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Alana finally got into bed around 10:30 that evening. She had to get up at 4:30 the next morning because she had be to work at 6:00 a.m. Pulling the covers over her shoulder, she drifted off to sleep.What's wrong with him? He usually doesn't act that way? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I hate fighting with him...

At 2:30a.m., the phone rang. She opened her eyes, slowly. She didn't want to answer it. It was way to early to get up, but the phone kept ringing. Alana finally rolled over and picked it up on the nightstand next to her bed.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Ms. Patterson?" the voice asked.

"Yes, this is she," she answered.

"Ms. Patterson, this is Offier Rizzio of the Bakersfield Police Department," he said. "I'm calling regarding Nickolas Carter."

Alana could feel her stomach suddenly become extremely nauseous. Ohmigod! What has he done to himself? I hope it's nothing bad...

"What happened? Is he okay? Is he hurt?" she asked, the nervousess in her voice starting to show.

"Calm down miss," Officer Rizzio said "Mr. Carter is fine. He is in our custody right now. We pulled him over for excessive speeding. We also found out that he was highly intoxicated with alcohol; over the legal limit in the state of Californa. I am sure that you are aware that he does get one phone call."

"Yes," was all she could say. Thank God he's okay...but doing such stupid and crazy things like him...maybe there's something more behind it?

There was a brief pause on the phone until she heard his voice.

"Lana?" Nick asked.

"Yah?" she choked. Why are you calling me?

"Can you come and get me?" he asked. His voice was silent, almost whispering. He was so afraid that she would just hang up and not listen to him. He knew that he shouldn't have been so rude with her on the phone the last time, but he was just so unsecure about his feelings. That was one of the reasons why he landed in custoby. Now, he knew that he just can't expect anything. He was a beggar. Begging for her help. "I don't want to ask Kevin. That is the last thing I need."

She closed her eyes tight to keep the tears from forming in her eyes. Why can't I say no to him? she thought.

"Give me some time to get there," she answered, sighing heavily.
~**********~

After calling into work for the next two days and explaining that she had a family emergency to the store manager, Alana hopped on the next plane to Los Angeles. She left from Tampa as early as she could and she was soon in LAX. Sure, having such an unexpected flight was stressful, but she knew she had to do it. For him. For once in her life, she has to be there for him. He had no one else. She had always avoided his ''popstar'' person and had never been to any of his concerts She just didn't want to get into the spotlight. Her friend was Nick, just an ordinary guy, not the teenie-bopper, heart-breaking popstar, who was always in the spotlight. Sometimes it seemed to her that there were two people-the Nick from BSB and the one she knew.

She grabbed her duffle bags from baggage claim and then when up to the desk for some information. Why the hell am I here?

"Can I help you miss?" the man behind the counter asked.

"Yes, I need to rent a car," she answered. I have to get my so-called friend from jail.

"Can I have your name please?" he asked.

"Alana Patterson," she stated.

Mannie clicked away at the keyboard for a few moments and then looked at her.

"According to our records miss, there is a car waiting for you out in our parking lot," he said. "Your party is waiting for you."

She looked confused and polietly thanked him. My party is waiting for me? Sometimes it's comfortable to be a friend of a popstar, she thought to herself, but she still hadn't forgot why she was there-to help him and not to live the high life.

Going out to the parking lot, she saw a familar face, Frank, Nick's main bodyguard. He was a big stocky guy. He had brown buzzed hair and brown eyes. His muscles where about the size what seemed like of her head.

"Hi Frank," she said giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Nick is lucky to have Frank in his music career...without him, he would be messed up...

"Hey Alana," he replied putting her bags in the truck of the blue Chevy Tahoe.

"How did you know I was coming?" she asked getting into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

"Nick gave me a call and asked me to meet you at the airport with a rented car," Frank answered starting up the Tahoe and pulling onto the interstate. Good ol' Nicky... "He wasn't sure you would actually show because he mentioned something about a fight you two had earlier."

