Part 3: ************************************************************************* Kevin finally stood up from the piano startled to find Alec asleep in the chair in the corner, her jacket wrapped around her. He knelt in front of her, "Alec..." She moved a little in her sleep but didn't wake up. "Alec, come on lets get you upstairs." he said as he picked her up in his arms and headed upstairs. In her sleep she rested her head against his chest mumbling his name softly. Kevin smiled softly and set her down on their bed. "If only I could fall asleep that easily." he said to himself. The last couple nights all he'd managed was to toss and turn, finally exhausting himself into a restless sleep just before dawn. Silently he pulled the blankets over his wife and tried to settle in next to her for another night of restlessness but after a couple minutes he had to get up, unable to just lay there. Alec woke up to see the retreating back of Kevin as he headed down the hallway. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced at the clock, seeing it was only after ten. Debating whether or not to go after him, she climbed out of bed and glanced down the hallway seeing the door closed to his office, no light coming through the cracks. She sighed leaning against the doorframe, she didn't want to bother him but she wanted him to open up sometime. This staring off into space and living in his own little world was seriously worrying her. Ty sat on the bed watching as Howie pulled his clothes out of his dresser. "D?" "Hmmm?" he asked, not even glancing up. "Why didn't you tell me the group was breaking up?" she moved to the edge of the bed and studied him. "I was in shock...didn't believe it was actually happening." he answered, finally looking at his wife. "Ten years on top and now...its gone like that." he snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Why's it gone D?? What happened?" D shook his head, "Its over Ty, that's all anyone needs to know. As AJ said Backstreet is dead." ~Flashback~ The Backstreet Boys sat around the conference room table, eyeing each other nervously. "Well someone speak damnit." AJ said, pushing his chair back. "So we're through? Done...disbanded?" Brian asked, he was in shock...total and complete utter shock. He didn't think things could get any worse right now. A terrifying numbness was taking over his body. Nick nodded, "Looks like it." Kevin picked up a water glass and threw it across the room, "This was NEVER supposed to happen." "None of this was Train, but it did...it was a good run...good while it lasted." D said calmly, a calm that worried him. ~End Flashback~ Ty watched as D just zoned out, his eyes fixed on some point on the wall. "Howie?" she whispered, walking over to him. "Howie?" she repeated again, he just kept staring ahead. Finally he came out of his thoughts, "What? Oh sorry..." She stared at him curiously, "Where'd you go?" His shoulders slumped a bit as he sighed, "Back to the meeting the other day...look would you be okay if I went away for a day or two?? Just got out of town..." AJ flipped through the channels, stopping and staring wide eyed at MTV... "With the disbanding of one of the hottest bands in music history, the question millions of fans are asking is Why?? We here at MTV donUt know the answer to that but we will do some investigating and try to find out what we can. AJ, Brian, Howie, Kev, Nick if your listening and want to call in and fill us in on what happened you know the number...and now lets show one of their mega hit videos, The One..." He threw the remote control across the room, narrowly missing one of the dogs. "You don't want to know damnit. Trust me you don't." Brian sat down at the kitchen counter, watching Shan put the dishes away. "Your up late." he observed. "So are you...when was the last time you slept?" He shrugged, playing with one of the oranges on the counter. He knew exactly the last time he slept, the night before their meeting. The night before his entire world changed. "Been a day or two." "Are you even going to try to sleep?" she asked, leaning on the counter in front of him. He was looking tired, and he seemed to have aged five years in the last few days. "Bri you gotta take care of yourself." He smiled weakly at her, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I will, I promise. I'll sleep when my body decides to let me, all I do is lay there with a thousand thoughts running through my head. You should head up though soon." "I can't sleep when I'm worried about you." Nick opened the patio door and walked inside, the house was quiet and a couple lights were scattered throughout the house. "Lis?" he called, locking the door behind him. She came up from the basement, "Where were you?" "Out." he answered, pulling a beer from the fridge. "Okay." she stood on the stairs for a minute, "How was the water today?" "Lis I don't want to talk all right?" he glared at her and set his empty beer bottle down. "I'm going to bed...if you want to join me fine." he said as he left the room. Slowly Lis turned the lights off on the first floor before heading upstairs. By the time she reached their bedroom Nick was half asleep across the top of the bed. "I'm gonna stay in the guest room." she said, pulling her pajamas out of the dresser. Nick reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. "Don't." he mumbled, his eyes still closed. "Don't what?" she asked tiredly. All she wanted to do was fall into bed, her whole body was aching from the stress of worrying about him. "Don't go..." he pulled her down next to him on the bed, lazily opening one blue eye to look at her, "Stay here...in our bed."