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Arranging all the pillows against the headboard, AJ settled back on the bed. “Hotels suck,” he mumbled with a shake of his head.

 

 

“Yes they do,” Brian agreed as he leaned over the edge of the bed. “Nick, are you sure you don’t want to lay up here? That floor doesn’t look very comfortable.”

 

 

The blonde shook his head. “Nope.”

 

 

“There’s plenty of room for you to play your game here,” the Kentuckian added as he patted the spot next to him on the bed.

 

 

Nick kept his attention directed to the television screen. “Why can’t I play where I am?”

 

 

“Leave the kid alone,” AJ rasped. “He said he was fine down there and besides, Kaos always played his video games on the floor!”

 

 

“How about we play some games together?” Brian asked as he sat down on the floor beside his young brother.

 

 

Stepping over Brian and Nick, AJ grabbed a room card off the dresser and started toward the door. “I’m gonna go down and check the machine for some munchies.”

 

 

Nick tossed the controller down, jumping up. “Can I come too?”

 

 

“I thought you were going to play a game with me!”

 

 

“When I come back.”

 

 

AJ snorted. “He blew you off! I know the kid always liked me more.”

 

 

Brian shook his head. “It’s not about like; it’s about getting out of this room. I’m sure he’s bored.”

 

 

“I’m not bored! I just want to go with AJ to the vending machines,” Nick clarified.

 

 

“And there’s the truth! He does like me!”

 

 

Brian rolled his eyes. “You act like you just won a bet or something.”

 

 

AJ flashed a cheeky grin towards Brian as he opened the door and Nick quickly following the rebel. “You just wanted to get away from Brian, didn’t you?” the rebel asked as they started off down the hall.

 

 

“Sorta….he acts like Mrs. Graham sometimes,” Nick admitted.

 

 

“Mrs. Graham?”

 

 

“She’s my teacher.”

 

 

“I see,” AJ answered absently. “Do you miss being there?”

 

Nick stared at AJ as after they entered the vending machine area. “Miss being where?”

 

“Home at SunValley.”

 

 

Nick thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Not really. It’s funner here ‘cept when Brian acts like Mrs. Graham.”

 

 

“Yeah Brian can be a real asshole,” AJ agreed.

 

 

“That’s a bad word!”

 

 

AJ growled and then he looked up at the blonde. “Who the fuck cares? Who the fuck is here to really care Nicky? You need to lighten up….we don’t need Brian policing every damn word you say! You swore all the time before your accident.”

 

 

The rebel paused as he looked through the glass on the selections offered in the vending machine.

 

 

”Oooh Pop Tarts!” Nick squealed.

 

 

AJ’s head shot up. “Don’t ever do that again!”

 

 

Immediately, tears pooled in the young man’s eyes and he crouched down in the corner, embarrassed at being disciplined. AJ immediately regretted his tone, squatting down he touched Nick on the shoulder.

 

 

“I’m sorry Nicky, I’m not mad at you…..I just don’t want you to squeal…guys don’t squeal.”

 

 

The blonde looked up.

 

 

“And they don’t suck on their fingers,” AJ said as he lightly pulled on Nick’s forearm, pulling the two fingers out. Standing up, AJ pulled his billfold out of his back pocket. “Do you want to see something cool you used to do with Pop Tarts when we were stuck in a hotel while we were on tour?”

 

 

Wiping the tears off his cheeks, Nick stood alongside AJ, watching the rebel purchase the pastry.

 

 

“You’re gonna eat it here?”

 

 

AJ shook his head. “Nah. Watch this, you used to do this when you were bored.”

 

 

Snickering as he tore the wrapper off, AJ pulled one of the pastries out and jammed it into the dollar slot. “You used to do this….”

 

 

Nick stared at AJ in disbelief. “But now no one can use it….”

 

 

“That’s what’s so funny….”

 

 

“But we can’t use it now,” Nick pointed out.

 

 

AJ clamped on hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Yeah, we should have went down a floor to jam that machine. Good point. I guess we need to go down to the next floor for our munchies…it’s not like we have anything else to do today.”

 

 

“We should tell the hotel people that the machine is broke.”

 

 

“The hotel people won’t care. Didn’t you listen to me before? I said you need to lighten up. Nicky you were the king of pulling pranks! I miss that! It’s been so long that I’ve had the old Nick Carter around.”

 

 

“So we were in hotels lots?”

 

“Tons of times Nick. We toured around the world. You’ve been everywhere in the world.”

 

 

“On a plane?”

 

AJ nodded. “Yes on a plane although you hated flying. I swear there were some times Kevin threatened to throw you over his shoulder to get you on a plane. You always thought we’d crash.”

 

 

“When is Kevin coming?”

 

 

“Whoa…that came out of the blue….How did you know Kevin was coming back already?”

 

 

“I heard you talking this morning to Brian.”

 

 

“Oh yeah…well I guess sometime today, Brian didn’t have any info on Kevin’s flight as far as I know.”

 

 

“Screw the vending machines. Let’s see if tight ass Brian wants to go out to eat somewhere….c’mon Nick.”

