Taylor Hanson ran onto the stage with his brothers as the crowd screamed in delight. There were people everywhere it seemed, holding signs and yelling his name and jumping up and down with excitement. It was a crowd like this that always got him pumped up for a show. Knowing that they were just that excited to hear them sing, and see them perform, was absolutely mind boggling.

And it was louder than any other concert, louder than anything he had ever heard in all of his years living on Earth. It was louder than Zac, as hard to believe as it was. 140 decibels! He couldn't believe how loud it was! His ears were aching already, and he wished that he had earplugs, or even a nice pair fluffy earmuffs. If the crowds kept this up throughout his whole career, he was going to need hearing aids by the time he reached his twenties.

The audience held up homemade signs, proclaiming, "I LOVE HANSON!" and jumped up and down like they were attached to springs before him, as he took his place at the keyboard.

He grinned. Life couldn't get any better than this. He nodded at Zac who began counting off the beginning of MMMbop. When he sang the first word of that familiar, and almost magical song, the crowd roared in response.

He wondered what would have happened if they had never sent another demo to Mercury. They would still be in Tulsa, slaving away, just trying to get someone to listen. But now they had made it. They had finally made it! Of course, making it big always had its fare share of problems. For Taylor, it was the fans. Or, more in particular, one fan.

Zac grinned at him and so did Isaac. For once, they could forget about all their problems, and just sing there hearts out.

Canada was a long way from Tulsa. They were safe here, right?

He sang the words automatically, not thinking about the song, but about what had been happening in the past few years.

It all started with phone calls. He'd pick up the phone and hear someone breathing, but no one was there. Then, in the background he could hear some song that he later recognized as Sarah McLachlan's "Possession". At first he didn't think anything of it; it was just a prank, but it kept on happening.

Even when they left Tulsa to record Middle of Nowhere, or to Paris to do a concert there were the same phone calls. It never happened to Isaac or Zac, not once, never. Just him.

Then came the threats and letters. Mixed in with normal fan mail were hundreds of threats, all in the same tight, scrawly handwriting.

He shivered as he remembered the last one: leave your family, leave everything, so I can have you all to myself. I don't want to share you, Taylor. No one can have you but me, and if I can't have you, no one can. I'll kill you so fast you won't even have time to think about what you've done.

The first time he had gotten a letter from this person, he immediately showed it to his dad. His dad expressed concern and from then on, all the mail was watched, checked out before Taylor could read it.

When he got back from LA, he found his room ransacked. Things were missing, moved.

Everyone else chalked it up to a few giddy fans breaking in and getting souvenirs, but I knew better.

He forced the bad thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on the song, which they were nearly finished with. It was amazing how he could just think about something else entirely and still deliver the performance of a lifetime.

"But you don't know...." they finished MMMbop, and a few other songs, and finally it was time for him and his brother to exit the stage.

"That was great! That was beyond great!" Zac chanted, jumping up and down after they were behind the curtain.

"It would've been better if there were like a chick on the stage." Ike said in his Beavis voice.

They laughed and punched each other playfully while walking back to where the family usually was during performances. Isaac finally noticed that Taylor was not walking as fast as usual, and his blue eyes were trained on the ground in concentration, not smiling like they usually were after a concert.

"Hey Tay, what's up? You're acting like you dying or something." Ike said, still in Beavis mode. He hoped to get at least a small smile.

"I'm not in the mood Ike."

"Oh come on, Tay! We just put on a great show, you should be happy." Zac said, and he ran ahead and jumped around just to prove how happy he really was.

"You're not thinking about those letters again are you?" Isaac asked with concern.

Taylor nodded sheepishly.

"I'm sure it's nothing bro. Just some freak. They aren't going to actually go through with it." Isaac added, putting a comforting hand on Taylor's shoulder.

"Yeah. Ike's right." Zac agreed, and then stepped back into stride with the two of them, studying Taylor with his chocolate brown eyes. He looked tired, very tired, and almost sick. He didn't know why he was letting this girl bother him so much, but it made him feel bad that Taylor had to go through all of this.

"No, both of you are wrong. This person has been doing this for almost 3 years! If it were just a fluke they would have stopped by now." Taylor clenched his fists at his sides and looked around the hallway wearily.

He wanted to be a man about this, and not worry about it. He had bodyguards, he was safe. But in the back of his mind, there was always a little fraction of him that just wanted to burst into tears and hide. Just a little fraction.

"Tay, we're here. We won't let anything happen to you." Ike said softly, sensing that his brother was about to have a breakdown.

