Author's Chapter Notes:
We thought we should celebrate the release of Unbreakable with an update! Enjoy and thank you for all the reviews!
"Okay, guys, that was a great session," One of the recording assistants praised as he saved all the work they had done for the day into the large recording system. They had been working all day and now the whole night was theirs.
"Damn right it was great," AJ replied, almost overconfident as he took off his headset with a grin.
"He says that because he did most of his solos today," Nick decided with a smirk, pulling his own headphones off and slipping a hand into his back pocket. Withdrawing his expensive cell phone, he flipped it open to read the recent text message. Now, grinning like a fool, he tucked the phone back into the pocket. He had spent most of the week on outings with Stacia when he wasn't occupied in the studio. The papparazzi had frenzied over the recent coupling, though they had merely enjoyed each other's company. Nothing was concrete. If anything, they had goofed around as friends while he continued to steal occassional kisses. But he hadn't let the others know that. She just needed a break. Or so she had said.
"At least I got them done. How many times did you need to sing your solo for Unmis--"
"I can't help it!" Nick immediately defended while following his friends out to the sitting room. He tripped on the crayons Baylee had scattered on the floor while coloring with Kevin, who had stopped by the studio to listen as well as babysit. Falling onto the couch, he gave a chershire grin as the others chuckled at his expense. "My phone was vibrating my ass and it started tickling!"
"I don't need to know your kinky turn-ons," Howie groaned, making a face. He knelt down to Baylee, who handed him a piece of paper so he could color as well.
"I'll just save it for the videos," Nick promised, leaning over to gently scoop Mason from his carseat. Cradling him against his chest, he mentioned to Kevin how beautiful the boy was, causing Kevin to grin with fatherly pride. Everyone got caught up within the conversation. Except for Brian.
Unable to take the cheerfulness of the conversation, Brian excused himself to find a soda in the nearby soda machine. He knew the reason why Nick was so chipper, especially after hearing the familiar ringtone that signaled Stacia's phone call. He couldn't stand to think of them together. Especially now. Leighanne's latest attack had been quite severe. Falling down the steps had bruised several of Brian's ribs and fractured his left wrist. Also, the left side of his face was grossly swollen and bruised from the whip of the toy against his face. Scratches even surfaced over the length of his body. Yet, Leighanne acted as if nothing was wrong. Gone again in a few days notice.
"Hey... Need some change?"
Brian looked up to see Stacia standing in the doorway of the studio. She and Nick were obviously going out for the night -- she had opted to wear a lavender peasant shirt along with a form fitting pair of black capris. Her locks were pulled up into a high ponytail; loose strands framed her heart shaped face.
"Rich musicians like yourself can't carry change and have themselves jingling with each step, huh?" Stacia inquired further when Brian kept silent, merely staring at the lit soda machine. Tucking her hand into a front pocket, she retrieved a crisp dollar bill and fed the machine. Pushing on the button that spit out Brian's favorite soda, she stooped down to pluck the soda from the machine. "Here."
"Thanks," Brian grasped the bottle, placing it into the crook of his left arm while opening it with his right hand. He took a long sip, the bubbly liquid soothing his parched throat. It always seemed to dry out when Stacia was near.
"Are you not talking to me anymore?" Stacia questioned quietly, watching her friend drain away the soda. He made sure that she only saw his right side, that is, till he turned slightly. Noticing the crisp white cast encirling his forearm and the layer of dark bruising, she had to swallow hard to keep herself from gasping. It reminded her of the state of her body when the hooded figure had swept her into the darkness. Unable to help herself, she reached out to brush her fingers over his unmarred cheek. "Brian, what happened?"
"I was being a klutz. I tripped over one of Scooper toys and fell down the stairs," Brian replied with the first excuse he could think of. Who would believe his wife, a woman, did that to him?
"Well thank God you landed on the toy with your face," Stacia breathed in horror, gently rubbing her thumb over his cheek while surveying his injuries. "Jesus, Bear, you've got to be hurting..."
"I've done worse," Brian shrugged, ignoring the flare of pain in his ribs from the sudden movement. He tried to concentrate on Stacia's gentle touch, though he knew soon it would be Nick who would feel it and he shook away the ache in his heart. "Broken bones heal... bruises heal... scratches heal--"
"Where did you get scratches?"
"The toy had some rough edges," Brian explained in a soft murmur, unable to keep himself from leaning into her when her soft lips brushed his forehead. Closing his eyes, he felt the intensity of physical pain wain slightly. He concentrated on the feel of her warm lips on his forehead, comforted at how she refused to pull away, even when speaking. Instead, her lips moved on his forehead, her voice soft and sweet.
