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Kevin walked into the bedroom where Jamie was getting dressed. He was carrying something black and bunched up in his right hand. Jamie looked in the mirror, tucking a white blouse into the waistband of her jeans. She noticed Kevin's reflection and turned to face him.


"Why aren't you wearing this?" he demanded.


"Wearing what?"


"This," he replied, handing it to her. Jamie held up the heavy bulletproof vest.


"There is no way that I'm going to wear that, Kevin," she said.


"Yes, you are. Put it on," he ordered.


"No."


"What?"


"You heard me. I'm not wearing it, and that's that."


"You are wearing it, and that's that."


She looked up angrily. "You wouldn't be trying to tell me what to do again, would you?"


"Me? I would never," he said with mock innocence. She turned away from him, and Kevin said, "But you are going to wear it."


Jamie stiffened. Kevin came up behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders. When Jamie didn't move, he turned her to face him, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She pulled away from him, and he sighed.


Kevin carefully guided her to the bed. He sat down, then pulled a resistant Jamie onto his lap.


"Jamie, please. I need you to wear it for my own peace of mind."


Her expression softened. "I understand that. But I'm sorry, Kev, I'm not going to wear it."


It was Kevin's turn to be angry. "Why? You want to die, is that it? Being shot once wasn't enough?"


"Kevin, please. Just hear me out, alright?" she asked softly. He finally nodded, not trusting himself to speak again.


"I'll start with the easy reason first." She half-smiled at him, "It doesn't go with my outfit."


"THAT'S your reason for refusing?" Kevin said in astonishment. "Well, go put something else on then."


Jamie tilted her head and looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "I was kidding. Well, kinda."


He waited.


"You have to admit, it is a big bulky thing. It'll be very obvious I'm wearing it."


"And. . .?"


"And I'm supposed to be bait, remember? If it looks like I'm wearing some type of protection, she'll know instantly that something is up. The plan won't work."


"I'm not too sure it'll work anyway. It's Nick's plan, after all."


She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Leave Nicky alone. The point is that I don't want to add anything that will make the plan fail, okay?"


"So you don't think it'll work then either."


"Kevin," she warned. He smiled sheepishly.


"Sorry, baby. But there's more to this though, isn't there?"


"Now you decide to become perceptive? Kev, your timing stinks."


"Talk to me."


She sighed. "You won't like it."


"There's a lot I don't like, I've discovered. I'm getting used to this feeling. Lay it on me."


Jamie looked away for a moment. "Has it ever occurred to you to just ask me to do something, rather than pretend you're a drill sergeant and order me to do it?"


"You would still say no."


"But I wouldn't get irritated with you. Ordering instead of asking doesn't change anything except to raise my hackles."


"I think I'm starting to see that."


"I thought you might. So you'll just ask from now on?"


"I can't promise anything."


"Unfortunately, I knew that. Kevin, it just really bothers me that you treat me like a little girl."


"You're not a little girl, I do know that."


"Sometimes, I have to wonder. You do the same thing that my parents do to me, and I hated it when I was younger, and I hate it now. I'm all grown up and I can think for myself, make decisions for myself.


"My parents have always wrapped me in silk, made sure that nothing ever bad happened to me, and that I was always safe. They wanted me to always play it safe, never take any sort of risks or chances in life. They acted as if I were the blood royal, and that some tragedy would befall the kingdom if anything ever happened to me. That's no way for a child to grow up. They can't be sheltered all their life from life."


"Is this a polite way of telling me that you're planning on our kids being hellions?" Kevin asked.


She laughed, "No. Although they will be raised to be independent, allowed to live and make mistakes. All the things my parents never let me do. All the thingsyou aren't letting me do."


He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I get the point. I'll try not to do it anymore. I guess I'm just used to acting that way with the fellas. They usually do as I want them to. I'm sorry, Jamie."


"Apology accepted."


He looked down at her, opening his clear green eyes wide. "So will you please wear the vest?"


Jamie closed her eyes and shook her head. "No. I'm not changing my mind about that."


He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "I'm so afraid for you."


"I know. I'm afraid too. But this has to work, Kevin. I'm more afraid of what will happen if it doesn't. And the best way to ensure that it does work is to act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening. So no protective gear. I'm sorry, but it has to be this way." She reached up to run her fingers through his hair.


Kevin sighed, "I don’t like it."


"Objection noted. Have a little faith, Kev. Trust me."