"Yeah, we're here for ya man." Zac put in, and gave him a silly grin. Taylor almost smiled. It was amazing how sincere and silly Zac could be at the same time.

All of them looked up as the large wooden door across from them opened.

"Tay? Ike? Zac? There's someone we'd like you to meet." A voice said.

Walker Hanson held the door open for his three sons. They walked into the room slowly, dragging their feet. He wasn't sure, but he sensed that something must have just happened between them. Usually they were full of energy and fight when they finished a concert, but all there of them, especially Taylor, looked rundown and weary.

Probably expecting a room full of reporters.

Unfortunately, it wasn't reporters. It was a detective. A feeling of fear crept into his stomach. Every since Taylor had shown him that first letter, he had been worried, though he didn't show it that much. He and Diana discussed it one night before bed and decided that there was no need to cause alarm with the boys, and to play it off as though it were not a big deal, but he knew that it was. He hated the fact that his baby boys were so supseptable to people like that. He hated the fact that Taylor had to go through with something like this when he was barely even old enough to see a PG-13 movie. He also hated the fact that there was nothing he could do to stop this person.

What is the world coming to?

"Boys, this is Detective Robbins." he said, guestering to a pretty, dark haired woman that sat at a nearby table. She was wearing plain clothes and had her hair twisted up in a bun. A clip board with several forms on it sat in front of her on the table.

They shook her hand politely and looked at him with curiosity on their faces as they all took a seat at the table around her.

"She's here to help find the person who is sending those letters, Tay." Walker told him.

Taylor's face immediately flushed. And he began to get a little angry.

3 years of me telling you something is going on and you don't even get help until now?

Detective Robbins was sitting across from Taylor, and looked at his angry face with concern. She had delt with stars before, and wanted no hassle with him. The best approach would be to just be unconditionally kind to him. She pulled out a thick file and a tape recorder and sat them in front of her. The tape recorder was on.

"You can call me Ruth." she smiled warmly. "I understand you have a problem with a fan?"

Taylor cleared his throat, looking down at the recorder with nervousness. This wasn't like singing in a recording studio. Here it was just a little black box with a blinking red light that stared up at him threateningly. "Um......yeah. A big one I'd say. They're going to kill me."

"Taylor...." Walker began. Ruth cut him off.

"Let him talk, Mr. Hanson. This is more serious than you might think. More serious than any of you think." She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

Walker paled. "Just how serious is it Ms. Robbins?"

With one hand, she tipped open the file, spilling out hundreds of letters. Some had strange pictures attached, others were just written in the same tight, scrawly hand writing. They were the letters from the fan.

"These aren't off the wall little warnings, these are serious threats. We have a psychiatrist that often helps out the force, and when I showed him the letters, he immeadiately said, that I should be very careful. A lot of people a crazy, I'm sure you know that, but this girl is having delusions of a very serious kind. Because she probably has a fear of abandonment, most likely resulting from an event in childhood, the girl is absolutely certain that in her mind, you two are actually lovers. Because you really aren't, she thinks that you are ignoring her, and this is making her very angry. And you are all she has. The girl is a recluse, a social outcast. From what we gathered she she has no friends, no one who cares about her." She nodded at Taylor. "That's where you come in. Dilusions have led this girl to somehow thinking that you are in love with her."

His eyes widened. Detective Robbins went on. "Only, this isn't the type of love Shakepere wrote about. The psychiatrist tells me that the letters show she has homicidal tendencies and judgeding by the abandonment issues she brings up in her letters, for example, 'leave your family, be just with me' she could be very, very dangerous." She began.

"It's a girl?" Taylor asked. "How do you know it's not a woman, or....a man?" he grimaced at the last thought.

"We're technically not sure, but the letters do suggest that she's a female around the age of 14 or 15."

Zac rolled his eyes. "Oh, she'll be real easy to spot out in the crowd."

Walker hushed him with a "look".

Ruth nodded at Zac. "My point exactly. Whoever she is, this girl is at all of your events. All your concerts, watching all your tv performances. Right outside the radio stations, tv studios....She's always there."

"How do you know that?" Isaac asked.

"Because all the letters have been delivered locally, through local post offices, or right outside backstage area at concerts." she answered.

"You mean, she's like our shadow? Always where we are?" asked Taylor.

"Yes. That's why I need you to pay close attention to fans, try to remember one you've seen a lot." she nodded at Ike and Zac. "You guys can help on this one."

