Love Menagerie: Chapter 19: Is It Too Late, Baby?

Freddy/Brittany

Brittany's eyes opened slowly the next morning. She'd heard the alarm clock sound earlier and Freddy shut it off with a slam of his hand. She'd managed to fall asleep for a few more minutes, but was finally able to awaken herself, knowing they needed to start getting ready ... they had to get ready to leave. The thought made her want to vomit, but she sustained.

A slow smile spread across her face when she realized Freddy had stayed awake and was watching her sleep. He smiled back at her sheepishly when he realized he'd been caught.

"Good morning," Brittany whispered, her arms snaking around his waist and holding him against her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, a sigh escaping. She laughed, hearing the giggle that came from Freddy when her breath tickled his skin. "Ticklish, huh?"

"Don't even think about it," Freddy growled, a slow grin forming on his face. He sighed as they grew quiet, neither wanting to get up and face the day ahead of them. Brittany had a five and a half hour flight to take back to Tampa and Freddy would be traveling for about eleven hours to Seattle. "We should get up," Freddy whispered, but he pulled her closer to himself, his forehead resting against hers.

"Tampa's gonna be so lonely," Brittany murmured, her eyes shutting against the sun that was shining through the blinds. "Promise you'll call?"

Freddy sighed and pressed his lips to her cheek, "I promise."

Nick/Sarah

Nick looked at Sarah as though she'd grown another head. She was acting like a complete crazy person, running around the boat cleaning. He couldn't believe it. She'd actually dusted the tiny counter, table, and the steering wheel and seats... three times! He'd never seen her like this and had never guessed she would have had any ounce of obsessive-compulsiveness in her. But she sure did. She was a nervous wreck. It was strange, because Nick felt like laughing, crying, and screaming all at the same time. Okay, so they'd slept together, but my gosh, it had been her idea. Maybe that was why she was freaking out so much. So dear li'l Sarah was afraid of her feelings.

"Sarah, would you stop?" Nick sighed as he continued to watch her scurrying around the boat, cleaning... cleaning. "Sarah... stop, please? You're cleaning my d*mn boat, for Heaven's sake! Stop."

Sarah groaned and plopped down on the couch, her head falling into her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. She couldn't believe this. She hated cleaning. Despised it. Loathed it. And yet, she had so much nervous energy and she was still stuck out on a boat. What else was she supposed to do with all of it?

"Sorry," Sarah mumbled, moving her hands from her face to look at him. "I'm sorry. It's just... well, Nick... y'know, what happened last night...?"

"Le'me guess," Nick rolled his eyes and stood up from the table and up the steps to the deck. He looked out over the water and sighed. "It shouldn't have happened, right?"

Sarah looked away from him and down at her hands. Yeah, that's what she had been going to say. It really shouldn't have though. She hadn't fully let him back into her life or her heart again; she had no right to sleep with the guy. Standing from the couch, she walked up the steps, going and standing behind him.

"I'm sorry, Nick," Sarah sighed, placing her hand on his shoulder, her nails running back and forth lightly against his T-shirt. "I just... let my emotions get the best of me."

"And why is that such a bad thing?" Nick snapped as he whirled around to face her. "What is so wrong with just letting yourself feel? Just let yourself go, Sar. I love you and I know you love me too."

Sarah adverted her eyes to the ground, her fingers nervously twirling her earring around in circles. She knew she had no way of denying it. It was fact. Sarah was in love with Nick Carter.

Freddy/Brittany

Brittany looked at Freddy as they sat in the airport, waiting for their separate flights. She sighed. Freddy's flight would be taking off an hour before her own and the thought of sitting around, watching couples be torn apart from each other, after she and Freddy were forced to do the same, made her feel sick.

"I hate this, Britt," Freddy sighed suddenly, reaching over and grabbing her hand. "You're pregnant with my first child and I have no idea when I'll even be with you again."

Brittany looked down at her lap, holding his hand tightly between her own. Knowing that he wouldn't be there for the majority of her pregnancy was so hard on her... she just hoped he'd be there for the birth. What if he was on a road trip with the Mariners when she went into labor and he couldn't get there in time? Moment of nausea #2.

And then the call for Freddy's flight to Seattle came across the speakers. Moment of nausea #3.

They stood from their seats and walked closer toward the gate, their hearts aching and their stomachs churning. This was so hard; so freaking hard. They stood there, embracing, until the second call was sounded.

"Freddy, don't go," Brittany whispered, burying her face against his shoulder.

Freddy sighed and ran his hands through her hair, pulling her face back up so he could look her in the eye. "I can't stay, Ritt. I'm so sorry. I wish I could. But... I have games to play."

"I know," Brittany groaned, trying to bury her face again but he wouldn't allow her to.

