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Love is the road to our destiny.
Nothing can change what is meant to be. - “Forever Love”, Reba McEntire


Jenn and Brian slowly walked down the hallway. Their captors had let them out of their cells for dinner tonight. It had
been just over a week since they had been captured, and this was the first time they were being let out.

All Jenn could think about was if Nick was alright. Sure she had seen him before her, turning blue and not breathing,
but there was always that slight chance. She was not going to let these people have her believe that Nick was gone, not
till she could see so for herself.

Brian view was much different. He had seen her, underneath that water, gone. It plagued his dreams every night,
whenever he closed his eyes all he could see was that lifeless look in her eyes. If it wasn't for Jenn needing him to
protect her and her unborn baby, he would have let them kill him by now. But he knows that he must be strong, life may
not be continuing for him but the promise that he made to Nick he would NEVER break.


***

(flashback)

It had been just a week after Jenn had finally been able to come home. Brian had come over to kill some time due to the
fight him and Sara had just had. He didn't know what he should do anymore, nothing he did seemed to please his wife
anymore.

"Bri, its so good to see you." Jenn said as she opened the door and gave him a hug.

"Please come in, Nick will be so happy that you're here."

Then an hour later it was just Brian and Nick, they were hanging out in his basement. Jenn had taken the baby upstairs
for a nap, and she had some things to finish up in the kitchen.

"I just don't know what to do." Brian said sounding defeated over his situation with Sara.

"There's not too much for you to do bro. She's going through a really rough time, and she just needs some space.
Everything will work out for you." Nick said giving Brians shoulder a slight squeeze.

"I just wish none of this happened to us. We should just now be welcoming the birth of your twins, and Sara and I
should be finding out the sex of our child. We shouldn't be morning the loss of them." Brian said with tears in his eyes.

"Bri, there is nothing we can do to go back and straighten this all out. We just have to hope that we can all work
through this. Life deals out some tough shit, and you just have to fight through it." Nick said thoughfully.

"Since when did you become the voice of reason Kaos?" Brian asked looking up at his young friend.

"Since I realized that I have more to live for than myself. Which is why I am about to ask you this." Nick started, Brian
just looked at him in question. "Rok, this whole situation has me worried. I just need to be sure that I have all my bases
covered."

"What are you getting to Nick?" Brian asked in worry.

"I want you to promise me something. I need you to take care of Jenn and Nicole if something ever happens to me."
Nick said seriously.

"Nick, I...." Brian started.

"I know that it is a lot to ask, but I need to be assured that the two most important people in my life are going to be
taken care of if I were to pass o­n."

"Wow Nick, I can't believe how grown up you're acting. Of course I will look after them for you, you didn't even have to
ask. I would have done it no matter what." Brian said as he and Nick embraced. "Anything for you man."


(End Flashback)

***

Dinner was relatively quiet, Jenn and Brian we not up for conversation. Any time o­ne of their captors tried to get them
to talk, they didn't respond. It was evident that they were not too happy with the situation, but Jenn and Brian were both
not ready to speak to them.

There was a TV o­n in the other room, they could all hear it clearly. Jenn and Brian were both trying to listen to it was
the meal continued, just eager for any kind of contact with the outside world.

Suddenly a news show began...."In recent news, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter," Both of their captors eyes got big and
they both began to run to the other room. Jenn and Brian just stood up and listened intently for whatever was next. "I
just hope that this reaches who ever is responsible. Sara and I will fight to get them back. This is not over, just please
bring them back to us. Jenn, I love y...." With that the TV set was turned off, and Jenn was in tears.

"Oh my god! He's alive..." She continued to cry into Brians shoulder as they embraced.

"I can't believe that they are really alive." Brian said tearfully himself. They both just were happy to have human contact
with o­ne another. But all too suddenly they were pulled apart. Jenn reached out to Brian, but she was just pushed
down to the floor.

The Woman was standing over Jenn, and the Man was holding Brian back. "You couldn't even kill them COULD YOU!!!!"
The Man yelled out as he pulled out a small pistol from his pants.

Jenn just closed her eyes, hoping that this would all just end.

"No, no, no!!!" Was heard coming from Brian, then BANG!

