Disclaimer: I forgot about this on my other stories posted here, so I'll take the easy way out. Refer to the disclaimer at the bottom of this site. :)

Author's Notes: This story is not yet beta read, but will be. You can find more BSB stories by me on my website: www.dataportarchives.com/bscrossroads/index.php



Prologue



Darkness.

Total, utter... Darkness.

The figure pulled his knees up further toward his chest, his arms tightening their grip about them. Shivers of cold and fear trembled through his form as he rested his chin on his knees, his eyes sliding shut in an effort to make it all go away.

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled, a hot/cold wind kicking up to buffet the figure. The blast of rushing wind hit him head on and gushed through his short blond hair as he clenched his eyes tight, lips pressing together.

As the cold rain began to fall, the figure whimpered. He scooted back against the large tree in an effort to escape the cold liquid now pounding down on him. His eyes still closed, he tried to blank out his surroundings. He tried to picture himself home. Home in the nice, well lit safety it offered. Home with his family and not lost in the middle of nowhere. Oh, how he wished he'd never left. He was sorry. So very, VERY sorry. He wanted to go home. Home would make everything all right.

Home...

A loud crack of thunder caused him to jump, his arms breaking their hold on his legs to instinctively shield his face. His head turned away as if expecting a blow, his form freezing in that protective position. As the rumble died away, he slowly lowered his arms. He placed his hands on either side of himself on the muddy ground. Slowly, he peeled his eyes open, the blue color vibrant as his chest heaved in panicked gasps of air.

Eyes wide, he took in his surroundings. Nothing, but blackness. What little he could discern, he wish he couldn't. The shapes moved in the night, causing his chest to tighten in apprehension.

God. He knew something was out there. He just knew it.

Trees creaked in the wind and he cringed. He looked up at the sky and just couldn't absorb how black it was. The clouds covered everything. No stars. No moon. Nothing. The only light came from the lightning, and he didn't exactly consider that a good kind of light. It scared the crap out of him. How it would just jump out at you without any warning. Atleast with thunder, you knew it was coming, you just didn't know how loud.

Ghostly movement flashed in the corner of his eye and his head snapped in that direction, lips parting in a gasp. His blue eyes darted, frantic and terror-stricken.

Something was out there.

Shaking, he pushed against the tree's support, wanting to disappear within it. Something cried out in the night and he slapped his hands over his ears, eyes snapping shut. He shook his head.

Nothing is there. Nothing is there. Nothing is there...

Lighting and thunder hit again and he shuddered, pressing his hands harder against his ears.

"Stop..." he croaked softly, "Please... stop..."

A soft sob escaped his lips and he gasped in a breath, a tear escaping one of his clenched eyes to slide down his rain slicked cheek. Hastily, he removed one of his hands from his ears and briskly wiped the tear away.

Then he heard it. His eyes flew open and his arms wrapped about his chest. Oh, God. What was out there? He saw something move. He scooted away from it. Something else moved in the darkness. He scooted back the other way. He couldn't get away. He shut his eyes, softly pleading to go home.

Something grabbed his arm and he screamed...

~< ---()--- >~

He bolted upright, coming abruptly awake as his forehead slammed into the bunk above him, abruptly cutting his scream short. He brought his right hand to his smarting head as his eyes peeled open, fear still brightening their depths as he panted in terror.

He then realized something had him by the left arm and a voice was talking. Panicking, he shrugged the grip roughly off and shied away, pressing his form to the bus' wall. He closed his eyes and listened.

"Nick?" asked the voice, heavy with concern, "Hey, Frack... you okay?"

Nick released a shuddering breath, letting his eyes open to take in the morning light streaming through his bunk's small window. When he spoke, his voice was soft and shaky, "I'm fine, Brian."

Brian raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, right. I come in here to get yer lazy ass up and find you running a marathon in yer sleep. Then when I try and wake you, you scream bloody murder!" Brian stared at Nick, "That must 'ave been one hell of a nightmare, Nicky."

Nick laid back down with a sigh, finally looking at Brian, "I guess you could say that."

Brian's expression was sincere, "You wanna talk about it? It'll help."

"No," Nick answered rather quickly, looking away, "I can't remember it anyway."

Brian looked doubtful, "You sure?"

Nick nodded, "I'm sure." He glanced around, "The other guys already up?"

Brian smiled, "Yeah, we're almost at the hotel, too. I thought I'd tell ya breakfast's almost ready. Howie's cookin', so it should be pretty good."

Nick forced a smile as he looked up at Brian, "Obviously, since he's the only one of us who can cook!"

Brian laughed, "True. Well, c'mon. I can already smell it!"

Nick pushed Brian in the shoulder, "You go on, I'll be there in a bit."

"All right, " said Brian, standing. Before leaving, he gave Nick one last look of concern, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Nick sighed loudly, "I'm fine! Now, get!"

"Okay, okay!" placated Brian, "I'm goin'!"

As soon as Brian was out of sight, Nick let the fear show on his face. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hands. God, he didn't need this to start again. Not the nightmares. Not again. He thought they were gone long ago.

Nick dropped his hands on his chest as he stared blankly up at the top bunk, his mind going back in time. He blinked and let several tears slide into his cropped blond hair. One thought filled his mind, the cause of all his fear.

God, I hate the dark.

The five, famous young men stood upon the spotlighted stage, the screams of thousands of fans filling their ears. They lurked around a large blue trunk placed in the center of the stage, the brazen white words 'BSB Wardrobe' painted upon the lid.

The tall, dark haired man spoke into his mic, addressing the screaming crowd, "Should we go in and let you guys see what goes on during wardrobe changes?"

The lanky, tattooed man objected to the suggestion as the crowd screamed its support, "Whoa! Wait up a sec, Kev. I don't want thousands of women to see me in my skimpies!!"

The Latino with long, sweat soaked dark hair brought a hand to his chest, "Gasp!" he cried. "AJ McLean is SHY!?!"

AJ playfully shoved the Latino in the shoulder, "It ain't that, Howie. I've got my pride."

As Howie rolled his eyes, AJ eyed the crowd around him, "That is, unless, any of you fine ladies would like to join us?"

As the crowd screamed deafeningly, Howie clamped a hand over AJ's mouth, "Such a mouth, young man!! What would your mother say?!"

AJ just grinned behind Howie's hand. Howie shook his head and pushed AJ away. A shorter, sandy haired man with wavy bangs and a kind face interjected, his words having the slightest southern edge to them, "I think we ought to let them see. It's BSB!! Behind the scenes!"

Kevin approached the trunk and lifted the lid, bending over to peer inside at the darkness within. He turned and addressed the Southerner, "Well, Brian, should we go in?"

"Absolutely!" shouted Brian with a goofy grin.

A tall, blond haired youth stepped hesitantly toward the trunk, leaning back as he furtively glanced down. With an abrupt shake of his head, he quickly backed away, "Nuh-uh! No way! I ain't goin' in there!! ...There could be gremlins hiding in there!!"

Brian placed a reassuring arm around the youth's shoulders, "Aw, c'mon Nick! There're no gremlins! Besides, we'll be right there with ya."

Nick sent a nervous glance at the trunk and then looked back at Brian's face, seeing the smile and wink. Nick nodded his head and forced a grin upon his face for Brian, but his eyes were still nervous and he was soon worrying his bottom lip. Brian gave him one last pat on the back and stepped away. Nick closed his eyes and took deep breaths, his reaction to the trunk not an act as his friends had always assumed. It was never this bad before, though. Relax, Nick. he told himself, Remember, this is just a skit, same as the other hundred times you did it. Just suck it up and go into the trunk... the dark trunk... the confining, dark trunk...

Nick snapped his eyes open and blinked once, shaking his head. Yeah, thinking like that was not helping much. Coming back to the present, Nick lifted his eyes and saw Howie climbing into the trunk, giving a wave to the crowd as he disappeared into the box. Brian stepped up next and gave the audience a salute as he descended into the trunk's depths.

Nick felt his chest tighten. It was his turn. He hesitated. He felt the fear that resided deep within him surface and it took his breath away. Nick didn't understand. This had never happened before, he'd never been this scared during the skit before. The fear was just so intense... The nightmare. That had to be the reason for it. It was just never this bad before. He'd never had the fear freeze him up like it did now, not since he was a kid.

Nick jumped slightly as a hand touched his arm, his wide blue eyes darting over to see AJ covertly nudging him toward the trunk, a confused light in the brown eyes that peered over silver sunglasses. Nick gave him an apologetic smile and managed to step toward the trunk, his breath quickening as he neared the object. He now stood at its threshold and felt a sudden shiver course up his spine. His hand reached out and gripped the box's rim as he swung his legs over the edge and onto the platform within that would lower him below stage.

