Part 5 * * * * * * * * * * "I'm surprised you agreed to do an interview. From everything I heard lately the entire Backstreet camp is in seclusion." Lila Cory stated, pulling her tape recorder and note pad out of her briefcase. He shrugged, "I think its time for some of the truth to come out." She nodded, "There's a lot of rumors going around lately, the tabloids are all over this...well you would know that. Be nice to clear a lot of things up." "It will." "What am I supposed to do, just sit and watch him silently go crazy?" Shan asked, holding the cordless as she walked around her office. Through the bay window she could see Brian laying in the hammock outside. "He actually had a realtor here the other day, can you believe it? I had to pull her aside before she left and said we were just testing the waters, not totally interested in selling it yet." Brian closed his eyes as he swung lazily in the hammock, he was just starting to feel peaceful and relaxed when his cell phone went off. He'd forgotten he'd brought it out with him, he rarely used it anymore. "Yeah?" "Brian?" a voice asked. His eyes flew open, it wasn't...it couldn't be. "Yes." "Its me." "Where are you?" he asked, his eyes searching the yard in case anyone was listening. "In town." ~Couple Days Later~ The headline 'The Backstreet Truth' stared up at him as he opened up his paper. Nick groaned inwardly, his eyes scanning the first few words of the paragraph. "They had it all for almost thirteen years but what was it that tore them apart? For the first time hear from a Backstreet insider who was there through it all and saw things even the girlfriends, wives and closest friends never saw." He threw the paper down and grabbed his car keys heading out of the house. By the time Alec woke up that morning Kevin was long gone, leaving behind a quick note on his pillow: "Needed to get away and think...be home tonight love Kev." She crumpled the paper in her hand. "Thinking is all you do anymore Kevy." She sat on the bathroom floor, staring at the test in her hands. Of all the timing...she didn't need this right now, not when they were barely speaking. The only ones of the whole group who were communicating were the wives. Carefully she gathered the box and the test and stuffed them back in the bag. Nick dropped anchor on the boat and went down to the cabin, opening the desk drawer and pulling out the manila envelope he'd been handed almost a month before. He headed up and sat in the hot Florida sun as he pulled the pictures out, cringing as he saw them again. AJ popped a couple Anacin in his mouth and downed them with his bottled water. He leaned against the counter and studied his reflection in the mirror, he barely recognized himself anymore. "Jenn?" he called, turning back to the bedroom. "What?" she called, still half asleep. In spite of her not wanting to be near him she worried too much. When she was around she could keep an eye on him and stop him from drinking too much. "Is it just me or do I look like shit?" he asked, poking his head out of the bathroom. She laughed, "No you do." she smiled sweetly and dodged the towel he threw at the bed. Howie watched as Ty went through the kitchen cupboards. "About the other night..." he started. "Howie not now..." she said not looking at him. She pulled the cereal out of the pantry and picked up her bowl, heading to the table. "But the other night you said you..." he followed her over. "Ty listen to me!" She raised her eyes and looked at him, "Oh you were talking? Sorry I'm just not used to you doing that." He groaned, "Ty...please..." Shan set the groceries on the conveyor belt at PriceClub and turned to Lis who was behind her. "How you holding up?" Lis shrugged, "I should be used to him disappearing into his own world after six years but I'm not." she leaned on the cart and frowned. "Its like being single all over again, I mean at least when he was on tour he'd call and talk to me...now he just ignores me." "That's Nick for ya, but he's always been that way." "I guess. How's Rok?" Lis asked as she pushed the cart ahead. "He's going away on business this weekend. Something about doing some songwriting for Harold?" she shrugged, "I think he just wants to get out of Orlando." The boat hit the dock with a soft thud but Nick didn't even notice it as he thought back, his eyes on the envelope still on the seat. ~Flashback~ He smiled at Nick as he tossed the envelope down in front of him, "Wonder how Lissy would react to finding these in her mailbox?" Nick's eyes narrowed as he reached for the envelope, "Don't call my wife that. You don't even know her." "Don't I??" he asked, leaning back in his chair watching as Nick opened the envelope. Nick paled as he pulled the pictures out, "What the...how the hell did you get these?" "I have friends Nicky my boy..." "Your sick!!" "Mmmm maybe, I like to call it crafty...streetwise..." Nick shook his head, "Just what do you want?" "An end to the Backstreet Boys." "They'll never go for that." "What makes you think the others don't have secrets like that Nick? AJ's alone could be a book...in fact a rather profitable book." Nick swallowed the lump in his throat, "I refuse...plain and simple..." "Hate to see you throw your marriage away so quickly...She'll be devastated when she sees these." ~End flashback~ "Maybe if I hadn't given in..." he said outloud, stepping off the boat. He stashed the pictures in the glove compartment and headed towards the house. After sitting in his car for over an hour Kevin slowly got out and headed up to the front door. He didn't know if he could do this, the only one he'd seen was Howie and they barely said two words to each other. And AJ...he absolutely hated Kevin now...It wasn't his fault he was always the voice of reason, if everything had gotten out they'd have been ruined anyway. Slowly the door opened and Kevin locked eyes, please don't let him hate me, he prayed. We're family. "Hi Brian." "Hi Kevin...Alec isn't here if your looking for her." "No I uh...I'm here to see you." "Actually I'm in the midst of packing right now." "Going somewhere?" "Yeah uhm doing a bit of writing for Harold and I have some meetings to go to." Kevin searched his cousin's eyes. "Your lying..." "Just come in here before you make speculations likes that." he said pulling his cousin inside, shutting the door quickly behind him. "You don't know if he's got people watching us." he hissed. Kevin shook his arm free of Brian's grip. "We gave him what he wanted. We're through, why trail us now anyways? Where's Shan?" "She went out with Lis...shopping or something. What are you doing here?" "I want to know if we can salvage anything Rok? Can we all sit down and still be friends?" Just then the back door opened and Shan's voice rang out, "Brian?" "I'm here." he yelled back. "Is that..." she started walking out of the kitchen. "It is, hi Kev. Nice seeing you." "Hi Shan." Kev smiled at her, "Get back to me on that okay Bri? I'll be at home." "Yeah will do."