him with a kiss. One kiss became two, and then three, until, finally, Mac had to give in to the demands of her body and lay down.

“Do you need anything?” Brian asked as he watched her make herself as comfortable as possible with the back of her head stitched up.

“Just sleep,” Mac muttered as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Okay,” Brian whispered, placing one last kiss to her lips. “Goodnight, Mac.”

Brian made himself comfortable next to her and took her hand in his. “You know what’s funny?” Mac whispered, sounding half asleep already.

“What’s that?”

“The world’s very first super hero saved my life tonight, and, as he carried me to safety, I looked into his eyes, and the only thing I could see was your face.”

Mac gave Brian’s hand a gentle squeeze and then promptly drifted off into a sound sleep, leaving Brian to think what he wanted about her last statement.

It was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach.
In the Shadows...an Interlude by starbeamz2

AN: So the lack of updates to this story is entirely my (starbeamz2) fault because I ran out of motivation, and then both Kelly and I got hooked on different projects, so it's been a while. However, in an attempt to motivate myself to write more of the Avenging Angel, I decided to do something fun and feature Kelly (honey) in a scene with the AA. This scene is completely fictional and, chronologically, takes place between the prologue and chapter one (aka Before Brian returned to the Boys but during the time the AA first showed up in Los Angeles). We hope you enjoy and cross your fingers for our return! We both love this story to pieces, and we can't wait to get those juices flowing again!

***

 

In the Shadows…an Interlude


It was a dark, moonless night, and, to make matters worse, an entire row of streetlights had burnt out on the stretch of sidewalk where Kelly was walking.  She gripped her son and daughter tightly by the hand and hurried them along, glancing nervously over her shoulder and into the darkness. 

Every creak and rustling of leaves she heard sounded like a stalker, though it turned out that it was mostly just her son, Josh, stepping on scattered twigs.  Luckily, neither of her children sensed her fear nor were they quite so worried.  They had their mother with them, so they knew there was no reason to be frightened.

Kelly wondered, not for the first time, what had compelled her to go for a walk at twilight with her children.  Sure, she’d thought the light at dusk had seemed so pretty and practically begged her to walk outside as the sun set.  She seriously doubted her decision now.

It’s going to be fine. There’s nothing to worry about, she told herself repeatedly.  Besides, they were only a few blocks from home.  Just a little bit longer, and we’ll be safe and sound.

“Mommy?” Little Jackie looked up at Kelly, her big eyes curious. 

“What is it, Jackie?” Kelly glanced down at her daughter before her eyes swept over the darkened surroundings, searching for danger.

Jackie’s little hand wriggled in Kelly’s.  “You’re hurting my hand, Mommy. Can you let go?”

Kelly’s gaze shifted back to her daughter as she, too, realized that her hand was clutching Jackie’s just a bit too tightly.  “Oops. Sorry.” She loosened her hold a bit.  “How’s that?”

“Do we have to hold your hand, Mommy?” Josh piped up on her other side.  “We’re big kids now, and we won’t get lost.  We can walk okay by ourselves.”

Not wanting to worry them, Kelly struggled to find a reasonable excuse that would work on her children.  “It’s dark right now.  I can barely see you when I’m holding your hand, what if you disappear when I let go of you?” she added, feigning a playful tone to her voice.

Jackie giggled and squeezed Kelly’s hand a little tighter.  “You can hear us, Mommy. If we got lost, we’d yell a lot.”

“Yeah,” Josh agreed brightly as they stopped on the curb and looked both ways before crossing the street.  “I’ll yell real loud, and you can hear me!”

“I can sing Hannah Montana so you don’t lose me, Mommy,” Jackie suggested cheerfully before she broke into song.  “If we were a moooovieeeee, then you’d be the best friend that I’d fall in love with in the end…

Kelly managed a smile at Jackie’s cute singing voice before she focused on their surroundings again.  Usually, she loved Los Angeles.  She loved being near the water, she loved its warmth…she just loved everything about the city.  Except for maybe the creepy feeling she was getting as she continued to hustle her children towards their home.  Maybe if her husband had been at home, she would’ve brought him with them and felt safer.  But he was away on one of the many business trips he went on, which meant that there probably wasn’t anyone who would notice if she and the kids went missing—well, not for a while anyway.

A loud bang made her jump, and Josh and Jackie screamed as they all froze in place.  Kelly’s heart bounded into her throat and pounded away furiously as her fear spiked.  Gunshot? Was that a gunshot? Someone’s out there with a gun! We’re gonna die!

Her thoughts were running around as crazily as her fear and her heart rate.  Remembering that she had to stay calm and collected for her kids, she took deep breaths and gathered them against her side, murmuring soothingly to them as she slowly inched forward on the sidewalk.  Jackie hid her face against Kelly’s side and whimpered in fear while Josh clutched her hand tightly and didn’t say a word, though she could tell he was frightened, too.

They took slow, timid steps in the darkness, and Kelly hoped that the gun-toting whacko that was out there in the darkness couldn’t see them.  They were just a block and a half away from home, and she hoped they’d make it there without getting hurt.  She wasn’t sure what she’d do if someone tried to mug them.  She’d never heard of anyone getting mugged in this area of the city, but, hey, there was always a first time for everything, wasn’t there?

Think positive, she scolded herself and hugged Josh and Jackie just a little closer.

Just as they neared the next street, there was another loud bang.  Jackie burst into tears completely, and Josh started whimpering now.  Kelly, on the other hand, felt slightly silly.  She’d figured out what the sound was and couldn’t believe that, in her fear, she hadn’t recognized it for what it really was.  Cars backfired all the time, and she remembered that there was some jerk on the next street over who never got his car checked out because the neighbors were always complaining about the noise.

Crouching so she was on level with her kids, she hugged them both.  “It’s okay, you guys.  It’s just the sound someone’s car makes when it’s not working properly.  I promise.”

“Are you sure, Mommy?” Josh pressed closer and buried his face against her neck.  “There’s no bad guys, are there?”

“Are they gonna come get us, Mommy?” Jackie wondered tearfully.

Kelly held them tight and shook her head.  “No one’s going to hurt us.  We’re almost home, and we’re going to be just fine.”

“Promise?” they asked simultaneously, their teary faces gazing at her hopefully.

She smiled and, taking their hands, stood.  “I promise times a million!”

But, no sooner had she said the words, than a pair of arms roughly grabbed her from behind.  Her fear skyrocketed, especially when she felt the cold steel of a gun press against her back.

“Gimme your stuff, lady,” a deep man’s voice growled at her through the darkness.

Kelly struggled a little in his arms as her children let go of her hands and backed away.  Fear for the safety of her children was greater than fear for her own safety.  She had to make sure they were safe, that they weren’t hurt. “Run, Josh!” she tried to scream.  “Take Jackie and-”

Her voice was cut off when a thick, callused hand clamped over her mouth.  “Shut up or I’ll shoot yer kids! Gimme your goddamn stuff. I ain’t got all night,” he snarled.

She couldn’t think past the terror, and she watched as Josh grabbed Jackie’s hand and, in the cover of the pitch-black shadows, hurried down the sidewalk, away from them.  She knew that she and her husband had taught Josh enough that he would know to get help and call 911.  She only hoped and prayed that help would come before it was too late.

The gun jabbed against her ribs again, and her cry of pain was muffled against her assailant’s hand.  “Do you want me to fucking shoot you, lady? I want whatever money and jewelry you got on or I’ll kill you.  Don’t fucking waste my time!”

Kelly nodded slowly and tried to hold in the tears as her mind worked quickly.  She wondered if she could kick the man between the legs, but, when she tried, he smacked her with the gun—hard.  When she tried to jerk her head back and crush his nose, he hit her again, this time on the head.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Maybe I should just kill you,” he growled again.

She blinked rapidly, trying to think past the pain and not simply pass out.  Why, she wondered, had she moved onto a street where most people were quiet and didn’t look out their front windows at night? What she wouldn’t have given to have a bunch of desperate, nosy housewives around right at that moment.

Kelly nearly fainted when she heard her mugger cock the barrel of his gun.  He was seriously going to shoot her, she realized.  In that instant, her entire life flashed before her eyes, and she was filled with despair as she realized that she’d never get to see her babies grow up, she’d never see her husband again, and, worst of all, her children would have to see her dead body on the darkened sidewalk.  She wished she could prevent what was to come, but she wasn’t quite as strong as the man who was about to kill her.

Closing her eyes, she prayed with all her heart and waited to die.

When she suddenly stumbled forward and found herself free, her eyes snapped open and immediately fixed on the two men grappling on the sidewalk.  Fists flew, thudding thickly against hardened muscles.  A shiny, silver gun lay nearby, and Kelly snatched it up, pointing it at the two men.  However, when she saw the cape and mask on one of the men, she nearly fainted.

“Holy crap, superheroes do exist,” she muttered to herself in amazement.  She lowered the gun and, instead of worrying over the two men, turned to find her children.

Surprisingly, they were running down the sidewalk towards her, screaming her name. 

“Mommy! Mommy, the man said he would help you!” Josh cried as they both flung themselves into her arm. 

“Did the bad man hurt you?” Jackie asked as she peeked over Kelly’s shoulder at the caped rescuer subduing her mother’s mugger.

Kelly shook her head and kissed their foreheads.  Maybe her head did ache a bit, but she didn’t want her kids to worry anymore.  “No, it’s okay.  I’m fine.” She, too, glanced over her shoulder as her rescuer tied up the other man.  “Who is that man? Did you ask him for help?”

Josh nodded and fixed his eyes on the man his mother and sister were watching.  “He was like Superman and came out of the sky! He asked us what was wrong and we told him and he said to wait by the light but we wanted to see if you were okay so we came and we’re glad you’re okay, Mommy,” he said in a rush.

Kelly squeezed him tightly then glanced up at the caped man when he came towards them.  He held out a hand to her, and, hesitating for a moment, she placed hers in it.  Without a word, he helped her to feet, his darkened eyes calmly sweeping over her face.

“Are you alright?” he asked finally.  His voice was smooth and soft, and Kelly instantly felt safe.  She could tell that Josh and Jackie felt secure around him because they let go of her and attached themselves to his legs.

“Thanks for helping our mom!” Josh said cheerfully before letting go and smiling up at the man.

Jackie held on for a few more seconds before she, too, let go and giggled a little.  “How come you’re wearing a costume? It’s not Halloween.”

The mysterious man’s lips curved into a smile, and he knelt next to them.  “It’s not a Halloween costume, it’s my uniform.  It keeps me safe and helps me protect people,” he explained.

“Like Batman?” Josh wondered.

Kelly settled a hand on both of her kids’ shoulders as they talked to her rescuer.  She wasn’t sure who this man was or why he was masquerading as a superhero.  All she knew was that he’d saved her life, and she would forever be grateful to him. 

Unfortunately, as much as she tried to pay attention to the conversation, her headache was growing, and she desperately wanted to lay her head down and go to sleep.

Perhaps the masked man sensed her discomfort because he stood and patted Josh and Jackie’s shoulders. “I’m glad I met you two and helped your mom tonight.  But I think your mom needs to rest now.  Will the two of you take care of her when you get home?”

The two children nodded eagerly.  “We’ll get her favorite blanket and put her favorite movie on!” Jackie announced.  “Mommy loves Die Hard!”

The mystery man smiled at her cheer before turning to Kelly.  “The cops should be on their way here to get your statement and to take your attacker downtown,” he added, gesturing behind him where the large man lay, still unconscious.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Kelly began, pressing a hand to her aching head.  “I don’t even know who you are.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” he said quietly.  “I’m just doing my job.”

Cautiously, she touched his arm.  “I’m glad you were in the neighborhood then.  I don’t know what might have happened…” She trailed off, shuddering at the thought of death.

“It’s best not to think about it,” he told her.  Then, in a surprising move, he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently rubbing against her throbbing temples.  “You’ll want to take plenty of ibuprofen,” he murmured.

Kelly shivered at his touch and, unconsciously, leaned towards him a bit.  His fingers were magical, she thought dimly.  This was better than any painkiller she could’ve imagined.  Her eyes drifted up to meet his, and she nearly gasped at the intensity of the emotions storming through them.  Then, he blinked, and they were calm again.

“Are you sure you can’t tell me who you are?” she asked again. 

He shook his head.  “Sorry.  I work in complete secrecy.  The cops still don’t know what to do with me,” he added, humor evident in his voice.

“Why do you do this?” she wondered. What compelled a man to strap himself into a Spandex suit and run around saving people? Not that it was a bad thing, but still. There weren’t many people out there who would do this.

He was quiet for a long time, and Kelly watched as his expression turned wistful as he watched Josh and Jackie giggling among themselves.  Finally, he turned back to her.  “Because I lost someone dear to me in a violent act, and I never want anyone else to suffer loss at the hands of a criminal.”