Nick felt his hands begin to tremble as he painted a bright smile on his face and gave the audience a wave as the platform began its descent into the darkness. Nick gripped his shaking hands into fists and tried to control his overwhelming fear as the inky blackness closed in all around him. Nick felt as if the air around him had turned solid, the heavy weight of it pressing against him, suffocating him. Nick closed his eyes tight, his form motionless save for his tremors of pure fear.

Nick let out his breath in a whoosh as he felt the platform jolt to a stop, not realizing he had held his breath the entire time he was descending into the blackness. Nick quickly scrambled off the lift before it arose to retrieve AJ, his feet tangling in some cords on the floor and causing him to abruptly lose his balance. Nick gave a gasp as he felt himself fall, then relief coupled with a splice of fear flashed through him as a hand shot out of the darkness and snatched his arm, halting his fall.

"Whoa there, Nick!" exclaimed Brian, his other arm reaching out to steady the blond, "Careful."

Nick stared at his best friend as he was guided to the side, the spectral beams and dim glows of the stage lights causing Brian's features to become somewhat visible in the semi-darkness, though morphing his best friend's kind features into something almost ghostly. Nick shivered.

Now standing along side Howie and Brian, Nick forced a smile upon his face. He tried to speak, but his voice broke and he had to clear his throat. Finally, his voice came out, his mind not acknowledging that it was merely a husky, raw whisper, "Hey... thanks, Bri'."

Brian gave him a distracted grin, his eyes looking past Nick for the arrival of their absent band mates, "No prob', Frack. You ought to watch yourself a bit more though, you'll end up gettin' hurt in all this darkness."

If it weren't for the pale glow of light that served as the only source of illumination, Brian would have noticed as Nick's face drained of color. Nick swallowed, swiping a still trembling hand through his spiked hair, "Oh, I'll watch it, Frick. Promise."

Brian didn't hear the soft words Nick uttered, keeping his eyes in the direction AJ and Kevin would soon be coming from. Brian smiled as he heard AJ's line before he was to step into the trunk.

"Sorry, Kev. Beauty before age. Ha ha ha!"

Brian grinned, he loved that line. He then chuckled as AJ soon came traipsing up to them as they now awaited Kevin. For the millionth time, Brian fleetingly wondered how AJ could see anything with those damn sunglasses. Brian, cautious as he was, had still almost fallen on his face several times during the tour, but AJ never had. What was he, a cat?

AJ threw an arm around Nick's shoulders recklessly, causing the skittish blond to shy away slightly, resulting in AJ's arm falling away. AJ frowned a bit, but then shrugged and grinned in the dark, the sparse light flashing across his teeth, "I swear, I'll never get tired of sayin' that line! And I know that pissed expression on Kevvy's face is real every time! I know it is!"

AJ suddenly stiffened as a hand gripped the back of his neck, the voice emanating from behind him unmistakable, "Shall we proceed, gentlemen?"

AJ cleared his throat and laughed nervously, "Sure, let's get goin'. Hey, ya know, Kev. I don't mean that line. Ya know that, don't ya? ...Just jokin' around... right?"

Kevin grinned at the rambled words, moving his hand to ruffle AJ's wild hair, "Yeah, Bone. Relax!"

"Whew!" exhaled AJ, feigning great relief, "I thought for a moment I was about to break millions of girls' hearts with my untimely and most tragic demise by the dreaded and feared wrath of the great Kevin Richardson!"

Howie took his head from the curtain he'd been peering out of and stared at AJ, "Jeez, 'J. That was a mouthful." He glanced through the curtain at the end of the stage again, then turned back to the guys, "C'mon, the bodyguards are ready."

"All right!" yelled AJ, rubbing his hands together briskly, "On with the show!"

The four singers moved toward the curtain while Nick watched nervously, still feeling fingers of fear running up and down his back. God, I wish it would go away. I can't stand it. That damned nightmare! Jeez, why now? I was almost over that... that... Nick shook his head, blinking the thoughts away. Then when he realized his friends were leaving him, Nick moved quickly to catch up to them. He fell in behind Brian just as they started to exit the curtain to be escorted by a horde of bodyguards to the center stage.

As the bodyguards closed in around them, Nick had an overwhelming need for safety, for something familiar. Desperate, Nick's hand shot out and grasped the back of Brian's shirt, his action startling Brian.

Brian glanced worriedly back at Nick as they continued to hurry along while the audience was distracted by the video on the vid-screen. The darkness was so thick that Brian could barely make out Nick's form, "Nick... Hey, you okay?"

Nick only nodded, his hand twisting in the back of Brian's shirt. Brian's voice of concern came again, and Nick realized Brian couldn't see his gesture in the darkness. Nick's fist in the back of Brian's shirt tightened into a white-nuckled grip at the mere thought of the darkness surrounding them like a suffocating blanket. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Nick strained out an answer for Brian, "I'm fine, jus' nervous."

Brian seemed to accept this, "Okay, we're almost there, Frack. This is just like all the other times, remember buddy?"

"Yeah, Bri'," agreed Nick in a whisper, his grip not lessening.

Doubt momentarily flashed across Brian's shadowed eyes, his features pausing in confusion as Nick still held his shirt tightly. What was going on here? He asked himself, wishing he could see Nick's face. They all still got nervous for concerts sometimes, but this was over the top even for Nick.

Brain's attention was abruptly drawn elsewhere as they arrived at the small stage toward the back of the arena. The bodyguards quickly hustled them through the curtains as a few fans in that area caught notice of them, wanting them out of sight quickly.

Nick kept his hand fisted in Brian's shirt until they were on the round stage lift and the lights were turned back on, the spot lights illuminating their forms rising from below stage and the crowd around them. Nick had never felt such relief and tuned everything but the light and concert out.




~ ---()--- ~




Nick collapsed into his bunk, a long sigh escaping his lips as he closed his eyes. He'd never felt so drained as he did at that moment. Then again, he'd never been so happy a concert was over either. From the center stage performance to the end had all been a blur. He had done all the songs, all the dances, but he knew his usual enthusiasm and crowd interaction was severely lacking. It was like he was running on auto-pilot.

Rubbing his eyes, Nick pushed himself up and leaned against the wall of his bunk. He examined his nails as he thought over the last hour of the concert. He knew Brian noticed his less than stellar performance. He had kept giving Nick weird looks--confused looks.

Sighing, Nick began muttering in frustration, "What the hell is wrong with me? I'm gonna go nuts if this damn fear of the dark gets any worse." Nick raked his hands through his short blond hair, pulling his knees up to his chest, "Why now? God, why now?"

"Why now what?"

"Ah!" cried Nick, startled by the voice so close beside him. He gasped and pressed a hand to his chest, "Jesus Christ! Ya scared the hell outta me, AJ."

AJ furrowed his brow, as he hadn't been quiet as he'd gotten on the bus. Nick should have heard him coming, "You tired or somethin', Frack?"

"We just got done with a concert, 'J," deadpanned Nick, looking up at the rebel, "So, yeah. I'm a bit tired. I ain't no energizer bunny like you. You just keep goin' and goin'."

AJ grinned, "Yep. It's one of my finer qualities." AJ then frowned, "Are you okay, Nick? I mean, you look a bit peaked. You're not gettin' sick, are ya?"

Nick gave AJ a wan smile, "Nah, I'm fine. Just overdid it a bit tonight. I'll be fine after a good long sleep."

AJ watched him for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, if you say so. But if ya do feel sick, tell us before it gets bad? You remember what happened last time." AJ looked sincere as he continued, "It's no fun seein' you collapse on us, Nicky. Just tell us, okay?"

Nick felt a pang of guilt as he nodded, "I will, AJ. I think I'll catch some Z's now. See ya in the mornin'?"

"Okay," answered AJ, placing his bag under his bunk, the reason he came back to the bunk area, "G'night, Nick."

"'Night," smiled Nick, watching as AJ left, shutting the curtain behind him.

Sighing, Nick let his head fall back, wincing as it hit the hard wood a little too hard. Okay, it was official. He was a complete wreck. If AJ could notice something was wrong, Brian would be able to see even more. Damn, he had to lick this dark thing before Brian hounded him about it. Nick was able to get away with the fear when he was younger because... Well, because he was younger. Brian understood, as did the others. Lots of kids were afraid of the dark, but adults? Nick was twenty-one years old. He shouldn't be afraid of the dark. No matter what the reason for the fear starting in the first place.

