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"Okay... I think I have everything..." Stephanie double-checked her suitcase and duffel bag, checking the clock. It was nine-fifty. A representative from MTV said a limo was going to arrive around ten in the morning. She had tried to go to bed early the night before, but still woke up at dawn too excited to sleep. An attempt to make breakfast merely resulted in her almost setting the apartment on fire. "Time could not go any slower!"

Pacing the length of the living room, Stephanie furiously cracked the knuckles of her fingers. She had hoped someone would be around to celebrate this grand occasion. Someone to wish her the best of luck on the most life altering event of her life. Yet, she was alone. She had been born in Nevada, but moved to Minnesota when she graduated high school; nothing was keeping her there and she needed a change. It had been six years since she left and still had no one she could call a friend.

"I'm going to lose my mind waiting for this damn limo--" Her sentence was interrupted by a gentle rapping on her front door. She nearly ran to open it, gathering herself quickly before doing so.

"Miss James?" A kind man with gray hair and warm green eyes smiled, tipping his hat.

"That's me. I'm guessing you're the one taking me to the airport?" She smiled back, shaking his hand.

"That would be me," he agreed with a nod, motioning toward her bags.

"I can carry my duffel bag," Stephanie heaved it onto her shoulders as he picked up the suitcase. Once they were outside, she locked the door and followed the driver down to a pearly white limousine.

"I hope you get used to people waiting on you," the driver chuckled as he moved to the trunk of the stretching car. Opening it, he tucked her suitcase securely inside, reaching for her duffle bag as well. Once the trunk was closed, he reached to open the back door for her.

"I guess it wouldn't be so hard to let someone do things for me," she smiled sheepishly, climbing into the vehicle without a second thought. A yelp immediately escaped her lips as she fell onto something soft.

"Like me to be your seat?" a soft, male voice questioned.

"Yes! I mean, no... I mean, I... I... what are you doing here? The woman from MTV didn't say anything about you arriving with the limo--"

"That was part of the surprise," Howie chuckled, reaching to help Stephanie seat herself on the opposite side of him. He watched her jump slightly when the driver closed the door, causing him to smile. "TRL doesn't have to know all the plans. I thought it would be nice to meet you here."

"It's definitely a nice surprise. I've wanted to meet you for so long and now you're right in front of me and I'm babbling like an idiot," Stephanie groaned, covering her face as she blushed crimson.

"Guess I should just be talking more," Howie decided, reaching out his hand. "Or maybe a proper greeting is in order. Hello."

Stephanie pulled her hands away from her face, grasping his firmly. A sudden warmth rushed through her as their skin connected. "Hello. Thank you for coming. Now I don't have to ride the airplane alone."

"Am I allowed to call you by your first name?"

"Of course. No one calls me Miss James unless it's my boss lecturing me," Stephanie nodded, their hands still linked together.

"What do you do for a living?" Howie inquired with an honest curiosity, glancing down at their twined hands.

"At a marketing agency downtown St. Paul. On the side, I write for the local paper."

"A full plate."

"Yeah, it keeps me busy. Not as busy as you guys... I don't know if I could handle that," Stephanie smiled softly.

"I bet you could."

"I guess we'll see for this last part--"

"Miss James, Mr. Dorough, we're at the airport," the driver politely interrupted.

"You ready to change your life?" Howie invited, reaching for her hand once more as he stepped out of the limo.

"Ready and willing," Stephanie smiled again, taking his hand. Little did she know how much change was going to happen.


~*~*~*~


"How long has it been since you've flown on an airplane?" Howie raised an eyebrow as Stephanie finally let go of his sleeve. For the first thirty minutes of the flight, they had made small talk but she seemed to be a little uneasy.

"I... um..." Stephanie squealed slightly at the turbulence racing beneath the plane. "Never flown..."

"It's alright. Nick and Brian still get like that when we fly and we've been doing it for over ten years," Howie chuckled, wrapping an arm around her in hopes to settle her nerves.

"I'm being compared to Brian and Nick, yeah, that's consoling me," Stephanie joked with a tight laugh, glancing to her opposite side to see Howie's fingers cradled over her shoulder. She smiled at the sweet sensation that flushed over her body. Boy was she infatuated with the man.

"It was worth a shot and hey... it calmed you down," Howie pointed out, offering his handsome smile. The exact smile that made her melt into a puddle.

"Not really," she wheezed, flushing as she turned her gaze to the window.

"Well, maybe there's something I can do?"

"That's not what I meant..."

"What do you mean?"

"Your smile..."

"What about my smile?" Howie pried gently, trying not to embarrass her.

"I..." Stephanie swallowed the thick lump in her throat, forcing her gaze to meet his. "I really love your smile. That's what calmed me."

"Thank you," Howie couldn't help but smile. It had been awhile since someone had complimented him like that. "I like your smile, too. It lights up your eyes."