"You could come with me, you know," Freddy suggested with a slight smirk on his face. "All the M's love you anyway."

Brittany sighed and pulled away from him, rubbing her face with her hands. She was so tired. Tired of everything. "I can't, Fred."

"I know."

With a kiss and one more long embrace, he was gone. And she was in tears.

Brittany glanced around nervously as she stepped onto the plane. This was the moment. The moment that would make or break her. She sighed as she glanced out the window, seeing the plane taxiing from its gate. This was the moment; this was her moment.

The pilot came across the speakers, going through the every day talk. The weather, the safety instructions, the normal chitchat.

"It is now 9:12 a.m. We should be arriving in Houston, Texas around 1:09 p.m. If you are heading to Seattle, you will be taking this same aircraft and will be leaving Houston at 2:27 and arriving in Seattle around 4:45. Thank you for flying Continental Airlines and enjoy your flight."

Brittany glanced around the airport. She'd been to Seattle thousands of times, loved the city, loved almost everything about it, but she'd always been with people she knew... and now, she was completely alone, standing in an airport, hoping she'd be able to hail a taxi by herself. She'd never done it before... Derek always had rides waiting for her wherever she was traveling to. But now she was on her own. She could do this. She knew she could.

Actually Brittany was still having problems believing that she'd done what she'd already done. Forty minutes before her plane to Tampa was going to be taking off, she'd made the decision. She'd stood up and walked to the terminal desk, canceling her flight and making last-minute arrangements to Seattle. She had to get to Freddy. She just had to.

Brittany took a deep breath and rose her hand to knock on the door. She'd been there only once before, a year ago, for a barbecue consisting of many Major League Baseball players, and was surprised that she'd remembered how to get there. She didn't know why she was so incredibly nervous. It was just Freddy. And he'd even invited her to go to Seattle with him... so why was she so afraid to just knock? It's not like he'd turn her away and send her packing. So she did it. Just like she'd made the decision to change flights, she made the decision to knock.

It took a full five minutes for Freddy to come to the door and open it. They stood there staring at each other, Brittany's face holding a slightly apprehensive smile, and Freddy's a very surprised one.

"Oh my gosh... you came? Wha-... how... I'm confused."

It was then Brittany noticed he was only half dressed and he had been towel drying his hair when he'd opened the door. He'd obviously gotten to his Seattle home and immediately taken a shower. Oh, how she wanted to lick the water that was dribbling down his chest. Really, really badly.

"I don't know, Freddy. I just... I made up my mind to just go for it and come, and I did. I changed my flight and here I am. Look, Fred, I hope it's okay," Brittany sighed, suddenly feeling flustered... oh wait, she'd already been flustered. She suddenly felt scared. "I can always get a hotel and just fly to Tampa tomorrow-"

"Brittany, are you crazy?" Freddy rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside his house. "Get in here. I asked you to come and I meant it."

Brittany smiled and looked up at him in amazement. She loved him so much. If only he knew. Freddy smiled and looked down at her in amazement. He loved her so much. Woah... what?!

Nick/Sarah

"Sarah?" Nick called out as he made his way through the Jeters' house. They were back from their boat excursion. And quite the excursion it had been. "Sarah, are you in here?" he asked as he knocked on her bedroom door while cracking it open. He found her sitting on her bed, looking at a magazine, wisps of her hair falling from her ponytail and into her face. He'd never seen her look so beautiful before.

"Sarah," Nick cleared his throat and made his way into her bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him, "can I talk to you?"

"Yeah," Sarah murmured and looked up at him. She really didn't want to have another "you love me; face it" conversation, but what more could she do? She was passed the fighting stage. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

Nick sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, taking the magazine gently from her hands and placing it on her bedside table, still open to the page she'd been reading. "I just wanted to apologize," he started, staring directly at her, their eyes locked, "for what I said earlier on the boat. I have no right to 'inform' you that you're in love with me. That's ridiculous. If you loved me, you'd tell me. I've decided to just leave you alone. You don't need all the sh*t I've been putting you through. So if you want me to go home, just tell me. I'll go home; I mean it."

Sarah looked up at him with tears in her eyes. This wasn't what she wanted at all. And yet, if she let him know that... she'd have to come forward with the feelings that she was so heinously afraid of. Nick sighed at her silence and stood to leave. He'd meant what he'd said. If she didn't want him there, he would leave. Simple as that.

"Don't go, Nick."

Nick stopped and turned around slowly, his eyes falling on her tears. He made his way back to her bed and pulled her to him, cradling her head against his chest. Sarah loved him and he knew it. She'd asked him not to go and that was proof enough for him.

I'll get her to admit it someday, Nick thought to himself as he rocked her back and forth, whispering to her as she cried.

For now, all he wanted to do was hold her.