Nick shuddered, then mumbled, "I'm such a wuss. Being afraid of the dark." Nick shook his head, "Damn it. That is it. That's it! I'm not afraid and that is the end of it."

Nick nodded to himself, as if saying the words aloud would vanish his problem away. He hoped it did. He truly didn't know what else to do.



~ ---()--- ~




Brian adjusted the bag over his shoulder as he followed Kevin and Howie onto the bus, his eyes clouded in thought. He was trying to figure out what was going on with Nick lately. He just knew something was up. God, he hoped he wasn't sick. Nick never told them if he was. It was downright maddening. What was the big deal?

Shaking his head, Brian sighed. He knew why. Being teased when he was younger by AJ and being the cause of problems to Kevin when he was sick had caused Nick to simply not tell them anymore. Brian knew AJ was just being AJ and Kevin didn't take it as a problem, Kevin was just real easy to misinterpret. Brian knew Kevin the longest and knew how to read him. Kevin hated it when Nick had gotten sick because he was always afraid he wouldn't be able to take care of him like he should have been taken care of by a parent. Kevin was just a big ole worrywart, especially in Nick's case. In a way, Brian mused, Kevin had practically adopted the blond.

Brian's thoughts were interrupted when he ran into the back of Howie, who had suddenly stopped in front of him.

"AJ," toned Kevin's voice ahead of Brian and Howie, "What the hell are you eating?"

AJ's reply was muffled as he obviously talked around the food in his mouth, "Cold pizza."

Brian chuckled, only AJ would be eating cold pizza at one 'o clock in the morning. Brian went and sat beside the rebel as Howie and Kevin finally moved out of the way, setting his bag on the floor beside his feet. Eyeing the plate of pizza, Brian shrugged and picked up a piece, taking a bite and then asking a glaring AJ, "Where's Nick?"

"Why yes, Brian. Of course you may have a piece of my pizza, especially since you asked so nicely," AJ replied sarcastically, glowering at Brian as the southerner continued to chomp away at the pizza, grinning. AJ sighed, taking another bite of his own piece, "He's sleeping."

Howie's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he slid into the booth opposite them, a glass of juice in his hand, "Really? Already?" Howie paused, looking worried, "He's not sick, is he?"

Brian smiled. He didn't think Nick was going to get away with not telling them about being sick anymore. It seemed it was the first thing they all thought of when he acted out of the ordinary. It wasn't surprising, really. The last time he didn't tell them he was sick, he ended up collapsing during stage rehearsals. He had scared them all half to death. Brian winced. He knew he would never forget the look in Kevin's eyes.

"He said he wasn't," AJ answered Howie, "And I made sure he knew to tell us if he was feelin' bad."

"He better tell us," toned Kevin as he sat beside Howie, a bottle of water in his hand. "After what happened last time, he should know better."

"He said he was just tired," added AJ, grabbing Howie's glass of juice and taking a swig before the Latino could say a word. "I believe him. I mean, I saw him yawn a lot before the concert even started."

"AJ!" Howie finally exclaimed, snatching the now half empty glass from his friend, "Dang it! Get your own!"

AJ just looked calmly back at Howie, pointing to Brian beside him, "Brian's in the way."

Howie raised an eyebrow, "And you couldn't of asked him to move?"

"Didn't want to inconvenience him," grinned AJ, a familiar light in his dark eyes. It was the 'annoy Howie to hysterics' look.

Howie opened his mouth, but couldn't find anything to say. His face simply grew red as he let out a loud, frustrated sigh. AJ smirked.

"Well," voiced Kevin, playing with the bottle of water in his hands. "The next concert isn't until the day after tomorrow, and we're not going back to the hotel here. We're driving straight to the next stop, so he won't be woken up later and he'll be able to sleep in."

Brian looked up, surprised, "Ya mean we don't have any appointments tomorrow? No interviews or anything?"

"I didn't say that," replied Kevin, giving Brian an apologetic smile. "We have an interview at a radio station and then an appearance for a fundraiser to save an old, historical site. But both of them aren't until after lunch."

AJ made a face, "Old historical site? What old historical site?"

"You guys never look at our schedules, do you?" asked Kevin with a shake of his head.

"Well, of course we don't," replied Howie with a smirk. "That's what you are for, Kevvy."

Kevin rolled his eyes, "It's to help a campaign to save a centennial homestead, from the Civil War days. It's an old mansion type house on the edge of a forest, once belonging to a General from the war. They are trying to stop it from being demolished to make room for more development. They want to turn it into a museum of the old South and the Civil War."

They all nodded their heads, then Brian asked, "And we are going to..."

Kevin sighed, "We are going there to show our support in saving it, make a donation, and to take a tour of the homestead."

"Oh," Brian replied simply.

"Management thinks it'll be good publicity," Kevin continued, then shook his head. "Hell, I would've done it anyway. If that house is in as good of condition as they say it is, it should be preserved. It's a part of history, American history."

"Aw," guffawed AJ with a smirk, "There's the practical, upstanding Kevin we all know and love. Fightin' for what's right! Huh, Kevvy baby?"

"Shut up, AJ," Kevin smoothly replied, taking a drink from his water bottle. He capped it and then pushed himself to his feet. "Well, I'm goin' to bed. You all should, too."

"Yes, mommy," cooed AJ, then letting out a grunt as Brian's elbow connected with his ribs. "Ow! Bri-an! What was that for?"

"Don't piss him off, 'J," warned Brian quietly.

"Relax," commented Kevin, putting his water bottle in the fridge. "I just want y'alls to go to bed now so ya won't wake me up when you do later. Capiche?"

"Got it, Kev," said Howie, maneuvering himself from the booth. "I'm going to sleep now, too. It'll be nice to sleep in and I want as much rest as possible. I'm wore out."

"Me, too," agreed Brian, standing up. He bent over to grab his bag, then made to follow Kevin and Howie to the bunk area.

AJ stuffed the last piece of pizza into his mouth and clambered out of the booth, setting the dirty plate in the small sink. "Well," he said, chewing the mouthful of pizza at the same time as speaking, "I ain't gonna sit here talkin' to myself. Pillow, here I come!"

Kevin moved the separating curtain aside and stepped into the bunk area first, catching a glimpse of light from Nick's bunk before it disappeared.

"Hey, Nick," he called, giving the blond's bunk curtain a poke. "You still awake?"

As Kevin walked by and the other three entered the room, a sigh came from Nick's bunk, "Yeah."

"I thought you said you were tired, Nick," toned AJ, retrieving his bag from where he had stuffed it earlier. "You shoulda been asleep by now."

There was a short pause and then they heard the reply, "I was, until you four started makin' all that racket. And I swear I'm not sick. Okay, guys? I swear."

They all shared a guilty glance. They should have known Nick would have been able to hear them talking. The bus didn't exactly have thick walls. Hell, it was only a curtain separating the kitchen from the bunk area. There used to be a door instead, but it was busted several concerts ago. How could they break a door? Let's just say it involved AJ and a little argument in which they all said he couldn't kick a door in like Jackie Chan could in the movie they were watching at the time.

"Hey, we're sorry, Nick," apologized Howie, feeling a little weird talking to a curtain. "We worry about that, though. Ya know?"

"Yeah, I know, " came Nick's voice again. "I'm fine, though. Just tired. Now, y'all want to shut up so I can get some sleep?"

Brian looked at Kevin, not able to hide his lingering worry over his best friend, "Yeah, okay. We'll be quiet, Frack. We're not doin' anything tomorrow 'til after lunch, so you can sleep in if ya want, okay?"

"Sounds good, " was the muffled reply, sounding as if the blond were already falling asleep.

Silence encompassed the bunk area as the others got ready for bed, Brian giving the closed bunk several worried glances. Finally, Brian caught Kevin's arm and pulled him aside.

"Kev, I'm worried about him," Brian whispered softly, his eyes on Nick's bunk. "Somethin' ain't right. I just know it."

Fear entered Kevin's green eyes, "You don't think he's lying about not being sick, do you?"

"No," Brian answered quickly, "He's not sick. It's something else."

Most of the fear left Kevin's eyes as he sighed, "We can't do much about it until he tells us what it is, Brian. And you know how much he hates us bugging him about stuff like that."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Brian, scratching his head tiredly.

"Get some sleep, Brian," advised Kevin, giving Brian's shoulder a pat. "He'll open up eventually. We'll leave him be for the time being. Who knows, a good night's sleep might be all that he needs."

"All right, Kevin," relented Brian. "I guess I'll see ya in the morning."

"'Night, Bri'."