"My poor Bear," Stacia cooed, though she couldn't possibly recall what toy of Baylee's would have rough enough edges to leave long scratches down the man's arms.
"I'll be okay," Brian continued to whisper, keeping his eyes closed as if that would prevent her leaving with Nick.
"I hope you feel better, Sweetheart," Stacia whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his brow while she gingerly brushed her hands over his shoulders. She rubbed encouragingly, hoping to strike up some warmth in what felt like a chilled body. He seemed so different at that moment. Petulant and hateful of the world. She could only imagine that hearing about her misfortunes in Philadelphia had disgusted him. If he only knew how horrible the nightmares could be. Perhaps he would understand...
"Seeing you makes things better," Brian opened his eyes and found himself gazing directly into hers. "Sometimes getting slobbery kisses from Scooter isn't the same as yours."
"Yeah..." Stacia trailed, allowing their foreheads to rest against once another, simply holding him close. "Why's that?"
"I think kisses from a woman you care about has a different feeling than kisses from your child."
"Brian, we're friends..."
"And friends care about each other. Don't they?"
"Of course--"
"That's why your kisses have a different feeling than Scoop's."
"Alright," Stacia agreed with a small nod, leaning to press another kiss to his forehead. Even though she was quite rough on him the previous week, she couldn't help but let herself be pulled into him again. He was powerfully addicting. She had always loved him and not having him hurt. Especially now when she needed him most. But she had to continually remind herself - she wasn't in a position to dedicate herself to a man for love and he wasn't in a position to be loved.
When Brian lingered in silence and kept his arms about her waist, she realized that he couldn't let go. Instead, he tucked his chin against her shoulder and allowed his eyes to drift closed. She could feel a fine tremble working through his body as if he were struggling. Gently rubbing his back, she felt him immediately tense with pain. "I'm sorry, Bear--"
"It-It's not your fault. It's just... my back got bruised from falling down the stairs--"
"Did the doctor check that out?"
"Yeah, after I got a cast on my wrist. It's going to be tender for awhile..."
"If you need me to take the munchkin for awhile so you can rest--"
"I would rather you just come over for another night of Disney movies sometime. I'll order pizza, make popcorn and maybe some sundaes."
"If I'm not getting dragged all around California by Nick, I'd love to--"
"Staci! You ready to go, babygirl?" Nick interrupted, almost sauntering over with a grin on his face.
"I'm always ready to go," Stacia promised with a small squeal when Nick hefted her up into a gigantic squeeze of a hug. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she squeezed his shoulders and tried not to look at the devastation on Brian's face. She hated that he was so miserable with her frequent dating of Nick, but it wasn't as if they were sexual fiends. If anything, she just enjoyed having a night out on the town with a protective man at her side.
"See y'all tomorrow!" Nick called to the group, tossing Stacia over his shoulders to elict another squeal as he walked out of the studio.
"And this Saturday!" Stacia called as well, giving a quick wave to Brian before mouthing that she hoped he felt better.
"Why would she see us this Saturday?" Howie inquired with confusion, allowing Brian to gingerly shuffle back into the lounge. He said nothing about the way the youngest pair had collided together to start a relationship, not wanting to flare Brian's temper once more. There had been a mere mention of it during the beginning of the recording session and Brian's glass of water had flown across the studio.
"Nick's taking her to the party after we release the single," AJ explained, shifting Mason gently in his arms when the baby boy started to fuss.
"Oh, I didn't know that."
"You know Nick. Doesn't tell us anything until it's within hours of it actually happening."
"Say huh?"
"He forgets to tell us important things like that," AJ rolled his eyes. "You're getting old, D."
"I'm not the one that quit the group," Howie reminded, gesturing toward Kevin who was engrossed in coloring with his cousin.
"I'm concentrating on raising my family," Kevin muttered, though he picked up a blue crayon just the same.
"Wait... Nick's taking her as his official date?" Brian questioned softly, carefully easing himself on the couch. He had hoped that whatever was occuring between the two had been superficial. Holly had been quite reassuring when she mentioned it was barely even a fling. That Stacia was merely enjoying the attention.
"This is Nick... any time a girl goes with him to something like this, it's an official date. Whether she says it is or not--"
"They'll make a cute couple for the cameras," Kevin decided, though he winced when Brian's foot found his ribcage. Jerking up, he immediately frowned toward his cousin. "You could ask her to go as your date--"
"Leighanne's coming," Brian announced softly.
"She's actually going to be in town?"
"When there's press involved, she's always in town."
"Was she in last night?" AJ questioned, gently patting Mason's diapered backside to soothe him into a light slumber. Grinning when the child raised a fist to suck upon, he decided that starting a family wouldn't be too horrible. He had always feared fatherhood, but Baylee and Mason were starting to give him second thoughts. Though he hadn't the chance to tell Holly yet.
