One Afternoon in Early December ~~~~~~ "Why the hell is Nick not talking to me like he used to!! What did I do?" Katie thought, as she was cleaning up the living room, while Hayley was at school and the rest of the kids were upstairs taking a nap. Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. "Hello" She asked. "Hi, is Mr. Carter home" "no, I'm sorry. He's not. Who's calling' Katie asked. "This is Rob from the record company he is signed to. Is this his wife" "No, I'm his fiancee, can I take a message' "yeah, just tell him that he needs to call me. It's very urgent. Maybe you can try talking some sense into him. If he keeps doing what he is doing, he's gonna lose his record deal with us" "I'll tell him you called. As soon as he get's home" Katie said. "Thank you. Bye" "bye"

"Nick's upto no good. I know it" Katie thought, as she hung up the phone and walked into the hallway next to the kitchen that lead downstairs into the basement. Once she was downstairs, she got an eerie feeling as she walked past Kevin's old studio and gym. She continued walking down the hallway, passed the game room. And the playroom for the kids. She got to Nick's new studio, that he insisted on having built, while she was away on business. She opened the door and went in. What she found was a recording studio. There was absolutely no recording equipment at all. On one wall was a huge 65'' TV, hooked up to a satellite. On either side of the TV were two huge cabinets, padlocked.

"What the hell could be in there" she thought walking over to them and tripping over a box, and falling. "Damn, Nick clean up this place" she mumbled and stood up. That's when she saw all of the porn magazines on the desk, underneath the desk and scattered on the floor. "He's a man" she mumbled and got to the cabinets. "Knowing Nick, he can't remember numbers to save his life, so.....bingo!!" she said as she turned over the padlock. On the back was the sticker with the combination. She opened one. In this was, a VCR, DVD player and stereo, and some video tapes, that were unmarked. "I don't wanna know what's in those" she thought and closed it and re-locked it. She did the same thing to the other one, but she didn't find any kind of electronic equipment. She gasped in horror. The whole cabinet was filled with all kinds of drugs. Marijuana, Crack, Cocaine, Heroin. There were needles and all kinds of pills, and god knows what else. "Nick, what have you done to yourself" Katie asked, no one, her eyes filling with tears. She locked it back up and went back upstairs.

That Night around 11:30pm ~~~~~~~ Katie was sitting on the couch, in the dark, when she heard the front door open and Nick stumble in. She watched as Nick walked towards the basement door and went down there. She followed him. "Nick? Why are you doing this to yourself?" Katie asked. Nick turned around. "What? This" Nick said pointing towards the cabinet filled with drugs. Katie nodded. "It's not mine! It's umm AJ's" Nick lied. "I find that hard to believe Nick. Now that I think about it, you show all the signs of drug abuse. How could you do this to yourself" Katie asked. "I umm, gotta go" Nick said then ran up the stairs. Katie followed. "NICKOLAS GENE CARTER!! GET BACK HERE" Katie yelled. It was too late, Nick was in his car backing out of the driveway.

Three days later ~~~~~~N ick was missing. He didn't come home after he left that night. Katie told Brian and AJ want she found. Both of them were shocked that Nick would do this. After they thought about it, they did see the signs but didn't do anything. Brian and AJ told her that they would find him. Which they did, at the very first studio where the all five guys came together as the Backstreet Boys for the VERY first time.

"Nick, you've gotta stop this. You have a beautiful fiancee who loves you. Three kids and two soon to be step kids. Your gonna lose your fuckin record deal" AJ screamed. "I know! I know! I know what I have to do?" Nick said. "What's that? " Brian asked. "I'm gonna tell Katie that I don't want her to marry me. I'm a drug addict. She deserves so much better" Nick whispered.

Two days later ~~~~~~ "Katie, I've got to talk to you" Nick said, as he walked into Katie's private office in the doctors office she worked at. "Nick, I'm working. Can we talk, when I get home' Katie asked, hanging up the phone. "No. Katie, I know you love me. I admit it. I'm addicted to drugs and I don't know, when I'm going to be able to stop. I don't what you to have to put up with me" Nick said. "What are you saying Nick" Katie asked, worried. "Lacey and Nickolas are with my parents in L.A. Hayley's at school, and Alexia and Kyle are with the Nanny. I'm saying that I don't want you to marry a drug addict. I don't want you to marry me. You deserve someone, who will treat you better than I do. Someone who will love you, for the rest of your life. You're a very beautiful woman, and your very smart. I don't deserve you" Nick said, standing up and walking towards the door, leaving Katie there near tears. "Oh, I can I have the ring back" Nick asked. Katie didn't say anything. She took off the ring and threw it at him It hit him right between the eyes. "Thanks" Nick said and left.

That Night ~~~~~~ "Katie, I'm sorry, Nick did that to you" Leslie said as Katie opened the door and let her in. "Nick's an idiot" Leslie added. "What am I gonna do?" Katie asked. "Find a new man. There are plenty out there. You just gotta get out and look" Leslie said. "I wish it was that simple" Katie mumbled. They started talking, when Leslie mentioned something. "I was reading in the news paper a couple of days ago, about this man, who everybody thought died. His wife, kids and family. It turned out the hospital made a huge mistake and the man was actually alive. He was in a different hospital, in a different state, under a different name for 5 years" Leslie said. "if I was the wife, I'd sue the hospital" Katie said. "I know! Me too! I was thinking, what if that happened to Kevin. What if Kevin was actually alive in a hospital say in Nevada, under a different name" Leslie said. "I wish. I really wish. I doubt that it's possible" Katie sighed.