~ ---()--- ~




Nick listened as his four friends got ready for bed, letting a sigh escape his lips when the room finally when silent. He looked out of his bunk window, savoring the dim light streaming through from the moon as their driver took them out of the city limits.

As he watched the scene outside his window, Nick's hands fingered the small flashlight in their grasp. He barely resisted the urge to flick it on as a cloud blocked the moon's light for a few minutes, but when it emerged again, the urge left him.

Realizing the way he was acting, Nick jerked his hands away from the flashlight in disgust. Christ, how far was he going to go? He couldn't even go to sleep at night without a flashlight in his hands. How pathetic could a guy get?

Breathing deeply, Nick closed his eyes and focussed on the reality that his four best friends in the whole world were no more than three feet away from him. He wasn't alone in the dark so he had no reason to be afraid. He was safe and not alone.

"I'm safe," he whispered softly, sleep finally tugging at him, "I'm not alone."

Finally, all five men slept peacefully. Though, for how long it remained peaceful was to be seen.

"Atlanta, Georgia!" called AJ as he walked through the bus the next morning, flipping a black tank top over his head. "This is the last call for Atlanta, Georgia! Passengers please exit to the right, no crowding at the doors!"

Kevin sighed and shook his head, putting two slices of bread in the toaster. After pushing the lever down, he rested an arm on the counter and watched the morning show, starring AJ McLean and Howie Dorough.

"AJ!" hissed Howie, glaring at the grinning rebel who opened the bus' fridge. "Keep your fool voice down! Nick and Brian are still asleep!"

"Aw, relax, Howie," toned AJ, grabbing the milk and a mini Sunny Delight from the fridge. He set them on the table before opening the cupboard above him, grabbing a box of Corn Flakes, "They're sleepin' like the dead. I don't think I could even manage to wake 'em this morning."

"Yeah, well," started Howie, sprinkling some salt and pepper over the steaming scrambled eggs he had just dumped into a bowl. "You don't have to work overtime to prove yourself wrong, 'J. Just tone it down a bit, 'kay?"

"No problemo!" smirked AJ, though not as loud as before. He took the bowl Kevin handed him and then reached across for a spoon from the drawer. As Kevin set two plates and glasses on the table for he and Howie, AJ sat down and ate his cereal.

The toast popped up and Kevin snatched it up, placing it on a plate and then sitting in the booth opposite AJ. Howie set the last few things on the table and then sat beside Kevin. The aroma of eggs, sausage, pancakes, and toast filled the small room and then drifted to the small bunk area.



~ ---()--- ~




Brian stirred. He turned his head in his half awake state and breathed in the enticing aroma from the kitchen. His eyelids fluttered and with one more deep breath, Brian was awake and convinced that he was absolutely famished. His stomach growled loudly in confirmation.

With a groan, he pushed his covers off his chest and yawned, stretching as much as he could in the cramped bunk. Sighing, Brian relaxed back in his bed and simply laid there for a few minutes, choosing to savor the comfortable warmth of the covers and soft pillow a little bit longer before leaving it.

Finally he moved, sliding his legs from the blankets and touching his feet to the cold floor as he sat up. He yawned again, raising one hand to rub his face and mussed up hair as he got used to the idea of consciousness. Catching another whiff of the food in the kitchen, Brian decided he liked the idea of waking up and proceeded to get dressed.

Several minutes later, Brian emerged from the bus' bathroom refreshed and ready for a new day. He stopped at his bunk to kick his bag back beneath the bed when he heard a sound. Pausing, Brian curiously listened and frowned when the sound came again, and from the place he suspected. Nick's still closed off bunk.

Approaching cautiously, remembering the last time he had awakened the blond, Brian reached out and opened the curtain slowly and quietly. He froze when what he saw was Nick tightly huddled in a ball, his arms firmly clutching his head and effectively hiding his face. The only sound was Nick talking in his sleep, his voice small and low.

"No... Get away..."

That's all Brian could understand. Concern clouded his face as Brian crouched down, hesitantly reaching a hand out to wake Nick from his nightmare. He didn't know how Nick would react, so he was prepared for anything. Brian had known he was right that something was up with Nick.

Brian tried his voice first, "Nick? ...Hey, c'mon. Wake up, Frack... Hey... Nick?"

Nick didn't hear him. Brian sighed and braced himself for the unknown as he gently grasped Nick's shoulder, which he was surprised to feel trembling. Nick's reaction was quick and much like the night before. His blue eyes snapped open and he recoiled back from Brian's hold, one arm blindly striking out and almost knocking Brian to the floor as it connected with his chest.

As Brian regained his balance, Nick sat back and away from him, panting in obvious fear as he slowly shook off the last of the nightmare and finally saw what, and who, was around him.

When Brian saw recognition in Nick's wide eyes, he nodded his head at the blond, "Good morning, Frack."

"Brian?" breathed Nick, blinking. He wiped a hand down his face, which he found damp with cold sweat. He grimaced, remembering, "Bad dream."

"That would be the conclusion I came to, Nicky," toned Brian quietly, studying his best friend who tried to get his composure up and running. Shaking his head, Brian asked, "What's up with you?"

"Huh?" blurted Nick at the blunt question, staring at Brian's concerned face. Then Nick sighed, looking away to study his blankets. He refused to look back up at that worried expression on Brian's face, "Nothing is up, Bri'. Just some bad dream. Everybody gets 'em sometimes. They're no big deal."

"They are when you have them two nights in a row," stated Brian firmly, not so easily satisfied with Nick's explanation. "What's goin' on, Nick? I mean, even at the concert last night... something was up. C'mon... Tell me."

Nick looked at Brian. He looked for a very long time, but eventually he just shook his head. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and low, "I can't, Brian. Atleast... I can't right now, okay?"

Relenting at the forlorn expression on Nick's face, Brian sighed, "Then when? You've got to tell someone about this, Nick. Whatever it is, it's eating at you enough to cause nightmares. You have to talk about it, man. So, when?"

Nick leaned his head back and closed his eyes, biting his lower lip. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, "Soon, Frick. Soon... I promise."

Brian stared at Nick, then nodded his head as he raised his hands to rub at his forehead. Pausing to rest his face in his hands, Brian took a moment to think. Coming to a decision, he raised his head and locked his blue eyes with Nick's, "And I promise I'll be here when you want to talk, but remember... Soon means it's going to happen in the near future, Nick. So, as soon as possible. Okay?"

"Okay," agreed Nick, his voice quiet as he watched Brian stand from his crouched position.

"Good," Brian managed to smile, then tilted his head toward the kitchen. "Well, since you're up now, you might as well get dressed and have some breakfast. Smells like Howie cooked again." Brian sniffed, "Mmm, pancakes. Ya know, I believe Howie is the undeclared King of Cookin'."

A laugh escaped Nick's lips as he smiled, "Yeah, I think Howie missed his calling as a gourmet chef."

"I wouldn't tell him that, he'd probably start his own catering company or something," grinned Brian as he looked toward the kitchen. Shaking his head, he looked back at Nick, "Well, I'll let you get up. I'm gonna go get some of that food before they eat it all. Better hurry if ya want any, Nick."

"Yeah, I'm comin'," nodded Nick, beginning to scoot to the edge of his bunk as Brian finally left him alone.

When Brian was out of sight, Nick let his feet drop over the bunk's edge and then let out a sigh, his head falling into his hands. His hands soon gripped at his hair when the aftermath of the dream finally caught up to him, causing the intense fear and emotion to hit him all at once. A couple tears of frustration managed to escape his clenched eyes as he released one hand from his hair, only to slam it against his bunk with a muted thump. He forced his voice to work, the strained tone carrying all his anger, fear, and confusion.

"Damn it! Damn it all to hell..."



~ ---()--- ~




"Well, guys, it was awesome havin' ya, as always," gushed the DJ of 102.9 FM, grinning brightly across at the five Backstreet Boys. "Be sure to stop by again the next time yer in the neighborhood, all right?"

"Sure thing," smiled Brian, "We've had a great time."

"Okay, how 'bout givin' our listeners one last good-bye and then we're off the air," concluded the DJ, gesturing to the guys to do their closings.

"Peace and love to y'all!" gushed AJ, straightening in his chair. "AJ is outta here!"

"We'll see ya at the concert tomorrow night!" said Howie, smiling. "Howie D, signing off."

"To all the fans, we can't thank you enough for what you've done," toned Kevin. "This is Kevin sayin' see ya!"

"We love you all and can't wait to see ya," added Brian. "This is the B-rok, still rockin' down the backstreets!"

