Brian felt lucky that the other night when he called her Isabelle that it had been a slip of the tongue.  The he had been thinking about something one of the other guys had been talking about and that the name was on his mind.   She had quickly forgiven him and their passionate love making that night had been enough to make Brian secure in the fact that his wife did not suspect his mind was on another woman. 

Brian couldn’t stop smiling as he watched his wife with their son on the merry-go-round they were riding together.   The group had a day off and Brian decided that today would be a good day to spend with his wife and Baylee.  They all needed time together.  He hoped that he would be able to keep his identity secret as they wandered through the amusement park.   

Brian waved at Baylee as the twosome came around again. 

As the merry-go-round slowed down indicating that the ride was over, Brian turned his back to the ride and looked out into the park trying to decide where to go next.   That was when he saw her.  The woman whose face had been haunting his dreams was here and quickly walking away from him.  Brian was determined to get some answers so without thinking about Leighanne and Baylee he took off after her. 

Brian pushed his way through the crowds wondering if everyone was trying to get between him and the woman he was following.  She stopped by the ice cream stand and Brian sighed as he was able to approach her.  

“Excuse me,” Brian said as his hand touched her shoulder lightly.

“Yes?” the woman turned and faced Brian.  Brian’s face fell as he realized this woman that he had been chasing through the amusement park was not who he thought she was.

Recognition crossed the girl’s face as she realized that a Backstreet Boy had just approached her.   “Brian?” She asked unsure if what happened to her had just really happened. 

“Hey,” He smiled broadly hoping she did not notice that his face fell when she originally turned to face him. 

He took a picture with her; she had just bought a picture phone the day before and couldn’t believe one of her first pictures would be one with him.  When he asked that she not tell anyone that he was there she looked at him strangely but once he told her that she’d have bragging rights as being the only fan to get a picture with him that day she agreed and he sighed with relief. 

After the girl left Brian looked around his surroundings unsure of exactly where he was.  “Crap,” he muttered when he realized that he had run off leaving Leighanne and Baylee back at the merry-go-round.  They were both probably wondering where he went off to suddenly. 

He turned back in the direction he had come from and hoped he could make it back to them before they really noticed he was gone, though he knew deep down that was unlikely.   

It wasn’t long until he saw Leighanne coming in his direction, her eyes searching the crowd. She had not seen him yet.  He stood watching her, there was an expression of worry on her face that he had never seen before and it frightened him.    He wanted to rush to her but something held him back, instead he found a line and stood at the end of it, turning his attention away from Leighanne training his gaze on the back in front of him.

“Brian,” Leighanne’s voice was next to him only seconds later.  “There you are; where did you go?”

Brian could tell that she was trying not to sound as worried or scared as she had looked only moments before.    Brian quickly glanced at what line he was standing in, saying a silent prayer that it was something he could pass off.   He sighed when he noticed it was a line for funnel cake. 

“I was struck with the idea to get a funnel cake, I had hoped to get it and be back just after the ride ended but I see my timing is horrible.” He smiled and pulled Leighanne closer and pulled Baylee up into his arms.

“Oh,” she replied but Brian couldn’t tell if she believed his story or not.  She had turned her face enough that he couldn’t read her eyes.    

The rest of the day at the park was uneventful; they got their funnel cake and shared it. Baylee went on a few more rides and Brian filled a disposable camera he bought in a gift shop with pictures of his son and wife.  They walked away with their arms full, Brian carrying Baylee and Leighanne carrying the stuffed animals, t-shirts and other various items Baylee had pleaded with them to buy for him. 

They arrived back at the hotel and both couldn’t believe their luck when only a few girls could be seen waiting outside the doors and the lobby looked empty.  Brian managed to get a sleeping Baylee out of the car and into his arms without waking him.  As he approached the hotel he could see that the girls wanted to come over to him but that they respectfully kept their distance.  He would have to come down and take pictures with them as a ‘thank you’ later. 

After Baylee was tucked away in his bed, Brian fell down on the couch next to Leighanne who was reading some fashion magazine.   She put it down when she noticed he was sitting there and gently laid her hand on his arm running her fingers lightly on his skin.  He always got the chills when she did this and he found it very calming and relaxing.   He closed his eyes and let the softness of her fingers relax him. 

“I love it when you do that Isabelle,” Brian murmured. It wasn’t until the fingers stopped that he realized he had done it again, called his wife by the name of the girl from his dreams.   “Babe,” he said as he opened his eyes to what he thought would be Leighanne’s crushed face.  Instead she looked panicked.

“What did you say?” She asked as if she was hoping that he had not just called her by another woman’s name.  She had moved away from him and was now standing near the doorway to the bathroom. 

Brian quickly jumped off the couch and made his way to his wife’s side.  “Don’t worry about it babe, I’ll figure out what is going on and this will end.” He brought her hand up to his lips but before he could kiss it she pulled it away. 

“No, no, no,” Leighanne pushed him away and moved further away from him.  “I can’t, why...” she mumbled.  “Where are the others, why couldn’t it have been one of the others?” She was talking to herself out loud but looking upwards as if pleading with God.  She fell to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.  “Please, I can’t.” She pleaded to nobody, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Leighanne?” Brian sat next to her taking her hands in his own.  He knew he needed to forget everything else including the dreams, the obsession, with the fan.   Brian knew he needed to devote himself to the love of his life Leighanne and he would do anything to make sure that happened. 

“I love you,” Brian kissed Leighanne’s forehead and pulled her face up so that he could look into her eyes, he needed her to know she meant it.  “I will do whatever you need me to do to prove that I love you and only you.”