Kelly wanted to ask him who he’d lost, but the sound of sirens interrupted the quiet darkness.  The mystery man straightened and smiled at her.  “I have to be off now, but take care of yourself and your children.  Don’t go walking around in the dark anymore, okay?” He glanced over at her kids.  “Bye, Josh and Jackie. You’ll take care your mom, won’t you?”

“We will! We will! Thanks, Superman,” they replied merrily and made him chuckle.

Kelly grinned at them, glad that the craziness of the night hadn’t impacted them too badly.  When she turned back to her mysterious, caped man, she found that he was gone.

“Wha-” She frowned.  He’d gone so silently, she’d never even heard him leave.  “Well, that was all sorts of wild.” The sound of police sirens grew, and the flashing lights were visible around the corner.  Kelly pressed a hand to her less achy head and frowned again.  “Wait a minute.  Did he have a southern accent?” 

Chapter 14 by starbeamz2
Author's Notes:
Hello, hello! First off, thank you to all of you who have stuck around so long even when it seemed that this story was never going to be updated. That's why, I'm dedicating this chapter to you guys! I finally found the inspiration to write, and write I did! This chapter is nearly 15 pages long! It's crazy, and I can assure you that the plot only gets crazier from here on in because we're getting to the juicy good stuff! With that said, I hope you enjoy and let Kelly and I know how we're doing!
The pounding pain in her head woke Mac the following morning.  She lay still for several moments, willing the massive headache away and vaguely wondering if she’d gotten drunk the night before.  Although, none of her previous hangovers had ever hurt this badly, she mused dimly.  When she cracked open her eyes, a ray of sunlight burned them and tripled the pain in her head, causing her to moan out loud.

There was a rustling sound and then, “Mac? You awake? Can I get you something?”

Brian? What was Brian doing in her room?

She opened one eye to peer up at his concerned expression, the dark bags under his eyes prominent.  Maybe they’d gotten drunk together, she thought.  Why else would he look as awful as she felt?

“What happened?” she groaned out, pressing a hand to her aching head.  The muscles in her arms protested as well, making her frown.  What on earth had she done to herself?

She felt the bed sag as Brian sat next to her, but she didn’t dare open her eyes again for fear of the pain.  “You mean, you don’t remember?” he asked softly, his fingers stroking her hair carefully.

“What…Oh my gosh.” Her eyes flew open, and she winced again.  “Avenging Angel!”

Brian nodded, his fingers clenching briefly into fists.  “Yeah.  You’re lucky he showed up because it sounded like you would’ve been hurt way worse if he hadn’t.”

“I guess so,” she murmured, pressing her hands to her aching temples.  She needed to think, but having Brian around wasn’t going to make that easy.  “Brian, can you get me something for my head.  It’s killing me,” she moaned.

“Sure, yeah.” It was the least he could do, he thought. He’d been half the reason she had hit her head on the sidewalk.  Leaning over, he briefly pressed his lips to hers before hurrying out to get her ibuprofen.

Mac lifted shaking fingers to her tingling lips and sighed.  This investigation was getting a lot more complicated than she’d bargained for at the start.  All she’d wanted was to do her job, figure out the identity of the Avenging Angel, and apprehend the crazy, Spandex-clad man.  Now, not only was she suffering the side effects of her first meeting with the guy, she was also stuck with growing feelings for her boss—feelings any of her mentors in the Bureau would have scolded her for having.  At this point, she wasn’t even sure she could resist them.  Besides, Brian had been right the night before.  She couldn’t focus on her investigation if she was constantly wary around him, so maybe it would just be better to be with him…whatever that entailed.

Brian paused in the doorway to the bedroom, his hands tightening on the glass of water and bottle of medication he held.  Mac lay on the pillows, her head bandaged, and her hair spread out across the thick hotel pillows.  There were smudges under her eyes, indicating her fatigue, and her face was pale.  He could tell she was in pain what with the way her hands kept massaging her temples, and he wanted nothing more than to rip that pain out of her and strangle it with his bare hands.

His hands shook slightly with the rage coursing through him at the fact that she’d been hurt when he might have prevented it.  Taking a deep breath, he tried to reign in his darker emotions, knowing that he’d be no good for her if he was angry and vengeful.  It was dangerous, the way his feelings for Mac twisted up and brought out Avenging Angel’s deep, dark side.  If he let it get out of control, he was sure it would be his undoing.

With one more deep breath, Brian sat on the edge of the bed again and waited for Mac to open her eyes.  It didn’t take her long, and she reached out carefully to take the glass of water from him.

“You’re a lifesaver, Brian.  It feels like my head’s going to explode any second now,” she groaned, clearly in pain.  She waited as he silently shook out a couple of painkillers and passed them to her.  Keeping her eyes steady on his, she swallowed the pills and drank down the glass of water.  

“Better?” Brian murmured, taking the glass from her and setting it aside.

Mac sighed wearily.  “Soon, I hope.” Then, hesitating for a moment, she brushed her hand over his.  “We should talk.”

His shoulders drooped a bit, but Brian nodded.  “Yeah, we should.” He gave her a small smile.  “I kind of said what I think last night, so I guess I’m wondering what it is that you want.  Do you want to see what this thing between us is or do you just want to keep circling around each other and acting like teenagers?” he added with a tiny smile.

She smiled hesitantly, too.  “You were right.  About what you said last night,” she clarified, when he lifted a brow in question.  “I haven’t been able to focus on Baylee and my job because I’ve been so hung up on trying to avoid you.  It is pretty childish, so I guess you’re right on that, too.  It’s just-” She sighed. “I don’t want things to be weird on the tour, you know? And I don’t want Baylee to see us together that way and get too attached to the idea of us together, especially since it’s improbable that we’ll last.” And I’m lying to you about who I really am and what I’m really doing here.

Brian wasn’t sure why, but he was beginning to panic at the thought of Mac leaving some day.  “So are you saying that you want to be with me…but secretly?”

She chewed her lip nervously.  “Is that bad? Does that upset you?”

He reached out and held her hands in his, lacing their fingers together.  The warmth of her palms felt good against his, and he squeezed her hands comfortingly.  “Mackenzie,” he said softly, using her full name for the first time since they’d met. “All I want is to be with you, instead of avoiding you.  You make me feel something in a place inside me that I thought was dead.  I don’t care if we keep it a secret or tell the whole world.  All I want is for you and me to be together.  That’s it.”

Mac looked down at their joined hands before glancing back up at his face.  “Okay,” she said slowly, a smile beginning to bloom on her lips.  “Then, yeah.  Yes, I want to be with you, too, Brian.”

Grinning gleefully, they both leaned towards each other and let their lips meet in a kiss that was full of promise.

***

Mac knew the media worked fast, but she never expected them to work quite as quickly as they had.  By the time Brian let her out of bed that morning and helped her onto the bus, it was only nine—a mere eight hours since her attack.  She hadn’t expected much more attention to her run in with the Avenging Angel, except maybe from the police.

So she was entirely floored when a slew of reporters were gathered outside the hotel when she, Brian, and Baylee tried to leave.  At first, she thought they were just there for the Boys, but when she heard them calling her name, demanding to know about her midnight encounter with Avenging Angel, she froze in place.  Though Brian tried to move her along towards the buses, she was stunned at the media force, knowing they were there for her.  Sure, she’d dealt with the media in prior cases, but, this time, the crowd was bigger…and she was worried that one of them might connect her to the same Mackenzie Adams who’d brought down the crime boss in LA.

“Don’t answer anything you don’t want to,” Brian murmured into her ear, his arm tightening around her shoulders.  She appreciated the comforting feel of having him beside her, though she already knew she wasn’t going to talk to the reporters.

If Captain Riley found out, she thought as Brian helped her into the bus, she would be dead for sure.  She wasn’t even supposed to be here, and, the instant he saw her, he’d certainly know what she was up to.

She tried to put the whole scenario out of her mind and tried to relax on one of the sofas on the bus.  Baylee had already announced that he would be her “butt-lard” that day and get her whatever she wanted.  She’d had to stifle a giggle at his mispronunciation, but, seeing the humorous glint in Brian’s eyes, she knew she wasn’t the only one.

The four-hour trip from Dallas to Houston flew by.  Brian and Baylee played board games and watched Enchanted for the five millionth time, while Mac secretly scribbled away in her notebook.  She still didn’t have much to go on, despite having met him for however short a time.  The only thing she’d been able to gather was that the man really did have incredible strength and had taken out her attackers in no time at all.

If only she hadn’t fainted…

“Mac, want some tea?” Baylee bounded over to sit cautiously by her side.  “Daddy said he was gonna make some if you wanted it.  Mommy always said tea or soup was the bestest medicine for when you’re sick.  Want some soup, too?”

Mac’s eyes drifted over Baylee’s head to where Brian stood, frozen, just outside the kitchen area.  When their eyes met, he smiled sadly before turning away to rummage through the cupboards.

She looked down at Baylee again and ruffled his hair.  “Soup would be nice, Bay.  Are you going to make it for me?”

“Nuh uh! It’s too hot. I might burn myself,” he told her with wide eyes. “One time, when we were in Tibbet, Daddy burned his hand on the fire under the pot and,” his voice lowered, “he said a bad word.”

“No.” Mac feigned shock and widened her eyes.  She’d dwell on the “Tibbet” tidbit later.  “Then what?”

Baylee brightened.  “We put snow on it ‘cause there was lots and lots of it around.  After that, Daddy said he was sorry about the bad word.  I’m not s’posed to go near the stove.”

“Well, that sounds like a good idea,” Mac assured him. She held out her arms and grinned when Baylee eagerly climbed into her lap and snuggled into her embrace.  

He examined the bandage on her head solemnly.  “Does it hurt lots and lots?”

“A little,” she admitted.

Baylee touched the bandage carefully.  “Can I kiss it to make it better?”

Words stuck in her throat, and all she could do was helplessly nod.  Baylee gave her a light peck on the forehead and smiled.  “There! All better! Right? Right?”

Mac blinked back tears and tried to swallow the hot ball of emotions that had lodged in her throat.  “Yeah,” she managed to say before cuddling him closer.  “Yeah, it does feel better.”

She was getting too attached, Mac thought, but she didn’t know how to stop.  The Littrell men were too hard to resist, and, the more she tried to distance herself, the deeper she fell.  How was she supposed to keep her objectivity? What if Brian somehow, in the most improbable way possible, turned out to be the Avenging Angel?

She caught a glimpse of him pouring a can of Campbell’s soup into a bowl and sighed.  Yeah, right.

“What’d the bad guys look like?”

Mac looked down at Baylee, who was watching her with those big, blue eyes. “Well…like bad guys,” she told him, unable to come up with something better. “Anyway, you shouldn’t worry about them.”

Baylee grinned excitedly.  “Yeah! ‘Cause Avenging Angel took care of ‘em, right?”

“Who told you that?” she demanded.

“Nick did.  He’s jealous ‘cause you met him, and Nick didn’t.  ‘She’s not even his biggest fan.’ That’s what he told AJ.”

“Really?” She had to chuckle at the idea of Nick being jealous of the fact that she’d met his favorite superhero, despite the fact that she’d been hurt.

Baylee nodded eagerly.  “Uh huh.  And then, AJ said that if he was Avenging Angel, he woulda tried to ‘sussate you.  Mouth to mouth or something.  He was winking a lot, and it made Nick laugh, too.” Mac was finding it hard not to chuckle as well, and Baylee glanced up at her.  “How come that’s funny?”

“Oo-kay then,” Brian swooped in before Mac could formulate an answer.  “That’s the last time I leave you with AJ and Nick.”

“Aww, Daddy. You always say that,” Baylee reminded him mischievously.

Brian set down the bowl of soup he carried and ruffled his son’s hair.  “Well, this time, I mean it.  They’re a bad influence on you.”

“Nuh-uh! They’re fun!”

Brian rolled his eyes at Mac, and she grinned a little before pain sliced through her head.  “Ouch,” she muttered, pressing her hand to her forehead.

“What? What’s wrong?” Brian leapt forward, set Baylee aside, and knelt next to her. “Does it hurt? Do you want me to get you more painkillers?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.  “Please.”

While Baylee kept guard at Mac’s side, Brian went to dig out the bottle of medication.  His hands shook a little when he heard her whimper in pain.  Not for the first time that day, he wished he could do something, anything to help ease her discomfort.  It was amazing how much he’d come to care for her in so little time, he thought as he hurried back to her side.  Just when he’d decided he’d never feel anything romantic towards another woman after Leighanne, Mac had come along to show him that he could.

As she swallowed the pills, Baylee held her hand while Brian rubbed his fingers across her forehead in an attempt to help.

“Well, aren’t I the lucky girl?” Mac said with a small smile.  “I bet there are thousands of girls who’d pay to be me right now, huh?”

“Ew, like all those weird girls who take pictures of us all the time?” Baylee asked, his nose scrunched up in distaste.

Mac chuckled a little, despite the pounding headache, and squeezed his hand.  “Those girls are the reason why you and your daddy are here right now.” She glanced over at Brian, who was watching her with concern shadowing his eyes.  “Right, Brian?”