There was a silence as the last of their band failed to speak. Brian looked beside him and his eyes widened at seeing Nick slumped over the small counter, asleep. Not knowing what else to do, Brian elbowed Nick hard in the side.

"Ow!" Nick exclaimed as he was abruptly awakened, snapping straight in his chair. He blinked around at his surroundings with his large headphones half falling off of his head and then froze, realizing what he was supposed to be doing. He hastily straightened the large headphones over his ears and cleared his throat, "Uh, hey! This is Nick and I want to thank you all for listenin'. Keep the Backstreet Pride alive and we'll be seein' you next time."

"Uh--okay!" covered the DJ, surprised but leaving it out of his voice. "That was the Backstreet Boys and you only heard them here, on the station that plays your best music, EZ 102.9 FM. Here's Backstreet's latest, 'More Than That'."



~ ---()--- ~




"Nick, what the hell was that?!" sputtered Kevin as they walked out of the station room and down the hallway to the back exit.

Nick's countenance was meek as he replied, "I'm sorry. I just fell asleep."

"Just fell asleep," quoted Kevin, perhaps even more angry. "Nick, you fell asleep at the end of a radio interview, when we were still on the air! It wasn't that boring and besides the point, you got to sleep in this morning!"

"I- I know..." managed Nick, then Brian stepped in.

Grasping Kevin's tense shoulder, Brian tried to calm the storm he saw building in the green eyes, "Take it easy, Kevin. It wasn't that bad. It did happen at the end of the interview and then, it was just for a minute. Cut him some slack, Kev. We've been workin' hard lately."

They all stopped walking when they reached the doors that would lead them out to their bus, the lot already packed with fans, most of them wearing raincoats or carrying umbrellas in case the dark skies above them decided to open up. Kevin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his green eyes scanning the small group. They all did seem to show signs of stress and tiredness, even after the long night's sleep they'd had. He also knew that was the main reason he himself was reacting the way he was. He felt like crap.

"I know," he breathed finally, shaking his head. "The tour is almost over, so we won't have long to wait for time off, but we can't be fallin' asleep in the middle of interviews."

"Hey, Kev," AJ stepped in. "C'mon, the kid's sorry. It won't happen again, right Nick?"

"Yeah," nodded Nick, looking across at Kevin. He was, after all, the only one in their group that could look Kevin straight in the eyes without the aid of a chair. He now used that height to be more level with Kevin, to show that he understood what Kevin was telling him, "I really am sorry, Kev. I don't know what came over me, but that DJ's voice just seemed to knock me out."

Kevin smiled, "Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, Nicky. It just won't happen again, right?"

"Right," smiled Nick, relieved. Kevin didn't get mad at any of them often, but when he did, you felt like you had just let your dad down when he had needed you the most. It was just the effect Kevin had on them. The man was way too protective.

"All right," spoke Howie, catching their attention. "The bodyguards are here, and there's a path to the bus. Let's go!"

Each one of them was surrounded by several large bodyguards and lead quickly through the crowd of screaming fans to the bus, the experience taking their breath away. It didn't matter how many times they had to do it, the actual sight of so many fans always took them for a loop.

"Whoo-ee!" whooped AJ, plopping into the kitchen booth and then scooting to the window to look out. "I ain't never gonna get used to that! Damn."

The others also went to the windows to look out, to look at as many different faces as they could. Brian waved to several as he spoke, "The day we get used to it, is the day we take it for granted. Then, the next day it won't be there."

AJ turned to look at Brian's back, "That's exactly why I'm not gonna get used to it. The rush is just like, 'Whoa!" Why would I wanna not feel that anymore?"

Brian turned, "That's not what I meant, AJ. I was sayin' that we shouldn't ever get used to it. If we do, then it will go away."

AJ opened his mouth to reply when Howie held up a hand, "Quit talkin' in circles. Let's just enjoy it while it lasts, 'kay?"

AJ thought for a bit, then nodded, "That sounds good."

Then AJ went back to looking out the window, even as the bus pulled away to take them back to the hotel.

It took thirty minutes for the bus to arrive at their hotel, long enough for Nick to again find a comfortable place and sleep. This time it was Howie who had to wake him up instead of Brian.

Howie stopped beside the couch and reached for Nick's arm, giving it a slight shake to wake him, "Hey, Nick. C'mon, we're at the hotel."

"Huh?" Nick mumbled, blearily looking up at Howie as he sat up. He ran a hand through his spiked hair as he yawned.

"Jeez, Nick," voiced Howie, staring at the half awake blond. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Nick shrugged, "Woke up a few times."

"I'll say," agreed Howie, giving Nick an arm up from the couch. "Did you get back to sleep right away each time you woke up?"

"Kinda," Nick responded, keeping his answers simple and vague.

"Kinda, huh?" Howie smiled knowingly. "So, in other words, you got about half as much sleep as everybody else. Right?"

"I guess," Nick again shrugged. "Just one of those nights ya can't find a comfortable spot, no matter how much ya toss."

"I know how that feels," Howie grinned as they headed to the front of the bus. He nodded to Brian as the southerner gave him a silent question, who, after receiving Howie's nod and seeing Nick, smiled and continued his way down the steps and off the bus.

"We got anything else planned today?" asked Nick as he followed Howie to the front of the bus, ducking down slightly to look out of the tinted windows at the dark, cloudy sky that promised rain.

"Yeah," nodded Howie as he stepped down from the bus and into the hot wind that had increased from its earlier breeze. He clutched his light wind breaker closed as the wind tugged at it, squinting up at Nick behind him, "We got a fundraiser to go to. It's to help raise money to save this old, centennial house from the Civil War years. We have to promote it, make a donation, and take a tour of the place."

Nick only nodded as he stepped outside beside Howie, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets as the wind hit his figure. He squinted up at the dark clouds and then looked around at the dismal gray landscape. He could already smell the rain, "Cruddy weather."

Howie gave him a wry grin, "Yeah, but what can ya expect? We finally have a media event that is outdoors, and it's gonna storm. Don't ya love the irony that is our lives?"

"Oh, yeah," chuckled Nick, smiling back at Howie as they made their way to the hotel doors, all the while inwardly cringing at the thought of a storm. "Never a dull moment."

A storm, Nick thought as he entered the hotel, briefly shutting his eyes with a muted groan. Great... I really don't need this now. Nick shivered as he heard the muffled rumble of thunder, sparing the glass doors a glance as the first drops of rain hit the glass. God, give me a break here. Please?



~ ---()--- ~




The wind howled through the towering old trees that closely surrounded the mansion, causing them to sway and creak ominously. Fat droplets of rain fell from the sky of solid clouds, all bursting with the dense precipitation that drenched the land. Night had come early as the late afternoon sun was totally concealed by the massive thunderheads, cutting off all light save for the flashes of lightning which were almost immediately followed by rumbling, and at times, ear-splitting thunder.

Nick stood huddled in his long raincoat, a grimace on his face as his blue eyes squinted against the wind and rain. He was standing on the porch of the old mansion, behind the podium to which Kevin now stood, giving a short speech. Nick was standing so close to Brian that they were almost touching. He somehow found a semblance of safety being close to his best friend, and Brian didn't seem to notice. Either that or the southerner pretended not to notice Nick's nervousness.

Looking out at the front lawn, Nick was surprised that the people had even showed up. It was getting ridiculous, standing out in the rain like they were, the speakers having to shout to be heard over the noise of the storm. Thank God they were cutting the ceremony short, or Nick would have gone insane. They all had no idea how hard it was to not jump at every flash of lightning, to not run to someplace that was familiar and hide away from it all.

The yard lights and electric lamps in and outside of the house staved off the darkness enough to curb his fear, but not make it disappear completely. The storm was just too familiar to ignore and Nick prayed for the whole event to end soon.

Finally, Kevin stepped away from the podium and let the spokesman for the fundraiser close the ceremony. Kevin looked miserable when his stage face fell away, no longer facing the small crowd. All in all, it really wasn't that big of a fundraiser. The crowd consisted of around one hundred people, one forth of which was media.

"This is nuts!" Nick heard AJ complain on the other side of Brian. "It's friggin' stormin' out! Can we get this over with already? I think I'm shrinking I'm so wet and miserable."

"Well, we can't have that," smiled Howie's voice. "You get any smaller than what you already are and we'll be shoppin' in the kiddies' section for your clothes."

"Oh, ha ha," replied AJ sarcastically, giving Howie a bored look.

"Hey," Kevin broke in with a sniff, then a cough. "We're almost done, just have to tour the house as soon as he gets done speaking."