Instead of relief or love on her face like he had hoped, the sobs seemed to come from her stronger than before.  When she managed to speak she said words that crushed him.  “You only love me because you were conditioned to.”  She tried to smile through the tears but it seemed impossible.

“I don’t understand what you are talking about.  We met on the video shoot for ‘As Long as You Love Me’ and the rest is history.  I have been with you and loved you since.  We got married and had Baylee.  You have made me the happiest man, you have completed my life.”

Leighanne smiled softly and squeezed his hand brushing his cheek softly with her other hand.  “How I would love to hear you say those words to me and really mean them.” 

“Of course I mean them,” Brian started to speak, a little angry that Leighanne was brushing off his words so easily, but she stopped him. 

“I have messed up my mission,” She smiled t him.  “I couldn’t help but fall in love with you.”

Brian looked at his wife with confusion.  She leaned in closer to him and held his hands tightly in her own.

“I am going to tell you some information that will make me hunted.  I planned for this in case I could not do what was needed.  But, you will not see me, or Baylee again until you figure out what it was you did that put you in this situation to begin with.”

“Leighanne…” Brian wanted her to stop talking; he wanted to forget the crazy things she was saying.  He hoped that this was part of a dream and he was going to wake any minute.  But she continued.

“I am not really you wife,” She blurted out holding up her hand indicating she did not want him to speak.   “There were ten of us total in the room, the mission director, me and eight others.  It was dark.  None of us were to know who the others in the room were.  Nine of us were given an assignment.  No one else knew your assignment.  No one else knew the roles we were to play in your lives.   When I opened my folder, I saw I was to be your wife.   I am ashamed to say now that I dreaded the role.  I knew what it would demand of me.  But once it happened and we lived together as man and wife, the more I got to know you the more I fell in love with you.  I thought I was chosen because they thought I would be immune to your charms, now I realize they chose me because they knew I would love you and it might make me want to keep you with me.  

Our history together was programmed into your memories so that everything you feel happened, our meeting, our wedding and our years before Baylee would feel completely real to you.” 

“Baylee?” Brian questioned.  “He is my son right?” Brian wasn’t sure he could take it if he found out that Baylee wasn’t really his. 

“He is.”

“So we have been together at least three years.”  He nodded, they would have to have been, and Baylee was three years old.  “It is long enough for me to know I love you too.”  

Leighanne was shaking her head and he could feel his heart drop.  “His is mine, and yours, genetically engineered to have both of our DNA but he is only as old as we have been on assignment.  They grew him into this age and then slowed his aging to give the impression we’ve been together longer.”

“But I remember his birth,” Brian shouted startling Leighanne.

“You remember what was programmed and what I have told you.”

“I can’t believe what you are telling me.”

“Deep down you know it’s true.” Leighanne stood and moved into the bathroom. 

“Why would you do this to me?” Brian asked, he had followed her and stood in the doorway.  She was pulling items off the counters and packing them into a bag, she was only taking items that belonged to her and Baylee. 

“I did not do this to you; I was part of the rehabilitation.  You were my assignment.”

Brian stood in disbelief.  He wanted to argue with her that she was wrong that she needed to seek help but something stopped him.  She was right; something deep down was telling him that everything she was saying was the truth.   “How long?”  He had so many memories of them together he couldn’t believe that any of them could not be real. 

“Six months,” She stated as she moved into the bedroom to continue to pack.  

“But I’ve been a part of The Backstreet Boys for more than six months.”

Leighanne paused long enough to look at him.

“It is likely not real either?”

She nodded and marched across the room to where Baylee was asleep.  She returned with the sleeping boy in her arms. 

“What are you doing?” Brian asked suddenly concerned as to why his wife was packing and getting their child ready to leave. 

“I told you, I will be hunted now that I have told you this and because I could not do what was required of me.  Baylee and I are going into hiding.  A few weeks ago I traded information for help, in case I needed it.”  Leighanne shook her head and stopped talking, as if she decided he should not know anymore about whom she traded information with. 

Brian sat in  a trance as his wife, or the woman who had been pretending to be his wife as she claimed, grabbed her bag and attempted to sling it over her shoulder as she held on to their sleeping son who, according to her, was only six months old in a three year old body. 

Was she crazy? Was he having a horrible dream? Would he wake up and they would both be there still?  He felt he should stop her and make her seek help, he wasn’t sure he could live his life without her.   He was just about to speak up when the thought struck him. 

“Howie,” he said.

“What?” Leighanne turned to look back at him. 

“Howie,” he repeated.  “I remember Howie in a pool of blood and then later he was at the hotel with the other guys, he injected me with something.”  He paused and looked up at the woman that he thought he knew, that he thought he had shared a life with. “Who are the cleaners?”  He asked.

Leighanne’s face transformed into one of fear at the mention of the ‘cleaners’ and she turned to leave the room. “You don’t want to know.”  She called back to him as she exited the room.

Brian watched them walk down the hall to the elevator and then ran to the window to watch as they climbed into a cab.  He hadn’t stopped her, why hadn’t he stopped her? He knew why he hadn’t.  There was truth to her words.   She told him who she was; she was someone who was to make him think he was someone he wasn’t.  But who was he that nine people, seven more since he knew of Leighanne and Howie now, were in his life to make him believe in a life of lies. And why?

Brian opened his wallet and took out his wedding photo, he had never removed the picture before, and he never wanted it to leave his wallet before.  How could the love he felt for his wife be implanted, how could it be fake?  Unsure about anything anymore he let the picture fall to the floor and stormed to his room missing the piece of paper that floated to the floor with the picture.