"Thank you," Stephanie whispered, unable to keep herself from smiling otherwise. To have someone like Howie compliment her was breathtaking. He mingled in the circles of the most beautiful people. Yet he was complimenting her. She could hardly contain her excitement as her blue-gray eyes electrified.

"You're very welcome," Howie took a sip of his water and glanced back at her. "We have an hour and a half to kill... what do you want to do?"

"What can you do on a plane?"

"Play card games... watch a movie... listen to music... sleep... okay, it's not all that exciting, but there are things to--"

"Do?" Stephanie guessed as his phone began to chirp incessantly.

"Just about," Howie chuckled, taking his phone and standing up. "I'll be right back and when I do, we'll figure something out."

"Sounds good," Stephanie complied, leaning back in her lush chair.

Howie smiled and walked towards the back of the plane, flipping open his phone. "What is it now, Nick?"

"Besides the fact that I superglued Kev's hands to his head?" Nick cackled.

"You three are unbelievable! I'm gone for only a day and you manage to superglue Kevin already?" Howie groaned, trying not to laugh.

"Not three. Just two."

"Just two? Where's the other one?"

"Brian? Where is he normally, D?"

"Out walking. Again," Howie sighed.

"Walking, sleeping, walking, sleeping, in the bathroom..."

"This is getting out of hand, Nick. Ever since Leighanne broke the engagement... he hasn't been himself."

"What do you want me to do, D? I try to talk to him. Then he just gets pissed off when I say he's better off without her. Then he slams the door, turns on his music really loud... I don't know. He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"He doesn't anything to do with us. And that's the problem. Before this, he was always the one saying we need to talk to each other. And now he won't talk at all. I just don't want it to get out of control."

"Don't you think it's beyond that point?" Nick stated honestly and with a heavy sigh.

"...It is, isn't it?"

"Yeah. And I don't know what to do. I feel like we're losing him by the minute, D."

"Is that why you called?"

"Um... not really..."

"Spill it, Nick."

"Kind of wanted to know about that--"

"IS SHE HOT?!" AJ bellowed from behind Nick, obviously just appearing within the room.

"I should have been expecting that sooner," Howie groaned, holding the phone away from his ear.

"Well?" Nick inquired as there was a shuffle and Howie was placed on speaker.

"You know I don't talk about women like that--"

"Oh, give me a break! You know whether she's hot or hot!" AJ snorted.

"It's not like you'll be getting with her--"

"Wait, you claimed her already?!"

"I didn't--"

"So she's up for grabs!"

"I didn't say--"

"Will you just tell us so AJ doesn't have an anner... annuer...anniversary... no... What’s that word?!"

"Aneurysm, smart one," Howie sighed with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, whatever, let's go!"

"Yeah, what does she look like?"

"Like--"

"If you say a woman, I'm kicking your ass when you get here," AJ threatened honestly.

"She has blonde hair, blue eyes, average height," Howie trailed, not really wanting to give specifics to her looks. Though in his mind he could describe her perfectly. Long, straight blonde locks with the delicate streak of lowlights. Which seemed to compliment the jeweled stud in her nose and set her blue-gray eyes ablaze with passion. Her body curvaceous, rounding perfectly within the shape of a cola bottle. Honest to God perfection.

"That's all you're going to tell us about her?"

"What else is there to know?"

"If he's hiding her looks, that means he doesn't want you two vultures picking at her like a piece of meat, so get off the phone," Kevin growled.

"Oh, shit! He unglued his head!" Nick yelped, dropping the phone to take cover.

"Gotta go, D! See you-- oh, shit!" AJ hung up and attempted to escape Kevin's wrath.


~*~*~*~


"We're at the hotel, Mr. Dorough," the driver announced yet again as he pulled the limousine up to a posh hotel that the group had called home for the past couple of weeks. Howie nodded and looked down at Stephanie, who had fallen asleep after a hectic day.

At first, Howie didn't have the heart to rouse the sleeping woman. She had nestled herself comfortably against his chest. It had been so long since he felt the familiar comfort of a woman curled against him. The soft scent of her shampoo alluring him to the most basic of carnal desires. She was a beautiful image below him and he couldn't help himself, tracing his fingers down her cheek. "Stephanie?"

"Mmm..." Stephanie in turn buried her face into his soft t-shirt, sighing softly. She definitely enjoyed her sleep.

"You going to wake up to meet the rest of the gang?" Howie inquired, though he was far more content holding her.

She peeked her eyes open and looked up at him through her square-rimmed glasses. "Can we resume this nap later?"

"I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable in your hotel room for a peaceful nap," Howie agreed.

"I meant with you... but if you're too busy--"

"I didn't know you--"

"I'm sorry, I was being too forward. My mother always told me that when I was growing up," Stephanie straightened and pulled off her glasses for a moment to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'd like to take a nap with you."

"Really? You would?" She put her glasses back on and glanced at him in question. They had just met and it felt like she was throwing herself at him.

"It would be nice. It's lonely on tour," Howie admitted, opening the door of the limo as the driver gathered their luggage for a bellhop. They had been driven to the back of the hotel, away from the clamoring fans dying to see a glimpse of a hero.