"Yeah," muttered Brian to Nick. "Watch out for the stampede those people'll make to get in the house to escape the rain. They don't really care what kind of house it is. Right now, they all just wanna get dry."

"Uh-huh," smiled Nick, grasping onto the familiar banter his friends spoke and holding onto it as if it were his lifeline. Anything, to just take his mind off of the storm and the darkness it brought.

A flash of lightning illuminated the countryside, too close for Nick's comfort as he couldn't hold back his reaction, jumping so much as to bump into Brian. The snap of deafening thunder almost immediately after it attested to the lightning's closeness. Nick almost jumped out of his skin at the thunder strike, his right hand leaving his pocket to latch onto Brian's arm.

"Holy-" Brian spooked at the grip, already a bit uneasy after the too close lightning. He turned to look at a pale Nick, "Hey... Nick, you okay?"

Nick couldn't hold back his fear any longer. He fixed wide, frightened blue eyes on Brian and fairly pleaded with the southerner, "I wanna go in the house, now. Please."

Brian stared at Nick, stunned at the unconcealed fear he saw in his friend's blue eyes. When he finally spoke, his words were slow to move past his lips, "Sure. We're goin in right now, Nick. Okay? Is that okay?"

Not releasing his grip on Brian's forearm, Nick nodded. He had the worst feeling, deep within his chest, that his nightmare was starting all over again. Only this time, it was for real. No dreams. No waking up.

They were moving into the house now, out of the storm. Within a few minutes the entire crowd had filled the house, the vast majority of the people staying on the first floor. With the motion of the crowd, Nick and Brian were jostled away from Kevin, Howie, and AJ. The only reason they stayed together was Nick's iron grip on Brian's arm.

"When can we leave this place?" Nick whispered to Brian, all the strange people and the even stranger setting adding to his growing fear.

"Uh, I don't know, Frack," answered Brian unsteadily, becoming unnerved at Nick's behavior. "I guess we can leave as soon as we hook back up with Kevin and the others."

"Where are they?" Nick urgently questioned, his bright eyes roving over the people.

"I- um, I thought I saw Kevin going upstairs, but I could be wro-"

Brian was cut off as Nick bee lined it for the stairway, dragging Brian behind him by the arm. Another extremely close flash of lightning brightened the dimly lit house and Brian felt Nick's hand tense. Then, when the thunder cracked loudly, he felt Nick jerk. My God, thought Brian, stumbling after Nick as he was pulled up the stairs. He's scared to death, but... of what? The storm? Brian shook his head, No, he never had been before. Then... What?

They had reached the top of the stairs and had just turned into the first room to the right when the lights went out. Like flipping a switch, total blackness consumed the house and those within it.

Brian gasped as a sudden pain shot up his arm. Nick was holding on so tightly it felt as if he were going to break Brian's arm. Brian's face twisted in pain, his voice strained and urgent when he spoke, "Nick... Nick, c'mon. Let go of my arm. Nick, please. Let go... ...Nick?!"

Brian's voice must have snapped Nick out of his frozen state, because suddenly he began to shake, tremble as his grip on Brian's arm did not lessen, but tightened still more. Brian barely held back a cry as Nick pulled him forward as he backed up. Brian could now hear his friends voice, soft and trembling in obvious fear, Nick's breathing changing to gasps.

"Oh, my God... Oh, God... No, it's happening again... ...God, no... No!"

"Nick!" cried Brian, suddenly being jerked forward by the arm as Nick stumbled backwards.

Brian heard and felt Nick slam into the wall, but instead of this stopping the frantic blond as Brian had thought it would, it caused Nick to recoil away from the wall. His sudden change of direction in the darkness snapped Brian around and he almost fell to the hard wood floor as his foot tripped over a rug of some sort.

Brian fiercely tried to reach his distressed and frightened friend, "Nick! It's okay! ...Nick, I'm here! Brian is here! ...NICK!!"

Nick must have stumbled into something, because Brian was now being pulled back towards the wall again. Brian could have tried to release his arm from Nick's grip, but he didn't want to lose Nick in the dark... not when he was like this.

Suddenly, a blinding white flash filled the room with light from the double window to their right. Seemingly simultaneously, a deafening explosion of noise shook the very house. The things Brian saw in those short seconds of time would be forever engraved into his mind. He saw Nick, absolutely terrified, almost wild with stark fear. He saw the sparks and fire as the lightning instantly petrified the bark around its strike to the base of the old tree. He saw, as well as heard in the fading echo of the thunder, the tree's base breaking and the tree falling...

Brian heard the branches snapping and the breaking of the mansion's roof. Brian felt the entire house tremble beneath his feet and barely had time to breathe as he tried to warn his best friend.

"NICK! LOOK OUT!"

Brian tried to move Nick--tried to do something--as he felt, heard, and saw the tree falling into the house. It fell almost right on top of them as the room broke apart, the floor seeming to buckle and sway beneath their feet.

"Nick!" Brian shouted again, desperate to get a response even as heavy wooden beams crashed down around them, debris raining down on top of them. "NICK!"

Finally, after what had seemed like hours but was only a couple seconds, Nick answered.

"Brian!?" Nick's voice was breathless, horrified. "Oh, God... BRIAN!!"

As the sound of Nick screaming his name shot through Brian, he also heard his friend cry out in pain. Then... then Brian felt Nick's hand release his arm, falling limply away.

Brian's heart leapt to his throat, the sound of the tree snapping through the house only dimly registering as he reached out to try and find his friend, "Nick? ...Nick? Answer me... ...Nick!!"

Brian heard nothing but the tree finally settling and the storm that continued to assault the countryside. Brian didn't get a response from his best friend. The need to find Nick overrode all else as Brian fell to his hands and knees, crawling forward on the still shaking floor trying to find his best friend.

"Nick!" he called, the room seeming to shudder around him as the gaping hole in the roof allowed the wind and rain to enter the house. Rain soaked Brian's hair and face, causing him to blink in the total blackness. A flash of lightning in the distance gave him a second of sight, to which he saw Nick sprawled on the floor a few feet in front of him. He wasn't moving.

"Oh, God... Nick!" Brian cried again, moving forward even as the room gave a sudden crack. Something gave way above them. Then, something hit Brian hard. That was the last thing Brian knew, then nothing.

Scattered shouts and movement broke through to Kevin, as well as the awareness of someone shaking his arm. Then, as he gradually became alert, he heard a voice calling his name.

"Kevin! ...Hey! C'mon, man. Wake up!"

Kevin's brow furrowed, "AJ?"

AJ slumped in relief, the dim light of several flashlights showing the relief on his face, "Kev, you scared the hell out of me! Ya wanna open yer eyes for me, pal?"

Ah... Kevin sighed. So that's why he couldn't see anything. Frowning slightly, Kevin slowly peeled his eyes open. He blinked a few times, his gaze taking in the panic that surrounded he and AJ. Kevin raised a hand to rub the ache at the back of his head, hissing as the touch caused pain to flare.

AJ grabbed Kevin's hand, pulling it away from his head, "Hey, leave it alone, Kev. Ya took a hit to the head from something, pro'bly wood, and it knocked you out. Ya 'bout gave me heart failure when you wouldn't wake up, Kevin."

"What happened?" Kevin managed, trying to sit up.

AJ put an arm around Kevin's back and helped him to sit up, keeping his arm there until he was sure Kevin wouldn't just topple back over, "Well, if ya look over there, I think you'll get the whole story."

Confused, Kevin's gaze followed AJ's pointing finger. When he saw it, he gasped. Kevin knew where he was. He knew he was in the living room on the first floor of the centennial house. No way could what he was seeing be real. There was not a tree laying precariously across the north corner of the house. It wasn't possible. And, it looked so odd, the grotesque tree protruding into the house. There was supposed to be a wall there...

"That's..." started Kevin, looking at AJ and then back to the destruction with wide eyes. "That's... That's a tree."

"Very good, Kevvy," AJ smiled shakily, giving Kevin a soft pat on the arm. "I think it's safe to say your brain wasn't messed up from the knock on the head. You know I'm AJ and you know that's a tree. So... so far, so good."

"Oh, my God," Kevin said softly, the reality of the situation dawning. He stared at the tree. It just looked so foreign, invading the house like an intruder, maybe more like something from a horror movie. Kevin turned his attention to the people milling about, most of them looking scared and lost. Then Kevin thought of something else.

"Howie!" he cried, trying to stand.

AJ helped him up, supporting him when he stumbled, "Whoa, there. Take it easy, Kev. I'm sure 'D is okay, but I haven't seen him... or Brian and Nick."

