Previously...
Mike took another pained look at the stack of papers in his hands and slumped to his chair as the door quietly closed, however still able to echo the words of the Rep. "Ten weeks..." Mike sighed and immediately hopped to work. ******************************************************
"..a little simple..." Brian echoed himself, before delving back into his plan. "The best man! Surely he will return for this. He has to, I'm getting married!" Brian couldn't contain his own devious delight barely able to control himself while he wrote down the script to his personal invitations to be made later on and sent to their respective recepients. *******************************************************
Despite his diggings, all he found was the address of the cemetary where Brandon McGill had been buried. That was his first stop. The truth is out there, and he will be damned before he is going to just sit around and let it fall into his lap. He hadn't been number one of his class for following the rules. Dan tossed the pictures aside, and chuckled. He never was one to follow the 'norm'- as it were - but right now, he needed to catch a couple winks of sleep before starting up on his quest. *******************************************************
"Ah," Bryan couldn't help himself from smiling warmly. Gene had looked too adorable when he pouted. "Well, I should get going too. I got some grading to do." Bryan laughed light heartedly -- a first time in a while -- and nudged Nick gently in the ribs. "Well, I'll see you later." Bryan winked at Nick and climbed quietly into his Accord. He waved goodbye behind his lightly tinted windows and slowly sped away scattering gravel underneath. *******************************************************
"Exactly, nothing. Now calm down, and get something to drink from the bar. After all, being about to be married must be making your throat a bit parched, darling." Jane's full lips parted in a small sinister smile as finally Brian steps out into the light and walks over to the bar to take her suggestion.
End of Part 8 ------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction and should not be taken otherwise. I do not own the Backstreet Boys or any real persons affiliated with this story. The other characters other than the BSB and their families are ficticious and if bears any resemblences to people dead or alive, it is only coincidental. This is a rated PG - 13 story, so please, sit back and enjoy. -------------------------------------------------------
BSBHAB2: Harmony Part 9 "Old Wounds"
Somewhere in a bar in Tampa...
'Hmmm, this better be good.' Dan thought to himself. It wasn't such a bad flight that he took from New York to here, it was just he wasn't too fond on flying. He had some relatively bad experience on plane rides before. He never did trust it, and never will. But a story is a story. He is so close to the answers now, he can feel it in his gut. 'The answers lie somewhere in this shit pit of a place.' He thought, walking over a drunk sprawled on the rugged cement floor. "Bar tender, give me sex on the beach." Dan bundled up his coat on his lap. "Say, I'm looking for someone, I was wondering if you could help me?" Dan looked up -- way up -- at the scruffy, gargantuan behind the bar.
"Hookers are over there kid. Although, do you really think you can handle one?" The bar tender chuckled looking down at the skinny little man -- any one next to him was a skinny little man.
"Riight, chief. Maybe later, but I'm looking for a guy that is supposed to be a regular here?" He pulled out a picture from his brief case.
"Look kid, we don't deal with your kind around here." The bar tender growled down at Dan. "Why don't you just leave now, before anyone gets hurt."
"Look, man, I don't know what you think I am, but I am on an important business.." Dan wasn't able to finish as the bar tender bundled up his shirt and hoisted him in the air.
"You got a problem with me, boy?"
Dan smiled at the bar tender. "I don't think you understand me here, chief. I was just looking for a friend of mine. I'm sure Bill can maybe jog your memory a bit?" Dan's grin never faltered as he slipped a crisp 50 dollar bill into the breast pocket of the bar tender. He flinched when he realized the bill was a bit higher than he intended, but at least it got him put non-too gently back on his stool.
"Spit it out." The bar tender folded his arms.
"Well, i'm looking for a Scott McGill. I here he's a regular 'round here?" Dan slipped a picture up the bar.
"Look, I never heard of anyone of that name, nor have I seen that guy here 'fore alright." The bar tender leaned over the bar and looked over to the smokey back of the bar.
"Right, thanks chief." Dan slapped a ten on the bar and headed over to the pool tables in the back.
Here wrapped his coat around him, trying not to get it any more dirty than it already was thanks to the bar.
"That ain't gonna help you much." A voice cut through the smoke, like knife through butter.
"I...er...Scott McGill?" Dan awkwardly tip toed over some acrid smelling puddles on the floor.
"What'd you want?" Scott was leaned over the table shooting pool masterly.
"I'm Dan Sullivan." Dan extended his hand.
"Yeah, nice to meet you, grab a stick if you want to talk." Scott ignored the outstretched hand and continued to rack up the balls.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about a personal matter involving your brother and his involvement with the Backstreet Boys?"
Scott stopped in mid motion and suddenly grabbed Dan by his lapels and threw him up against the wall.
"You got something against my brother?" Scott spat his rage at Dan's stunned face.
"NO! No. I was just wondering..."
"Wondering what? What he was doing with those sons of b*tches?" Scott noticed the shocked look on Dan's face. "Yeah, that's right, I hope they all die." ******************************************************* New York Hotel where the Backstreet Boys are staying...
"I can't believe it." Leighanne giggled sitting up from looking over bridal magazines.
"Wha...what do you mean?" Brian stuttered, shocked back into the real world.
"That we're finally getting married silly." Leighanne laughed and reached lovingly over to Brian Littrell.