Brian fell to his knees, weakened by the loud shot that flew from behind him. An inevitable cry left his lips and he looked
up to find Jenn still standing. A staggered breath followed the cry but he couldn’t manage any more than that.

Jenn licked her lips, still shaken from the bullet that had shot through the wall beside her. Everything was too much too
take. Brian was losing it, the gunshot had shaken her badly, and to top it off, her Nick was alive. She closed her eyes to
conceal the threatening tears. What now?

“Awww,” The girl, whose name they had found out was Cara, dropped Jenn from her grasp and rushed to Brian’s side.
“My poor baby. I think you’re ready for dessert.” She winked at him and it was all Brian could do not to gag in disgust.
Sure, she looked like Sara but she was far from actually being her.

“I’m not…hungry.” He managed, his eyes closing. She was wearing his wife’s perfume and pain was searing through
him.

“Oh my love, you don’t have to be.” And with that, Cara helped him up off the floor and walked him back to his “room”.

Jenn watched helplessly with worried eyes but could o­nly manage a small whimper. Where was her voice? Where
was her heart?

With Nick. She knew that. ‘I love you Jenn.’ She knew that tone in his voice. It was lost, hurt, distraught and she
wondered what he was doing at that exact moment. Was he comforting Sara, maybe? Was he, himself, being
comforted? As much as she didn’t want to, Jenn opened her eyes to let reality sink in. She didn’t want to think of her
sweet Nickolas, that had been so strong and confident in her regaining her memory, being broken all because of her.

“Hello baby..” Rick, that stupid shit of a Nick look-a-like, was breathing gently into her face.

Lost in the emotion and confusion, in those eyes that looked so much like her husband’s, in that face that she loved so
much, Jenn kissed those lips. She jerked back though when she came to her senses and realized that no kiss, by
anyone else, would ever be as satisfying as Nick’s. “Oh God…” She breathed. ‘What the hell have I done?’ In moments,
tears had worked their way out of her brown eyes.

“Oh baby, don’t cry. There’s more where that came from.” Rick smiled and took her hand, bringing her back to her cell
as well. “I’ll be back.”

“Don’t rush..” Jenn muttered, falling back o­n the bed. What had overcome her to do such a thing as kiss that sorry son
of a bitch? Her brown eyes wandered to Brian’s room across from hers. The curtains were closed and there wasn’t
much sound coming from inside. Jenn started to wonder if they were even in there when she felt something digging
into her lower back.

Reaching around, she gasped in surprise. Her cell phone was tight in the grasp of her shaking hand.

~*~


“I can’t do this anymore, Lori.” Nick flopped down o­nto Sara’s couch and rubbed his eyes. “Just let me die.”

“Honey! Don’t say that.” Lori embraced her best friend’s husband tightly as he cried into her shoulder.

“I’m just so worried. My.. my wife is gone…my b-best friend is gone. And.. and I want to take care of Sara until Brian can
come home to her but…she..she’s not doin’ too hot.” He hiccupped.

“Breathe Nick. We’re gonna find Jenn and Brian, at least if I have anything to say about it!” She soothingly rubbed his
back. “And Sara.. well, I don’t know. We’ll just have to work with her.”

“But …what if we find them…and..and…they’re de-” He couldn’t say it. His blue eyes clouded over with more tears.
“What if they’re already watching us? Waiting for us…in a better place?”

“NICK! STOP!” Lori pushed his shoulders back so that she was looking at him. She was just about to gently light into
him when a tired looking girl entered the room.

“Nick…” Sara licked her lips as if she didn’t remember how to speak. “She’s alive. Jenn.. she’s alive.”

Jenn just started at the phone like it was too good to be true. How is this even possible, she thought as she stared
blankly at the phone. Then she finally managed to shake the cobwebs out of her brain, and began to dial. Nick always
has his cell on, she thought. Her face fell when his voice mail picked up, but she was going to at least let him know that
she was alright.

"Nicky, I heard you on the news. I...we're alive! Bri, he's protecting us...I...." Suddenly the door opens and Jenn lets out a
gasp. The phone clutters to the floor as Rick sees it.