"No!" Kevin shook his head, wincing at the headache that intensified from it's previous ache to a persistent throb. "You don't understand! I was with Howie when... when that tree fell."

"Okay, okay," soothed AJ, trying to calm Kevin. AJ felt strange. It was always Kevin keeping him calm, not the other way around. AJ shook his head slightly. This was really messed up, "He can't be that far away then, all right? Let's find him, but let's take it slow."

Kevin nodded, letting AJ guide him through the crowd. Kevin felt confused again, the headache throbbing at the back of his head making it hard to think, "Why is everyone still in the building? Shouldn't we be evacuating?"

"Easier said than done, Kev," informed AJ, pulling Kevin around several people and stepping over a shattered antique chair. "The tree fell across and caught just the north corner of the house, but that's also the front of the house. The porch collapsed, blocking the only way out. This is an old house, Kev." AJ stopped and sighed, looking up at Kevin, "The tree's impact caused weak points in the house to buckle, the entire back porch is rubble. People are trapped in other rooms of the house, some people might have..." AJ trailed off.

"Some people might have died," toned Kevin softly, locking his gaze with AJ's.

"Yeah," AJ breathed. He shook his head, trying to shake the bad thoughts away. "So, we're all trapped in here. We tried the windows, but they're all nailed shut. Whoever had this house last sure didn't want anyone to get in. Right now they are debating if we should break the windows."

AJ started walking again, guiding Kevin behind him as some of the wind and rain falling into the open spaces around the tree coated their clothes and wet their hair. It was like a room with a draft that you couldn't block. The holes around the fallen tree allowed the storm in, but were too small and too high to let the people out. The tree had settled into the house, almost as if it were leaning back on it, the lowest point being ten feet off of the ground. Who knew how long the tree would remain where it was. If something in the house shifted, the tree may fall further, causing even more damage and harm.

AJ's dark eyes searched the crowd for their missing friends, concern and fear burning a hole in the center of his chest. They would get through this, they had to. All of them were fine. AJ held onto that hope, knowing it was all he could do. Looking behind him, AJ cleared his throat to continue his conversation with Kevin, knowing the elder needed to know all they were up against. Kevin always had to know what was going on, it made him feel secure and in control of things he sometimes had no control of.

"For now, I guess we have to wait," AJ informed Kevin. "Atleast until the rescue crews get here and get us out."

AJ suddenly smiled, tilting his head back at Kevin, "One good thing about all those reporters and rich people is dang near everyone has a cell phone."

Kevin smiled back at AJ, but then he caught sight of what they were looking for.

"Howie!" Kevin cried, reaching forward for the Latino as he walked toward them.

"Yo, 'D!" yelled AJ, grinning as it appeared that Howie was unharmed. Then he saw the blood on Howie's shirt. AJ's eyes widened, anxiously looking at his friend's face, "Howie?"

Howie gave them a tired smile, maneuvering around a group of people before stopping before Kevin and AJ, "Hey. You guys okay?"

"I'm okay," AJ said quickly, then nodding to Kevin. "Kevin was knocked out for a bit. He scared the crap out of me, but I think he'll be okay. What about you? Your shirt..."

Howie glanced down at his bloody left forearm, moving his other hand to gently grip the limb. He looked up at AJ with a half smile, "This? It's no big deal, just cut my arm a bit."

"A bit?" quoted Kevin, doubt in his voice. He may have a monster headache and, okay, maybe some blurry vision, but the blood on Howie's shirt looked to him that he was cut more that just, a bit. "Howie, that looks bad. Let us see, okay?"

"No, really," Howie took a step back as Kevin reached out for him, shaking his head. "It's fine."

"Howie, dang it..." AJ had to grab Howie's uninjured arm to stop the Latino from shying away. "Howie, c'mon. We have to see how bad it is, so we can help it if we need to. Okay?"

Reluctant, but finding himself trapped--in more ways than one--Howie allowed his friends to examine his arm. He winced, biting his lip as AJ pulled his torn and bloodied shirtsleeve back. He closed his eyes at the gasps that came from Kevin and AJ when they saw his damaged arm.

"Jesus, Howie!" cried AJ, gently holding Howie's injured forearm in his hands as if it were made of glass. "What the hell happened?!"

Howie sighed, wincing as Kevin gently probed the multiple cuts, "I was knocked off my feet when the tree hit, and a chandelier almost fell on me. I rolled away before it could hit me, but not fast enough. My arm caught some of the crystal as it shattered."

"Howie," Kevin spoke softly, looking Howie in the eyes. "You've still got glass in your arm. I can see and feel it. You need to get to a hospital and have it removed. They're just slivers, too small for us to get out without pushing them into your arm even more."

Howie nodded, "That's what I figured. It burns, but not too bad. You didn't have to worry about it. I knew you couldn't do anything."

"Oh, yes we can," said AJ, tearing a strip off the bottom of his designer shirt. "We can wrap it so it don't get too dirty and to stop it from bleeding."

AJ went to work wrapping Howie's arm, Kevin having to hold the arm as Howie tried to jerk it away.

"Ouch!" Howie cried, giving AJ a small glare. "You can take it easy, ya know."

"I am," argued AJ, returning the glare. "If'n you stop tryin' to jerk away, it wouldn't hurt so much! Now, quit movin'. I'm almost done."

"Ow!" Howie winced, "Hurry it up, will ya?"

Kevin closed his eyes. Lord, Howie and AJ would bicker no matter when or where they were. Sighing, he let Howie's arm go after AJ tied off the makeshift bandage, but not before he felt and saw Howie jump at the sound of breaking glass.

"What the hell?" Howie sputtered, dark eyes looking for the source of the sound.

"Relax, 'D," assured AJ, who looked sideways at Kevin. "Guess they came to a decision about the windows."

"Yep," nodded Kevin, who then shut his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him. He swayed.

AJ grabbed Kevin's arm, "Whoa, Kev. You okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered after a moment, opening his eyes and blinking rapidly to focus. "Just got a bit dizzy."

"Dizzy..." AJ repeated, worried. "Just stay with us, 'kay Kevvy?"

"I'm fine," Kevin stated, staring hard at AJ.

AJ stared right back, then over at Howie. He shook his head, "And we wonder where Nick gets his stubbornness. Everybody is always fine, even when they're bleeding or have been hit hard enough on the head to pass out. Yeah, we're all just fine."

Suddenly, sirens filled the air, breaking through the noise of the continuing storm. A small cheer went up from the crowded room, relief at the help to come lightening spirits and easing fears.

"Form a line!" came a shout to the trio's far left. "Just form a line and everyone will be able to get out. Careful of the glass!"

Howie looked at Kevin and AJ, "I guess we're getting out of here."

Kevin shook his head quickly, letting out a groan at the pain that flared but still managing to speak his argument, "We can't leave! Nick and Brian are still missing."

AJ grabbed Kevin's arm as the elder swayed again. AJ didn't think Kevin even knew he was off balance, "We know that, Kev. They have to be somewhere around here, though. They couldn't have gotten too far away from us."

His dark eyes searching the crowd that was slowly shrinking, AJ bit his lip in indecision. He didn't know where Nick and Brian were, but he did know of Kevin and Howie... and they needed help. The only way they were going to get help was by leaving the house, but then he would have to leave Brian and Nick, too. AJ's mind whirled. What was he supposed to do?

A groaning crack suddenly shot through the room, a collective gasp bursting forth from the crowd as the tree suddenly dropped a foot further into the house. Dirt and small debris fell at the sudden movement, the weakened house moaning and shifting in response to its open wound. The floor beneath their feet shuddered and cracked, oddly disorienting to those who stood upon it.

"Shit!" hissed AJ as he had to hold his arms out to keep his balance, shifting his feet.

Kevin muffled a groan, closing his eyes at the dizzying motion that turned his stomach. As soon as he fully closed his eyes, Kevin had the horrible feeling of his mind spinning and tipping. He snapped his eyes back open, his vision fluxing in and out of focus. Aw, gawd... He really felt like crap.

The house finally settled again and the space was filled with an eerie silence as the people waited with bated breath for anything further. Slowly, confidence returned to the crowd and people began to evacuate through the busted windows again, perhaps even more urgently wanting escape.

"That," gasped Howie as he gripped his arm in pain, having almost fallen in the shaking and stretched the cuts in his attempt to steady himself, "That... was NO fun."

"Damn straight," confirmed AJ, running a shaking hand through his wet hair. He glanced at Kevin when the man failed to add to the conversation and his dark eyes widened, "Kev!"