"I know what's like to be lonely," Stephanie agreed as he helped her out of the limo. He continued to hold her hand as they walked inside and her jaw dropped.

"You trying to catch flies?" Howie inquired with a chuckle.

She closed her mouth and a deep blush crept onto her cheeks. "I've never been in a hotel like this. It's so beautiful!"

"Well, I hope you get used to it."

"I can definitely get used to it," She smiled as they walked into a golden elevator. The walls were delicate mirrors and it felt like a single touch would break them.

"Getting used to the rest of the boys is going to be the hardest part," Howie admitted.

"Are Brian, AJ and Nick as crazy as they are on television and concerts?" Stephanie questioned, relishing the touch of their hands linked together.

"AJ and Nick, probably more so than what media portrays them to be. We actually tell them to hold back for the majority," Howie laughed as the elevator doors slid open to reveal the lavish suite of hotel rooms at the very top floor of the hotel. The penthouse suite. "And Brian used to be."

"Used to be? But why--oh… Leighanne…"

"That's the hardest part of the career. The media knowing everything. I hope you'll keep our confidence about Brian. He's... Different..." Howie explained quietly as he moved her toward their living room where the boys would be waiting. Hopefully all four.

"I will, I promise. No one will know what happens behind closed doors," Stephanie vowed, one she would always keep. She found her heart beating a little fast. Finally, she would be meeting the rest of the group that helped her for so many years.

"Don't be disappointed if he isn't here, either."

"Where does he go?"

"We don't really know. We used to ask every time he came back, but he would just say he was out walking. So, that's where he usually goes if not sleeping or in the bathroom."

"Poor Brian," Stephanie whispered.

"I know," Howie squeezed her hand gently. "But don't talk about it, alright? He can be pretty unstable and even a mutter of her name could set him off."

"Alright," Stephanie agreed with a firm nod, allowing Howie to bring her into the room. Sure enough, four men were waiting amongst the couches, three boosting themselves to their feet for welcomes. Kevin was first to kiss her cheek and wish her congratulations. AJ then hugged her with the same, promising a fantastic vacation. And Nick tripped at some look Howie offered, causing him to merely shake her hand.

"It's very nice to finally meet you all," Stephanie replied warmly, glancing sideways to see Brian still sitting on the couch. She tried to shrug it off, knowing what he was going through. "I know it sounds corny, but I've been dreaming about this day for a long time."

"Us too!" AJ agreed with a saucy grin. "Well, after we found out that you won. Then when Howie told us you were hot."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows as she turned to Howie. "He said I was hot?"

Howie flushed red. "I said--"

"You could hear it in his voice!" AJ added fuel to the fire, grinning.

Howie turned ashen. "AJ, I swear to God!"

"Then he proceeded to claim you as hands off to me and Nick--"

"That's true!" Nick blurted.

"You two are dead--"

"That was what Kevin said earlier after he unglued his hands and we're still alive--"

"You two are nuts," Stephanie laughed in shock.

"I warned you about them," Howie mumbled, feeling completely humiliated in front of her.

"I like it," Stephanie answered with a grin.

"You do?"

"Of course. They know how to make life interesting at its most boring time."

"Brian used to be like that," Nick muttered loudly.

"Nick!" Howie and Kevin hissed as Stephanie pretended to ignore his comment for the group's sake.

"It's the honest to God truth," Nick defended.

"Well you need to keep the truth to yourself," Brian suddenly muttered, hating to feel as if he were being purposely ignored. They acted as if he hadn't existed within the group. As if he had disappeared since Leighanne left. Then again, maybe he had. Boosting himself from the couch, he fidgeted with his long sleeve shirt.

"It's nice to meet you," Stephanie walked over and held out her hand, hoping that her actions would drop the potential argument.

Brian glanced down at her hand for a wavered moment that brought a thick cloud of tension. But, swallowing his pity, he reached to take her hand. "Nice to meet you as well..."

Stephanie smiled softly, breaking some of the tension as she glanced at the men. "I don't want to be rude, but I've had a really long day... Howie, could you show me the room I'm staying in?"

"Bet he won't be out till tomorrow morning," AJ announced with a wicked grin.

"You little--"

"Asshole, I know!"

"We'll get more acquainted as a group after I take a nap," Stephanie took Howie's hand and pulled him out of the living room.

"Looks like she's already acquainted herself with Howie pretty well," AJ laughed.

"You're still dead!" Howie shouted back, his voice silenced as a door closed.

"But what a way to go," AJ breathed, flopping over Brian, causing both to crash to the couch.

"Do you always have to do shit like that?" Brian groaned, pushing AJ off himself. He stood and headed towards the door.

"Brian! Where are you going?"

"Out for a walk."

"To where?" Kevin demanded, feeling his heart lurch.

"Nowhere and it's none of your damn business. You're not my keeper."

"What if--"

"I'll be back later," Brian opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.