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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the delay, I've been too engrossed in everyone else's stories to even look at my own!

Chapter 6 - We Can Work It Out

After checking in at the airport, Nick went and took a seat next to Kevin, he was still getting his head around the fact that he was back with the boys, it still seemed so unreal. How do you go from being forty years old to twenty five overnight and expect to act normal - you just can’t.

“Kev” he began “I need to talk to you”

“What’s up Nick?” Kevin asked, giving Nick his full attention “you‘ve not been right these past couple of days, and I‘m not just talking about the partying“.

It was typical of the oldest member of the band to be so perceptive.

Now what do I say? I can hardly tell him I‘ve been magically transported back in time, he would really think I‘m nuts and cart my ass to an institution! This is so weird just being here again, but I have to do something, say something, I can’t make the same mistakes twice, I don‘t want to end up that way again. I’ve got the chance of a new life, I’ve gotta grab it with both hands.

“I don’t really know where to start” Nick shrugged, unsure what to say.

“You know you can tell me anything” Kevin lowered his voice “and it’ll stay between the two of us”

Nick knew that there was no fear of Kevin mouthing off to anyone else about his problems, if he asked him not to. AJ would be a completely different matter though; nothing remained a secret for long once he knew!

“I know” Nick sighed “you’re right; I think I do have a problem”

“Well, admitting it to yourself is the first step” Kevin said as he nodded his head in approval.

“I just don’t know what to do Kev, I don’t want to end up as some forty year old loser with nothing to show for his life” Nick said, looking down at his fumbling hands.

“That would never happen bro” Kevin placed a reassuring hand on Nick’s shoulder.

Wanna bet! That is exactly what happens! You leave the band Kevin; you go your own way, just as I go mine!

“As soon as we’re done with this tour, I think you should check in to a rehab centre back home. It worked for AJ, it can work for you too” Kevin said with an air of authority.

Nick wondered why he’d never gone down the rehab route first time around. Maybe it was because he’d been too stubborn to see that he had a problem. Or maybe he just didn’t care. Nick remembered that Kevin had left the band shortly after the Never Gone tour, so maybe that had been a contributing factor, but he highly doubted it. There’d been no one to blame but himself. He’d fucked up his life all on his own and now he was going to make amends.

“Thanks Kev” Nick said

“No problem, I’m glad you felt you were able to come to me about this, and don’t worry, we’ll see that you get all the help you need once we get home. You know we are all here for you” Kevin said and hugged Nick “everything’s gonna be fine”

Nick glanced around the airport lounge, looking at his friends, he really was glad to be with them again, to get this chance to be part of the team again. It gave him a warm feeling inside.

Over the years they’d kind of lost touch with each other, or to put it a better way, the rest of the guys had lost touch with him. He’d been the cause of the split after all and there had been a lot of bitterness. In 2020 the only person he ever heard from was AJ, who would call him every once in a while to check how he was doing, but there wasn‘t the closeness that they‘d had once upon a time. He’d driven the others away.

But if I do somehow manage to change the events of my life, what about Mandy and the kids? I know she’s left me but still, I love my kids. Nick closed his eyes, did he really want to change all that? He knew the answer. She’ll be better off never knowing me anyway, she’ll have a better life if she doesn’t meet me, I just brought her nothing but pain and hardship.

It was time to board their flight to Germany and Nick was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t even heard Kev telling him their flight had been called.

“You OK Nick? You look a little spaced out there” Kevin smiled “well, more than usual anyway”

“Very funny!” Nick laughed and then became more serious “Kev, do you ever think of the future? Do you think we really can change our destiny?”

“Listen Nick, I think you can do whatever you set out to achieve, you can turn your life around, only you are in charge of your destiny” Kev said placing a supporting hand on Nick’s shoulder “now come on, we’ve got a plane to catch”

They boarded the plane for the short flight to Germany, they’d only been there a couple of weeks previously, but were doing a few more shows in different parts of the country. It didn’t make sense, but then Nick wasn’t the one who’d put together the tour dates and locations, that was down to their management team.