"Well, do you know what she looks like?" Isaac asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, we don't. We do have basic information though, 3 basic facts. One, if she has been following you for three years, she was around when you guys were just starting, which means she has to live in Tulsa or in the Tulsa area. Two, she must be well supplied on cash because she has been traveling around as your shadow all this time and that would take a large sum of money. And three, we know she has to be very intelligent. To go through with something like this, you'd have to be a genius of some sort."

"So, we're looking for rich, smart, girls with homicidal tendencies that live in Tulsa." Isaac rambled, thinking to himself. He put a hand on his chin in thought.

Ruth leaned forward and stared at Taylor's wide blue eyes. "The most disturbing thing perhaps, is the song."

"The song?" Walker inquired.

"Yes, the song that plays in the background of the phone calls Taylor received. Sarah McLachlan's 'Possession'."

Taylor thought hard. The song didn't seem to threatening. It was a the fact that someone was still on the phone, breathing, and didn't even bother to say anything that chilled him.

"I didn't think that was so disturbing...." he pondered out loud.

"Taylor, do have any idea what that song is about?" Ruth asked, and raised a thin, dark eyebrow at him.

He blinked. "Well, no."

"I'm going to be blunt, it's about an obsessed fan who kills her idol." she said gravely.

Taylor's face clouded over and Zac, Isaac, and Walker just looked horrified.

My God....Did I ask for this? What did I do to deserve this? Why is this girl doing this to me?

"Now, I'm not saying you're going to be dead by tomorrow morning, but you had better watch yourself. I know you already have bodygaurds, but I'll put a 24 hour security watch on all three of you, just to be safe. The whole family has to be careful, because the girl isn't just threatening Taylor, she's threatening everyone." Ruth continued. "I'll be working on the case, and I promise you that I won't rest until I find out who's doing this to you."

Taylor nodded weakly and suddenly stumbled to his feet, pushing himself away from the table. His face several shades paler than it had been before, and he looked rather sick. The truth was: he felt terrible about this. If it wasn't for him, his family would be able to lead somewhat normal lives, but because he was 'Taylor Hanson', they were in danger now.

"Where are you going, Tay?" Walker asked.

"The bathroom. I think I'm going to throw up."

He fled from the room in a rush, and though Walker wanted to follow him, he stayed in his seat. He had to let Taylor deal with this in his own way to some point. They sat in silence for a moment around the table, their faces all reflecting what he felt inside: shock, fear, sadness. Zac had the most stricken look out of all of them, and his eyes were more watery than usual.

"No one is going to hurt Tay, right?" he asked Ruth in a small voice.

"We're going to do all we can Zac."

"Right?" he asked more insistently, leaning closer to her over the table. His small hands were clenched and laying straight out in front of him, as if threatening her. "No one is going to hurt him, right?"

Poor kid. He's almost on the verge of tears. How am I supposed to give him an honest answer when I know it could push him over the edge? Ruth thought.

She put her hand on his.

"We're doing all we can to keep Taylor safe, Zac. But we don't know who this person is, what they look like, or anything about them besides theories. It's like trying to catch the invisible man."

One, single tear rolled down Zac's cheek, and it was quickly brushed away before anyone could say they were sure they had seen it. Isaac put his arm around him reassuringly and hugged him to his side. Zac still looked crestfallen, and wouldn't tear his eyes away from Ruth's.

Walker stood up from the table, and held the door open for Ruth as she gathered up her things. When she approached him to leave, he spoke to her n a quiet voice.

"Don't let this girl hurt my son. So help me God, if she does, she will be the one who has to worry about someone trying to kill her."

Taylor stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, pale and thin, sickly looking. His bright blue eyes had dimmed slightly, and his cheeks were missing their usual healthy flush. Isaac was right, he did look like he was dying. And maybe, inside, he really was.

Since his musical career had flourished and he and his brothers had become famous, he had never once had any regrets. It was hard sometimes, to be in the spotlight so much, but it was worth the smiles on their faces, and being able to sing, all the time, anytime they wanted to.

Now, he just wished he could be a normal teenager. A normal kid playing on the varsity soccer team, trying to pick up girls at the mall, begging his parents for money.

No! That's what she wants you to say! She wants you to abandon your career, give up your dreams. She wants you to become a person that nobody cares about. Someone just like her.

He clenched his jaw. No way was he going to let her get away with that! He was Taylor Hanson: A MAN! No little psycho girl was going to get in his way!

He pounded on the sink with his fist, ignoring the pain that quickly followed and stomped to the door, throwing it open and flying into the hallway.

Surprised to find someone standing right outside the door, he didn't have time to stop and ran straight into her. The impact knocked them both down on the hard, dirty, forest green carpet of the hallway.