"Oh," Brian laughed nervously. "Well what can I say, I love you to death. I couldn't stand to go another month not being able to officially call you mine." Brian scooted closer to Leighanne, his arm instictively going around her waist lovingly -- almost absentmindedly possessive. "By this time next week, you and I will be Mister and Misses." Brian sighed and kissed Leighanne a soft brush of lips on the cheek.
"I can't believe it." Leighanne happily layed her head on Brian's strong shoulder as she returned to looking over the magazines.
"Yeah..." Brian kissed the top of her and continued to himself. 'Neither can I..." ******************************************************* Earlier that day, 2:35 p.m. Florida...
"Remember to check your grades on the web black board, they will be updated tonight. And a new quiz will be up as well." The professor for Nick's psychology class gathered his notes, and dismissed the class.
Nick looked over his "to do" list after wrapping up his own things.
'Don't forget to buy milk and cheese. 'Out of popsicles. 'Buy gallon of marble ice cream. 'Buy dinner.
Nick blinked still in disbelief at how quickly he's been consuming groceries the last few weeks. He really wasn't a shopping kinda guy. "I guess it's pizza again for me tonight..." Nick sighed. He knew that this had been the freedom he had always dreamed and wanted when he was with the group. But deep in his heart, the pain and the wounds never seem to stop bleeding. There was a big hole in his heart, and he still doesn't know if he would ever be happy again.
"What you got there, sport?" Bryan peeked in through the open door.
"Huh? Oh, hey Bryan." The name still seems to make Nick flinch inside. "Just looking over some homework, and my shopping list for tonight."
"That's cool. Gonna kill someone?" Bryan sneered.
"Yea..no, I er...I mean huh?" Nick stuttered despite himself.
"I'm kidding." Bryan laughed. "But the look on your face just a moment ago, man. Must be one hell of a shopping list, eh?" Bryan smiled warmly at Nick.
"Yeah. Well I'm kinda running late, I still have a few errands I have to run. I'll see you later man." ------------------------------------------------------- [Back at the Bar]
"Then you and I need to talk." Dan said nonchalantly.
Emotions flared over Scott McGill's face. Anger, confusion, curiosity, then anger again. However, ultimately, curiosity won.
"State your purpose, and I'll decide if I want to talk to you." Scott slowly put him down, while in the background the bartender can be heard chuckling.
"Well, first off, I am a reporter working on an expose on why Nick Carter left the Backstreet Boys." Dan noticed that Scott had scoffed at the statement, but let it go for now. "I have done a lot of research, and I have come up with nothing. Nothing until last night when an informat offered me these." Dan threw his envelope with the pictures onto the pool table. "Pictures. Of you, your brother, Nick and your brother's gravesite."
Scott lifted and flipped through the pictures. "So what? These are solo pictures."
"I know." Dan replied. "But somehow, I know that the answer lies with your brother, Scott. I researched a lot of this case. Nothing showed that Nick Carter ever met your brother. But I think it is otherwise."
Scott looked at Dan. Curiouser and curiouser...
"So you think what?" Scott killed the sudden silence.
"I think they knew each other. And that they knew each other intimately." Dan braced himself, waiting for a punch that didn't come. Instead, it was Scott's braying bitter laughter that came and slapped him in his face.
"Get the fuck out of my sight. You're too full of shit." Scott continued laughing and threw the pictures back at Dan. His laughter died abruptly and he was once again serious. "If I catch you messing around my brother's gravesite, boy..." Scott let it trail off, but Dan could figure out what he meant.
Scott shoved him hard enough that he was winded against the wall before taking off. "If pigs ever fly, I'll give you a call. But don't come looking for me again." Scott tossed the cue to another player and walked out of the rancid bar. -------------------------------------------------------
[BSB Hotel in New York]
"That's alright Mike, everything is set for next week.
We're all packed and ready to fly out tomorrow noon time." Brian opened his door a little, he paused a moment, listening. "Sure man, you too. Good night."
"Jane!" Brian stepped into his room and jumped when he saw Jane Carter sitting directly across from him in his own hotel room. "Jane, what are you doing here?" Brian continued, this time he lowered his voice.
"Nothing, I just came to wish you the best of luck." Jane's full orange lips parted in a cruel smile. "That and I wanted to ask you how much do you want to get Nick back into the group?"
"I would do anything to get him back, you know that." Brian's voiced cracked with emotion.
"Good, that's what I wanted to hear." Jane stood up gracefully. "Whatever happens in the next week, I want you to promise me to stay out of my way. Let things be the way they are."
"I promise." A stray tear rolled down Brian's cheek. He still didn't know what the enveloped was that Jane had given him to be delivered to that bar a few nights ago. But she knew what she was doing.
Jane saw the tear, leaned in and licked it off of his face. "That's a good boy." Jane's hands trailed down the front of Brian's shirt up to the point where they disappeared into his pants. Her fingers played along the buckle of Brian's pants before she changed her mind. Jane saw the surprise in Brian's face. She smiled, placed her lips close to Brian's ear, her hands placed delicately over Brian's crotch. "Not tonight, hun. You're about to be married in a week." Jane leaned back and laughed before she gave Brian a little squeeze, and walked out the door.
Brian stared at the door for a moment. His feelings hurt and confused danced in his heart. Jane Carter had always been there for him when he needed help with Nick, he knew that somehow she will get him back. He would do anything to get him back; even her.
End of part 9
------------------------------------------------------- If you've read this story this far, then you know the drill....
zachstack@yahoo.com