 

 

Just as they walked past the elevator, the doors slid open and a disgruntled looking Kevin Richardson walked off, a large carryon bag in tow.

 

 

AJ grinned at the sight. “Looks like someone got off on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” he whispered to Nick.

 

 

Ignoring the comment, Nick ran up to Kevin. “Hi Kevin!”

 

 

The Kentuckian smiled. “Howdy Nickolas.”

 

 

“Rough flight?” AJ questioned as he waited for Kevin to approach where he stood.

 

 

Kevin shifted the carryon bag to the opposite shoulder. “No, the flight was fine it was the fact that I waited for someone to pick me up and no one showed that bothers me.”

 

 

“Rok didn’t mention that you expected someone to pick you up. I didn’t even know what time you were flying in.”

 

 

“Figures,” the elder grumbled. “Why are you two roaming the hall?”

 

 

“We pulled a joke on the vending machine,” Nick announced.

 

 

Kevin raised a brow in question. “Pulled a joke on the vending machine?”

 

 

AJ squirmed under Kevin’s piercing eyes. “Skip it, Kaos doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”I see….what did you do Nick?”

 

 

“Here we are, home sweet home,” AJ blurted, slipping the room card into the slot.

 

 

“Hey I was ‘posed to do that!” Nick cried.

 

 

“Shush, Nicky don’t talk so loud in the hall,” Kevin admonished.

 

 

“Look who we found in the hall,” AJ announced as they walked into the room.

 

 

Kevin dropped his bag onto the floor next to the bed. “How come you didn’t pick me up?”

 

 

“I didn’t know anyone was supposed to pick you up,” Brian defended.

 

 

“I told you Contential flight 794 arrives at 10:57 am. I waited for an hour for someone to come and pick me up.”

 

 

“:Why didn’t you call?” Brian asked.

 

 

“Funny thing about trying to call you, I kept getting your voice mail and I got AJ’s voice mail too.”

 

 

Brian pulled his phone off the nightstand. “You shouldn’t have gotten my voice mail….crap, I’m sorry Kev, my phone was shut off. What about yours Jay?”

 

 

The tattooed rebel pulled his cell phone out of his front pants pocket, shaking it. “This damn thing hasn’t been reliable ever since I dropped the son of a bitch on my driveway last month.”

 

 

“Why didn’t you get a replacement then? I swear to god you never cease to amaze me,” Kevin muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed.

 

 

“I haven’t had the time to walk in and get a new phone,” AJ defended. “Been a little busy with the kid here.”

 

 

“Busy doing what?”

 

 

“Please don’t fight,” Nick begged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

 

 

“I’m sorry Nick, I’m just a little frustrated,” Kevin apologized. He looked at the assortment of PS2 games lying on the floor in front of the television. “Brian tells me that you guys went to Wal-Mart to get some games?”

 

 

The blonde nodded. “Yeah we got some games to play. You want to play something?”

 

 

“How about we go grab something to eat? I was telling Nick we need to get something to eat. You hungry Kev?”

 

 

The older man yawned as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah I guess so.”

 

 

Noticing his cousin’s demeanor, Brian opened up the room service menu. “How about we just order food in?”

 

 

“Thought you were sick of being stuck in the hotel too,” AJ rasped.

 

 

“I am, but Kevin just got here and I’m sure he’d like to wind down and relax,” Brian suggested.

 

 

“How about me and the kid go grab some McDonald’s then.”

 

 

Brian and Kevin groaned.

 

 

“What the hell else do you suggest than besides fricken room service?”

 

“How about you give me ten minutes and then we go out to eat?” Kevin asked. “Besides, I see that Nicky needs to get cleaned up.”

 

 

It wasn’t until Kevin pointed out that Nick needed to be cleaned up that both Brian and AJ noticed the chocolate smears and juice stains on the blonde’s t-shirt from the morning’s breakfast.

 

 

Brian immediately felt guilty of neglect. “I’m sorry Nick, I didn’t notice your shirt was dirty.” He quickly flashed a look at AJ.

 

 

“Why you looking at me like that?”

 

 

“You were with him in the hall!”

 

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

 

“Didn’t you see that his shirt had junk on it?”

 

 

“No, but why is it all of a sudden my fault?” AJ argued.

 

 

“Knock off the arguing; can’t you see you have Nick upset now?” Kevin said as he walked over toward the blonde. He put an arm around him. “It’s okay little man.”

 

 

AJ and Brian watched Kevin’s actions and immediately felt guilty.

 

 

“I’m sorry Nick, we just fight sometimes we don’t mean anything by it,” Brian said softly.

 

 

“Yeah kid, you know Rok can be a pain in the ass,” AJ added, ignoring Brian’s scowl.

 

 

“Like Mrs. Graham?” Nick sniffled.

 

 

“Yeah, just like Mrs. Graham,” AJ agreed grinning as Kevin and Brian had confused expressions on their faces. “Long story, maybe Nick will tell you guys about her some time.”

 

 

Kevin playfully rubbed the top of Nick’s head. “Okay, let’s find you something clean to put on so we can go grab a bite to eat.”