He sighed.  “Right.  You know, a long time ago, Nick used to love it when they tried to pull his pants off him.” Mac giggled while Baylee made a sound of disgust.  “Yeah, we thought it was weird, too.  But that’s Nick for ya.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Mac, and not those icky girls,” Baylee told her solemnly.  

Mac smiled before leaning her throbbing head back against the sofa cushions.  “I’m glad I’m here, too,” she murmured before closing her eyes.

Brian took this as a cue to let her rest.  “Come on, Baylee.  Let’s let Mac take a nap, so her headache will go away.”

“Okay,” Baylee agreed.  Leaning over, he kissed Mac’s cheek.  “Feel better, ‘kay?”

Mac opened her eyes to smile at him again.  “Thanks, Baylee.  You’re the best.”

“I know,” he replied proudly then bounded back over to flip through the channels on the television.

Brian shook his head, unable to hide his grin.  Mac rolled her eyes at his expression.  “Well, I wonder where he got that confidence from,” she muttered.

“Hey, I’m not like that,” he complained. “That’s Nick and AJ’s territory.  He should probably spend less time with them.”

“Right.” Mac shifted a little to get more comfortable, and her notebook fell out of her lap and onto the floor.  Before she could reach for it, Brian had scooped it up.

“You’re always writing away in this thing. What’s in it?” he asked, starting to open the cover.

She yelped a little and tried to snatch it away.  “That’s private, Brian! You’re not supposed to read a girl’s private stuff.”

“So it’s like a diary?” he wondered, an impish grin spreading across his face.  “Did you write something about me in there?”

He pretended to open it again, and Mac frowned and tried to grab for it again.  “Come on, Brian! Don’t do that.  Give it back!” Her heart was pounding so hard in fear of being discovered that she could barely feel the pain her head.  If he found out…

“Okay, okay.” Brian handed it back to her. “Don’t get all worked up, Mac.  It’s only going to make your head hurt worse.”

She grabbed the notebook out of his hands and clutched it to her like it was her child.  “Thanks.”

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

She sniffed a little and turned her head away.  “No.”

“You so are!” Brian cupped her face in his hands and turned so she was looking up into his eyes.  He felt like a jerk now for doing something he’d considered harmful teasing.  “I didn’t realize it was a big deal.  I’m sorry.”

“A girl’s private thoughts are always a big deal,” she muttered but could feel herself relenting.  “It’s okay,” she added, seeing that he was sincerely apologetic.

He brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones before glancing over his shoulder at where Baylee was absorbed in Dora the Explorer.  “Okay, good,” he whispered before kissing her softly.

When he started to pull back, Mac tugged him in again and kissed him just a little longer.  Brian braced his arms on either side of her and deepened the kiss, his heart racing with all the feelings bursting through him.  When she stiffened and moaned a little, he jerked his head back.  

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” he whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut, her face paling.  “I should’ve known better.”

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered.  “I kissed you more.” Her lips curved into a tiny smile even as she battled back the pain.  “I think I’m just going to take a nap.  Wake me up in Houston, okay?”

Brian nodded and, brushing his lips over her forehead, he left her to sleep off the pain.

***

By the time soundcheck rolled around late that afternoon in Houston, Mac was feeling less tired and her headaches had mostly receded, so Brian didn’t feel quite so guilty leaving her with Baylee in his dressing room.  When he’d left, the two of them had been working on reading a Dr. Seuss book, and it made him glow with pride as Baylee slowly but surely read aloud.  His son was growing up so quickly, it made his head reel a bit, but Brian couldn’t have been more excited.

He whistled as he walked down the hall towards the door leading out to the venue’s stage.  There wasn’t anyone around, except for two tech workers at the far end of the hall, so Brian did a quick little jump for joy before continuing along.

When laughter erupted behind him, he whirled around to find Nick and Howie bowled over in fits of giggles.  “What was that, Brian?” Nick gasped in between laughing.

Brian’s ears tinged red with embarrassment.  “What was what?” he asked innocently.

“Oh, come on.” Howie’s grin widened.  “You were jumping around like a little kid.  What’s going on?”

“Yeah,” Nick added.  “Suddenly, Mr. Cranky Pants is Mr. Happy Happy Joy Joy?”

Brian’s brows lifted. “I’m not even going to tell you how lame that name is.  Besides, so what if I’m happy.  Aren’t I allowed?”

“Well, yeah. It’s just weird because we haven’t seen you like that very often.  I mean, the last time was when you got those front row tickets for Mac…” Howie trailed off, eyes narrowing.  “Oh, man. Oh, Brian.”

“What? What?” Howie’s expression was starting to freak him out.  “What’s wrong?”

Nick caught on to Howie’s thoughts, and his jaw dropped.  “No way.  Dude, you nailed Mac!” He reached out and punched Brian’s arm lightly.  “Way to go, man!”

His face burning now, Brian tried to deny it.  “I don’t know what you guys are talking about.  Mac is my kid’s nanny; I can’t ‘nail’ her.  Besides, I don’t even like her in that way.” He spoke quickly now, knowing that Mac would be upset if the guys knew that they were together.  “I mean, we’re not even really good friends, we’re just employer and employee.  That’s it.  There is nothing going on between us.”

“Ohhh,” Nick drew out the word slowly.  “But you want something to be there between you two, right?”

“Umm, no?”

Howie grinned again. “Yeah, we thought so.  Well, she’s a beautiful woman, Brian, so I think it would be great if you wanted to date her.”

“Or, you know, more than date her,” Nick added with a wiggle of his brows.

Before Brian could come up with a comeback to that, there was a shout from behind them.  AJ was leaning out the stage door and waving his arms.  “You guys are late! Let’s go!”

As the three men made their way towards AJ, Brian hoped that Nick and Howie would forget about the conversation they’d just had.  Unfortunately, the way they kept winking at him through soundcheck confirmed to him the fact that they probably wouldn’t.

***

When Brian returned to his dressing room after soundcheck, Howie trailing behind him, Mac had gleaned enough information out of Baylee to know that he and Brian had visited a place that sounded exactly like Tibet—except that Baylee called it Tibbet.  Mac was pretty sure it was the same thing.  She wondered what had compelled Brian to visit the remote, mountainous country, especially since they’d taken the trip in the months following Leighanne’s murder.

Now that she and Brian were romantically involved, she found she wanted to know everything about him—well, everything that she hadn’t already learned after living with him for almost two months.  Which, when she thought about it, was a great deal.

So, when Brian walked through the dressing room door, Mac greeted him with a smile and opened her mouth to ask the question. Then, she saw Howie behind him and decided it could wait until she and Brian had more privacy.  

“Hey, Mac.” Howie smiled at her, though there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that made her frown.  “How’s it going?”

“Good,” she replied cautiously.

“How’s your head? Brian said you’ve been having headaches all day.” Howie’s eyes drifted over the bandage on her head, his expression concerned.

She lightly touched a hand to her head and smiled.  “It’s much better now.  I barely feel any pain, so I’m hoping it won’t be as bad as it was earlier.  How was soundcheck?”

“Pretty good,” Brian replied as he knelt next to Baylee, who had continued to sound out the words in a different book now.  “How’s the reading going, buddy?”

Baylee beamed.  “It’s fabulous! It’s so much fun, and Mac said I’ll be reading chapter books in no time!”

“That’s pretty cool,” Howie agreed, kneeling on Baylee’s other side.  “Do you want to go out and celebrate with Nick and me before the show? We’re gonna go to McDonald’s,” he added.

“Really?” Baylee looked eagerly from Howie to his father.  “Can I go Daddy, please? I’ll be good, and I won’t listen to all the bad words Nick says. I promise!”

Brian chuckled.  “You can go, kiddo.  Howie already asked me about it.  I figured, you’d done such a good job with all your school stuff, you deserved a treat.”

“Awesome!” Baylee yelled excitedly.  Leaping up, he grabbed Howie’s arm and dragged him towards the door.  “Let’s go, let’s go,” he sang as Howie hurried to keep up with the excited five-year-old.

Then, Brian and Mac were alone, staring at each other.  The tension was thick enough to cut with a butter knife as neither was sure who would make the first move.

There was an awkward silence before Mac smiled and took a small step towards him.  “Well, someone was excited to go to out.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve been keeping him cooped up with us a little too much.  I didn’t really realize it until Howie suggested taking him out,” Brian admitted sheepishly, moving slowly towards her.  “Does that make me a bad father?”

“No, of course not. It just makes me a bad nanny,” she said, her heart beginning to race as their eyes locked.  Was it just her, or was it getting warm in the room?

Brian shook his head even as his palms went damp.  “You’re not a bad nanny,” he managed to say over the pounding of his heart.  “You’re a great nanny.” He could smell the fruity shampoo she used, and it made his muscles tighten in anticipation.  “Really, you’re the best he’s had.”

“I’m glad,” she breathed, unable to look away from him.  There was a foot of space left between them, and she knew they were both dying to close that space.

The instant her hand lifted to rest on his chest, Brian’s control broke, and he swept her into his arms, careful not to hurt her.  Their lips locked together as their hands raced over each other.  Mac had a moment to think how amazing it was that she wanted him this badly, before all thoughts slipped right out of her mind.  

Brian backed her against the wall and continued to devour her lips like a crazed man.  She felt so good in his arms, and he couldn’t get enough.  His lips raced over her face before journeying down her neck.  The sounds of pleasure emitting from her spurred him on to press his lips to every inch of her skin that he could.

Mac struggled not to melt into a giant puddle of lust, and, as if from far away, she heard the sounds of approaching voices.  “Brian,” she gasped, trying to push him away but not wanting to as well.

He paid no heed to her and continued to lavish attention to the smooth column of her neck.  

The voices grew closer, and Mac recognized one of them as AJ’s.

“I’m sure she’s in Brian’s dressing room.  She and Baylee work on activities in there when we’re at the venue,” he was saying.

“Brian,” she tried again, louder this time.  “Brian, stop.”

He did, and Mac immediately missed the feel of his mouth against her skin.  He lifted his head and blushed a little.  “Sorry.  I guess I got a little carried away,” he murmured.

Mac stroked his cheek and smiled.  “No, it’s okay. It’s just that-” She broke off when she recognized the second voice with AJ’s.  “Oh, my god.”

“Here we are,” AJ announced on the other side of the closed door.  There was a short knock on the door before the knob turned.  “Hey, Mac! I come bearing a gift!”

Instantly, she sprang away from Brian and tried to straighten her shirt before the door fully opened.  She didn’t have much of an opportunity, though, because, suddenly, she was face to face with the last face she’d expected to see.

“Jake!” Not waiting for a response, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.  “This is such a surprise!”

Brian’s eyes narrowed—something that did not go unnoticed by AJ.

Jake, too, was surprised at Mac’s reaction to his appearance, but he hugged her back before tipping her chin up to look into her face.  His eyes skimmed over the bandage and narrowed.  “I heard you were hurt, so I had to come see you.”

Mac knew him well and could hear the underlying message of “You’re in deep trouble, Mac,” but she just kept smiling. “I’m glad you’re here. You can meet everyone now.” Turning, she slid an arm around his waist and smiled at Brian and AJ.  “This is one of my really good friends from home, Jake.  Jake, Brian Littrell, and I’m assuming you’ve already met AJ.”

AJ nodded.  “Yeah, now I know who to ask for the inside scoop on you,” he said with a wink.

Mac glared at him.  “I don’t think so.  Anyway, Jake,” she continued, “I’m taking care of Brian’s son, Baylee, on the tour.  He’s actually out right now with the other two band members, but you’ll meet him if you stay long enough.” She looked up at him. “How long are you staying?”

“Just tonight,” he replied easily, well aware that the other men in the room were scrutinizing his every move.  “Maybe Brian could let you off the hook for one night.  I think I’m in the same hotel as them anyway.” He grinned at AJ and Brian.  “There was a big group of girls waiting to meet you guys in the lobby.”

“Our loyal fans,” AJ announced proudly. “Well, I’m gonna go. I got some phone calls to make before we get too busy with show prep.  It was nice to meet you, Jake.”

“Likewise,” Jake replied, shaking AJ’s outstretched hand.  He glanced down at Mac after AJ’s departure.  “Are you free right now?”

Mac knew what that look in his eyes meant and sighed.  “I think so.” She shot a look at Brian.  “Do you mind?”

Um, yeah, he did.  Brian didn’t like the way Jake’s arm was looped around her shoulders, or the way the guy seemed to be very touchy-feely with her.  Mac was his woman, not Jake whatever-his-name-was’s.  “No,” he answered grudgingly.

“Great.” Jake smiled at Brian before he tugged Mac out of the room and down the hall.  “We have to talk,” he said quietly, his voice hard as steel.

She gulped a little then straightened her shoulders.  “About what?”

His eyes narrowed.  “About what?” he hissed.  “Mac, are you insane? I know what you did last night!”

