Letting himself into the hotel room, Brian found Nick clawing at the bathroom door, dancing side to side.

 

 

“I told you I hafta gooooo!” Nick whined.

 

 

“AJ, open the door and let Nick in…” Brian hissed as he pounded on the door.

 

 

AJ snarled at the closed door. “The kid can wait I was in here first!”

 

 

Brian tugged a hand through his hair. “Then you might as well start the shower.”

 

 

AJ stepped out of the bathroom. “Why?”

 

 

“Because of your immaturity, Nicky didn’t make it.”

 

 

AJ scowled at the young Kentuckian. “Huh?”

 

 

Brian gestured toward the young blonde face reddened with embarrassment.

 

 

“I-I’m sorry,” Nick studdered, tears running down his flushed face.

 

 

Brian looped a fatherly arm around his brother. “Don’t worry about it….it wasn’t your fault.”

 

 

“Can the kid take a shower on his own?” AJ wondered out loud.

 

 

Brian shrugged his shoulders. “Most eight year olds can take showers on their own, I would think. Nick do you take showers at home?”

 

 

Nick shook his head. “Yeah we take showers but someone is in the room with us when we do.”

 

 

Brian smirked at the rebel. “Looks like AJ will be making sure you’re okay when you take your shower since he didn’t----“

 

 

“What the fuck! I don’t want to watch Kaos take a shower,” AJ spat.

 

 

“You’re not gonna watch him shower, you’re just going to be in the bathroom to make sure he doesn’t slip and fall..”

 

 

“If you’re worried about the kid falling how about he just climbs into a bathtub?”

 

 

“It’s up to you then, you caused this mess you figure out what you want to do,” Brian replied.

 

 

AJ looked over at Nick. “Bath okay?”

 

 

Nick nooded his head up and down. “I love baths!” he answered happily.

 

 

AJ shook his head. “Just wait for me to run the water and then you can go in and get undressed. I don’t need to see anything.”

 

 

“You’ve seen it before,” Brian grinned.

 

 

“Yeah but I really don’t want to see it now.”

 

 

Brian walked over to Nick’s suitcase and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt. “Make sure you don’t have the water too….”

 

 

“I’m not gonna scald Carter for chrissakes,” AJ sputtered.

 

 

“I wasn’t concerned about the temperature, just don’t have it too high,” Brian advised.

 

 

AJ rolled his eyes. “I doubt Nicky would drown when we’re only ten feet away from the bathroom door….Okay Nick, the tub is ready, soap is on the ledge with the washcloth. Go on in, holler if you need anything.”

 

 

Brian watched as AJ stepped aside to let the younger man into the bathroom. Resting back on the bed, tucking an arm under his head Brian shook his head. “You’d make a lazy father.”

 

 

AJ puffed his chest out. “I think I would be a great dad.”

 

 

He watched as AJ rummaged through his own overnight bag. “What are you doing now?”

 

 

“I’m gonna step outside for a smoke, jackass.”

 

 

“Nick is in the tub…”

 

 

“So?”

 

 

“You’re going to go outside and smoke a cigarette with Nick in the bathtub? This is exactly what I’m saying….you can’t just walk away and leave him in the bathroom alone in a tub!”

 

 

AJ stuck the smoke in his mouth and opened the sliding door. “What the hell are you in here for?”

 

 

Brian shook his head. “Never mind.”

 

 

********

 

The pounding on the hotel room door, startled Nick awake. Disoriented, he looked around the room and immediately discovered the bed that AJ had slept in was empty and Brian was no longer laying next to him in the king sized bed they shared.

 

 

He wandered over to the door, figuring that one of them had locked themselves out. “Coming….Did you forget your room card?”

 

 

Kevin Richardson stood on the other side of the door. “Nick?”

 

 

“Kevin?”

 

 

He looked past the blonde as he entered the room. “Why did you answer the door?”

 

 

“Cause you were beating on it, dumb ass.”

 

 

“Where is everybody?”

 

 

Nick climbed back into the warm cocoon. “I dunno.”

 

 

“I’m in the bathroom,” Brian called out.”

 

“Where’s AJ?”

 

 

“Don’t know, don’t really care,” Nick grumbled as he rolled over.

 

Kevin stared at the lump in the bed, narrowing one eye. “Do you know where you are?”

 

 

“In a hotel,” Nick muttered.

 

 

“What year is it?”

 

 

“Jesus Kevin let me sleep, I’m tired and what kind of question is that?”

 

 

“Answer me Nick,” Kevin insisted.

 

 

“What difference does it make?”

 

 

Brian smiled at his cousin as he entered the room. “Hey Kev, I didn’t think you were going to be here this early.”

 

 

“I thought you said Nick lapsed back.”

 

 

“He has.”

 

“He isn’t right now,” Kevin replied.

 

 

Brian stared at the lump in the bed.

 

 

“Nick, what year is it?”

 

 

“Leave me alone!”

 

 

Brian shook his head. “That’s just Nick being stubborn as usual.”

 

 

“Nick answer me, what year is it!”

 

 

Nick pulled the blankets away from his face. “You’re such a retard…2003.”

 

 

Brian raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the blonde.

 

 

“Are we on tour?”

 

 

Nick sighed as he thought. “I don’t know….we’re in a hotel so we must be? Can I just sleep? I’m tired.”

 

 

Kevin swatted the young man on the foot. “I don’t want you to sleep I want to spend some time with my little man….I missed you so much.”

 

 

“Do you know how gay that just sounded?” Nick protested underneath the blankets.

 

 

Kevin wandered around the room. “Set up the karaoke machine! Didn’t you guys bring a karaoke machine with you?”

 

 

Nick raised himself up on his elbows. “Why the fuck do you want to sing right now? I want to sleep!”

 

 

“I’ll leave you alone if you sing something to me,” Kevin promised.

 

 

“Kev, I’m getting worried about you…..do you know how gay you’ve been sounding since you walked into the room?” Nick answered.

 

 

“I don’t care if I sound gay…..I missed you,” Kevin replied.

 

 

“I haven’t been away from you. We saw each other last night,” Nick casually responded.

 

 

Brian and Kevin exchanged looks.

 

 

“If I sing will you leave me alone,” Nick croaked his voice hoarse from sleep.

 

 

“Yeah, I’ll leave you alone,” Kevin replied.

 

 

“Okay since you’re being gay this morning…this is for you,” Nick cleared his throat. “Am I original? Am I the only one? Am I sexual? Am I everything you need? You better rock your body now!”

 

 

With that task completed, Nick laid back down and pulled the covers over his head.

 

 

“That’s the first time he’s sung anything,” Brian whispered, tears pooling in his eyes.

 

 

“I hate to let him sleep. You said that this doesn’t last long,” the elder Kentuckian said with a shake of his head.

 

 

As Brian opened his mouth to reply, the hotel door opened.

 

 

“I brought coffee and donuts and milk for….,” AJ announced as he kicked the door shut. “….Train, when did you get here?”

 

 

“Why the hell is everyone in here?” Nick demanded angrily. “I just want to sleep.”

 

 

AJ looked at Nick and then the others.

 

 

“Get up and get dressed Nick, we’re going out for breakfast! No excuses, you can sleep later!”

 

 

AJ stared at his older brother. “Do you think that is a good idea?”

 

 

“Just wait and see, I want to spend some long lost quality time with Nick.”

 

 

“You are seriously worrying me with the gay talk Kevin,” Nick growled as he dragged himself out of bed.