Lenore stood at the top of the stairs screaming hysterically, as Clay tossed her stuff carelessly into a box. He didn’t get it. She knew he didn’t understand. And she was too upset to even try to explain.

“Lenore! Shut-up!” Clay yelled from inside their room. “Screaming is not helping you any!”

“Man, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Ruben asked him. He’d noticed how Lenore rarely went anywhere without having something BSB related on her. “She seems pretty upset.”

“I don’t care!” Clay snapped.

“Well, maybe you should,” Ruben said, getting up after pocketing something. “She’s your baby sister, man. And you’re taking what she loves most away, when you don’t even know why she clings to them.”

“She’s obsessed. Plain and simple,” Clay answered. “Besides, what other reason could she possibly have for clinging to people she doesn’t even literally know?”

Ruben just shakes his head and leaves the room. He sits on the bed, with her in his lap.

Lenore stopped screaming once Ruben had picked her up.

Ruben pulls a small button out of his pocket. “I’ll have this hidden here in my room,” he told her. “If you need them, you can come in here and look at them. Just don’t get caught.”

Lenore nodded slightly and hugged him, then kissed her button. She hands the button back to him and pulls out her notebook. How come Clay never listens anymore? She asked. I gots stuff to tell him, bit I don’t think he’ll listen.

“I dunno, Kiddo,” Ruben answered. “I think because of the competition, he’s so much on his mind, that he doesn’t even have time to listen to himself.”

You’re busy an’ you listen. Lenore pointed out. How come you time to listen, when Clay don’t?

“Because I don’t have to be sad about losing anyone,” Ruben told her. “Like you, Clay misses your Mommy and Daddy. But he hasn’t really let anyone know that, because he’s so worried about you. And when you take off by yourself to find A.J., you scare him.”

Why Clay scared? Lenore wanted to know.

“He’s scared something bad will happen, and that he’ll lose you too. He doesn’t want to lose anyone else he loves,” Ruben stated.

Oh…. Lenore wrote. Didn’t know that….

Ruben just nods his head and continues to hold her. He rocked her for a bit, then pulled the book they’d been reading all week, out from under his pillow.

Lenore smiled when she saw he book, and cuddled into him even more as he began to read.

“The two girls smiled at each other secretly, knowing that their secret would be kept,” Ruben read. “They then tied their horses to the tree and went off to further explore their secret place….”

“Lenore!” Ryan Seacrest called, jogging over to her. He reached her, then spoke again. “You don’t sing until later, okay Sweetie? It’s going to be Clay, Ruben, and Kelly first.”

Lenore nodded, sighing slightly. She was used to getting to go first. She smiled though, as Ryan took her hand and led her out on stage with him.

“Good evening everyone. This is the American Idol Two finale, and we are here in the theater live,” Ryan said. “Tonight, I shall host the show, with my good buddy, Lenore. Now, so everyone knows, I’ll be doing most the talking; but Lenore is welcome to interrupt at anytime.”

Lenore giggled and shook her head slightly. She handed him a note.

Ryan laughs. “She says I’m silly.”

“That you are Ryan; that you are,” Simon piped up.

“And with us tonight, are the judges. Mr. Dawg himself, Mr. Randy Jackson,” Ryan said.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Randy shouts.

“And the ever enjoyable, and incredibly sweet as a flower, Paula Abdul,” Ryan continued.

“Hey Ryan,” Paula smiled. “Hey Sweetie.” She waved to Lenore.

“And…” Ryan began, only to be interrupted, as Lenore holds a sign up.

The drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly cute and sexy, Simon Cowell! Lenore’s sign read.

Ryan laughed. “That’s not quite what I would’ve said. But, I guess it’ll work. Even if it is only boosting his ego.”

Lenore beamed at Ryan, the judges, and everyone in the audience.

After all the introductions had been done, her and Ryan went to sit on the stools, that weren’t in anyone’s way.

Clay, Ruben, and Kelly came out to sing, then Clay and Ruben sang “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”.

The night was exciting, and going quite well, but was shortly about to get even more exciting. Ryan, the judges, and Simon Fuller had a surprise in the works for someone on the show.

About halfway through, Ryan came out to introduce Lenore. “And now, singing for the last time this season, is Lenore Parker, with Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely.”

Lenore walked out to stand center state, as images of her family flashed across the screen behind her like last time.

Show me the meaning of being lonely

Lenore takes a breath, then really starts the song.

So many words for the broken heart It’s hard to see in a crimson love So hard to breathe Walk with my and maybe

Clay, whose standing backstage watching his sister, feels someone press a letter in his hand. He looks down and recognizes his sister’s writing. He doesn’t see the person, who’d passed him the note, walk out on stage to join Lenore.

Nights of light so soon become Wild and free I can feel the sun Your every wish will be done

Lenore stands there with her jaw hanging, as she hears the crowd scream. She stares at the person who had just sung with her in shock. She could not believe that the A.J. McLean was there smiling at her. She turned when she heard the other guys, not believing her eyes.

They tell me…

Show me the meaning of being lonely Is this the feeling I need to walk with? Tell me why, I can’t be there where you are There’s something missing in my heart

The Backstreet Boys smile at Lenore, and all hug her, Kevin being the last.

“Sing with me,” Kevin whispered in her ear.

Lenore smiled big and nodded.