“So does the rest of Dallas,” she quipped.

“I’m serious, Mac. I know you.  I bet you probably went out to deliberately get yourself in trouble just so Avenging Angel would show up and rescue you.  Damn it, do you have to be so stupid!” Though his voice was lowered, she could still hear the frustration and anger in it.

Her chin lifted.  “It’s my investigation, Jake.  I make the decisions, and you don’t have any say in the matter.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he muttered. “I am assigned to this officially, which means that I had to suffer Riley’s wrath this morning when he found out where you were and what you were doing.”

Her cheeks paled. “Riley knows where I am?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Adams, he does.  Did you think that your escapades with Mr. Superhero wouldn’t make it into the national papers?” Jake sighed in frustration.  “Everything the guy does is national news! How long do you think it’ll be before they, and Avenging Angel, link you to the FBI agent Adams?”

Mac shoved open a nearby door angrily and stepped outside.  “Damn it! I didn’t know I’d end up at the hospital! If I hadn’t passed out, I would’ve easily been able to have my conversation with the guy and find out who he is. I never meant to end up in the news.”

“And that’s another thing: when are you going to start being responsible for your own safety?” Jake demanded.  “You could get yourself killed one of these days, Mac!”

“I haven’t yet,” she replied confidently.  

Jake banged his hand to his forehead.  “Mac, just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t or couldn’t! You’re my old partner, my friend, and I don’t want to lose you because of your poor decisions. Can’t you understand that?” he asked, suddenly sounding rather weary.

Mac was surprised at the emotion in his voice and the way his shoulders seemed to droop.  He really did care about her, and he was one of her closest friends.  She realized that he was no longer talking as a fellow agent, but as her friend.  “Oh, Jake.” She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight.  “I’m sorry. Really, I am.”

Jake rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed.  “You can’t go running around like that again, Mac.”

She didn’t say anything, just held him and felt comforted for he was the only person around at the moment that she could really and fully be herself with.  Even if he was angry with her.

***

Several yards away, Brian stepped out of a back entrance and spotted them wrapped up in each other’s arms.  Envy flared bright green inside him, and his hands clenched into fists.  He wanted to rage with jealousy, but he knew he couldn’t.  Mac didn’t want anyone to know that they were together, and showing jealousy over her embracing a friend would certainly give it away.  He wondered if she’d told Jake about them.

Probably not, he thought.  Then again, maybe she wouldn’t tell Jake because she and Jake were really together.  Maybe that’s why she’d wanted to keep everything a secret…

Torn between wanting to cry and wanting to march over there and wring Jake’s neck, Brian crept towards them and hid behind a bush, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation.

***

“So, did you come to warn me about Riley?” Mac asked as she released him and stepped back.

Jake nodded.  “Yeah. I’m surprised he didn’t just come out here and throttle you himself. He is seriously angry, and not just because you broke rules.”

“Oh?” She frowned.  “Why else?”

“Jesus, Mac.” Jake kicked at a pebble.  “Don’t you get it? We’re all worried about you now that we know what happened.  Riley’s pissed because you were an idiot to go out there by yourself without any sort of protection.”

Mac shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged.  “Well, it’s over now.  The damage has been done.”

“But have you learned your lesson?” Jake asked.

“Ugh.  Well, now that you’re here, I guess I have no choice, do I?” Her eyes widened after a moment.  “Oh no.  Does this mean…?”

“Mac!” There was a shout from behind them, and both of them, plus Brian in the bush, turned to see who it was.

Geneen was hurrying towards them with a man in tow.  “Mac! There’s someone here to see you.”

“Wow,” Mac muttered.  “I’m quite the popular girl today.”

Hiding in the bushes, Brian agreed with her.  He wanted nothing more than to swoop in and carry her away somewhere where it would be just the two of them, and no one else.  Instead, he was stuck in a bush, covered in scratches from its branches, and trying to listen in on what was going on.

“Miss Adams, my name is Detective Larson.  I’m with the Houston Police Chief’s office.” The detective extended his hand, and Mac shook it.

“What can I do for you, Detective?” she asked, wondering why the Houston cops were so interested in her.

“Actually, I’m more of a messenger,” he replied with a wry smile.  “Our counterparts in Dallas wanted us to pass the message along to you about the Feds.”

“The Feds?” Mac feigned ignorance as to who they could be.  It was kind of funny, she thought.

He nodded.  “Yes, ma’am.  Apparently, the FBI have been conducting their own investigation into the identity and whereabouts of the man known as Avenging Angel, and they’d like to speak with you about your run-in with the man.”

“Oh! Really? Why would they investigate him?” she wondered innocently.  “He saved me last night.  There’s nothing criminal about saving people, is there?” She heard Jake’s muffled snort behind her and, ignoring it, continued to look quizzically up at the detective.

“Well, you’ll have to ask them about that, Miss Adams.  They’ll be catching up with the tour you’re with in just a day or two,” Larson informed her.  “The Dallas PD just wanted you to be aware that they’re coming.”

Shit, Mac thought but she smiled appreciatively at the detective.  “Well, thank you for letting me know.  I’ll be sure to look out for them.”

“No problem, Miss Adams.  Stay safe now, okay?”

“Absolutely, Detective! Have a nice rest of your day!”

Brian didn’t hear the detective’s reply, nor did he listen to the rest of Mac and Jake’s conversation.  All he could think of was the fact that he was being investigated and searched for by the FBI.  He knew that Avenging Angel wasn’t exactly following the letter of the law, but he’d always figured the cops liked him because he was helping them keep their cities safe.  Now, with the attempted rape incident and his apparent “assault”, he realized that maybe law enforcement officials were changing their minds about him.

Well, he thought with a grim smile, he wasn’t about to give up his quest for justice and his search for Leighanne’s killer.  The FBI could search for him all they wanted, but they’d never find him.  He’d been meticulously careful about keeping his identity a secret.  

Not even the people closest to him had a clue that he spent his nights as the infamous Avenging Angel.
Chapter 15 by honey
Author's Notes:
Yay for new Shadows chapters! And either I'm getting way too long winded or we're trying to cram too much into each chapter so I will actually be posting the next chapter as sell since I was only half done and it was already reaching epic proportions. Anyway, enjoy and be on the look out for the next one, hopefully within the week! You guys rock for sticking with us through our slowness! Thanks much!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jake continued to lecture Mac on the importance of her safety until she had to return to Baylee before the show started. When she got back Baylee jumped up from his father’s side and threw himself into her arms. “Mac!” he screamed, “You missed it! Nick broke McDonalds!”

Mac smiled at the excitement that was bursting from Baylee and Jake watched curiously as she let the child drag her over to the couch next to Brian where he could happily climb into her lap. “What’d he do, eat all the cheeseburgers?” she laughed as she let him snuggle up against her.

“Even better!” the wide-eyed boy responded. “When he jumped in the ball pit it broke and all the balls spilled all over!”

“Man, I always miss the really good stuff, don’t I?” Mac glanced at Brian with laughter sparkling in her eyes despite the attentive look she was giving his son, and the smile he returned caused Jake to do a double take.

“Not all the good stuff,” Nick grumbled from across the room. “I can’t believe you got to meet the Avenging Angel!”

Jake was a little confused when everyone in the room groaned until Mac said, “Are you still whining about that? I already told you every single detail I can remember.”

“Yeah, but you don’t even like him! And now you get to meet with the FBI?! I bet you don’t care about that either.”

“I’m not especially looking forward to it, no,” Mac muttered, glaring at the smirk on Jake’s face.

“Aw, come on Mac, you get to have a meeting with the FBI! That’s like working with James Bond!”

Jake stifled a giggle, but he still managed to earn the attention of everyone in the room, and, after ignoring the death look he was receiving from his ex-partner, he shrugged at Nick, “James Bond works for MI-6,” he explained with a shrug, “That’s like Europe’s version of the CIA. FBI does more undercover ground work stuff, like Saundra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.”

Nick frowned for a moment, but then grinned from ear to ear. “Even better! Undercover badass hot chicks!” Nick ignored both Mac and Brian’s comments about watching his language in front of Baylee. “I like the way you think, dude. Hey Mac, your friend’s all right.”

Brian didn’t think so. He wasn’t impressed at all with the Mr. Know-it-all attitude of the man who kept smirking at Mac like they were sharing some kind of inside joke. And he especially didn’t like way Mac responded to all of his looks. No, Brian didn’t like this Jake guy at all, and he couldn’t help scooting just a little bit closer to Mac so that when he rested his arm on the back of the couch it was almost as if he were putting it around her. It wasn’t exactly staking a claim, but Jake still noticed the subtle hint, even if Mac was completely oblivious.

Brian glance up to catch Jake looking at him and their eyes narrowed at each other until Nick once again gained everyone’s attention. “Hey Mac!” he gasped as if he’d just had the most brilliant idea ever. “Can I come with you to meet the Feds?”

Mac reached up to rub her temples because Nick was starting to make her head hurt, and when Brian immediately asked her if she was alright she decided she’d had enough of just about everyone. “Don’t you guys have a concert to do or something?”

Nick and Brian both frowned, but seeing as how she was right, all the guys slowly began pulling themselves up from their seats to get ready. As Brian walked out of the room he noticed Jake take his seat next to Mac and seethed with jealousy when she elbowed him really hard about something he was harassing her about. Brian couldn’t take his eyes off the pair until Nick threw an arm over his shoulder. “Is it just me or is she totally flirting with him?”

Brian blinked a few times, completely annoyed by Nick’s crass observation and Nick smirked when Brian’s hand’s balled into fists so tight that his knuckles went pale. “I’m just messin’ with ya Bri,” Nick laughed, pulling his angry friend down the hall, “Are you sure you’re not nailn’ her?”

***

Between the arrival of Jake, and all the talk of the Avenging Angel and the FBI, Brian simply had no room in his head to concentrate on little unimportant things such as tempo and pitch. His steps were just a fraction behind and his voice just a little flat. By the end of the night it was enough that Mac was starting to worry about him. When he came off stage after the final curtain call, she wanted so badly to pull him against her and kiss his troubles away, but Howie, Nick and AJ, seemed to be watching his every move too, so she simply gave him a concerned smile as she handed Baylee over for a goodnight hug. “He already fell asleep once, but he didn’t want to leave without seeing you. I’m going to take him to the hotel now and get him in bed,” Mac explained as Brian kissed his exhausted son.

“I can take him.” Brian tried to smile, but he was too grumpy to fool anyone. “You wanted to take the rest of the night off, remember?”

“Oh, it’s alright. I can take him back. Jake left a little while ago, said he had some things to do.”

“What things?”

“Who knows? Jake’s a bit of a workaholic.”

“And what exactly does he do?”

Mac was surprised by the sudden scrutiny, but told herself she was just being defensive because she had to lie about that, and she hated lying to Brian. “Why are we worrying about Jake?” she replied, choosing to dodge the question entirely instead of spin falsehoods. She looked around and lowered her voice a tad as she took Baylee back from Brian’s arms. “Why don’t we just take advantage of the fact that he’s busy for a while? I’ll get Baylee in bed. Hurry back?”

It was the first hint of relief Brian felt all day, and if Mac was saying what he thought she was saying, then he didn’t want to waste any time lollygagging in the dressing room. “Lickity-split,” he promised, finally breaking out into a small grin.

Fifteen minutes later Baylee was sound asleep and Mac found her eyes drooping as she waited on the couch in Brian’s hotel suite. This had been the longest day of her entire life and she just wanted to curl up in Brian’s arms now that her concussion-induced migraine had finally numbed itself to a dull ache. She lied down thinking she’d just let her eyes rest for a few seconds, but, after such an eventful day, when she was still trying to recover from the previous night’s attack, Brian came in to find her fast asleep not even ten minutes later.

He watched her for a moment with a smile on his face, but it was a sad smile because he knew how exhausted she must be and that she probably felt a lot worse than she let on. Feelings of guilt swept through him from both sides of his brain. Brian cursing himself for letting her go out alone and unprotected, and the Avenging Angel angry because he didn’t get to her sooner.

He crept across the room and dreamily watched her sleeping figure a moment, telling himself that at least she was safe now, and then he gently pushed her bangs back and pressed his lips softly to hers. Mac awoke with a smile and immediately wrapped her arms around Brian’s Neck, pulling him in for a very tender kiss. Once Brian had the will power to pull away from her, he helped her sit up. “You should go to bed,” he urged. “You need a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Mac gave Brian a sleepy smile and then nestled her way into his arms. “And miss out on this? Not a chance. I can sleep another night.”

“Mac.”

Brian wanted to be firm, but it felt too good to have her there that before he could argue, the tingling sensation of her lips on his neck made him forget what he was even protesting. He pulled her lips up to meet his again and they stayed locked until the cell phone in Mac’s pocket rang to life. “Ugh,” she groaned reaching to stop the intrusive sound, “Jake, again with the perfect timing.”

“Don’t answer it,” Brian whispered as he continued to place soft kisses on her. “Tell him you fell asleep or something.”