He groaned, holding his head and sat up to see himself looking at a petite, dark haired girl. She was very pretty, her impossibly dark eyes were the size of saucers, fringed with dark lashes, and she had soft, pouty lips. She looked like she was in a bit of pain, and brushed her hair out of her eyes with her fingertips, in shock.

"I am so sorry!" he gushed. "I....I wasn't watching where I was going....I'm sorry."

She smiled at him as she unsteadily stood to her feet. "That's all right. Not every girl runs into Taylor Hanson." she paused. "Not literally anyway."

He barely heard her. When she spoke, it was almost as if the angels were crying out in heaven. Not sure if it was good or bad, he stared up at her, sill on the ground of the hallway. He was mesmerized by the way her dark brown eyes looked almost hollow, like he could fall into them. At the same time, she seemed unable to take her eyes away from his either, but she wasn't just looking at him, it was almost like she was devouring him, just drinking in the sight of him.

She straightened out her clothes and brushed herself off. "So, I hear you have a stalker."

His blood ran cold as he stared at her with a fearful expression, jumping to his feet and nearly backing up all the way into the wall.

How did she know that? Does the press know about this somehow? Or is it....HER?

"Taylor? Are you okay?" she asked looking overly concerned, and she reached a hand out towards him, tentatively.

"How....how did you know about that?" he asked cautiously, looking around for someone who could help him.

She smiled again. "My mother is Ruth Robbins. The detective signed onto your case?"

Relief flooded through his veins and he let out a small sigh of relief. Of course, now he had other things to worry about. He had probably led her to think he was psychotic with that silly little "up against the wall in fright" bit, and didn't want her spreading rumors.

"Oh, you had me really worried there....uh....what's your name?" he asked her.

"I'm Sara. Sara Robbins." she extended her hand and Taylor shook it limply, making sure to look her straight in the eye when he shook it.

Great. Another Hansonite. I suppose I have to talk to her though, because her mom is trying to save my life.

"Nice to meet you Sara. So, are you a fan?" Taylor asked. He walked with her down the hall.

That was a stupid question. How about if I ask her, "Will you just go away?!"?

"Yeah, I love you guys." her face reddened slightly. "Of course I really like other singers too."

Uh-hmmmmm. I bet you like everything I like. Let's do a test.

"That's cool. My brothers and I like Areosmith a lot. Do you like them?"

"Yeah! Sarah McLachlan is one of my favorites also." Sara said to him.

Taylor visibly shivered.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sara asked.

"No, no, not at all. I....I....just....well, I'm not to fond of her music. It sort of scares me." Taylor murmured.

She laughed easily and put her hand on his shoulder. It immeadiately began to tingle, and once again, he thought he heard angels cry out somewhere in the back of his mind. "I know what you mean, I feel the same way about the Spice Girls."

This time Taylor laughed along with her.

It's nice to meet a fan who is truly nice. Even if she is a little annoying at the moment. At least there's no psychotic tendencies here.

"So, uh....can I call you sometime Taylor?"

Whoa. Hold the phone.

His eyes widened. It wasn't like a fan to just come out and say something like that. He didn't like it that this girl was coming on so strong. She was laughing and joking with him like she's known him forever. He looked at her strangely.

"Well, I don't really have a phone number. We stay at different hotels a lot...."

"Then you can call me."

"Um....ok, I'll get your number from your mom the next time I see her." Taylor said, knowing full well that he wouldn't. Sure the girl was nice, but she was also kinda weird.

Her grin fell. "Wait, um....here." she took out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a number on it. "That's my cell phone number, you can call me there. If you could, please don't tell my mom you met me or say anything about me to her, she gets mad when I interfere with clients."

Taylor accepted the piece of paper. "Uh....thanks Sara. I promise I won't tell your mom."

He studied her face once more. He had a nagging feeling that he seen her before. She looked so familiar to him.

I probably saw her in the audience.

"No! Thank you, Taylor." Her dark eyes lingered on his a little longer than he would have liked. "I've got to go now, but give me a ring sometime okay?"

"Sure thing."

"Oh! I almost forgot. May I have an autograph please?" she asked, a 'puppy dog' look on her face.

"Yeah, sure." he signed the piece of paper she handed him and then, she took off down the hall at a full pace run.

As Sara walked away, he let out a another sigh. Feeling bad, he crumpled up the phone number and threw it on the ground, kicking it lightly with the toe of his boot.

Zac and Isaac walked toward the bathroom looking for their brother. They had decided together to be his personal body guard, always watching over him. Who else knew Tay better than they did? They would be the perfect bodygaurds!

If that is, they could find him....