"Yeah. Scooper and I had a camp-out in his room so she could rest in the master bedroom," Brian reached over and ruffled Baylee's curls. The child looked up at him and offered a smile. "We had fun, didn't we?"
"The doctor was nice," Baylee agreed with a nod, ripping the page from his Pirates of the Carribean coloring book. Standing up, he offered the page to his father as a get well present. "He gave me a green lollipop when Daddy got fixed."
"He sure did," Brian smiled, admiring the masterpiece Baylee had created for him. "This is going right on the wall of the studio in our basement, Buddy. You're getting so good at coloring inside the lines."
"I just can't believe you tripped over the kid's toy and tumbled down the steps," AJ grunted while Baylee beamed in accomplishment. "That's usually something Nick would do--"
"It's not something I'm proud of," Brian interrupted, bending down slightly to kiss Baylee's forehead.
"But Daddy, you didn't trip--"
"Baylee, don't you remember? You were in your room when Daddy tripped. You didn't see it," Brian gave the child a look.
"I know but--"
"Why don't you color a picture for Staci? Her favorite pirate is Jack Sparrow."
Baylee nodded and allowed himself to be pushed back to coloring, but the damage seemed to have been done. The three men looked at him quite suspiciously, but he chose to ignore it. Instead, he focused on watching his son color while Kevin and Howie excused themselves for the day. AJ still lingered, however, helping Baylee gather his toys. "Did you get a chance to talk to Staci?"
"A little bit. She felt bad about my lovely little trip down the stairs," Brian replied, refusing to look over at the younger man. "We're going to plan another movie night soon... whenever Nick allows her to take a breath from all their 'dates'."
"As much as you hate them going out... He's been good for her..."
"Yeah, I noticed."
"Bri--"
"It's not my business--"
"I know you love her."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"The Hell it doesn't, B--"
"She's dating my best friend--"
"She's doing that to forget about you and ignore what happened to her in Philly. Do you know she screams at night? In her sleep. She screams bloody murder, but when we come in, she refuses to talk about it. Fuck, Nick doesn't know shit about that. She feels safe having him around."
"And what do you want me to do about it? She won't persue anything because of this," Brian held up his left hand, where his wedding band still remained.
"You could always file--"
"I can't file for divorce."
"Then you can't have Staci," AJ murmured, reaching to collect his keys and phone from the nearby coffee table. "Jesus Christ, Brian, can't you understand how she's feeling? The poor girl was raped. Everything was taken away from her and she's trying so hard to get it back. Then you keep trying to get with her. She already feels like a cheap trick and you're trying to make her your mistress. She doesn't want to keep your bed warm for the night till your bitch of a wife comes home. She wants all of you."
"Just fucking leave already. You don't know what goes on inside my head, nor what I feel," Brian turned away and leaned down to watch Baylee continue to color.
"I'm trying to help you--"
"No one can help me. Just leave me alone, J."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Reading over the stack of notes left in her mailbox at the magazine's central office, Holly was quick to find a direct path to her private office. She had neglected her place of work for at least two weeks since Stacia had arrived, though she had continued to work at home. Now it seemed that cleaning was in order, though AJ had deterred her plans with a quick phone call after rehersal. He had spoke about Brian's recent bought of injuries and his aversion to Nick and Stacia. Of course, Holly hadn't exactly been keen on Stacia seeing Nick either, but after hearing what had happened in Philadelphia... She didn't know what to do with her friend anymore. She seemed so lost in a sea of pain.
Walking into her office, she closed the door behind her before settling into her large leather chair. Turning to her computer, she clicked open a few files that held articles in process and sipped on her mug of chai tea latte as she read through the remaining notes. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see her supervisor slip inside. "Morning, Derek."
"How's Stacia doing?" Derek asked, gesturing to the abundant collection of photographs littering Holly's desk. She loved to be reminded of her friends and family during the work hours, especially when Stacia had been so far away. In fact, Stacia seemed to be the center of most of the photographs.
"She's doing fine. I keep hoping I can convince her to move here so I wouldn't miss her so damn much," Holly forced a smile, taking another sip of her latte as Derek sat down in the chair across her desk. "So, what's up?"
"Your new assistant is here and I just wanted to introduce the both of you."
"Okay... just tell me one thing. He isn't obsessed with Alex, is he?"
"Not in the least," Derek chuckled, motioning for the man lingering in the hallway to enter. Standing up, he placed a hand upon the assistant's back. "Holly, this is Mr. Eric Tate."