“Party tonight, you up for it bro?” asked AJ as he took a seat next to Nick.

“Sure I’m up for it” Nick answered. I don’t have to drink so much, I don’t have to do drugs, I can be strong, I can say no.

“Cool, we’ll hook ourselves up with a couple of German chicks, it’ll be awesome” AJ said with a devilish grin.

“Now you’re talking, bring it on” Nick laughed, there was nothing in the rules which said that giving up drink and drugs meant no women!

The flight was short, much to everyone’s relief, they’d done so much travelling on this tour, and sometimes it was hard to remember where they’d just left and where they were heading to. Before long they were at the hotel, being greeted by a crowd of screaming German girls, all trying to get their attention. Nick spotted a familiar looking face and he tried to remember where he’d seen her before, it took him a few moments and then he realised where he’d seen her, it was this very night, first time around. If he wasn’t mistaken he’d see her again later at the party, but he wasn’t going back there, oh no, been there, done that! No, tonight was the night to start changing his destiny, and that meant not fucking the same women he’d done last time.

“Hey, check out that brunette, think you could be lucky there” AJ whispered in his ear.

“Nah, you go for it if you want” Nick replied.

“Do you guys ever think about anything else other than your dicks and getting laid?” asked Howie who was shaking his head.

“No” Nick and AJ both laughed. Even in 2020 Nick still thought about it, it just never happened, who wanted his obese, whiskey stinking, sweaty body all over them - no one! He could’ve paid for it, but he wasn’t that desperate for sex that he’d give up the vodka for it.

They settled into their rooms and unpacked. Nick took a nice long hot shower and then laid down on his bed for a while. This could be the night that changes everything, a whole new future, am I ready for that? “Hell yeah” Nick said out loud, although it also scared him. Tonight everything would change, starting with not going back to that brunette’s hotel.

A few hours later and they were in the club, sitting in the VIP section with drinks being thrust into their hands; Nick was too weak to say no. How could he say no? He saw Kevin look at him, a look of warning in his eyes.

“I can handle it Kev, don’t worry, I know when to stop” he said and walked away, in another direction, away from the scrutinising eyes of Kevin. He knew he was disappointed, especially after that little talk earlier, but come on; it wasn’t going to happen overnight was it? But one thing Nick wasn’t going to do tonight was drugs. He knew he wasn’t at the point in time where he was addicted to them; he had no cravings for anything other than having a good time. Nick knew all too well how cravings felt and didn’t want to ever feel them again.

“Hi there Nick” came a heavily accented female voice.

Nick turned around to see the girl from earlier, the girl he vaguely remembered sleeping with all those years ago. Although she was extremely pretty, he wasn’t going there again.

“Hey” Nick said and they chatted for a few minutes before Nick politely excused himself.

“But I thought we could go back to mine, we could carry on the party back there” she pouted, pulling out a bag of white powder and waving it in front of him, as if to tempt him away.

“Well, you thought wrong then” he said and walked away. There, I did it, I changed one thing from my past and it wasn‘t so hard after all.

“Well done Nick” Kevin said appearing as if from nowhere.

“What…how?” Nick asked incredulously.

“I saw her trying to persuade you, and I saw you walk away from it, I’m proud of you” Kevin said, placing his hand on Nick’s arm and smiling at the younger man.

“But, I’ve been drinking…and after our little talk earlier…”

Kevin cut him off “Look Nick, I know this isn’t going to happen overnight, there’s a long way to go, but you said no to drugs and that‘s a step in the right direction, we’ll work on the rest. Now enjoy yourself…not too much though” he warned, and then he was gone, back into the crowd of party goers.

Throughout the night Nick was offered various drugs and although tempted, he stayed strong and refused every time. He even managed to get through the night without getting totally off his face on drink, which was something of an achievement. Maybe the talk with Kevin had helped, or maybe it was because he left the party early with a pretty red head and soon forgot all about the need to drink himself stupid.

Chapter End Notes:
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