Isaac cried out when he saw a hint of blond hair and leather walking down the hall, away from them.

"Tay! Hey Tay! Wait up!" he called.

Taylor turned around.

"Oh, hey guys. Get a load of this! Detective Robbins's daughter, Sara or something, just gives me her number and actually expects me to call her. Like I know her real well or something." he gushed, pointing back to where she had took off running.

Ike raised his eyebrows with a "Go Taylor" expression. Zac looked less amused.

"Uh huh. Whatever." Zac said, and waved away the thought with his hand, and grabbed onto Taylor's shoulders. "Here's the deal Tay, we have to go sign autographs for an hour or two. You'll sit between me and Ike okay? I figure we have the body bulk advantage over you, and will be harder to get through. Have you ever thought of carrying a gun on you? I think maybe you should. Also, I heard bullet proof vests are really stylish, they'd go great with your leather pants....maybe we could get one in black." he paused. "No, red. That would really make a statement." Zac rambled thoughtfully.

Taylor stared at Zac without blinking. While he was pleased that he little brother cared so much about him, he didn't want to talk about it right now. Besides, Zac was going just a little overboard.

"Have you ever considered taking a knife throwing class? I'm sure that will build up strength in your arms. Wait! I know! You could take karate! One of those quickie courses where you become a black belt in two hours!"

"Zac....Zac....I....Zac." Taylor tried to get a word in but Zac just kept on rambling about self defense with wide brown eyes.

"ZAC!"

Zac closed his mouth tightly, and looked down in shame. He knew had been rambling, but....It was his brother....

"I don't want to talk about anymore okay?" Taylor snapped. "I just don't feel like it."

Zac nodded sadly.

How am I supposed to protect him if he won't let me?

Taylor, Isaac, and Zac sat at the autograph table, their hands already sore from so many signatures and shaking so many hands. A huge line of girls from their table to clear out of the building and around the sidewalk.

It's going to be a LONG day, Taylor thought

Three girls about his age showed up at the table before them, after a long wait. Two brunettes and one blond.

The blond one went up to him first, and smiled at him.

"Hi, I'm Erin. It's nice to meet you, that was a great show." the blond said to all of them.

"Thanks." Taylor answered as he signed her cd. This girl was really composed, but her friends were wiggling around like puppies or something.

The other two with the blond approached him. They looked nervous. He said hello to the darker haired one first.

"Uh....giggle....Nice....to...it's a," she put her hand over her mouth and let out a small snort. "pleasure....what's up...." she took her hand away from her mouth, "I don't know what to say! I just can't do this right now!"

She fled from the room. Taylor, Ike, and Zac looked on in interest.

Now that was weird........

The shook their heads, but stayed at the table. The lighter brown haired girl handed him a piece of paper and gave him a smile.

"Hi, I'm Becky." she said with a knockout smile. Then she spoke in an Austin Powers voice. "Are you horny for me baby? 'Cause Becky sure is for you!"

He blinked. He could not believe that girl actually said that to him.

Erin ushered Becky away from the table, both of them laughing their heads off.

He couldn't help but wonder if one of those girls was the one was had been ruining his life. They seemed psychotic enough. Then he remembered what Detective Robbins had said:

"The girl is a recluse, a social outcast. From what we gathered it seems like she has no friends."

So, he had to be on the look out for girls that were by themselves. All of the sudden it seemed like everyone in line was by themselves, like no one knew each other, like they were all staring at him, and glaring at him, and coming after him.

The faces in front of Taylor seemed to all blur into one continuing mass. It felt like the fans were everywhere, all around him, like there was no escape. His air supply was beginning to get shorter, and he struggled to breath normally, and see normally again.

He looked down at the table in front of him. A small envelope with "Taylor" written on it in a familiar scrawly handwriting ly there, almost innocently.

Taylor let out a barely audiable squeak, causing Zac and Isaac to look his way. He shoved the envelope under his bottle of water and swallowed quickly, glancing around nervously, feeling dizzy, frightened, and hopeless.

She's here. I know she's here. That's HER writing, I've seen it a thousand times, I could never forget it. What if....what if this is it? Am I going to die now?

His breathing quickened and he signed autographs with shaking hands, getting concerned looks from fans. No! Don't think that! Don't get paranoid. That's Zac's job. Just worry about getting these autographs signed. I can deal with the letter later. We have plenty of security.

The fast breathing slowed and he forced himself to stop shaking. He decided to be more cautious, look fans over carefully before giving them a smile or a hello. You never know who could be out there.

Chapters 8-11
Possession Index
E Mail Me