***At The Venue***
The girls were on stage practicing. While the guys were backstage enjoying some rare down time. "Hey A.J. you ok? You seem a little nervous. And just maybe a little jittery." Nick said looking over at A.J. whose leg was shaking. He didn't say anything just sat his leg still shaking staring at the stage where the girls were dancing. "A.J. are you sure you are ready for this?"
A.J. looked over at Nick and said "I've never been more ready for anything in my whole life." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and opened it. He was suddenly overcome with a warm feeling mixed with anxiety, nervousness, excitement, and uncertainty. He sat starring at the box for a good 10 minutes. He was brought out of his trance when he heard Andrea coming. Quickly he shut the box and put it back into his pocket before she saw it. "Hey what are you doing A.J.?" Andrea said walked over to A.J. and sat on his lap.
"Hey Andi, I ain't been doin nuttin but sittin here watching you dance out there. I liked my view." A.J. said smiling and wrapping his arms around Andrea.
She just rolled her eyes and smiled. "So do you wanna go for a walk or something I don't want to just sit around. I know that we have that long bus ride in store…so get up and let's go for a walk." She said standing up and pulling A.J. up with her.
"I guess I don't have a choice in this, do I?" he said as she grabbed his hand and led him to the exit. She walked out and was met by about 1 hundred screaming fans. She and A.J. turned and bolted back inside.
"Uh maybe a walk outside wasn't such a great Idea after all!" she said a little shocked.
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek and whispered "I Love You." And was tempted to ask her something else but knew she'd like it more if he waited till the concert.
"I love you too Alex." She said giving him a long kiss on the lips.
***Backstage***
Kelly and Jesse are sitting off to one side talking and laughing together. Kevin and Natalie are sitting side by side talking. Brian and Nina were also sitting side by side and Brian had his arm around Nina's shoulder. They were sitting with Nick and Nikki. Nikki leaning against Nick's chest and he had his arms wrapped around her. Marcea was talking with Nick, Nikki, Brian and Nina.
"Oh you are so sweet." Kelly said when Jesse pulled out a red rose from behind his back. Suddenly Jesse leaned in and kissed her. Surprisingly to her she liked it. A lot. *Oh Well It'll pass. It's not like I like him or anything* she thought then looked over at him. She felt a sudden warmth and happiness. *No Way! I am not falling for him. Nick is the guy I like! And I will get him!*
***Later During the Concert***
"Ok I'd like to personally thank each and every one of you for coming to our show and before we end this thing I'd like to do one more thing." A.J. said into his Mic. He walked over to Andrea and grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the stage. He got down on one knee and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small box and opened it. With his free hand he took her hand and said "Andrea will you make me the happiest man in this world and marry me?" while looking her in the eyes.
"Oh My Gosh! Yes!" she squealed. He put the ring on her finger and stood up and kissed her. There was Awww's coming from all over the audience and from the rest of the guys on stage. Andrea had tears coming down her cheeks and she was holding A.J. as close as she could. While A.J. was doing everything possible to keep from crying himself.
***Later Backstage***
Everyone was headed out the door to the buses. A.J. had his arms wrapped around Andrea. She had been offered to stay on the bus with the guys but she decided to stay on the bus with the girls. Although A.J. protested to that because he would have preferred having her on the bus with him. They got to where all the fans were standing and Andrea turned around and A.J. gave her a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow ok? Or maybe again tonight if there isn't too much traffic." A.J. said not wanting her to leave him.
"SLUT!!! YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY MAN!!!" a fan screamed from the side.
A.J. turned around to see who had just said that. "My girl aint a slut yall!!!" he yelled loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Alex you are going to get us in trouble with Kay."
"So! I love you Andi and I don't care who knows!! I'll see you later ok babe?"
"I Love you too Dopey!! But Ok I'll see ya." She said not sure that she was ready to leave his warm arms. She gave him another kiss before turning and trotting off in the direction of the buses. *Jeez where is the bus?* It was dark and she couldn't see much. Suddenly she stumbled into something or someone. She looked up and saw a medium sized figure. She couldn't make out who it was though because it was too dark. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't see you sir." Andrea said hoping that if the person talked she could figure out who it was. Suddenly a cold hand clamped over her mouth. The first guy stepped into the light. Andrea's eyes widened when she saw that the guy was Marcus.