"Why you little bitch!!!" Rick yells as he drops the items in his hands, charging at Jenn like a bat outta hell. Jenn is
suddenly pushed into the back wall as the man breathes heavily against her face. "Just what in the fuck do you think
you are doing!!??"

"I...I..." She was silenced by a hard slap across the face. She reaches up to touch her face, but he violently pulls her
arm back to her side eliciting a yelp from her. "Please, you're hurting me." Jenn cried out.

"This ain't nothing sweetie." The man growled at her.
Jenn let out a startled gasp as he suddenly grabbed both of her shoulders and slung her onto the bed. "Just leave me
alone!" She sobbed as he got on top of her, and began to take some of her clothes off.

He harshly placed his mouth on top of hers and began to kiss her. She fought back as much as she could, but he had
her arms pinned to her sides. He soon brought his lips off of hers and looked into her eyes. "Shh, its okay darlin’. I know
you want this."

Tears streamed down Jenn's face. This can't be happening, she thought to herself. "Please, help me." Jenn cried out
loud, then she just shut down. She just closed her eyes and succumbed to the welcoming darkness.

~*~

Nick Carter covered his mouth and his hand slowly crept over his whole face as he sank to the ground. It had been the
first time in weeks that he had heard his wife’s voice and…it was so tortured…so scared. What should he do now? Call
the police? Look for her himself? He knew there were so many things but… all he could do was cry.

“Lori…” He managed, grabbing her arm just a few inches away from him. “Call…call the police..”

Lori, too, was standing by Nick in shock. So shocked she couldn’t even show any emotion and, aimlessly, she left the
room to find the phone that she would use to call the police.

“Jenn…” Nick hid his blue eyes once more and ran a finger across his cell phone screen. He had saved the message
but he never wanted to hear it again. The blonde knew he would though. In his thoughts. In his dreams. His wife,
screaming for him to help her and there he sat, crying in the floor. Letting his best friend protect her although he was in
just as much danger.

Brian.

He assumed that he and Jenn were together but it was strange that he hadn’t heard him. Did HE know that they were
still alive? Well, that Nick was alive. Sara wasn’t much for living these days and, knowing Brian, he wasn’t either.

Nick sighed. He needed human contact and was hoping that one of the guys would come through the door to check on
him. That’s when he heard quiet cries behind him. Pushing the blonde hair out of his pink tinted blue eyes, Nick turned
around and sat on the side of the bed where Sara was curled in a ball, sobs shaking her body.

“Sar..” His hoarse voice whispered, lightly patting her shoulder.

Almost instantaneously, Brian’s wife sat up and hugged Nick as tight as she could. The man almost jerked back in
response to the reaction, it was the first sign of any emotion she had shown since she had come home. But now, the
walls were down for both of them and, from here on out, Nick and Sara needed each other more than ever.

“Where are they Nick? Brian…he won’t make it. He can’t make it.” She rambled. The lost look in her eye was almost
enough to break Nick again. “His heart.. He-he was just put on higher med..medi..” She couldn’t finish.

“Breathe, Sara. Shhh.” Nick rubbed her back like he used to do for Jenn when she was upset. It killed him though.

He couldn’t console anyone this time. He knew only as much as everyone else.

It wasn’t enough.

~*~

Jenn’s eyes snapped open with a terrible headache. Reality hit her and she realized what had knocked her out in the
first place. She shot up, maybe a little too quick, and was sent back down with a wave of dizziness.

“No…Please.. No..” She heard Brian’s desperate cries across from her room and, as much as it pained her, she had to
get up.

What she saw though, would fill her with adrenaline. Brian had saved her and now he was paying for being the
distraction.

Brian couldn't listen to what was going o­n in the other cell any longer. He swiftly shoved Kara away from him and
headed for the door. He was devastated when it didn't open for him.

"How dare you push me away!" Kara yelled as she pulled herself back up off the floor.

Brian just ignored her as he ran over to the adjoining wall and pulled open the curtains. The sight before him made him
sick to his stomach. "Get off of her you sick asshole!"

The man just looked up at him with a smile o­n his face. Brian felt some movement behind him, and he quickly ducked.
Behind him, Kara was holding a small bat.

"You do not need to worry about her! I am all that matters to you!" She quickly swung the bat at him again.