Kevin was hunched over and leaning dangerously to his right, his face downcast as he swayed severely. AJ reached out for him, a hand on each shoulder as he tried to get a response from his older friend, "Kev? You okay?"

Kevin found his vision to be going completely out of focus and slowly dimming as his headache intensified. He thought he had heard AJ's voice, but it seemed so far away. He barely even felt AJ's hands on his shoulders. Just then, his head did a particularly distinct flip and his vision began to go dark as consciousness left him.

"Jesus!" cried AJ as Kevin suddenly collapsed into his arms, almost taking him to the floor. AJ wrapped his arms around Kevin, shifting to get a better hold of him as he tried to look into Kevin's face, "Kev? Hey, c'mon Kevin! ...Please, answer me..."

AJ looked at Howie, his expression broken. Howie broke his eyes from Kevin to stare fearfully at AJ, "Wha- What do we do?"

AJ's shaken and unsure gaze looked from Howie to the crowd that was exiting through the windows, then he let it fruitlessly search for two missing faces. Finally, AJ's brown eyes landed on Kevin's unconscious from in his arms and Howie's too pale face. Pressing his lips together, AJ made his decision.

"We leave."




~ ( ) ~




He was cold... and wet.

He shifted and realized something else. He was on the floor and he had one score of a headache. Brian groaned in a useless attempt to make it go away, but the headache's dull throb remained and it even worsened at the back of his head. Grimacing, Brian moved an arm to reach his hand to massage the pain at the back of his head and gasped at contact, his eyes snapping open. What he found was a rather large bump that was extremely tender to the touch.

Slowly, Brian pushed himself up into a sitting position. He gave the room a moment to stop spinning and then took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. It helped, a little. Waiting for his vision to focus, Brian lost his breath at what eventually formed in his sharpening gaze.

The "room" was a complete catastophy. The entire side opposite him was collapsed, parts of tree branches mingling with the house's broken structure. The grotesque sight was shadowed and only partially illuminated by the lightning and strange flashing red and white lights that came from beyond the room, the blinking light breaking through by way of the gaping hole above Brian's head that also allowed the cool rain entry to keep him thoroughly wet.

Looking down, Brian noticed that the floor he laid on was decidedly... off. Just a small ways beside him the floor abruptly tilted down into the part of the room that was collapsed. It was almost as if something were trying to suck the room underground.

Raising a hand to rub gently at his forehead, Brian moved his gaze lazily behind him. He froze completely, not believing what he was seeing before him. Slowly, the memories returned and Brian gasped. He ignored his head's consistent ache an crawled to Nick's crumpled, still form. As he leaned on his left hand, Brian winced and switched to only using his right to reach his friend. He must have landed on it bad or something.

"Nick?" Brian ventured hesitantly, leaning over Nick when he reached him.

Nick laid on his stomach in a loose fetal position, his face turned away and hidden from Brian's gaze in the shadowed room. Capturing his bottom lip in his teeth, Brian carefully grasped Nick's shoulder and pulled Nick toward him, rolling the blond onto his back.

"Oh, my God," cried Brian at the sight of his friend's face. "Nick? Oh, jeez... Please answer me, Frack. Just--please..."

Dark, red blood covered the entire left side of Nick's lax face, including his neck and a large portion of his shirt. The dark liquid caught the flashing lights that broke into the room and glistened, the sight sickening Brian. He unsteadily used his good hand to carefully brush Nick's short blond hair back, his southern features cringing at finding parts of the blond color stained red.

Brian managed to rip off one of his shirt sleeves, part of the seam already torn, and used the cloth in an attempt to clean some of his young friend's face. That's when he found the wound, dangerously close to Nick's temple and still slightly bleeding. Folding the cloth, Brian pressed it against the open wound. He had to stop the bleeding.

Through all of this, Nick never moved or made a sound and it scared Brian. Again, Brian tried to reach his best friend.

"Nick?" he called, still leaning closely over the still form. "C'mon, Frack. Time to wake up... Please, Nick? Hey, someone is stealing your Playstation! ...It's AJ! He's going to sell it on e-bay! ......I'm serious, Nicky!"

Nick never made a sound or movement.

Brian felt his eyes tearing. He blinked and the hot tears fell to mingle with the cold rain. Brian now pleaded, hand still pressed tightly against the wound, "Nicky, please... You have to wake up. Nick... Nick, c'mon. You're really scaring me..."

At Nick's continued silence a single, broken sob escaped Brian's lips as his eyes squinted with tears. He pressed his lips together as more sobs silently shook his frame. Sniffing softly, Brian cried over his silent best friend.




~ ( ) ~




AJ sat within the ambulance with his head in his hands, eyes closed as he hoped that he had made the right choice. Lifting his head, AJ looked from Kevin lying on the stretcher before him to Howie who sat on the other side. Howie was staring out the open back doors at the damaged house, the Latino's expression lost and worried.

AJ let his gaze fall upon the house, forcing himself to take in every aspect of the destruction. Secretly, as AJ had left the house with Kevin's unconscious form and Howie, he had hoped that Nick and Brian were already outside, that they had just missed seeing them inside. It didn't take long before he found out that his two friends were still trapped within the house. He had asked people if they had seen them, and he kept getting negative answers until one man said yes, but the last time he had seen them was when the lights had went out and they had been at the top of the stairs of the second floor, about to go into a room. The man hadn't seen them since and the door to the room he thought they went into was completely blocked by debris and wooden beams.

Devastated. That was the way AJ felt at the moment. Two of his four best friends in the world were trapped in that house. He didn't even know if they were still alive. One thing that AJ did know was that he wasn't going to leave again. He would not leave this place until his friends were found and found alive.

Letting his brown gaze fall on Kevin, AJ sighed. The paramedic had said Kevin had a concussion, not severe but not mild either. The ambulance was going to leave in a few minutes. They were going to take Kevin in for observation and a CAT scan, just to be safe. They were taking Howie in to free his arm of the glass and for stitches. AJ wanted to go with them, but he had already made his decision. The paramedics had said they would both be fine and he, himself was fine, so AJ was going to stay. He had left Nick and Brian once, he wouldn't do it again.




~ ( ) ~




The bleeding had finally stopped and Brian had carefully removed the pressure of the cloth. Weary, Brian shifted to sit against the wall. He still remained at Nick's side, his good hand resting on the steadily moving chest.

It had to have been an hour or more since Brian had woken up when Nick began to wake up. Nick groaned and shifted slightly, only to groan again, louder this time. Brian instantly became alert, hope soaring within him at his friend's possible return to consciousness.

"Nick?" he asked urgently, his eyes flitting over Nick's face. "C'mon now. You can do it, Nicky. Wake up for me."

Nick moved more, rolling his head slightly. His face twisted in a pain filled wince, a shallow cry parting his lips as he slowly cracked his eyes open.

Brian smiled at the open eyes staring up at him, happiness at Nick's return raising his hopes. Brian moved his hand to grasp Nick's shoulder and was about to speak when at the touch, Nick recoiled back with a frightened gasp. Stunned, Brian watched as Nick quickly moved away and pushed up against the wall in a sitting position, one shaking hand raised to hold his head as he panted in obvious fear.

"Nick?" Brian called, reaching a hand out. He froze as Nick jumped at his voice, hand still gripping his head as he looked around.

"No!" Nick hoarsely cried, still moving his head as if searching the room. "Get away! Just get away!!"

Shocked, it took Brian a moment to respond. When he did, he forced his voice to remain steady and reassuring.

"Nick... Nick, it's me. Brian." Brian slowly moved forward, "You recognize my voice, don't you? Brian Littrell, the Frick to your Frack. C'mon... Do you recognize me, Nick?"

Nick finally looked in his direction, seeming to fight something within himself until he finally, hesitantly, spoke.

"Brian?"

Nick's voice was so soft that Brian barely heard it above the storm, "Yeah, Nick. It's Brian."

Brian reached Nick's side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Nick jerked but didn't move away. Instead, Nick seemed to accept Brian for who he said he was and shuddered suddenly, offering up in a trembling tone, "Dark."

Brian, although relieved that Nick seemed to be coherent, frowned at the single word, "Yes, it's a little dark Nick, but there are those red and white flashing lights. It's not totally dark and even the lightning helps."

Nick suddenly froze, "Red and white lights? L-lightning?"

Brian was becoming more confused by the second, "Yeah... Nick, what's wrong."

Nick lifted his eyes, the blue orbs blank as they stared past Brian. When he spoke, Nick's voice was barely audible and it trembled more with each word uttered.

"Brian... I don't see any lights. I- I can't see..."