"Come on you guys hurry your asses up now! You don't want anybody to see you." The guys tied Andrea's hands behind her back and led her to a van parked outside the gates. They pushed her in and Marcus got in too. The other guys just left. "Why Rea?"
"Why what you creep?" she shouted.
"Why did you have to go and cheat on me like that with that little butt sucking backstreet boy? Now I am giving you one last chance to come back to me."
"NO!" she snorted. "Let me go you asshole! You'll be sorry if you don't…" she shouted then stopped when he pulled a gun from his pants pocket.
"Now, Rea you might want to reconsider your decision." He said aiming the gun at her.
***Outside The Buses***
"Hey I'll be in the bus in just a second you guys. I just want to go see Andi real quick." A.J. said turning toward the girls' bus. He knocked on the door and Nikki opened it.
"A.J. where's Andrea?" Nikki said looking around him.
"What? Come on Nikki this isn't funny I just came to say goodnight to Andi." He said a little pissed the Nikki would even joke about that.
"I am not trying to be funny A.J.! She isn't in here! We've been waiting for her for a while now. The last time I saw her was when she was standing with you! We just thought she was with you." Suddenly the sound of a gun broke through the silent night. A.J. turned and ran in the direction in which he had heard the shot. He saw a medium sized dark figure running toward him holding what looked like a young girl. A.J. ran towards him.
"Call 911! Call 911!!!!" the figure was shouting. " She has been shot! She needs a doctor NOW!!" his voice in a panic. A.J. fumbled in his pocket for his phone then dropped it when he saw Andrea was the one who had been shot. The guy laid Andrea in A.J.'s arms and pick up his phone that he had dropped then called 911.
***A Little While Later***
The ambulance came and rushed Andrea to the hospital. A.J. was insisting on going with her but the paramedics said it'd be too hard to work around him. So he ran back to the buses and told everyone and they decided the bus was a little was too slow for A.J. to ride in. He was a nervous wreck. So him, Nick, Jesse, Jessica, and Brian all got in Nick's car. And Nick drove…A.J. was too jumpy to drive anywhere. When they got there A.J. ran out of the car and up to the receptionists' desk. "Where Is Andrea Shoesmith staying?" he said in a hurry to find her.
"Umm…I'll look." The receptionist said slowly. "Shoesmith…Shoesmith…Ah found her. I am sorry but I am afraid you can't see her right now." She said in a very slow voice.
"Just tell me what room she is in!!" He said anxiously.
"Hold on, hold on. She is in room 301 on the third floor. You may wait in the waiting room on the third floor or down here." But A.J. was gone after hearing 301. He ran to the elevator and hopped in. he pushed 3 and waited till his floor came up. There was a receptionist at this floor too.
"Excuse me ma'am which way is room 301?" A.J. asked looking around nervously.
"Room 301…right down this hallway here and it's the first door on your left." She answered much faster then the other receptionist that he had talked to. He walked down the hall and found room 301 and opened the door. He walked inside and saw Marcus sitting next to her bed. She still hadn't woken up yet. A.J. was not at all happy to see Marcus. He walked over to the bed and said, "You can leave now! You have no right to be here." He said in an angry voice.
"I know, man, I didn't mean to do this! I swear I was mad I didn't mean to hurt her! I never wanted to hurt her!" Marcus said his hard face softening and slowly a tear ran down his cheek.
"What the hell? Are you saying you did this to her?" Just then he realized he had been the one holding Andi when they called the paramedics.
"Man I am sorry! I didn't mean to!" Marcus said almost pleading with A.J. but just as Marcus confessed, every bit of self-control that he had was lost. He punched Marcus and accidentally pushed him into the cords and wires that went with all of Andrea's supports. A.J.'s heart almost stopped when he heard her flat line. Suddenly about 3 doctors rushed in and yelled at A.J. and Marcus to get out of the room. A.J. stood outside the window looking into Andrea's room praying to god that she would be all right. He swore to himself that he'd get Marcus…even it was the last thing he did. He was trying his hardest to remain sane as the doctors rushed around the room frantically adding wires and injecting shots into her body. At this point he was positive he would make Marcus pay for what he had done…and if Andrea dies then so would Marcus…a very slow painful death. Just as AJ had promised so many years ago.
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