Life goes on as it never ends Eyes of stone observe the trends They never say forever gaze if only… Guilty roads to an endless love (Endless love) There’s no control Are you with me now? Your every wish will be done

Lenore grabs hold of A.J.’s hand and grins up at him, never have having felt so damn happy before in her life! She continues to sing with them.

They tell me… Show me the meaning of being lonely Is this the feeling I need to walk with? (Tell me why) Tell me why, I can’t be there where you are There’s something missing in my heart

Clay finishes reading the letter he’d been handed, and smiled upon seeing Lenore on stage with the Backstreet Boys. He knew one of her biggest dreams had just come true. And thanks to the letter, he assumed A.J. or Brian had handed him, he now understood why the five guys on stage meant so much to her.

There’s no where to run I have no place to go Surrender my heart, body, and soul How can it be you’re asking me to feel The things you never show

The Backstreet Boys go quiet then, wanting Lenore to sing the next two lines on her own.

Lenore lets go of A.J.’s hand, and moves to stand a few steps in front of them. She needed to be alone and stand out for the next two lines of the song.

You are missing in my heart…

Tell me why I can’t be there where you are

The Backstreet Boys move forward to stand next to Lenore again.

Show me the meaning of being lonely Is this the feeling I need to walk with? (Tell me why) Tell me why, I can’t be there where you are There’s something missing in my heart

The six of them move to stand on the very edge of the stage, as they sing the chorus one last time.

Show me the meaning of being lonely (Being lonely) Is this the feeling I need to walk with? Tell me why, I can’t be there where you are There’s something missing in my heart

The whole audience erupts in screams and gives them a standing ovation.

The six on stage thank the audience, then the five Boys turn to talk to Lenore.

“Quiet please,” Kevin says. “We’ve another surprise.”

The audience quiets, as Brian crouches down to Lenore’s height.

“Sweetie, if it’s okay with your brother, we’d like to give you a record deal,” Brian tells her.

Lenore’s jaw hits the floor and her eyes bulge out of her head.

A.J. crouches down next to Brian. “We’d also like for you to be our opening act.”

Lenore squeals delighted, and throws her arms about Brian’s neck.

Brian hugs her back, as the audience screams their approval once more.

A.J. hugged her next, whispering in her ear. “And Sweetheart, don’t talk to strangers.”

Lenore pulled back and stared at him wide-eyed. She hadn’t known it was him she’d talked to that night.

Once they’d gone backstage, Clay made his way over to then, and handed Brian back the letter. He picked his sister up and hugged her. “Honey, why didn’t you tell us you’d seen the accident?” He asked.

Lenore’s confused, until she spots the letter in Brian’s hands.

My fault. She wrote. Daddy mad at me. If he didn’t stop to let me out, they wouldn’t have been there when truck came.

“No. No,” Clay murmured kissing her tears away. “Honey, if daddy hadn’t let you out, we would’ve lost you too. It’s nott your fault. No one blames you.”

Lenore buried her face into her brother’s shoulder.

“Clayton’s right,” Jeff stated, as him and Amy approached them. “I didn’t mean to act like I blamed you. I was mad they’d died and the truck driver lived.”

“And I’m sorry, if I made you think it was your fault, too,” Amy piped up. “We’re upset they’re gone, but so glad God spared us you.”

Lenore smiled at her siblings, then the Backstreet Boys. She felt as though a huge weight had just been lifted off her chest, and she could breathe normally again.

“And Honey,” Clay began, as Ruben started to sign the last of his song. “If we can work something out, so that you can still be a kid, you can go on tour and have the record deal.”

Lenore hugged Clay tight, as Jeff and Amy nodded their agreement.

Clay kissed her head, then went out on stage to sing Bridge Over Troubled Water, after setting her back down.

Lenore ran back over to A.J., and giggled as he picked her up. She kissed his cheek, blushing when he kissed hers in return. “Thanks,” she whispered in his ear. “And it’s not nice to pretend you’re a stranger.”

A.J. chuckles. “Well, I didn’t want to ruin our surprise, Sweetheart. Ever since Nick spotted you in the hallway at the studio, we’ve been trying to find you.”

That was Nick? Lenore asked on her notebook.

Howie nodded, as he’d read her question. “Yep. It was Nicky.”

Kevin looked at Nick. “You were right about it being fate and God’s will for us to meet her.

“Never under estimate the mind and knowledge of the young blond,” Nick smiled, making them all laugh.

They then headed for their reserved seats in the audience to watch the rest of the show.

“Tonight, the next American Idol shall be given a record deal,” Ryan began. “And the new American Idol is…”

Clay turned so that he was now facing Ruben.

“Ruben Studdard!” Ryan stated. “Congratulations Buddy!”

Clay and Ruben hug, then Ruben is handed a microphone to sing, Flying Without Wings.

Once Ruben had finished his song, his family made their way up on stage to congratulate him. They all hug, and smile, despite their tears of happiness.

Lenore slides down out of A.J.’s lap, then runs up the stairs and onto the stage. She wanted to hug Ruben too! She dodges through the crowd of people, shoving the odd person aside.

Ruben smiled when he spotted Lenore trying to make her way through the crowd. He excused himself, and made his way towards her.

Everyone watched as Ruben and Lenore reached each other, and Ruben picked her up.

Lenore threw her arms about his neck and kissed his cheek. It was her way of congratulating him on becoming the new American Idol.

“Congrats to you too,” Ruben smiled at her.

Lenore giggled and rested her head upon his shoulder.