Nick and Kelly:

Piece 16: A Moment Like This

Kelly took a deep breath as she made her way onto the private aircraft. It was finally hitting her fully: the tour was over as well as her association with Nick Carter. She would continue her career, move on with her life . . . but without him in it. She wasn't entirely sure how she was feeling at the moment. She wasn't on the verge of tears, she wasn't about to have an emotional breakdown . . . she'd already shed an ocean-full of tears. In a way, she was relieved. It was too painful to be around him day-in and day-out, knowing he was no longer hers and never would be again. But oh, how she would miss him.

She felt her heart flutter as she took her seat and set her backpack beside her. She would never see him smile at her again . . . her heart was breaking. She unzipped her bag and took out her music, and in moments she was listening as Josh Groban began to sing. And as she looked out the window, her first tears of the day began to slide slowly down her face.

The pilot came from the cockpit to tell her they would be taking off in a few minutes, but Kelly didn't hear him as her mind replayed all she and Nick had--and hadn't--shared during their short time together. Trying to take her mind off of her problems, she reached into a magazine basket and grabbed Time.

Kelly couldn't help but laugh. "Stupid freaks."

"Kelly, you have someone who wishes to see you," the pilot came back out from the cockpit, looking slightly fatigued. "The attendants have tried to ask him to leave, but he insists on seeing you before you go."

Kelly sighed and stood from her seat, nodding her head in permission for the pilot to let her visitor in. She gasped as she heard the door open and heard Nick's voice thanking the attendants for letting him in. She could feel her eyes widen as he stepped into view, a timid smile on his face.

"Hey, Kel."

She couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. He looked so incredibly sheepish. "Hey, Nick."

They stood silently for a moment, both staring at each other, wondering what to do next. Nick wasn't even sure why he was there in the first place. He just knew he couldn't leave things the way they presently were. He'd felt far too much for her to just let her leave his life so quickly and so formally. He walked to her and wrapped her in a firm, familiar hug. He knew he had to at least try to memorize the feel of her. This could be the last time he held her.

"Are you okay, Nick?" Kelly murmured against his shoulder as he crushed her in his arms. She was confused . . . not to mention a little suffocated. He'd been ignoring her for months now and suddenly, when she was so close to leaving his life, when they'd already said good-bye, he showed up and held her to him like the world was coming to an end.

"Yeah," Nick paused and didn't even attempt to let her go, "I'm fine. Just fine." And he was . . . with her where she was at that moment. When she left him, he wouldn't be quite as well-off.

"Um . . ." She took a relieved breath when Nick finally released her. It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed it, but it had made her uneasy at the same time. "Why are you here, Nick? I thought we said good-bye at the hotel."

He nodded and shifted his feet in noticeable apprehension. "We did . . . I just . . . we just . . . well, I . . ."

"Yes, Nick?" She smiled gently and placed her hand on his arm in comfort.

"We didn't say all we needed to."

"We didn't?"

He smiled at the amused expression on her face and shoved his hands into his pockets to keep himself from touching her again. "Well . . . I didn't, at least."

She felt a light blush creeping across her cheeks as she looked down at her hands folded together in front of her. If she knew any better, she wouldn't get her hopes up. After all the times he had treated her so poorly, why would he be there now to confess his undying love? An undying love that had never existed and never would in the time to come.

He continued when he was met with silence and only the coloring of her cheeks. She looked so beautiful in that moment, he wanted to capture and frame it. After a deep breath, he spoke quickly, knowing if he didn't do it now, he never would. "I don't have a right to say this--I know that--because I treated you like crap. But I have to. If you completely hate me for what I have to say, I would totally understand, but hear me out now, okay, Kel? I need you to know this before I never see you again."

She looked up at him and gave him her complete and undivided attention. Her eyes, her heart, and soul were riveted to his.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I'm so sorry for everything that I put you through. I was a complete jerk and the only reason--and lame excuse--I can give is that I got scared by how much I felt for you. I love you so much, Kel."

Kelly looked up, tears pooling in her eyes. It hadn't been a Hollywood-worthy confession. He'd stuttered over most of his words in his nervous state. It hadn't been what Webster would have characterized as "perfect", but had been Nick-perfect. And who the hell cared about Webster?

"Say something, Kelly. You're freaking me out here."

She moved her eyes to his and looked at him with absolute amazement. He had completely screwed their relationship up, but he was trying to make it right now. And in Kelly's opinion, that was all that mattered.

"Well?"

She smiled and moved closer to him, reaching out to pull his hands into hers. "Well, what?"

"Do you love me?" Nick watched as a strange sparkle reached her eyes and suddenly he was wrapped in her arms, her lips grazing his softly.

"Did you ever doubt it?" Kelly giggled as she pulled away but stayed close enough for their noses to touch.

Nick stood there and grinned as though he were the happiest man on the face of the earth. Honestly . . . he was.