“No, he’s just worried about me. He’ll be upset if I don’t answer.”

“I’m worried about you too,” Brian pouted.

Mac cracked a smile, but answered the phone anyway with a big lazy yawn. “Hey, Jake.”

Brian frowned at the cheerfulness in her voice, but pulled her even tighter against him as she continued with her conversation. His hands found their way beneath the hem of her shirt and she shivered when his fingers grazed her skin. She twisted the phone away from her face, unable to resist Brian as he stole another kiss, but pulled away suddenly when she was forced to answer Jake. “Oh, no. I’m actually still in Brian’s room… Yeah, I guess I fell asleep on the couch.” Mac smirked down at Brian who had now tugged the sleeve of her shirt off of her shoulder in order to kiss it. “Yeah, he’s back now. I’m sure it’s not a problem. All right, but not long, I really am exhausted, Jake. Ok, I’ll see you in a minute.”

Mac hung up her phone and threw herself on Brian for one last kiss that would now have to last her through the night. “I guess this will just have to wait until tomorrow.”

“As your boss, don’t I have some say in this? Can’t I force you to stay or something?” Brian asked hopefully when Mac pulled herself to her feet.

“I think you lose your employer privileges when the kissing starts.”

Brian frowned in a way that made Mac burst into laughter, but he didn’t crack a smile as he rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms again. “Ok then, in that case, don’t I have some sort of secret-boyfriend privileges?”

Mac flinched, surprised by the term, and the look on her face caused Brian’s puppy-dog frown to turn into a real one. “What is it?”

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing,” Mac replied feeling a little flustered, “I just, boyfriend, ya know? It sounds so… weird.”

Brian felt his heart rate increase as he stepped back and took Mac’s hand in his. “That’s what this is though, right? I know you said you don’t want to tell anyone, but you and I are still… I mean… It’s not like there’s anyone else.” Brian gulped nervously. “Is there?”

Mac suddenly felt awful for giving Brian the wrong impression. “No, no, no! That’s not it. I just can’t remember the last time I had a…” Mac’s voice trailed off and she wanted to die when she felt her cheeks heat up. “Well you know. The concept’s always kind of freaked me out, but I promise, there’s not anyone else.” Mac laughed a little to herself. “Who else could there be?”

Brian smiled feeling somewhat relieved until there came a soft knock on his door. With a sigh, Mac said, “That would be Jake. I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” never once allowing for the possibility that Brian considered Jake the answer to her last question.

Mac kissed his cheek and then answered the door, and Brian’s heart sank when she gasped in excitement. “Do I smell Mu Shu Pork?”

“I knew that would make you feel better,” Jake teased as he proudly dangled the greasy take out bag in front of her, “I spent the entire concert scouring Houston for this. It’s almost as good and Chang Lee’s back home.”

“God, you are my new hero! I haven’t had good Chinese since I left.”

Mac snatched the bag from Jake and he glanced up to see Brian watching them. Jake instinctively guessed Brian’s distaste of him and couldn’t help but offer his hand with a big smile. “Good to see you again,” he said with ease as he gave Brian’s hand a firm shake. “Are you sure it’s ok if I steal her from you now?”

Brian wanted to crush the hand in his grip, but he knew that would only make Mac upset, so he bit back his anger and forced a smile every bit as un-sincere as Jake’s. “Of course. I’m just sorry I couldn’t let her go sooner. If we’d have known you were coming, I could have made arrangements to give her the whole night off.”

“Well,” Jake said, refusing to be the first to release his grip, “the next time Mac’s brutally attacked I’ll be sure to call you first.”

“Jake!” Mac hissed as finally noticed the tension between the two men for the first time.

Brian kept the smile plastered on his face but tightened his grip to a painful level until Mac finally broke the two men apart. “I’m sorry, Brian” she apologized as she shoved Jake in the direction of her room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Brian watched them disappear and once back in his room he pounded his fist against the wall just barely soft enough not to put his entire fist through it. He knew he shouldn’t be this upset, but he was frustrated, and full of anger. He knew it was ridiculous to feel this way, but no matter how much he told himself he was being irrational and childish, deep in his heart he knew Jake was right. Mac was brutally attacked while in his care. She was his responsibility and yet he couldn’t keep her safe. Just like the night Leighanne died, it was out of his control. The one difference this time was the Avenging Angel. Thank God for him.

Brian’s thoughts automatically drifted to the moment he realized it was her lying on the street in a pool of her own blood, and, as he thought about her attack, one thought ran cold through his heart. What those men could have done to her had the Avenging Angel not been there. He’d saved her life – something he’d not been able to do for Leighanne. And even though he knew people all across the country, the FBI, and even Mac wanted the Angel to stop avenging, Brian would never stop, he couldn’t. People needed protection. Mac needed protection.

***

The moment Mac was safely in her hotel room with the door shut behind her she gave Jake a hard shove. “You mind telling me what that was all about?” she demanded in a low growl.

“Sorry,” Jake grumbled as he rubbed the spot on his shoulder where Mac had shoved him. “There’s just something about that guy that I don’t trust. I don’t like him.”

“How can you not like him? You’ve seen the man like all of ten minutes.”

“It was long enough to see the way he looks at you.”

Mac tried not to blush, but her heart fluttered at Jake’s statement and she stumbled over her denial in a very flustered way. “That’s ridiculous. He is my boss, ok? And it’s barely been a year since his wife passed.”

“Oh give me a break, Mac. You may be completely hopeless in the love department, but I don’t care what happened to his wife, that guy does not think of you as just his kid’s babysitter.”

“Completely hopeless in the love department? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How long have I known you, Mac? The closest thing you’ve ever come to a real relationship is your trusty old partner from the academy, and I hardly count.”

Jake sighed when he saw just how red Mac’s face had become and he really didn’t want to get into a boxing match with her - not that it would be the first time that happened. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I’m the same way, its kind of part of the job. All I’m saying is that that guy is shady and I just want you to be careful.”

Mac’s anger vanished and she giggled at the thought of Brian up to no good, when he was the one complaining that he had to keep their romance a secret. “Brian? Shady?” she laughed. “He may get a little grumpy sometimes, but he’s hardly criminal.”

“Do you know that for sure?” Jake challenged. “Let’s not forget that someone on this tour is the reason you’re here in the first place, and, last time I checked his name was still on the list of suspects.”

“At the very bottom,” Mac retorted.

“Well if it’s not him, then who is it? You’ve been out here long enough that you should have some kind of leads.”

Mac rolled her eyes and then went to get her journal. She flipped it open and tapped on the picture. “This guy, Jeff Saunders. He fits the profile perfectly, and he has a habit of disappearing into dark alleys.”

Jake forgot all about Brian at the sound of a real honest to goodness suspect and he exchanged the take out he was still holding for Mac’s journal. While he skimmed the meticulous notes on this Jeff guy, Mac happily dug into the bag of lukewarm food. “I’ve tried tailing him a couple times,” Mac said as she began tossing chow mien noodles into her mouth, “but he keeps giving me the slip, and every time he does, I read about some daring rescue in the paper the following morning. It has to be him.”

Jake smirked without looking up from the journal. “You never were very good at tailing someone. I guess I’ll just have to do it myself.”

“How can you? You’re leaving in the morning.” Mac stopped shoving food in her mouth suddenly and frowned. “Hey! I am too good at tailing. There’s just too many other people on the tour that can recognize me.”

Jake looked up at his friend whose striking features couldn’t be buried under all those bangs and smiled. “Yeah, you don’t exactly look like a roadie. I’m sure you do tend to stick out in this crowd. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not leaving in the morning.”

Mac eyed him skeptically, unhappy about this news for more than one reason. She looked down at the food in her hands and her eyes automatically narrowed. “What do you mean you’re not leaving in the morning? What are you not telling me?”

“It’s not so bad,” Jake replied with a hint of play in his eyes. “I think you’ll find it rather funny, actually.”

“That’s bullshit, Jake. You wouldn’t be buttering me up with Mu Shu if I weren’t going to absolutely hate it. Now you tell me what the hell is going on right now!”

Jake sighed. “I have to stay, Riley’s orders. We’re officially partners now. He thinks you need back up.”

Mac’s cheeks turned scarlet at the news. “You mean he thinks I need protection!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“That’s what you meant!”

“Do you need protection?”

“Screw you, Jake! I don’t work with partners!”

“Screw you back! Don’t get bitchy with me when you’re the one who screwed up. If you don’t like it then take it up with Riley. He’s meeting us in New Orleans tomorrow. Until then, you’re stuck with me because unlike you, I want to keep my job.”

Mac had the Captain wrapped around her finger more than anyone in the Bureau and she knew it. She was sure she could get him to see things her way, and if it was only one more day, then she supposed she could live. Plus, Jake was right, she got herself into this mess by letting those stupid criminals get the upper hand on her. She tried to get a grip on her raging temper and took a deep breath before speaking again. “And how does Riley expect us to explain you staying without blowing my cover?”

Jake was relieved to see her starting to act like a professional, but he knew her better than to think she could keep it up. He’d hoped that she would find this next bit of news as amusing as he did, but clearly, that wasn’t going to be the case. “You should try the wan ton soup, too. It’s excellent.”

“Damnit Jake!”

“Alright,” Jake finally sighed, “just don’t kill the messenger.” Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and Mac gasped in shock and disgust when she popped it open to see the sparkly jewelry inside. “Cap seems to think that they’d let your new fiancée stick around for a week or two. So,” Jake smirked grudgingly, “you want me to get down on one knee or something?”

Jake was right about Mac missing the humor in the situation and took a step back when she began to tremble with fury. “Hell no! No way! I’m not doing it!”

“Damnit Mac, why do you always have to be so stubborn?! We could have this case solved in a week if you would just work with me a little!”

Mac balled up her fists and was about to truly unleash that infamous Adam’s temper until she and Jake were both startled by a knock on the door and AJ’s concerned voice. “Mac? Mac is everything ok in there? I can hear you across the hall.”

Mac glared at Jake and then stomped over to the door. “I’m sorry, AJ. Yes, everything is fine. Jake was just leaving.”

AJ looked her over, surprised to see her so angry, and his eyes stopped when he saw the ring in her hands. His jaw dropped open and Mac went white when she saw what he was looking at. She quickly flipped the box shut and shoved it into her pocket before glaring at Jake and throwing open the door, signaling that it was time for him to leave.

AJ stepped out of the way, still completely stunned, while Jake huffed his way into the hallway. “Are you sure you’re ok?” he finally asked, becoming a little protective of his favorite nanny.

Feeling guilty, the way she always does after her temper gets away from her, Mac calmed down released a frustrated sigh. She nodded to AJ and then turned to Jake. “I’m sorry, alright? Can we please talk about this in the morning when I’m feeling a little better?”

Jake wanted to stay mad at her, but that was really hard to do when she was rubbing her throbbing head. He knew she’d been under a lot of stress lately and getting attacked only had to make it worse. He sighed as well and suddenly all hostility was gone between them. “I’m sorry too,” he said, pulling Mac against him and kissing her head near where the stitches rested. “Get some sleep Mac, I’m worried about you.”

Mac let go one more exhausted sigh and produced a weary smile. “Good night, Jake.”

She watched him go until he disappeared onto the elevator, heading to his own floor. Once he was out of sight, AJ startled her from her trance when he placed his hand on her shoulder. “What was all that about?”

This was going to complicate things considerably, but Mac was too tired to deal with any of it at the moment. “That was just Jake and I being Jake and I. Forget it, it’s nothing.”

AJ eyed the bulge in Mac’s pocket where the ring was burning a hole. “It didn’t look like nothing. You want to talk about it?”

“Not especially. Go back to bed, AJ. I’m sorry we woke you.”

Mac smiled a tired smile and kissed AJ’s cheek before retreating to her room to get some much needed sleep.
Chapter 16 by honey
Author's Notes:
ok, here's the second of my epic chapters. Be looking forward to Sarah's part too! I'm super excited for it!
Chapter Sixteen

AJ McLean had never been exceptionally good at keeping secrets, and the scene he’d witnessed between Mac and Jake was just too big to keep under wraps, so the tension was high the next morning in the parking lot as everyone loaded onto the buses—especially once Brian knew what had happened. He’d heard it from Erica, who heard it from Dan, who overheard AJ giving Nick all the juicy details. He didn’t want to believe it, but it seemed to make so much sense in his eyes, and he couldn’t do anything that morning except watch them say goodbye to each other from a distance.

He cringed when Mac hugged Jake and then walked away with him. He wanted to follow them, because he was desperate to find out if she’d decided to accept his offer, but he couldn’t go anywhere because the minute she was gone, all eyes turned to him. “What?!” he snapped at no one in particular.

He couldn’t help but be cranky. His secret girlfriend – who was apparently afraid to actually put a label on them in secret as well as in public – was saying goodbye to her possible fiancé and probably kissing him at this very moment. But aside from that fact, Brian only managed a couple hours of sleep because he’d decided to do some spontaneous moonlight hero work to take his mind off it all. He was tired, he was worried about Mac, and he wanted to absolutely punch Jake’s lights out.

