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Alana never questioned anyone as Frank took her back to the hotel in the limo. The limo parked in the back of the hotel and let the two of them out. There were groups of fans in the lobby waiting for the Backstreet Boys to come in. They looked disappointed when she walked through with Frank. Well I’m sorry I'm not who you’re expecting.

As the elevator opened on the seventh floor, Alana took out her hotel card key out of her jeans pocket and inserted into the slot, while Frank watched her.

"He'll be back in a few hours," he said as she walked into the room.

She managed to give him a half smile. I don’t know about that. I think he’s really angry. He wants to be left alone.

"Everything will work out," Frank continued "Just give it sometime."

Alana closed the door behind her and collapsed the couch. She didn’t know when Nick was coming back to the hotel room. Part of her wanted to pack up and go home, but the other part of her wanted to stay and be with him. I have to get outta here. I don’t belong here. This is Nick’s world not mine. It’s for the best. He needs to understand that.

She got up and went into the bedroom. She needed to get out of here. She didn't want to be in the way of Nick, the other guys, or the press, and let alone in Peter's way. The last thing she wanted was to start another fight among the Backstreet Clan and she didn't want to be responsible. Finally deciding what to do, Alana pulled her suitcase out of the hotel closet and started packing her things. When she had everything, she looked around the hotel room for the last time and closed the door behind her. Did I do the right thing? She asked herself.

She dragged her luggage with her to the elevator. Pushing the down button, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Howie. How did she know that someone would stop her?

"Doing your laundry already?" he asked, eyeing her suitcase and the duffle bag that was tossed over her shoulder.

"Something like that," she answered as she continued to wait patiently for the elevator doors to open. I just want to get out of here. I don’t want to talk to anyone, can’t he see that?

Howie leaned up against the wall and looked at her luggage. He knew that she wasn't going to do her laundry. He wasn't that stupid. He had a hunch that she something wasn't right with her.

"Where ya going?" he asked bluntly.

Alana looked at him.

"What do u mean, 'where am I going'?" she said.

"You have your bags packed." Howie replied "Where ya going?"

She let out a heavy sigh. She knew if she left, someone would stop her.

"You're probably gonna tell Nick anyways," Alana said. "So you can tell him I left."

"Care to be a little more exact to where you are going?" he asked.

She sighed again. Should she tell him where she was going? He doesn’t need to know where I’m going. Let him find out for himself.

"If he wants me that bad, he can find me," she answered, getting into the opened elevator door.
~**********~

Nick made his way back to his hotel room hours later with Frank by his side. He had taken out his frustrations down in the recording room in the studio. He had spent three hours playing his guitar and fiddling with music.

He unlocked the hotel door as Frank watched him walk in and shut it.

"Lana!" he yelled "Where are you?"

Nick waited a few seconds for an answer and when he didn't get one, he began to look for her. He checked the terrace, the kitchen and the bedroom. No sign of her. He looked around the room for a note or something indicating that she would be back. His eyes then darted to the opened closet door. Her suitcase was gone. This can’t be happening…not now.

He sat on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands.

"FUCK!" he yelled.

Nick took out his cell phone and called each of the guys separately. They hadn’t seen or heard from her or where she could have gone. When he got a hold of Howie, he knew that he was hiding something.

"Howie, where is she?" he asked in an impatient tone.

"Well, it's nice to hear from you too," Howie said. "Hope the venting went well."

"Cut the shit D, where is she?" Nick asked again, his voice rising. I don’t have time to play games.

"What makes you think I know where she is?" Howie asked.

"ARG!" He yelled into the phone.

Howie sighed. He hated giving into people, especially Nick.

"She didn't want me to tell you. She said if you want her bad enough, you’ll find her," he said.

"Where the hell did she go?" Nick asked. "Home?"

"Nope," Howie said.

"Well she doesn't go anywhere," He said, as he hung up his cell phone without saying goodbye.

Nick thought for a moment. Where could she be? He asked himself. Why did she leave?
~**********~