Part 11:
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Howie let himself inside the house, Ty's car wasn't home so he knew she
wasn't home yet. He set the food in the oven to stay warm and went
upstairs, hiding the envelope in his desk drawer before heading into their
bedroom to change. On the way home he realized he had probably been acting
like an ass the last little while and now decided it was time to make up
for that. 


E thumbed through the pictures, her mouth open in surprise. Finally she
turned her gaze to Nick, "Oh my god..."

Nick lifted his head, "I know E...but I can't remember one damn minute of
it. I don't know which is worse, seeing the proof and not remembering or
remembering without the proof."

"So this is why she kicked you out?"

"I had them hid on the boat and she found them..."

E shook her head, "Not the place to keep something like these Nick...you
think these are real?"

"They could be...I don't know...I don't remember anything."

She moved next to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. "We'll
look into it. I know someone who would be perfect at this. Totally
confidential won't have to worry about a thing."

Nick looked up at her, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet. You have a place to crash?"

He played with the paper in his hands, "Not exactly."

"You do now, the guest room has your name on it."

"E..." he started.

"Nick your staying here and its final."


Brian sat across from Kevin, "I can't believe Lou would do all of this."

Kevin sighed, "He's a very bitter man Rok. We got rid of him before we
really hit it big...he hates the fact he wasn't there I guess this is his
way to get back at us."

"Guess your right. I just...I mean to destroy us is one thing but..."

"He wants to take everything away from us. I just worry that even though
we went through with what he wanted one day he could send those pictures
of Nick to tabloids or Howie's papers to the FBI. What's to stop him B??"

"Nothing." Brian said sadly. 


Ty stopped seeing the candlelight coming out of the dining room. "D?" she
called, her eyes searching for him.

"Be right there. Sit down." he called from the kitchen.

She tossed her jacket and purse on the couch and headed into the dining
room, sitting down anxiously. A minute later he walked in with two covered
plates. "Told you I'd bring dinner." he said as he set one in front of
her.

"Uh huh." she watched him sit down across from her. He looked younger and
more relaxed then when he had left that morning. "Meeting go well?"

He nodded, not looking at her, "Pretty well. Think we got a lot of things
taken care of."

"Great."

"You sound upset."

"Do I? Maybe its because your practically avoiding me Howie!"

"I'm not avoiding you."

She laughed, "Maybe you don't think so...but you are."

He took a deep breath, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have anything you need to say to me?"


Lis laid in bed, trying to sleep. She rolled over and faced Nick's side of
the bed, she could still smell him on his pillow. "Damn you Nick." she
whispered as she pulled his pillow to her. 


Kevin walked past his study, finding Alec sitting on the couch listening
to his stereo. "Hey!" he said walking in.

She glanced at him, "Hi."

"Something wrong?"

"I talked to Lissy today, her and Nick split up."
			
"Ouch!"

She glanced at him, "What exactly did you guys talk about at your
meeting?"

"Uh if we wanted to do anything about the tabloids."

Alec searched his eyes, "Your lying."

"I am not."

"Yes you are! What are you hiding Kevin? What is so bad that you and the
others can't tell anyone?"

He stood up, "Its too late to have this discussion Alec. I'm going to
bed."

She glared at him, "Keep avoiding things Kev, maybe Nick won't be the only
one looking for a place to stay."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your a smart man figure it out yourself."


Nick laid in bed, tossing around restlessly. He never could fall asleep
when they were in the middle of a fight. His eyes squeezed shut but all he
kept seeing were the pictures. Quickly he climbed out of bed and headed
downstairs, he needed to get his mind off everything..


E heard Nick walk by her bedroom and she turned her laptop off, deciding
to check on him. She went downstairs finding him channel surfing. "Talk."
she said, sitting next to him.

"Can't sleep." he answered, not taking his eyes off the infomercial.

"Thats why your interested in buying a juicer at one in the morning?" she
asked, glancing at the tv.

He shrugged lifelessly.


"I've got a flight around noon." Brian announced taking a seat next to
Shan on the couch.

She turned the television off, "Yay." 

"Its only a couple days, I can't get out of this right now."

"Bri I get that all right? I just don't understand whats going on with you
right now."

"There's nothing going on with me right now."

She shook her head in disbelief, "How can you lie to my face?"

"What makes you think I'm lying?"

"Damnit Brian Thomas Littrell ever since the news broke the Backstreet
Boys were over all you've been doing in moping around the house, you might
have cracked a smile when Nick came over that day but since then its like
living with a zombie!! And now all of a sudden you try to pass everything
off as it being fine, perfect like your just going away for a couple days
on Backstreet business and you'll come back. Whats next, you planning on
telling me the whole gang is going out this weekend? Maybe Nick and Lis
are throwing a little party when you come home?"

Brian glanced at his hands, "Nick and Lis aren't throwing any parties
anymore. Shan..." he took a deep breath, "They split up."

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, "What the hell are you guys
up to?"

"Nothing. I'm heading up to bed, I gotta get up early for my flight."