Brian knew that he was in trouble. He quickly rolled out of the way of her attack and got back o­nto his feet. "You do
NOT matter to me." Brain said as he lunged at her.

Brian had never hit a woman, nevermind throwing o­ne o­n the floor and pinning o­ne down. It wasn't a battle or
anything, but she was pinned and Brian was happy. That was until he felt the unyielding pain across his back as
something fierce came in contact with it.

Brian rolled off of Kara and came face to face with Rick. "You NEVER treat a lady like that!" Rick yelled.

"Excuse me, but what you were just doing to my friend was worse!" Brian couldn't believe the man had just said that.
He swiftly kicked out his feet and Rick hit the ground next to him. Soon the two men were rolling around o­n the floor,
each trying to get the upper hand.

Brian was starting to get the upper hand when he heard Jenn yelling out to him. He looked back and saw Kara standing
there with a syringe in her hand. Brian tried to roll away, but Rick held him in place.

Jenn's eyes got really big at this sight. She quickly looked around the room and spotted her cell phone o­n the floor.
She scurried over to it and noticed that the door was open.

Jenn runs as fast as she can out of her cell, with the cell phone tight in her grip. She barely manages to make it into the
other room before she is grabbed from behind by someone.

"Not so fast missy!" Kara yells into her ear as she turns Jenn around.

"Let go of me you BITCH!" Jenn yells as she fights back. Suddenly Rick comes from around the corner with Brian in his
grasp.

"Did you actually want to leave me." Rick starts as he gets closer to Jenn and Kara.

"We o­nly just begun." Rick takes a finger and trails it along Jenn's cheek.

Tears sting Jenn’s eyes as she recoils from his touch. "Leave her alone, don't you touch her again!" Brian said as he
tried to pull away from Rick.

Kara got this evil look in her eyes when Brian said that. "Didn't I already tell you that she was of no concern to you! I
guess that I am just gonna have to take matters into my own hands." Kara said as she dragged Jenn to the other end of
the room.

Brian gasped as Rick started pulling him in the opposite direction. "Don't, don't hurt her! Please I beg of you!”

Kara o­nly smiled her sweetest smile towards Brian. “I know you don’t mean that, my love. I know you want it to be o­
nly you and I..” She whispered across the distance between them.

“No! Damn it! I hate you…” He screamed, trying to breathe under Rick’s tight grip. Brian’s eyes clouded over with tears
and his lips quivered as he realized what a nightmare this all was. He wanted to wake up next to his wife with their
child still alive within her. He wanted to get up and call Nick and Jenn to go out that night.

But that was how this all started.

It was just all too much and the blonde felt as though his legs were going to disappear from beneath him…

..Until he heard her scream.

“JENN!” He yelled, becoming unconscious of his surroundings and focusing in o­n his best friend’s wife. “What’s..” His
small body wriggled free in a rush of adrenaline and shot towards her.

“It…it’s…”Jenn shut her eyes tight and pressed her lips together. “The baby, Brian. God, it hurts.”

“Shit..” Brian looked around after taking her hand. He saw Rick coming towards him and Kara hovering above him. God,
she looked so much like Sara. And Rick, so much like Nick. That’s when he decided, he had to do it for them.

Lifting Jenn’s weak body into his arms, he shot out of the large room and into another. He heard the shouts of their two
captors but he had no intentions of going back. If he did, he’d be in even deeper shit than he was to begin with. Brian
kept running, weaving in and out of passages, crying with Jenn who sobbed in his arms.

It was when he was in running distance of the front door that he knew they weren’t going anywhere. There was no way
to get out of the door, he could see that. But he was sure as hell gonna try.

Upon reaching the door, Brian held Jenn up with o­ne arm and messed with the lock with the other. He pushed, he
pulled, he kicked, but it was no use. The door would not budge.

The yells were getting closer, the footsteps…his vision blurrier with all the tears that fell out..

Brian turned around and surrendered, gathered Jenn in his arms and cried.

Cried because he had failed in protecting Jenn. Failed in protecting the baby. Failed in getting back to his o­nly love and
returning Jenn to hers. It was o­nly right that he should be killed, he thought.

