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I sat quietly in the back of the car looking at the scenery blurring by me on the way back from the hospital. As an afterthought to the events that had just happened I reached over to my temple and massaged the bandage that kept my ten stitches covered and out of sight.

I hadn’t said one word to anyone since I got into the car. I didn’t even make eye contact with a sole. Not that there were many people accompanying me to begin with; just Kevin’s bodyguard and Kevin himself. Sitting in the back so close to me that I could feel his breath on my neck but yet as silent as a shadow.

I couldn’t bear to look at him or anybody else; if I could I would have just disappeared into the cushions never to be heard from again. I was such a fool. Such an incredible fool.

I closed my eyes and the scene from the apartment flashed before me, me falling and hitting my head on the table full force, it hurt like hell but I was already in pain anyway. Kevin and my bodyguard Mike came storming in, my dad had opened the door for them, I’m sure he would have broken it down otherwise.

My bodyguard pounced on my brother pinning him underneath his big frame while Kevin came running to me. I was a little dizzy but still mad as ever.

“Are you okay Nick? Nick? Can you hear me?” I nodded as he tried to pull me up.

“Oh my God, is he okay? I didn’t mean to hurt him. I would never do that” I looked up to see my brother trying to pull himself away from my bodyguard and make his way towards me, frustrated that he couldn’t do it.

I felt my body being lifted up and decided to give Kevin a hand before he dislocated my shoulders or something, “Ow! Kevin”

“Sorry, aww lil man you are bleeding” I didn’t care; I just wanted to get out of there. My father stood silently watching by the front door, he looked like he wanted to bolt. Who could blame him?

“Nicky I am SO sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you! God are you okay?” Again Mike’s alarmed voice echoed through the small apartment. I wouldn’t even look his way.

I had managed with the help of Kevin to stand up and was now wiping the blood off of my chin. I thought he had punched me at first. I didn’t realize it was just dripping from my temple.

“He needs to go to the hospital” Kevin snapped. He was furious with me I think.

My father made his way over to me, “Nicky are you alright son?” I nodded.

“Nick, please…” Now I allowed myself to look over at my brother. My bodyguard had loosened his grip on him so he slowly began to walk towards me with pleading eyes.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you Nick. I would never do that EVER!” Kevin stood in between me and him now, “you stay away from him do you hear me? I should have stepped in a while ago but I didn’t. Now I am. You come near him again and I will call the police on you!” That’s when I realized it wasn’t me Kevin was furious with. It was my brother.

“Kevin…it’s okay. Let’s just go” I managed to say. I believe it’s the last thing I said.

“Nick I can’t believe you don’t believe me” Mike said as I walked out of the door, “You can go to hell then. I didn’t need you before and I sure as hell don’t need you now!” He screamed. The words ran through my ears and lodged in my heart causing an unbearable ache.

“I’ll check in on you later” Dad said as I began my descent down the steps.

I’m not even sure how we ended up in a car with Kevin’s bodyguard; it was all blurry to me.

I felt Kevin’s arm on my shoulder as he bent closer to me now, “You feeling okay baby?” I nodded, not ready to talk just yet.

I was such a fool…


~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~
Long after the fight broke out and Nick had left, Mike just sat staring at his father. This was the part that John had dreaded most. He loved his son, and he hated to hurt him this way.

“Maybe it’s all for the best” He said trying to console Mike.

“Yeah I agree dad, maybe it is all for the best. You know what would even be better, if you would get the hell out of my life too while you’re at it” He stood up and wiped the small specs of blood left on his face by a cut.

“Aww son, you’re upset you don’t mean that”

“You are wrong old man! I don’t know what exactly you did and right now I don’t really care. All I know is I am going out. When I get back I want you and your stuff out of my house!”

“Mike”

“I mean it, or else I will call the police myself and tell them that you are a lying stealing son of a bitch! Out now!” He said pushing his father out of the way and bolting out of the house like it was on fire.

“I had to son…I did this for us” John said to the empty room, wiping a tear from his eyes.

Maybe he would have to stay clear of Mike for a year or so, just until he got over what had happened but he knew in time; Mike would accept him back into his life. He always did, because plainly put they are all each other had.

John looked around the small apartment; the coffee table was broken with a small pool of blood lying just beneath its legs. The shards of glass that Mike had broken earlier still remained on the floor. The place was a mess; just like his life.

He gathered up the few things he had brought to his son’s and walked out the door, not even looking back. He couldn’t lose his focus now; not when he was so close to what he wanted. What he needed.

He placed his gloves on his hands as he moved outside and then placing his head down into his jacket he started his brisk walk back to the hotel where he hoped he could manipulate his son into handing over his fortune.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike climbed up the stairs with a pizza in one hand and a six pack of beer in the other. When he left his house in a huff, he had no clue where he was going to end up. His first thought was to go to the hotel and make sure his little brother was okay. He really hadn’t meant to hurt him. Sometimes he had no control over his emotions. Seeing Nick bloody and dazed had frankly scared him to death and to top that off, Kevin had to be a witness to it. There was no doubt in Mike’s mind that if he did go see his brother, he would be leaving in handcuffs.