“Don’t sweat it, Bri, you’re safe.” AJ tried to sound sympathetic through his giggles. “She was pissed as hell last night. My guess is this is not the first time she’s had to say no.”

Brian started to ask why he should care, but Nick jumped right in where AJ left off. “Don’t be an ass, Brian. We all know you’re crazy about her.”

Brian felt his face turn red when basically everyone on the tour nodded his or her approval, and Leigh pushed Nick out of the way, feeling that Brian could use a little more sensitivity at the moment than Nick was capable of. “It’s okay, Brian. We all think it’s wonderful. She’s a great woman, and she obviously makes you happy, so you should go for it.”

“That is, if you haven’t already,” Nick laughed, earning snickers from AJ and Howie as well.

“Oh would you give it a rest already!” Brian exploded. “For the last time, there’s nothing going on between us! You all just need to back off! You don’t have to try to help the poor misguided widower, okay? I don’t want your help! And leave Mac alone, too! If she wants to go off and get married to some jerk-off asshole then that’s her business, and you guys need to stay out of it!”

Brian managed to silence everyone present with his speech, except for Baylee, who gasped as he looked up at his father in utter amazement. “Daddy, you said a bad word.”

Brian shook off his anger and sighed as he knelt down to apologize. “You’re right, Bay, I did, and I’m sorry. Daddy’s just really stressed out right now. But don’t worry, I won’t do it again, I promise.”

As Brian hugged his son, he could feel the burning of an angry gaze on his back. “Brian? Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Brian froze at the harsh tone of Mac’s voice and suddenly realized that only Baylee was worried about his use of the term asshole. The adults were all more concerned with the fact that Mac was standing right behind him when he said it. He grumbled as he got to his feet and found Mac staring at him expectantly. “What?” He shrugged not caring in the least that he had an audience. “I don’t like him.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to like him, but he means a lot to me, so I expect you to be a good sport.”

“I am being a good sport.”

“Jerk-off, asshole?” Mac questioned.

“Well he is one,” Brian muttered under his breath like a six year old, but decided to defend himself when he saw Mac’s glare. “The guy shows up out of nowhere, acting like he owns you, and watching the rest of us like he’s planning some kind of terrorist attack. I don’t trust him. And I don’t like the way he treats you.”

“Argh! What is it with men?! Why don’t you come talk to me when you’re done acting like a jealous five year old!”

“Hey!” Baylee automatically protested.

“I’m sorry, Baylee, you’re absolutely right. You’re being way more mature than your dad right now.” Mac tousled the kid’s curly mop with a big angry smirk on her face and then turned her attention back to Brian. “And just so you know, he’s meeting us in New Orleans, so you’d better get this little tantrum out of your system quick or find a ride with someone else, because I can’t deal with any more of it.”

With that, Mac stormed off to the bus, leaving Brian to stand there boiling in his own fury. He wasn’t the only one being immature here. None of this would have been a problem if she would just tell people the truth about what was going on between them. Stupid Jake wouldn’t be trying to steal her away, and he wouldn’t have to be jealous. Brian was snapped from his thoughts when Nick threw his arm over his shoulder. “Dude,” he laughed, “I think you just got kicked off your own bus… by the nanny.”

“The hell I did,” Brian grumbled as he shoved Nick off him and stalked off to his bus.


“That’s right Rok, you go show her who’s boss,” AJ called out, wild with laughter.

“And take all the time you need!” Nick added. “I’ll take Baylee with me.”

Brian whirled around to glare at Nick, but Nick just waved him off, already holding Baylee in his arms. “I’m serious,” he laughed. “We’ll see you in New Orleans, man. You go, uh, take care of business.”

Brian was ready to wring Nick’s neck, but, at the same time, he was ready to wring Mac’s more. He knew that was no environment for a child to be in, so he waved them off and then disappeared onto the bus where he found Mac writing furiously in her journal. “Oh, no,” he said, shutting her book. “You are not going to hide behind that stupid diary this time. If you can call me out every time I’m acting like a jerk, then I can too, and you’re being a jerk!”

Mac was on her feet in a second. “Me?!”

“Yes, you! I hate lying to everyone about us. If you treated me half as well as you treat Jake, I wouldn’t have to be jealous. But whenever there’s anyone around I’m not only not with you, I’m just your boss and I mean nothing to you. Not to mention, you practically threw-up when I said the word boyfriend, so excuse me if I get a little grouchy when the guy you named your fish after shows up with a wedding ring.”

“I’m sorry, Brian. It’s not like I knew he was coming!” Mac tried to calm her temper because she knew this was really not any of Brian’s fault. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I do. I’ve just never been good with relationships and this is hard for me.”

“You think it’s easy for me?! It’s been eleven years since I’ve thought about any woman other than Leighanne.” Brian instantly calmed down at the mention of his wife’s name, “Every single time I even look at you I feel like I’m betraying her, and I have to remind myself that she’s gone, and she’s not coming back. I know she would want me to move on, but it hurts all the time.”

Agent Mackenzie Adams of the FBI had never been a weeper, in fact she couldn’t remember the last time she’d physically done it, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d never thought about it like that before, and, suddenly, every mood swing Brian had ever had since the day she arrived all made perfect sense. Suddenly, her fear of commitment, and her worries about the job getting in the way of anything real seemed like the most insignificant obstacles, and she felt horrible. She felt guilty for being so selfish. She was so sad for the pain he experienced that she would never be able to fully understand, and yet seeing how strong he was made her like him all that much more.

Mac started to tremble ever so slightly, and the feel of the warm moisture that escaped her eyes startled her when it hit her cheeks. She sat down and shamefully hid her tears as she whispered in a shaky voice, “God, Brian, I am so sorry.”

Brian was surprised by the emotions but very relieved to see them as well. He’d yet to see the weaker, more vulnerable side of Mac, and it felt good that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way sometimes. It was for this reason that he knelt down in front of her and chose not to wipe the tears from her face, but rather lift her chin to look into her beautiful glossy eyes. “Don’t be sorry,” he whispered with a sad smile. “As much as it hurts, you’re worth it. When I’m with you, you fill the void that Leighanne left behind. You make me happy, which is something I didn’t know was possible anymore.”

That was the kindest thing any man had ever said to Mac, and it made her heart swell in a way she’d never felt before. She looked into Brian’s eyes, and he could tell that she was extremely overwhelmed. He smiled very sweetly at her and then brushed her bangs behind her ears. “I want to be with you, Mac, but I was in a very serious relationship for over a decade and I’m afraid I don’t really know how to do it any other way. I took a huge step with you, and it scares me to think that some guy who knows everything about you, and obviously means a lot to you, could just swoop in and take you away. I’m sorry if I’ve been jealous, but you’ve got to work with me a little here and at least be honest with me.”

Brian’s request cut through Mac to her very core. Be honest. It was the one thing she couldn’t do. But she understood what he meant by feeling something you didn’t know was possible, and she was every bit as scared of it not being there anymore. “Jake and I have a very complicated relationship,” she began, hoping she could get through it without having to actually make up lies. “I imagine it’s a lot like the relationship you have with the guys; more than a friend, but not quite a brother. I wish I could explain it better, Brian, but I don’t know how. But I promise you, never once, not even for a second, have I thought of him the way I think of you. You have absolutely no reason to be jealous of anybody.”

That was all Brian needed to hear. He looked into Mac’s eyes, and she seemed so scared that he might reject her that he knew she meant every word she said, and he couldn’t help letting his lips fall to hers. It was such a soft, delicate kiss that it almost pained Mac to be in it. Brian brought his hands to either side of her face and clung to her with just the tips of his fingers as if she were a ball of sand that would crumble if he weren’t gentle.

Mac melted at his touch and was completely powerless to do anything but let him make love to her. The first time they’d been together it was purely in the heat of the moment. It was angry and full of passion, but completely derived from pent up frustration and feelings of lust. This time, things were different. They took the time to discover one another and learn what the other felt like. They took the time to love each other.

Never before had Mac been with a man on such a personal, emotional level, and for the first time in her life, those feelings of intimacy didn’t scare her. When he was with her, when he held her, she felt as if nothing on Earth was ever meant to feel more right. She lay there in his arms, clinging to him, practically shivering from the feelings of bliss, and she never wanted to let go.

Brian held her, with the same feelings, but also amazed that he could feel this way about a woman again. Mac was a blessing in his life in so many ways. She was an angel, sent to help the Avenging Angel remember that not everyone in this world was bad, and that saving people wasn’t only about vengeance. It was about the greater good. Mac was the balance he’d been searching for that could keep him in control of his darker alter ego. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was how he got so lucky. “Mac?” he asked, finally breaking the serenity of the afterglow.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing here?”

His tone had no hint of anger or suspicion, but Mac’s guilt caused her voice to shake as she asked him what he meant. “Well,” Brian tried to ask what he was thinking in a way that wouldn’t upset her, “a woman like you doesn’t just up and leave her life to become a nanny and travel the country with pop stars. You had to have a reason. I don’t mean to say that it’s bad, I’m just trying to understand you. You’re so smart, and beautiful, and strong, and mature. You seem to have it so together, so why all of a sudden abandon your life?”

“Brian,” Mac sighed at a complete loss for words.

“Was it Jake?”

That was the last thing Mac expected to hear, and she couldn’t hide the surprise and confusion in her voice. “What?”

“Did you leave because he asked you to marry him, and you didn’t feel the same way? Is that what you guys fought about last night? It’s the only thing I can think of that makes any sense, and if that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be easier just to tell people about us?”

There it was. There was absolutely no getting around it now. Mac had to give Brian an answer, and there was no way to not lie. Brian seemed to have already created the perfect story in his mind, so she just gave him a sad smile and let him believe what he wanted. She hated doing it, but there was nothing she could do about it. If she blew her cover she would never work for the FBI, or any other government agency, ever again and she was too young to throw away her career.

“I can’t help the things Jake says and does,” Mac finally explained. “He already knows exactly how I feel about being engaged to him. I’ve made it perfectly clear, but now is not the time to lay this kind of news on him. He’s just worried about me. I promise I’ll tell him when the time is right, but for now I just can’t do that to him, especially not after our fight last night. I understand you hate lying to the guys, so do I, but can we please just wait until Jake’s long gone before we tell them? I promise in the meantime I will be the best secret-girlfriend ever.”

“So then you really are okay with being my girlfriend?” Brian asked as he pulled Mac tightly against him again.

“I’m getting used to the idea.”

Mac shuddered at the feel of his arms enclosing around her, and Brian chuckled at her sigh. He couldn’t seem to hold her tight enough. She fit so perfectly in his arms that it almost felt like she was just a part of him. At that moment he was a complete man again. It was such a comforting feeling that Brian couldn’t force his tired body to stay awake any longer, and he drifted off into the best sleep he’d gotten in over a year.

***

Jake wasn’t the only one waiting at the hotel in New Orleans when the buses pulled into the parking lot. Mac noticed the trademark black tinted SUV with government plates long before the police met her in the hotel lobby. Brian was concerned when they towed her off, but, after holding her in his arms for the last five and a half hours, he handed her over to Jake surprisingly easily. His sudden confidence and pleasant attitude sparked Jake’s curiosity to the point of annoyance, and Jake took special notice of the fact that Baylee had not been on the bus with them.

Mac knew what was coming, and yet her excellent mood didn’t turn sour until she climbed into the back of the SUV and saw the anger in her Captain’s eyes for herself. “I can explain.”

“That won’t be necessary, Adams. Your little partner here rolled over like a dog when I asked him about it. Told me everything you’ve been up to.”

Mac frowned at Jake, but he was still angry, and he just glared right back. “It was just a hunch, Captain. I was only doing a little research to see if my theory was correct.”

“You call a concussion and a picture on the front page of every news paper in the nation a little research?”

“A mild concussion,” Mac grumbled. “And the Avenging Angel puts a new face in the headlines every week. I was old news the next day.”

“Damn it, Mac! It was stupid, sloppy, and you could have gotten yourself killed! If you weren’t the best damn agent in my precinct, I’d have you pushing papers behind a desk already! You’re too close to this Avenging Angel business, Adams, and I’m taking you off this case.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I just did.”

“But I’m not even assigned to this case. I’m on vacation remember? A six-month sabbatical that you practically forced me to take.”

“Not anymore. You’ve been reinstated and I’m giving you the Dunbar Case.”

“Dunbar? Are you kidding me?!”

“It’s an important case.”

“The man’s trafficking illegal produce! Imported tomatoes are hardly a threat to society.”

“Well,” Riley smirked, “then there’s not much chance of you hurting yourself, is there?”

Mac was so angry she could barely keep herself from shaking, and, even though Jake was mad at her, he hated to see her taken away from the case. “Be reasonable, Captain,” he pleaded, earning a death look of his own from Riley. “The only reason we have this lead in the first place is because of Mac, and if you pull her out now it will blow my whole case.”

