Yay for Howie getting his new liver "installed" successfully!! Woo hoo! Also, yay for Lauren being the most amazing fiance ever! I seriously LOVE her at this moment. Nobody else would have had the guts to force a situation between Nick and Howie like she just did. LOVE IT! Also, yay for nurse Erika since she has a great name!! HAHA :P

Author's Response: Thanks! I am loving writing Lauren in this story too! Nurse Erika is awesome cause she's named after you! :) I like to give cameos to people who leave me feedback in my medical dramas... one, as a show of appreciation, and two, because I get sick of trying to come up with names for all these nurses and doctors and people. So again, thank you!!

Well, this chapter broke my heart. The idea of Howie having to see Holden take his first steps over webcam really got to me. I couldn't even imagine having missed my daughter's first steps like that! In terms of Howie and Leigh, I'm not surprised that Leigh is filing for divorce, but it's still sad. If I were in her position, I would have done the same thing. I think you've done an excellent job at portraying her character; she's not asking for a ton of money and she still wants Howie to be able to see the kids. That definitely seems like how Leigh would behave in real life as she always comes across as so sweet. Of course, I think that Howie will give her half his money and the house anyways ... that's just how he rolls. :P

Author's Response: Thanks! I'm glad you can see Leigh's side of things. On one hand, it's really sad for Howie that she left with the kids and he's not able to see them, but on the other hand, I think she has valid reasons for not wanting to bring them all the way across the country to see him and is being reasonable about the divorce. I don't want her to come across as a villain in this story; I just am trying to show a different reaction compared to Lauren's acceptance of Nick's situation. I do think Leigh seems really sweet in real life, and thankfully, she and Howie seem super happy together. I also think Howie would give her whatever she and the boys need. Thanks for the review!

OMG! The whole comparing Howie to an annoying, needy dog analogy had me busting a gut. Too funny!! I probably shouldn't have read this during my lunch break as I definitely confused some of my co-workers by laughing away at my phone screen. Anyways, Nick was super adorable in this chapter. It's so sweet that he doesn't want to risk infecting Lauren, but they're going to have to work something out as they can't go the rest of their married lives without being intimate. Well, I guess they technically could ... but who would WANT to do that? Happy (belated) Valentine's Day! I hope yours turned out a bit better then Nick and Lauren's did. :P

Author's Response: Thanks! I cracked myself up writing the beginning of this chapter too. Glad you enjoyed! I feel for Nick and can kind of understand his perspective, but at the same time, he is being overly paranoid. Like you said, he definitely needs to get over this somehow if he and Lauren are going to have a healthy marriage. My V-Day was definitely better than theirs LOL. Hope yours was too! Thanks again! :)

Ahhhhhh I had a feeling that it was going to be a picture of Nick and Howie in some form!! That headline is TOTALLY believable - very TMZesq. While I am proud of Howie for deciding to let the world in on his secret, I can't help but feel that he might be doing it for the wrong reasons. I really think that a small part of him thinks (and hopes) that he will be able to win Nick over by being brave; that the two of them will end up together. If that's the case, then going public is going to blow up in Howie's face faster than the media can print the word 'scandal'! Just so you know, I'm really enjoying having something to read again!! :)

Author's Response: You called it! I definitely had TMZ in mind with that headline, LOL. I do think a part of Howie is still hoping he can somehow win Nick over. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for the review!

Okay, well, I was clearly a bit off on the whole Nick wanting to die thing. However, I KNEW that the dumb-dumb had stopped taking his medication. I just want to reach through my screen and smack some sense into him. Also, I'm curious to see how the other guys are reacting to all of this. Any chance we're going to hear from any of them in the near future?? :P

Author's Response: LOL You called it! He makes such bad decisions sometimes. I have been trying to figure out how to bring the other guys back into this; I know they've been out of it for awhile. It doesn't seem like they hang out together much when they're not working in real life, so it's hard when they're not touring or recording in the story to come up with situations where they'd all be together. I guess a phone call would work, if I could think of a conversation that needed to be shown... I don't wanna bring them back just for pointless filler, but I definitely do want to bring them back at some point. I'm just not sure when it will be yet! Thanks for asking and for reviewing!

Hmmmm I have no clue where you are going to take this and I LOVE it! Honestly, this could all go in so many different directions and I really like the fact that you haven't given any kind of a hint. That being said, I still think coming clean is going to blow up in Howie's face. The media will have a field day with his admission, but it won't make anyone forget about Nick. It will probably actually do the exact opposite; the media will take Howie's truth and connect it with the rumours about Nick and inadvertently reveal the actual truth - that they are both infected and that Howie was the one who gave it to Nick.