"It's nice to meet you," Eric obliged, nodding to Holly before taking her hand in a firm shake. He was a tall man with a somewhat thick frame. Dressing in a pair of casual slacks and a buttoned dress shirt, he seemed to hide the power beneath his stature. Sandy blonde waves fell into his light gray eyes and his proud smile was almost dazzling. Confident. That's what he was.
"It's nice to meet you, Eric. Welcome to the team," Holly smiled. She liked people who could give proper, firm handshakes. He seemed pleasant and she knew he would be easy to work with.
"Thanks," Eric answered, allowing Derek to pat his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway. Pulling out his PDA, he settled onto the chair in front of Holly's desk. She seemed preoccupied for a moment, so he took notice to the photographs covering her desk. "She's beautiful."
"Hmm?" Holly looked up to see Eric glancing at the pictures of Stacia. "Oh! Thank you. That's Stacia, my best friend. We've known each other for years."
"Lucky you," Eric murmured, selecting one photograph from the menagerie. Settling in his seat, he studied the gorgeous woman posed on a seaside rock in her favorite bikini. Of course, he couldn't help the small twitch of a frown when he noticed the man beside her, holding her close. "Is she taken?"
"She's casually dating someone right now. Nothing serious," Holly watched him study Stacia's picture for a moment. She was used to men's reactions when they saw pictures of Stacia.
"You don't sound so happy about the casual dating," Eric noted, using his fingers to cover Brian's form within the photograph.
"He's a player," Holly shrugged as Eric finally placed the photo back on her desk. "She's just a flavor of the week for him."
"She deserves someone much better," Eric murmured, noticing the collection of photographs that had Stacia and Brian posing. "Is she close to Mr. Littrell?"
"They're best friends. When she's in town, they always spend time with Brian's son... they just have a connection."
"That's nice..."
"Yes, I just wish he'd take the plunge," Holly groaned suddenly, pushing herself away from the desk. Noticing some women walking past her office, she made sure to close her door and brace herself against it. "The things we talk about in this room do not leave this room unless it's in the form of my articles. Understand?"
"Understood."
"If anything gets leaked--"
"I understand that you're close with the Backstreet Boys and your focus of writing is dedicated to them. I've already signed a confidentiality form. I understand, Ms. Baker."
"As long as you understand," Holly nodded as she went back to sit at her desk. "I'm just protective of their privacy."
"You act as if Mr. Littrell is having an affair with your friend," Eric chuckled.
"It's anything but an affair--"
"I'm afraid I don't understand..."
"It's... Brian..." Holly stumbled with her words, taking another sip of her drink. "There's a lot of attraction between them. Things start up when they're alone, but he always stops it because he remembers he's still married."
"So Stacia is a tease?"
"God, no! She just has this aura that many men, not just Brian, find alluring."
"So she doesn't care for him--"
"She loves him," Holly argued, leaning back in her thick leather chair to continue sipping on her latte. "She's loved him ever since they first met."
"I still don't understand how they can have that kind of friendship while he's still married to Leighanne. Hasn't she said anything about them?"
"Leighanne is busy with her own career and affairs. She doesn't love Brian and she never will. That's why he needs Stacia. I was hoping that the party we'll be attending at the end of this week would maybe bring them together... But she's going with Nick and apparently Leighanne is going with Brian--"
"So Nick is the guy Stacia's seeing casually?" Eric interrupted with a raise of his eyebrow. "That must make Brian feel threatened."
"He won't admit it," Holly groaned, allowing Eric to take her mug to fill with the coffee that was brewing in the corner of her office. "It's not that Stacia is dating Nick to infuriate Brian... She just wants to enjoy her time here. And Nick is quite entertaining for her. But, God, if Brian would only realize..."
"Why doesn't he just divorce Leighanne? That would solve a lot of this drama," Eric handed her the mug.
"I wish I knew," Holly sighed, thanking her assistant for the fresh cup of coffee. Taking a long sip, she glanced up to Eric with a small smile. "This is the first time that I've actually been able to talk about this with someone objectively. Alex gets so defensive... But I think that's because he acts like Staci's father most of the time..."
"People become protected of the ones they care about," Eric replied with a simple shrug. "I can already tell that's how you are with Stacia -- but you're just trying to make her happy. You believe she has every right to be happy. With Mr. Littrell."
"They're just so perfect for each other..."
"But what happens when she moves back to Philly?"
Leaning up in her seat, she noticed Eric admiring another photograph of Stacia. An unsettling feeling washed over her and she quirked a light brow. "...Did I tell you that she lived in Philly?"
"No... I just assumed," Eric murmured, gesturing toward the photograph of Holly and Stacia at the Philadelphia Zoo. When she relaxed in her seat once more, he offered a soft grin and seated himself once more. "Tell me more about Stacia..."