He pulled back from her and smiled wryly, "Why is it whenever someone says 'trust me, it'll work,' that it never does?"


Jamie laughed. "Because it's a great plot device in movies and books. This is different. Look, I'm going to have more people watching me than will be looking at the five of you. It's a bright, beautiful sunny day, we'll be outdoors in the open. It'll work."


"How can you be so sure?"


"I'm not. But it has to work. I don't want to think about what our lives will be like if it doesn't. Now smile for me, kiss me and tell me you love me."


He leaned down and kissed her deeply. "I love you."


"I love you too."


He stared into her tawny eyes. "If you do anything stupid to get yourself hurt, I'm going to kill you." She laughed at him, but Kevin shook his head, "You have to promise this will work."


Jamie's face fell. "There are no guarantees. You know that. But we all really want it to succeed, so it has to." She smiled suddenly, slyly. "You could always just order it to work. . ." The rest of her thought was lost in laughter as Kevin dumped her to the floor, then chased her around the bedroom.





Jamie and Kevin walked into the kitchen to find Brian, AJ, Howie, Nick, Amanda, Leighanne, Alissa and Denise waiting.


"What's with the Backstreet convention?" joked Jamie, trying to produce some smiles on the eight solemn faces in front of her.


"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Denise. "It's okay if you don't honey, this doesn't have to happen today."


Jamie shook her head. "No, it can't wait. I can't do this anymore. I just can't. Denise, it has to end, preferably today. I don't want to deal with this anymore."


"But. . ."


"No," Jamie said sharply. "I'm tired of being afraid, of not being allowed to go anywhere without constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering if everyone I pass is trying to kill me. I'm tired of not being able to sleep at night, of having weird dreams. I'm tired of having everyone around me being frightened. I can't take it anymore. This last year was hard enough without dealing with this too. This has to stop. I want my life back." She tried to pace around the room, but there were just too many people in the way. Brian reached out and pulled her to him, trying to console her.


"Okay, Jaim, calm down. We're just worried about you, that's all. You're right, this is a lot to deal with. But we're all here for you. Just say the word and we'll cancel."


She shook her head again, "No, you can't. Please, just help me get through today. Please."


Brian's arms tightened around her. "You know we will. We'll go through with the plan." The others all agreed.


Jamie sighed, feeling as if a burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you."


"You'll be fine. You've got us, our security, and the Orlando PD looking out for you." He smiled, "Just look how high tech everything is, it's amazing. I mean, that protective vest you've got on, it looks and feels like you aren't wearing one. It's all good, Jaim."


Jamie stiffened as Kevin barked, "That's because she's not wearing the vest, you moron."


In Jamie's ear, Brian whispered, "Oops, sorry," as Kevin went on about how she refused to wear it and how stubborn she was.


She interrupted Kevin, "You were just fine with it upstairs ten minutes ago."


"I lied."


"You could have kept on lying. I wouldn't have minded."


Kevin tried one last time, "Please go and put it on."


"No, I can't."


Sensing another argument about to break out, Nick bounced up out of his chair. "Hey, look at the time, will you? We need to get going. C'mon Jaim, I'll ride over with you. Everyone else is on their own." He grabbed her hand, and the two left the room.


Kevin muttered darkly, "He's been doing that a lot lately."


"What?" asked Amanda.


"Disappearing with Jamie for hours for the last couple of weeks."


"She was there for him after Taylor died. Maybe he's just returning the favor," suggested Howie.


"Maybe, but does he have to do it so that there's bruises and marks on her?"


"What are you saying?" asked Howie.


"I'm saying that after she comes back, she's got marks on her that weren't there before."


"Right Kevin, Nick's been beating the hell out of her as a way to make her forget she's being stalked," scoffed AJ. "Please. Nick wouldn't hurt her and you know that. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation."


Loud rock music suddenly blared from outside, and everyone could tell that Nick was pulling out of the driveway. Kevin rolled his eyes. "I think someone's in a hurry. Couldn't wait the two minutes for me, obviously. When I catch up to him. . ."


Denise quickly intervened, "Kevin, you're coming with me. Someone needs to keep an eye on you, and I think it should be me." Kevin started to protest, but she shook her head and pointed to the door. "Out." Kevin meekly left the kitchen followed by Denise.


AJ had a look of supreme amusement on his face. "Glad to know someone else is being grounded for a change. So, who's gonna take me over?"