So he does feel guilty! Maybe he didn't mean to be rude to me? I should be nicer to him. I won't read his morals when I get him from the police..he already knows he messed up..I just won't say anything...

Alana looked out the window and then at him.

"I honestly didn't want to come, but I can't say no to him. I never go anywhere for him," she said. But now I feel that I would've even flown all around the world if he needed me.

And now I am in California...

The ride to Bakersfield was just about two hours. Frank parked in the parking lot of the Red Lion Hotel. It was a nice little hotel. A place where, most likely, no paprazzi would be lingering around. The ideal place for Nick to recover...not just from his drunk driving...from his bad behavior to her...but deep inside she knew that she could forgive him everything. Why? Because it was her Nick...Right?

"Sorry," he aplogized "this is the closest hotel out of the way of everything."

She laughed. "I don't care as long as it has a bed."
~**********~

She met Frank downstairs in the lobby a half an hour later. Alana have had some time to take a shower and get dressed. She didn't dress up, by no means. She just put on the outfit she liked the most-jeans and a t-shirt. The ride to the police station took a while. As they parked the car in the parking lot she saw the gray brick building.Maybe this color matches Nick's current mood?

"I'm here to see Officer Rizzio," Alana said to the female officer that was at the front desk.

"Your name please?" the officer asked nicely. Her name badge said Officer Huey.

"Alana Patterson," she answered.

Officer Huey pressed the page button and answered the phone. After a few moments of conversation, she hung up.

"Go right down the hall and it's the first office on the left," she said.

Alana and Frank were seated in two chairs in front of Officer Rizzio's desk. Officer Marcus Rizzio was of African American decent and aged about in his early forties.

"Okay, Ms. Patterson, all I need you to do is to sign here stating that you agreed to pick up Mr. Carter," he said pointing to the line on the paper.

Alana scribbled her signature and dated it, then handed it back to him.

"Mr. Carter has to pay $500 before leaving," Officer Rizzio said. "here are his belongings, and he will meet you at the front desk."

She looked at the contents of the plastic ziploc freezer bag. It contained his wallet, a pack of half smoked cigarettes, a blue lighter, his cell phone, some pocket change, and a gold chain necklace.

Nick was sitting in a chair by the front desk nervously tapping his foot. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before; blue jeans, a white shirt and he had a hat in his hands. He didn't want Alana to see him like this. Hell, he didn't know if she even came. I wish I could look better now. I'm just completely miserable. I even don't know if I deserve that she is even talking to me. And if she would come. Would she help me?

And then, he saw her and Frank walk up the hall. She handed him his bag without saying a word, just giving him a look; look that said everything.

Nick paid his bail using his credit card and followed Alana out the front door. Frank was walking next to him.

The ride back to the hotel was silent. Nick was in the backseat while Alana was up in front and Frank driving. She looked out the window the entire time and didn't even look back at him. Frank parked in the back parking lot of the hotel. He followed Alana with him right behind him.

They got in the elevator and went up to the third floor. Frank went into his room and Alana unlocked hers, with Nick behind her. She didn't even notice that this was an executive suite. She didn't want to notice anything around her, though she knew that Nick was there, too. He walked in and took in his surroundings. The room was quaint. It had a Queen Size bed on the back side of the room near the window. There were divider doors that were opened to the living room where there was a couch, a television and a desk with a chair seated next to it.

Alana shut the door behind her. Nick sat down on the couch and put the ziploc bag on the table that sat next to it. She went into the closet and threw a bag at his feet and went into the other room without saying a word.

Nick felt really guilty. It was his worst punishment-she was there, but she acted like she didn't care about him. He knew that he deserved that..for all the times he had not been there for her. Still..there was a light of hope. Maybe he had a chance to make everything all right again? I will do anything for you if you forgive..forgive me for not telling you everything...for ignoring you...and right now, with every breath I take I more and more feel how much I need you.
~**********~