Mac shot Jake a small grateful smile and spoke with her temper finally under control. “Captain,” she pleaded, “no one knows this case like me. I know every single person on that tour.”

“Some more than others,” Jake grumbled under his breath.

If looks alone could kill a man, the icy glare Mac shot him would have been the end of him, but she quickly turned her attention back to her boss. “I’m already on the inside and I’ve narrowed down to twelve people.”

“Eleven,” Jake muttered. “Saunders isn’t your guy.”

“What?” Mac gasped. She’d been so sure. “How do you know?”

“Because I had surveillance on him all night last night after you gave me his name. The guy disappears into dark alleys because he has a crack habit.”

“That doesn’t mean he can’t still be the Avenging Angel.”

Jake frowned in confusion. “Haven’t you seen today’s paper?”

Mac shook her head, and her eyes grew wide when Captain Riley handed her a copy. “Mac, while I was watching the guy get high, the Avenging Angel was sighted four times all over Houston. Including when he stopped an attempted car jacking where there was an infant in the back seat.”

Mac read the article with eager interest and gasped at the frightening details. “The carjacker was hospitalized after the Avenging Angel pulled him from the car and beat him repeatedly with a Billy club. Captain, the guy is clearly crazy.”

“The guy pulled a knife, it was self defense.”

“Not if he was the one who started the assault.”

“Look, Mac, you were right, the guy needs to be stopped, but he’s not worth losing my best agent over. If you want to stay on this case, then no more crap like the stunt you pulled, and Jake is your partner. End of story.”

“Thank you, Cap. I won’t let you down.”

***

Mac felt so much better after her meeting was over that she was nearly giddy. And the best part was, that she’d managed to talk the captain into nixing the idea of bringing Jake under cover with her. After all, he really was more helpful to her leading the team from the outside. It had nothing to do with her new relationship with Brian. At least that’s what she told herself because Agent Adams would never let a relationship get in the way of her job.

Brian had watched Mac climb into the car in the parking lot and kept an eye on it when it didn’t pull away. He was still disappointed that she hadn’t let him come with her, but, after everything she said to him on the bus, he simply couldn’t press the issue. He would have loved to get a glimpse of these FBI agents, and hear what they had to say about the Avenging Angel, but he couldn’t risk raising any suspicions in her, no matter how small. No one could ever know his true identity. No one.

Brian waited around the corner of the hotel nearest to where the car was, hoping he might catch a glimpse of his enemy when Mac’s interview with them was over, but, much to his disappointment, he still only saw Mac and Jake. When they exited the car they both waved as it drove away and watched it until it was out of sight before heading back toward the hotel.

Brian was about to run around back of the hotel to catch them in the lobby as if he hadn’t been waiting impatiently for Mac’s return, but Jake suddenly began dragging Mac his direction, and his curiosity got the better of him. He looked around for a place to hide, and the only thing on the side of the hotel was a large tree. With as much practice as he’d had scaling buildings lately, even without the Avenging Angel’s tool belt, Brian made his way safely into the thick branches with ease. He was completely out of sight by the time Mac and Jake found their way around the corner of the building, ducking cautiously as if they were afraid someone might see them.

Brian was a little worried about why they could possibly be hiding, but he felt a little better when Mac seemed to be wondering the same thing. “What is it now, Jake? I’ve got to get back to Baylee before the guys have to got to the venue.”

“Look,” Jake said trying his best not to sound agitated, though both Brian and Mac could tell he was upset. “Now that everything is settled, there’s just one thing I need to know, and I need you to be completely honest with me.”

Mac frowned, having a pretty good idea of what he was getting at, and Brian watched the two like they were a soap opera unfolding right before his eyes. “What’s going on with you and Brian?”

“Nothing!” Mac snapped. “He’s my boss, that’s it.”

Brian’s heart stung a little to hear her deny her feelings so severely, but his look of disappointment was nothing compared to the anger on Jake’s face. “I saved your ass back there! You owe me the truth.”

“I appreciate you sticking up for me, Jake, but trust me on this, okay? Yeah, I like him, but I know how to do my job. I’m not going to blow this case over some silly crush. I have everything under control.”

“Silly crush? You’re getting in over your head this time, Mac,” Jake said with a sigh, his look becoming sympathetic. “In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you as attached to anyone as you seem to be with that man and his kid.”

Mac finally blew a hard breath from her lips and shrugged her defeat. “It’s kind of hard not to get attached when I’m spending 24/7 with them,” she admitted and then shrugged again, even more vulnerably. “I’ve never met anyone like him.”

Jake was surprised by the sincere confession, and he managed to give her a smile that was sincere, though full of desperation. “This isn’t Agent Reed talking to his partner anymore. I’m saying this as your friend, Mac. You know I’d love to see you find someone that makes you happy, but he’s not the one. He can’t be, and you know it. Even if you’re right, and Brian has nothing to do with the Avenging Angel, what’s going to happen when we do crack this case and he finds out who you are?”

“I know,” Mac muttered.

As if that weren’t hard enough to think about without Jake saying it out loud? Mac cast her eyes shamefully to the ground and then kicked the tree out of pure frustration. Jake put his hand on her shoulder, and, when he looked into her eyes and saw how upset she was, he pulled her in for a tight hug. “Maybe Riley was right,” Jake said. “Maybe you’re too close to this one. Maybe you should let the Cap reassign you. Or better yet, actually take that vacation you’re supposed to be on right now. Some time away might do you some good.”

Mac pulled herself from Jake’s arms, sucked up her emotions and shook her head with determination. “The Avenging Angel has been my case from day one. No one wants to stop this guy more than me. I have to finish what I started.”

“Okay,” Jake said, glad to see Agent Adams making a comeback. “Then let’s hurry and finish it. The sooner we get you out of here the better.”

Mac nodded, although she didn’t know exactly how much she agreed with his last statement, and the two finally ended their conversation and headed back inside.

Brian watched them go, completely and utterly shocked by this revelation. There was a whirlwind of thoughts in his head, and he felt his hands clench into fists as one thought stood out from the rest. Mac, his Mac, worked undercover for the FBI, and she was out to get him.
Chapter 17 by starbeamz2
Author's Notes:
I know it's been forever and a day since this story was last updated, but there's finally a new chapter! Yay! I hope we didn't lose anyone with the time lag, and I also think it would be a great idea to go back and read a chapter or two before you read this one, just so you remember what's going on. I know I had to before I could write this chapter. Anyway, let us know what you think because we're really excited to be writing this again!

His world had been rocked, his mind was whirling, and his hands had curled into angry fists at his side.  He was still in the tree that he’d climbed into to spy on Mac and Jake, and he had no intention of climbing down.  At least, not until he knew he wouldn’t go raging into the venue and clock someone—preferably Jake.  Never in his life had he wanted to hurt someone quite so badly—not even Leighanne’s killer—as much as he wanted to pick Mac up and shake her for lying to him, making him feel something for her, for making Baylee fall absolutely in love with her.

She was a liar, a fraud, a fake.  She’d used him, used his son, used the tour and his bandmates without regard for their feelings. 

Was this the real Mac? he wondered vaguely when he could actually think past the red-hot haze smothering his senses.  Was this horribly cold person who he, his son, and his friends had welcomed into their lives really the true Mac? How had all of them missed the fact that she was nothing more than a lying bitch? Red coated his vision, and he didn’t feel how tightly his teeth were clenched together.

When a bird hopped onto the branch next to him, he didn’t blink, so focused was he on his recent revelations.

Had he been so focused on actually finding someone who’d made him feel again that he’d completely overlooked something so vital about her? Something that would ruin his life and destroy everything he’d worked for?

Gritting his teeth against the urge to rip the tree apart, branch for branch—after all, the tree hadn’t done him harm—he quickly and quietly slid out of it and felt slightly steadier when he felt solid ground beneath his feet. 

Being steadier didn’t mean he was any less furious.  And hurt.  For, underneath the fury he felt at being betrayed by Mac, he was hurt.  He was utterly and completely hurt by the way she’d waltzed her way into his life, wrecked the walls he’d constructed around his heart, and had won him over, all while she was lying to him.

If she’d been an actress, she would’ve deserved to win an Oscar for her performance.  He wondered if sleeping with him had been part of the mission, or had she just been in the mood for fun?

“God!” The word burst from him in a furious explosion.  “Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!” This time, he couldn’t control the rage, and he watched as his fist slammed into the brick exterior of the venue. 

He wasn’t the kind of guy who went around hating people, but he hated Mac in that instant.  And he hated Jake.  He absolutely hated Jake for arriving on the scene and ruining the blissful ignorance that Brian had been operating under when he hadn’t known that Mac was FBI and was investigating him.  He felt so disgusted with Mac, with Jake, but, most of all, with himself. 

I should’ve known it was too good to be true, he thought as he began to draw in slow, deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down.  Going into the dressing rooms, being with Baylee, he’d have to calm down so that he wouldn’t scare his son.  Just because his son’s nanny was the biggest con artist he’d ever heard of, it didn’t mean he had to ruin Baylee’s time.  Baylee was happy with Mac, so, for the moment, Brian wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his son’s happiness.

He needed a shower.  He needed a shower so desperately.  He wanted to scrub the taste and feel of her off of himself.  He wanted to forget that he’d ever made love to her.

The memory of their last time was etched into his mind.  It had been mind-blowingly romantic, and he’d never thought he could feel such tender emotions for a woman who wasn’t Leighanne.  But he had.  Oh, he had, and it turned out that it was all one big sham. 

One big, fat lie.

Brian shoved open a side door and walked into the cool interior.  He could hear the usual pre-show commotion from down the hall, but he didn’t want to go anywhere near there.  If he walked in feeling as angry as he did, he knew the guys would sense it right away.  After over fifteen years of being together, they knew his moods like the backs of their hands, and he didn’t want to answer five million questions about why he was angry when, just a short while earlier, he’d gotten off the tour bus in a happy mood.

“I’m not going to blow this case over some silly crush.”

Her voice echoed in his mind as he dragged himself down the hallway, and he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from lashing out at the closest object.  He could just picture himself smashing something to bits and pieces.  Her face flashed in his mind, and he wanted to erase the memory of her from his mind, but he couldn’t. 

No wonder, he thought to himself.  No freaking wonder she’d gone off by herself in Dallas.  She’d been purposely seeking Avenging Angel out.  He wondered if she would’ve arrested him on the spot had she not just had her head bashed into the sidewalk.  Probably. Knowing how badly the FBI wanted him caught, he was sure Mac wouldn’t have wasted any time in yanking his mask off and handcuffing him.

He wondered if finding out that it was him would’ve made her pause.

“Yeah, right,” he muttered aloud bitterly.  Now that the metaphoric curtains had been lifted, he could see clearly, and he knew, knew that she wouldn’t give a damn about who he was.  She would’ve arrested him and locked him into a cell without a second thought.

In his mind, he could see himself picking her up and throwing her out the nearest window, but he knew he’d never do it.  For one thing, that would get him into a world of trouble and probably traumatize Baylee.  Secondly, the FBI would instantly know that he was Avenging Angel because, really, why else would he throw an FBI agent out a window? And lastly, he needed to keep Mac around until he figured out a way to sabotage her investigation.

Keep your friends close, the saying went, but keep your enemies closer.  He was definitely going to get on board with that.  That notebook of hers probably held all of her field notes, so it was no wonder that she hadn’t wanted him to see it and had been so furious that he’d playfully flipped through it.

All the pieces seemed to be falling into place with such clarity, and Brian understood that he was finally seeing Mac the way she truly was.  She hadn’t been “between jobs” as she’d told him.  He was her job.  Well, not he, Brian Littrell, but he as in the Avenging Angel, and he felt like screaming.  Not that he was much of a screamer, but he completely understood the need to rage because it was all he wanted to do in that moment.

Unfortunately, raging wasn’t going to get him anywhere, and he knew that he couldn’t let Mac know that he knew her secret.  If he was going to sabotage the FBI’s investigation, he had to pull off the biggest lie since Mac’s and pretend that he was fine and knew nothing.

Well, he hadn’t gotten the rep he had as Avenging Angel by sitting around, doing nothing.  He was going to put his skills to use and get a hold of her notebook to figure out exactly how much information the Bureau had and how much progress their investigation had actually made.

“Brian!”

He tensed for a second at the sound of her voice before he forced himself to relax.  Oscar-worthy acting, he reminded himself and, pasting a smile on his face, he turned to face her as she hurried down the hall towards him.

“Hey, sorry I was gone so long,” she apologized as she slid to a stop in front of him.  She beamed up at him, green eyes glowing behind her glasses.  “Did you miss me?”

No was on the tip of his tongue, but he gave her hand a quick squeeze.  “You know I did.  Did you give the FBI all the information they needed?”

Mac nodded, wondering why he sounded so distant.  “Yeah, it wasn’t so bad.  They’re actually pretty nice.”