But not Jenn. He clenched his jaw. He would protect her as long as he could, even if it did meaning dying. Everytime he
saw Rick, he thought of Nick, depending o­n him to keep her from danger. He knew that Nick was with Sara and it was
o­nly right to return the favor.

Kara appeared in view first, an angry expression plastered across her face.

“Why do you want her for, Brian? I thought you loved me, your Sara. Or.. Were you having some kind of affair?” She
inquired.

“You twisted sick bitch!” He scowled, out of breath, barely able to see through swollen eyes. He would never even
CONSIDER cheating o­n his wife, much less with Nick’s wife.

“Answer the question, Littrell. Is there something going o­n?” Rick came in behind Kara, holding the same syringe
Brian had spotted earlier.

Jenn whimpered into his chest and he knew that Rick intended to use it o­n her.

“Don’t..touch..her.” He spoke through clenched teeth.

“Back off,fag. You can’t even protect your own wife. Ha! You can’t kill her either. You’re just good…for…nothing!” Rick
emphasized the last words as he neared Jenn.

If he could’ve felt his legs beneath, Brian would’ve ventured to run away again. But he couldn’t, so he did the next best
thing.

Just as Rick was about to jab Jenn with the injection, Brian moved his arm, intercepting the drug into his own vein.

"Guys, I don't think I can do this. I'm just not ready." Nick said as he sat down in a nearby seat. Today was the day of the
press conference. It had been o­ne month and Brian and Jenn had still not been found.

"I know that this is going to be hard o­n you Nick. Hell, it's going to be hard o­n all of us. But lets just hope that doing this
brings Brian and Jenn back to us." AJ said as he put his hand o­n Nicks shoulder reassuringly.

Nick just sat there quietly for a few minutes. Looking around the room, he was greeted with somber faces. Kevin was
at the door, talking to o­ne of the coordinators of the press conference. Howie was o­n the other side of the room with
Lori and Nicole.

Nicks heart always skipped a beat when he set his eyes upon his daughter. He was so grateful for all the help that Lori
had been for him. She had been taking care of Nicole since the kidnapping, and been acting as mom for Nicole. Nick
wouldn't be able to thank her enough when this whole situation was over.

And then there was Sara, sitting in a chair just staring out into space. She seemed so lost without Brian. He was
worried about her, she rarely talked to anyone any more. But today, she was ready to face the press. Nick was proud
that she had decided to go with them, get this over with.

AJ noticed the distant look in his friends eye and nudged him o­n the shoulder. "Nick man, you gonna be alright?" AJ
asked.

"Yeah, just thinkin." Nick said directing his attention to AJ.

"Don't hurt yourself man." AJ joked. "But seriously man, we need to go out there with positive outlooks. I can feel that
this will make a difference in them coming back home to us."

"Okay guys, its time." Kevin said as he waved them over to the door.

Nick stared at the door not moving for a second. He knew that he had to go out there. For Jenn, for Nicole, for Brian, and
even for himself.

Standing up o­n shaky legs, the youngest boy steadied himself and looked towards Sara who was watching him
intently. ‘Be strong. Do like Brian’s doing for you..’ Nick thought to himself, outstretching his hand toward the young girl’
s, who accepted with a sad smile. He returned it and, embracing her quickly, the headed out to face not o­nly the press,
but the world.

He felt her thin, cool fingers grasp his hand even tighter as the bright flashes of cameras welcomed the group out o­nto
the stage area. Nick and Sara took two seats in the middle while AJ and Howie took two places next to Nick and Kevin,
next to his cousin’s wife.

“Um, thank you for coming today.” The blonde cleared his throat, trying to ignore the many signs that fans at the
conference were holding in support. He knew they were just being supportive but Jenn’s face staring back at him when
he was trying so hard to hold his composure was too much. He guess Sara must have sensed this by his long pause
and she took everyone by surprise when she started speaking.

“Yes, thank y’all all so much.” Her southern accent was so similar to Brian’s that Kevin had to smile and close his eyes
for a second, remembering his cousin for a moment. “ We appreciate all the love and support that y’all have given us
through the past months. It’s been such a terrible..” She took a breath, her voice wavering, “..horrible time for us all.”

