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****NEW YEARS EVE: PARIS, FRANCE****

"Have you seen my shoes?" Bianca ran around searching frantically for the remainder of her stage outfit.

"Over there." Brianna pointed to the far corner of the dressing room, barely even looking up from the magazine she was flipping idly through.

"Sorry to bother you," Bianca grumbled, rolling her eyes at Brianna's laziness.

Brianna just kept on talking as Bianca stalked to the other side of the room. "Can you believe we're actually in Paris? I've wanted to come here all my life!"

"I know." Bianca flopped down on the couch. "The most romantic city in the world on New Years Eve. It doesn't seem real."

"It's just so amazing," Brianna sighed. "Tonight's gonna be perfect. I just know it."

"Alright, c'mon, Bianca," one of the many stagehands yelled over the bustle. "It's almost time for you to go on."

**************** The guys stood talking with a reporter to do a quick interview before show time. The girl all huddled together talking excitedly.

Bianca stopped when she heard the ringing of her cell phone. Retreating to a quiet corner of the small room, she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bianca." She could barely hear the vaguely familiar voice.

"Um, how did you get this number?"

"I'll see you later my sweet," the gruff voice replied before the line went dead.

Bianca just stood there. "That was weird." Silently, she tried to convince herself that she should remain calm.

When she walked back over to Brianna, Nicole, and Ivy they all looked at her expectantly. "Well, who was it?" Brianna asked.

Oh, it was a wrong number," she said forcing a smile she hoped wasn't too noticeably fake. For some reason she didn't have a good feeling about that call.

Just then, the guys appeared. Kevin slid his arms around Brianna and asked, "Are we ready?"

Bianca walked to the curtains and peeked out at the crowd. She nearly fainted at who she saw. Nick grabbed her when she tried to take off in the other direction.

"What's wrong? Baby, are you alright?" He pulled her to him and noticed she was shaking.

"I'm not going out there," she sobbed. "I can't!"

The other walked over and Brianna placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder. "Bean, sweetie, why not? Everything will be okay...why can't you?"

"Please don't make me do this. Please?" she looked up and pleaded with Nick.

"Baby, you know you don't have to; we can say you're sick. You can stay with the girls and everything will be okay." He gently stroked her hair. "Will you tell me what you saw?"

Brianna gently pulled Bianca away from Nick and guided her away from the group, motioning only for Kevin and Nick to follow. "Bean, what made you so scared?" Kevin asked from behind Brianna.

"I-I saw Eric." She started crying again. "He was out there and that phone call had to be from him," she said as Brianna gave her a hug.

"Phone call? What phone call?" Apparently Nick was furious.

"Someone called her cell phone right before this. She told me it was a wrong number, so I didn't think much of it."

"Are you sure it was Eric?" Kevin asked.

"Yes, I'm positive. It was him," she said softly. Shuddering she added, "I know he saw me 'cause he smiled."

"Baby, you're gonna be fine. I promise," Nick said wrapping his arms around her. "Come on, let's get you back to your dressing room."

"NO! Please don't make me stay in there alone!" Bianca replied frantically.

"Shhh, darlin'. You'll be with Brianna, Ivy, and Nicole." He kissed her forehead. "I promise nothing bad is going to happen."

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

Kevin leaned closer to Nick. "Um, Nick, I think you're forgetting something. Are you sure you want them to sit out the performance in the dressing room?" He kissed Brianna on top of the head and patted her stomach.

Nick's eyes widened. "Baby, you and the girls should watch from the side of the stage. Security will be there."

****************

Bianca, Brianna, Ivy, and Nicole sat in their seats surrounded by security next to the make-shift stage. It was cold outside, but the stage lights gave out a warm glow that made the chill only slightly uncomfortable. In the near distance was the Eiffel Tower, ready to explode with fireworks at midnight.

As the guys took their places on the stage in their white satin suits, Brianna felt a twang of loneliness for A.J. She felt so bad about him being all alone and wanted to kill Cassie for what she did to him. Kevin's voice brought her out of her trance.

"HELLO PARIS!!!!" Kevin shouted excitedly over the crowd of mainly teen-age party-goers. "Tonight we're gonna change things a little. Is that alright with you guys?" The frenzied response of cheers and screams was thunderous. Brianna laughed at the thought her unborn baby placing tiny hands over even-tinier ears to protect itself from the noise its daddy was causing.

Nick stepped up to the front and took over. "Tonight, we're doing a medley of our special love songs so all the love birds in the audience can ring in the MILLENNIUM in a special way." The music started and A.J. stepped from the shadows.

"From the first day...that I saw your smiling face..." The crowd went nuts as the boys sang only their sweetest songs, finishing with "No One Else Comes Close." Each girl got special attention from their own Backstreet Boy-friend; A.J. just blew playful kisses at Brianna, much to the amusement of her and Kevin.

As soon as their set was over, the guys were escorted off stage and the girls were ushered to their dressing room. "You guys were great!" Ivy exclaimed.

"Actually," Howie answered, "Nick and Kevin came up with the idea.

"I loved it," Bianca told Nick softly.

Brianna rushed into Kevin's waiting arms and kissed him deeply. "You'll see tonight how much I liked your little surprise," she whispered against his ear. Her whisper, though, wasn't as quiet as she thought and Bianca over-heard.

"Y'all are gonna fuck again? Is that all you two ever do? Damn, Brianna, I'm gonna start callin' you Thumper 'cause you two go at it like rabbits!

Kevin shot her a stony glare and then looked over at Brian with a wink. Brian cleared his throat. "Hey, guys, what do you say we stay to watch the fireworks?" Everyone agreed and on their way out, Kevin took Brianna's hand and motioned for a couple of security guards to follow.

"Baby, I thought we could take a walk alone. Well, kind of alone," he said chuckling at the security guards behind them.

They found a quiet, private spot behind the stage with a wonderful view of the tower. Kevin pulled her back against him, opened his jacket, and stretched it around them both. Nibbling lightly on her ear he whispered, "Baby, I love you." Brianna closed her eyes and mumbled her response as she leaned her head back on his shoulder. "Darlin', how do you think we'll be spending next New Years?"

"I don't know," was the nervous reply. "Things will be different, definitely. I mean, we'll have another person to take care of. Kevin, honestly, I'm really scared. What if things change too much between us?"

"Baby, I hope the only thing that's different next year, other than us being parents, is that you'll be Mrs. Brianna Richardson instead of Miss Brianna Chambers." Brianna spun around quickly to look at him; shock was written all over her face.

Kevin knelt and looked up at her through tear-filled green eyes. "Brianna will you make me the happiest person alive and say you'll spend your life with me?" Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the small, black velvet box.

Brianna looked at the large, princess-cut diamond, platinum ring in absolute disbelief. Kevin took her hands, shaking partly from the cold and partly from anxiety, and slipped the ring onto the appropriate finger. "Please say yes, boo."

Brianna stammered, clearly taken aback by everything that had happened. "Kevin, I--I--," she stopped.

"Kevin, I'm sorry...I can't."