“You would know,” Brian said without thinking.  Uh-oh.

She frowned up at him, her brows furrowed.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged and tugged her towards his dressing room where Nick was supposed to be watching Baylee.  Now, he wanted to scrub his hands of how it felt to have her hand in his. “Well, you’re the only one of us who’s actually met the FBI.  The most any of us know about the Feds is what we’ve seen on TV, you know?”

Mac let out a little breath of relief, glad that her worst fears hadn’t come true and Brian had found her out.  Relieved, she pushed open the door to Brian’s dressing room and found Baylee playing Uno with Nick, who appeared to be losing and poorly.  “Well, they seemed nice enough,” she told Brian before turning to hug Baylee when he attacked her. 

“You’re here, you’re here! Finally!” Baylee wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.  “I missed you so much! Nick is no fun to hang out with at all.”

“Hey!” Nick protested and was ignored.

Brian felt the uncontrollable urge to rip Baylee out of her hands, protect his son from her treachery, but he couldn’t.  Tamping down on the new spurt of fury, he managed to smirk at Nick before tugging Baylee gently out of Mac’s arms.  “What about me, buddy? Didn’t you miss me?”

“Well, duh,” Baylee replied.  “You don’t say as many bad words as Nick does.  You know, his phone ringed on the bus, and he said a lot of bad words to someone.  Didn’t you, Nick?”

Nick didn’t bother hiding the truth and looked guilty.  “Oops?”

Brian rolled his eyes.  “Nick’s parents didn’t scrub his tongue with soap when he was little, Bay.  That’s why he’s got such a dirty mouth.”

“I thought that was ‘cuz Nick doesn’t brush his teeth,” Baylee replied, tilting his head to the side curiously to look at Nick.  “Right, Nick? You said that you only gots to brush your teeth once a week.”

“Ew.” Mac made a face at Nick to which he just shrugged.  “That’s disgusting, Nick. Remind me to stay far away from you.  And, no, Baylee, you really have to brush your teeth every day.  I bet Nick has tons of cavities.”

Brian couldn’t take it any longer.  He set Baylee down abruptly and, without a word, walked right back out the door. 

Mac’s brows rose, and, when she looked at Nick for answers, he shrugged again.  “He’s been on a rollercoaster lately.  One minute, he’s up, then down the next.  I wouldn’t read too much into it because he gets this way sometimes.  Ever since” he glanced at Baylee, who wasn’t fazed by his father’s sudden disappearance and was meticulously piling the Uno cards together “that night, he’s had these random depressive episodes.  Don’t worry too much.”

“Okay.” Mac nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very much wrong.  When she’d seen him in the hallway, there had been fury in his eyes for a split second.  But maybe it had just been her imagination or the lights hitting his eyes at a certain angle.  She couldn’t be sure, but her gut told her that something was off with Brian.  She always trusted her gut instincts, and they were screaming that all was not well.

“Hey, Mac? Why don’t you and the Bayster come hang out with the fans for soundcheck?” Nick suggested as he grabbed his wallet and cell phone, shoving them into his pockets.  He broke her train of thought, and she glanced up at him.  “It’s almost time, and I’m sure Brian won’t mind.”

“Oh. Uh, well…” Mac turned to Baylee who was now searching for something in his giant bag of belongings.  “What do you think, Baylee? Wanna go see your daddy and the guys do soundcheck?”

Baylee glanced over at her before looking up at Nick.  “The girls will be there, right? The ones who want to take your pants off?”

“What?” Nick spluttered.  “Who wants to take my pants off?”

Mac stifled the grin, but her eyes gleamed mischievously.  “Well, Brian was telling us about the days when you used to love girls who wanted to grab your pants.”

“You’re so weird, Nick,” Baylee informed him.

Nick ruffled the little boy’s hair playfully, grinning when Baylee glared at him.  “Hey, I got you McDonald’s, remember?”

“Yeah, but you broke the ball pit, too!” Baylee reminded him.  He rummaged some more in the bag before pulling out a little Atlanta Braves hat and plopping it on his head.  Then, he turned to Nick and Mac, his expression angelically innocent.  “If we go to the stage, I get first dibs on the girls.”

Mac’s eyes widened before she began to giggle helplessly.  “Oh, Baylee.”

***

Brian stood under the hot spray of the shower, scrubbing himself so hard he was sure his skin was going to be burning and stinging the rest of the night.  He didn’t care because all he wanted at that moment was to get rid of the sensation of his skin rubbing against Mac’s, the way she’d moved in perfect sync with him, and the way he’d felt so connected to another human being for the first time since Leighanne’s death.

The skin on his knuckles was broken and raw, burning under the stinging heat of the water, from where he’d punched the brick wall of the venue earlier.  He’d gotten through soundcheck and the concert with his temper barely in check.  Of course, he’d been so concentrated on not throwing the drum set across the stage that he’d missed his steps and his notes repeatedly.  Looking out into the audience, he’d seen the faces of so many fans full of sympathy and understanding, and all he’d felt was misery.

Sheer misery.

All he wanted was Leighanne back.  He didn’t think that was too much to ask God.  He just wanted the only woman who’d ever loved him, hadn’t lied to him, and made him happier than he’d ever imagined he would be.  He missed the way she’d been able to calm him down, the way her nose would wrinkle when she was upset or annoyed, and the way, no matter how mad she was, he could just take her into his arms, kiss the tip of her nose, and make her smile again.

He wanted his wife back because only she would be able to stop the viciously murderous thoughts he was having.  They were truly uncharacteristic of him because he’d never been the type to imagine putting his bare hands around another human being’s throat and strangling them.  No matter how angry he’d gotten, he’d always been able to turn to his wife and God and know that everything would be okay.

Sighing heavily, anger abating in the midst of misery, he turned the water off and, grabbing a towel, wrapped it around himself and got out of the shower.  Much as he might want to, he knew he’d have to face Mac sooner or later.  If he was going to get any information about her investigation, he’d have to tread carefully to keep her from suspecting anything.

Tugging on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he walked out into the hotel room and found Mac carrying a sleeping Baylee into his bedroom.  She glanced over at Brian, grinned, and disappeared into the bedroom.

Brian stood, frozen where he was, his heart racing.

What was she doing to him? he wondered.

Here he’d been completely ready to act like he cared about her even though he didn’t, and she had to go and smile at him.  That smile had reached inside him and gripped his heart, and he knew he was in a world of trouble. 

Try as he might to bring up a mental image of Leighanne, reminding himself of his loving, non-lying wife, he suddenly couldn’t.  All that was in his mind was Mac.

The realization sent him staggering towards the couch and sitting down heavily on it.  His fingers gripped the armrest, and he concentrated on inhaling and exhaling.

Love? He couldn’t possibly be in love with Mac, could he? He’d only known her for a few weeks.  They’d only been together romantically for barely a week.  There was no way he was in love with her, he told himself firmly.  Whatever these feelings were, he’d just deal with them.

Mac lied to you, and you can’t possibly be in love with her, he repeated to himself, but, when she came back into the sitting room, settled onto the couch next to him, and smiled softly at him, he wasn’t so sure.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked quietly, her eyes running over his face worriedly.  He’d been so quiet since he’d abruptly left the dressing room earlier, and the concert had been tough for him.  She wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but she wanted to help him.  It scared her how much she wanted to fix things for him, but she did.

She wouldn’t let herself think about what it all meant.

Even as he told himself not to, he let himself grip her offered hand and laced their fingers together.  “I miss my wife,” he answered honestly.  “I’m sorry, that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s true.  Mostly, I’ve learned to move on, but, some days, it gets to me, you know?”

Mac wanted to wrap him up and hold him close, as though that would take away the sadness in his blue eyes or the grief that lingered in his voice.  “Oh, Brian.  She was your wife.  It’s normal to miss her.”

“You’re taking it pretty well that, after making love to you, I’d miss my wife,” he said dryly.  “I don’t know of many women who would be okay with it.”

“Well, most women are idiots,” she replied with a small smile.  “Look, you married Leighanne, you were with her for a decade, you had a child with her, and then you lost her in such a tragic way.  If you didn’t grieve for her, if you didn’t still miss her, I’d worry.  Don’t feel bad, Brian.”

He shrugged and looked down at their intertwined fingers.  How was he supposed to deal with this? How was he supposed to stay angry enough to stay focused on sabotaging her investigation while he was rapidly sinking into this quagmire of feelings for her? 

When he didn’t say anything for several long moments, Mac reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand.  His eyes shifted up to meet hers, and she smiled.  “You’re a great guy, Brian.  I’m sorry you had such horrible things happen to you, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.  Not just as your secret girlfriend,” she added with another smile, “but as your friend, too.  I hope you’ll talk to me if you need to.”

After a moment or two, he returned her smile and squeezed her hand.  “Thanks, Mac.  Really.  It’s been…good to have you around.  For Baylee a-and for me,” he added softly, knowing that it was true.  Maybe he’d regret this down the line, but it was true.  She’d been a refreshing change that he’d needed, and, despite his fury with her over her lies, he couldn’t help but see that she wasn’t lying to him now.

Mac leaned up and brushed her lips over his cheek, not wanting to kiss him when he was missing his wife because it might not be the best idea.  But he shocked her, and himself, when he turned his head and caught her lips with his.  His hand gripped hers tightly as his other arm banded around her waist to draw her close as his lips rubbed over hers softly before coaxing them open to take the kiss deeper.

He needed this, he realized.  Not just the kiss, but this woman.  He needed Mac, and he needed her badly, despite everything that she was withholding from him.  Being with her, he thought as she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, was becoming necessary to him.  He’d thought he was strong enough to be Avenging Angel, a Backstreet Boy, and a father all at once, but he was coming to realize that he needed Mac.  He needed her to balance him out, to rely on because playing all the roles he played was hard to do when he was lonely.

She might be lying to him, he thought when she laid her head against his chest, but, right now, he needed her and the feelings she stirred up in him.  Knowing the time would come when the two sides of him would have to deal with the two sides of her, he drew her closer, desperate to cling to the peace he felt right then in that moment.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he murmured, brushing his lips over her hair, knowing his words were the truth.

Mac burrowed herself into him and squeezed her eyes shut.  She was lying to him about so much, and he was so good to her, she thought guiltily.  She should tell him the truth but knew she couldn’t.  Instead, she sighed a little and whispered, “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

***

At four in the morning, Brian was creeping stealthily down the hallway towards Mac’s room.  They’d gone their separate ways earlier because Mac insisted that Brian needed some time to himself.  If he was missing Leighanne, then he needed time by himself, and she didn’t want to interfere.  So, she’d gone back to her room, leaving Brian with his whirling thoughts.

After throwing out the idea of strapping on his suit and going out into the night, he’d climbed into the comfortable hotel bed and willed himself to fall asleep.  Four hours of tossing and turning later, he’d come to the conclusion that he needed to find out something, anything about Mac’s investigation.  Yes, he might have really strong feelings for her, but that didn’t mean that it lessened how upset he was about her lies and the fact that she was Avenging Angel’s number one enemy.

So, there he was, effortlessly picking the lock on her door—okay, so he’d filched one of her keys—and slipping soundlessly into her room.  He could make out her sleeping outline under the blankets on the bed, and he had to resist the temptation to crawl in with her.  That was certainly not going to get him the answers he needed, no matter how satisfying it might be.

Turning away from Mac, he crept about her room, rummaging through her bags and opening and closing drawers to try to find that notebook of hers.  After ten minutes, he’d gone through everything but the nightstand next to the bed.  Where she was sleeping.

Brian didn’t know much about FBI agents, but he wasn’t sure that she would sleep right through him being a foot away from her, stealing her stuff.  He debated the matter with himself for a few moments, mentally listing the pros and cons.

Well, he finally decided, he needed to take a chance.  He’d deal with the consequences—if there were any consequences.

Silently, he crept over to her bed and tried not to watch as she slept peacefully.  She was always pretty, he knew, but, in sleep, she was beautiful.  He had to force himself back to the task at hand before he was unable to resist temptation and just crawl in with her.

He reached for the knob of the drawer and quietly slid it open.  His breath whooshed out in a disappointed puff as he stared at a drawer empty of anything but the hotel’s pad of stationary and a Bible.

Sighing with disappointment, Brian slid the drawer shut.  Then, he turned to look back at Mac and found her stirring.  He held his breath, frozen in place and hoping that she wouldn’t wake. 

Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at him in sleepy confusion.  “Brian? What are you doing here?”

Licking his lips nervously, he managed a small smile.  “I missed you,” he murmured and realized that, deep down, it was the truth.

She smiled at that and shifted to make space.  Tossing back the blanket, she held out a hand.  “Stay?”

In response, he toed off his shoes and, giving himself up to fate, climbed in with her.  She wrapped her arms around him, her head resting in the crook of his neck, and he sighed.

He was in big trouble, he decided as he buried his nose in her hair, if this was starting to feel like coming home.

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