Her hand rested o­n Nick’s back. Without looking at him, she knew he was upset and it was her turn to help him. “So,
any questions?”

“Mr. Carter, how is your daughter doing?” A short woman in the back called out.

A small grin crossed his face. “She’s doing very well. She keeps me going..”

“Mrs. Littrell, you and Mr. Littrell were having a hard time after the accident earlier this year. Was that resolved or..”

“We’re very much in love. We always were and…Brian and I would never stay mad at each other for too long. We just
couldn‘t.” Wow, she couldn’t take much more of this. She had forgotten all about their arguments, all she remembered
is that last night together. Making love for the first time in months…

A deep breath to her right made her lose her train of thought and she caught Nick’s face just in time to see it contort in
pain and sadness.

“Nick…” AJ patted his back. But it was no use. He was in a panic, a sudden sadness tingling through him. “Hey
buddy…” By this time, Kevin and Howie both had decided to try and help Nick off the stage. He wasn’t ready for this, but
no o­ne had expected him, they thought Sara would be the o­ne to break down.

Sara’s brown eyes watched as Nick’s body became heavy and paralyzed against his will. She could see the struggle
within himself reflecting in his eyes and she knew that reality had just hit him.

She knew that look because it was the same look she faced most days when she looked into the mirror. The men
trying to help Nick, as helpful as they had been, would never understand that feeling and she hoped they never would
have to.

“Nick,” The brunette finally took action as she realized that she too had froze to take everything in and the media was
starting to eat it up. Flashes were going off everywhere and reporters stood quietly talking with the sad scene of a
Backstreet Boy falling apart in the background. “Nick, look at me.” She put a gentle finger under his chin, lifting his face
level with hers. “Sweetheart.. We’re gonna get you out. You’re not ready and neither am I.”

“I have to do this. I have to…” He mumbled. He wanted to be strong, he wanted to take o­ne for the team. He wanted to
help Jenn and Brian.

“You don’t have to Nick. You’ve been so strong… so strong. And, right now,” Sara stroked his blond hair for a moment.
“You just need to let go. It’s hard, I understand, and…we just need to go home.” The more she thought about it, the
more she felt herself starting to break down too. If she didn’t get out soon, they were both screwed.

Everyone o­n the stage breathed a sigh of relief as Nick took Sara’s hand and, together, they walked off, leaving Kevin,
Howie, and AJ to answer a few more questions.

“There. Better?” The woman offered him a gentle smile as he sat back down o­n the couch where he had been sitting
just 30 minutes prior.

“Yah.” Nick offered a sad, weak smile. Damn, why’d he give up so easy? “I think I suck.”

“Niccckkk, c’mon now. If you sucked, that beautiful baby girl over there would not be calling you daddy.” Sara grinned,
pointing to the small girl sleeping in Lori’s lap.

“I guess.” He rubbed his hair down and eyed the girl beside him. “When’d you get so talkative?”

Sara sighed. “Oh..I have a feeling it won’t be for long. I can o­nly last so long before that certain depression sets in
again. I just…haven’t been feeling well, you know?”

The blonde nodded and stared down at the floor a little longer. “How do you get rid of that feeling Sar? How do you..”

“I don’t know Nick. I just think… that somewhere out there, Brian can hear me and I know he’s as much with me as I
am with him.” She squeezed his hand a bit.

Before Nick could respond, he heard a muffled noise come from Sara and she darted out of the room. Lori’s head shot
up from where she was trying not to distract Nick and Sara but the sudden movement was cause for concern.

“Hey Nick, do you think you’ll be cool with Nicole for a sec while I go check o­n Sara?” Lori asked him, her eyes still
pasted o­n the doorway that Brian’s wife had ran out of.

“Yes. I need to hold her.” He responded, longing for some kind of innocence and his o­nly daughter was the perfect
solution. The tiny blond girl was placed in his arms, she felt so perfect. He was holding a part of Jenn in his arms.

“Hey, where are you going?” Kevin inquired as Lori dashed out of the room and down the hallway to the bathrooms.

“I think something’s wrong with Sara.”

“Oh,” A look of concern washed over his face and, waving for the others to join Nick, Kevin followed Lori down the hall.
They both stopped in their tracks when they heard the horrible noises from inside.