SO instead of making a right towards the hotel, he turned into that pizza place where he had first ran into his brother, ordered a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and walked towards Melinda’s place. If she wasn’t home then he would just sit on a damn park bench and eat the pizza alone and maybe if he was lucky he would freeze to death.

Standing in front of her door, he hesitated before knocking, thinking this was insane. But he did it anyway and when she answered with a look of surprise on her face, he smiled at her.

“Mike what the hell happened to you?”

“I come with food” He said smiling and handing her the pizza. He didn’t feel like answering questions right now, he just wanted to be around a friend.

They sat on her couch watching TV and eating, it wasn’t until two beers into his visit that he finally opened up to her, telling her all that had happened.

“You think your father set you up?” He nodded taking another swig of his beer.

“He accused me of stealing a stupid credit card or something. How could he even think that?”

“Well, not to play devil’s advocate or anything but what would YOU think if your credit card was in HIS pocket?”

“I still wouldn’t think he stole it!”

“So, what happens now?” She asked pulling cheese off the end of the pizza slice and cradling it in her fingers as she slipped it in her mouth.

“Now I say good riddance to both of them”

“Mike you don’t mean that” He turned to her with a very stern look, “I mean that. I don’t need them Melinda…all I need is you” He said attempting to bend towards her and give her a kiss. She moved away, “Mike stop talking out of your ass!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I thought you liked me hell you seem to flirt with me non stop” He sounded hateful and condescending.

“I don’t want to have to throw you out but stop taking your frustrations out on me! I do like you but I will be damned if you think coming over and sticking your tongue down my throat is going to be the simple solution to your family problems” He laughed and in doing so softened up a bit, “You’re right. I’m sorry…it’s just that I don’t know what to do anymore Melinda”

She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, “Well, let’s figure it out then. Do you really want to cut your brother out of your life?”

“I don’t know. I can’t stand the fact that he doesn’t trust me. I don’t think I can get over that”

“Do you love him?’

“Of course I do”

“Then you’ll have to get over it”

“I don’t want to think about him tonight can we just I don’t know…be friends or something? No talk of horrible fathers or famous brothers?” She pulled him close to her and gave him a hug and as much as he wanted to kiss her he decided against it, opting instead to lie his head on her shoulder.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I laid in my bed looking up at the ceiling occasionally stopping long enough to wipe a tear from my eye. I felt so hurt and betrayed, but now I wasn’t sure who I felt betrayed by. Mike looked so surprised by the accusations I was hurling at him and then he pointed the finger at my father.

“Hey” I looked away from the ceiling when I felt Brian sit down on the bed next to me.

“How are you feeling buddy?” I shrugged; not ready to break my vow of silence just yet.

“Nick, please tell me what happened, I want to know. Maybe I can help” He sounded so sincere and loving. I called it his consoling Nick voice. “Kevin said you haven’t said one word since you got hurt. Did your brother knock your voice box clear out of your head?” He was really trying everything in his power to make me laugh even resorting to the good old Donald Duck voice. “Awe come on Nicky, please tell Donald what’s the matter with you…aaaaachooo!” He said sneezing in that ridiculous voice. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Now that’s what I’m looking for” I turned away from him then, I wasn’t ready to let this slide off my back. How in the hell do you let something like this even slide off your back in the first place.

“Mike stole your card didn’t he?” He asked now lying down next to me even though my back was towards him. “That is what happened isn’t it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it Brian...please leave me alone”

“He speaks” I wiped another tear from my eyes and thankfully because he wasn’t facing me he didn’t notice.

“Please leave me alone Bri…”

“If I were this upset would you leave me alone?”

“If you asked me to I would”

“You Nick Carter are a big fat liar!” Then I felt him hug me from behind, “We love you Nick”

“No one loves me” I whispered.

I’m not sure if he heard me say that or not but he just laid there next to me and didn’t say another word. Not until Howie came into the room declaring that my father was waiting to come up to talk to me. His tone was also sickly sweet. I sat up then and Brian shortly followed.

“You want me to stay?” He asked me.

I shook my head which had my two friends glancing at each other in concern.

“You sure Nicky? We could both kind of stay here just in case he upsets you”

I looked over at Howie now, “He won’t upset me…noting can upset me anymore”

“Nicky…”

“Howie enough coddling…just tell them to let him up” He smiled at me, “Well at least you are talking again” I smiled.

Brian stood up and fixed his hair in the mirror, “You know what kiddo…it’s your brother’s loss not yours because no matter what, you have four other brothers who love you like crazy. I know you don’t believe that right now, but I swear on my Mother it’s true”

“Thanks Brian” I smiled as he pat me on the head, “See ya later knucklehead”

After Brian left I ran into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face before my dad came into the room. I didn’t need him to see me weak.