Author's Response: Thanks for the review! I'm loving reading your thoughts. I can't say too much, but you're right that it could go in many different directions, and the things you brought up are definite possibilities! Just seeing what Charlie Sheen went through not too long ago confirmed what a field day the media would have if this were real, and the less the guys say, the more the media will speculate.

"Selfishly, I hoped I was right. I loved the idea of leaving the drama in L.A. behind and having Nick all to myself somewhere else." - Howie, Howie, Howie; tisk tisk. You are being a bit selfish here - telling Lauren to move on and be independent but then suggesting that Nick should move to Florida with you? Perhaps, Howie needs to start practicing what he's preaching. This chapter actually made me a bit angry. Well, I was loving the fact that Howie was being all sweet and offering Lauren the right advice, but then he ruined my mood with his thoughts at the end. Ugh! Who needs to move on now?? FYI, the bit about comparing Nick to a needy cat was spot on!

Author's Response: Yes, Howie is being a bit selfish and hypocritical. Glad you enjoyed the part comparing Nick to a needy cat LOL. Thanks for the review!

Okay, just so you're aware, I read this on my break at work and that probably wasn't a good choice! LOL I'm pretty sure everyone I work with heard the gasp that came from my office when I got to the end of the chapter. :P Anyways, I am definitely NOT a slash fan. In fact, I would never purposefully read a slash fic as the idea of any of the guys being paired together romantically makes me a bit uncomfortable. It's strange as I am quite friendly with several same-sex couples and I have no problem with how other people choose to live their lives. I think it comes down to the fact that the boys aren't gay in real life and, because of that, I find it somewhat awkward when they are made to be gay in fiction. All of that being said, I'm so bloody invested in this damn story that there's no way that I can possible stop reading now! Damn you for being such a good writer and getting me hooked!! I also have to applaud you for getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. I think that you're approaching the entire situation in a very realistic way, and that's making it easier for people (like me) who may be weird-ed out by slash to continue reading. So, where does all of this leave Nick? Is he indeed bi-sexual, or has he just developed some kind of an infatuation with Howie because the two of them have always been so close? It's obvious that Nick is lonely and that he's struggling to come to terms with his new reality, so it stands to reason that he would latch on to someone who has always been there for him in the past. At this point, I truly do believe that Nick is seeking out Howie's comfort more than anything (re: a romantic relationship). Of course, Nick's confusion is only going to mean more bad things for Howie as HE is likely the one who is going to get his feelings hurt once again. Also, I am super curious to see how the other boys are going to react to this "new" Nick and Howie relationship (?)!! Of course, I have my assumptions: AJ will just wave his hand and shrug it off like it's no big thing. Brian will secretly be okay with the entire situation, but he will probably become distant because of other "influences" in his life that will insist that he shouldn't be okay with it. Finally, Kevin will insist that the two of them seek counselling to resolve any lingering issues that may have a negative impact on the group as a whole. Hopefully, this is a better prediction as my Instagram theory from the previous chapter was apparently a bust. Okay, this review is super long. I'm done!

Author's Response: Wow, thanks for the long review!! Honestly, everything you said about BSB slash is exactly how I feel about it too. I don't have a problem with gay people in real life; I have gay friends too and am totally in support of same sex marriage and equal rights and all that. That said, my issue with slash in our fandom has always been the suspension of disbelief factor: I know none of the guys are actually gay, so when I read about them in romantic relationships with each other, it just seems silly, and I can't take it seriously. I even read some slash over the weekend for inspiration, and even though it was well-written, it still made me giggle. So that was the challenge I was trying to overcome with this story and the original short story: to see if I could write it in a way that was at least semi-believable and not too silly. For me, it really wasn't THAT much of a stretch to imagine Howie as a closeted gay man who got married and had kids because his Catholic upbringing made him think homosexuality was a sin. Nick has been much more of a struggle for me to figure out. I loved reading your speculation about where his head is because I've gone back and forth about that myself, too. I'm really glad to hear the situation is seeming realistic to you. I loved your thoughts on how the other guys might react. I haven't gotten that far yet, but they will be back in the story in a few chapters, I promise! Thanks so much for sticking with the story and for your feedback; I really appreciate it! :)