Pacing the deck Shan stopped and stared down the beach, nothing. She couldn't make out a figure in the distance or anything. Where could he have gone, she wondered leaning on the railing. It wasn't like him to just up and disappear but since this whole situation had started no one was acting like themselves. "Where are you Rok?" she asked, closing her eyes, "Where are you?"

AJ slammed the door to the hotel room and headed straight for his bathroom, groaning as he saw the bruise on his face. What the hell had gotten into D to make him act that way, he wondered as he wet a washcloth and held it up to his face making a temporary compress until he found the ice bag.

~Flashback~

Howie shoved AJ, startling him with the strength behind it. "I told you AJ to keep your nose out of this..."

"Howie you're not thinking straight. Your scared!!"

"I am not scared!"

AJ pulled his friend's hands off his collar. "Yes you are. We know you are. Look maybe taking Ty over there was a stupid move on my part. I apologize. But it was either take her over and have me and Jenn there as backup or have her tear over there alone. You know she would have D."

"You didn't need to tell her a damn thing AJ!!!!"

"You want to keep her in the dark?? Man you know that only causes more trouble..."

"It keeps her SAFE!!!"

Shaking his head, AJ pushed his friend away, "The hell it does. It'll get her into more trouble because she'll try to find out what you're hiding."

"What would you know? At the first sign of trouble you run off and drink yourself into oblivion!!"

"That's cruel D..." AJ said quietly, shaking his head. "Damn cruel."

Howie's eyes went cold, "Its the truth and you know it."

"Maybe it is..."

"No maybes about it. Look J I don't tell you how to live your life now would you stay the hell out of mine?"

"Not when your being an irrational ass D." he watched the anger blaze in his best friend's eyes and continued on, "Would you stop for a minute and think about someone else other then you? How about Ty and the baby?"

Before AJ knew what happened, Howie's right fist had connected with his face sending him backwards. "They're the only things I'm thinking of right now Alex. Now get out of my house!!"

~End Flashback~

AJ groaned as he heard the sound of someone knocking on his hotel room door. Please do not be Lou, he thought to himself as he slowly made his way out of the bathroom. Least he wouldn't have to lie about how he got his face all bruised, fight with Howie. That ought to put a smile on the big man's face. Taking a deep breath he unlocked the door, closing his eyes for a second as he opened it.

Jenn watched as the door opened revealing her husband. "What the hell happened to your face???????"

AJ winced, "Nice hello to you too."

She pushed her way inside the room, "AJ what happened?? Don't tell me it was Lou."

"I wish it was." he let her lead him to the couch and sit him down.

"Then who??"

"Howie."

Jenn moved his hand away and ignored AJ's wincing as she touched it. "That's it..."

"What is?"

"He doesn't do that to my husband and get away with it."

"Jenn!!!"

"What?"

"Aren't you overreacting?"

"Not unless he's sporting a similar black eye." she sat down beside him. "I'll get you something for that eye and the pain and then I'm out of here."

AJ groaned as he laid on the couch and watched her roam around the hotel room. He had a feeling Howie might not like Jenn's little visit.

*****

He walked slowly up the steps to the deck of the beachhouse, the blanket in his arms seemingly weighing a ton to his tired body. The only thought on his mind at that moment was getting upstairs and taking a nice hot shower and then crawl into bed. Hopefully there wouldn't be a crisis that needed his attention right then. It was doubtful he could deal with it. Opening the screen door he stepped inside the house and listened, it was relatively silent. Not highly unusual. Of course neither was loud arguments lately.

Shan froze as she walked into the kitchen, finding Brian getting himself a drink. With his back to her she took a deep breath, "Brian?"

He stood up slowly, "Hi..."

"Where'd you disappear to?"

He shrugged, "Took off down the beach. Needed some me time."

"Oh."

"You're upset I didn't tell you."

She sighed, "No one's telling anyone anything anymore."

Brian nodded, taking a seat across from her. "Its harder to talk to others about it."

"So you'd rather keep it inside??"

"It'll come out eventually."

Shan sat there in silence for a minute, "And when it comes out, are you going to do the same thing you did last time you snapped and go after Lou? Or are you planning on something else?"

"When I'm ready I'll talk about it okay? Now I'm going upstairs to take a nice long shower and get some sleep." he stood up slowly, his eyes on his wife. She never even glanced up at him. "Night." he said as he walked away.

*****

He nearly jumped as he saw a figure walk into the dark office and turn the corner light on. "Howie what are you doing?"

"Ty didn't I tell you we needed some space?"

"No what you said was you needed to take care of this your way."

"I do."

"Which includes pushing me away??"

Howie groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "You're not trying to understand."

"I'm not trying to understand? Oh come up with a better excuse then that!"

"What would you call it?"

"I'm trying to figure out why you've been treating me like someone you don't care about when I'm your wife!! I'm your WIFE Howie, a fact you seem to forget."

"I never forget that!! That's why I'm doing this...to protect you and our baby."

"That's the first time you've mentioned the baby in days."

"Mentioned maybe, but I'm always thinking of you two." his face softened slightly. "Which is why you pulling stupid stunts makes me angry Ty...what if something had happened??"

"Nothing happened. Nothing would of happened."

"Ty...you don't know that for sure." he said adamently. "You can't trust Paul or Lou."

"Tell me something we didn't know."

*****

Nick laid on his back, his eyes fixed on a point on the ceiling. The room was absolutely silent. He knew she was wide awake, laying in bed beside him waiting for him to say something...do something. "What do you want from me?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I want my Nick back...you're not you anymore."

"I'm the only me I know how to be Lis."

She rolled over, looking down at him. "This is who you really are?? Are you sure? Because you never used to run from anything..."

Looking into her eyes he saw the worry that had been there since the announcement about the breakup had been made. "Maybe running is the only way I can think of to survive this..."

"Are the other guys running? No they're standing up to Lou."

"AJ isn't, he's joining Lou!"

She lowered her head, "AJ's a special case Nick."

"Why is he so special?"

"Maybe he has other reasons, how would I know?" she covered.

"AJ's being selfish."

"Aren't you???"

*****

Ty answered the front door, surprised to see Jenn standing there on the step. "Jenn?"

"Hi Ty is your husband here?"

"Yeah, come on in. Did something happen?"

"Apparently." she walked inside the house, "Howie get your ass out here!"

"What's going on?" Howie asked walking out from the living room.

"That's what I'm wondering." Ty muttered.

Jenn took a deep breath as she walked over towards him, "If you ever so much as touch my husband again I swear D I don't care how long we've been friends I'll hurt you."

Howie broke into a small smile. "Jenn come on now..."

"I'm not kidding Howie, when I go see my husband and half his face is a mass of bruises and you're not sporting a bruise at all...he may not want to hurt his best friend but I have no problem with it."

Ty frowned, "What did you do to J??"

Howie sighed, "I might have roughed him up a little."

"A LITTLE??" Jenn shook her head, "That's more then a little..."

Seeing the questioning look on his wife's face he tried to explain. "He came over, said some things..."

"You called him over and then when he's trying to talk to you you go crazy and hit him!"

"How bad is he?" Ty asked.

"Black eye for sure, and he's pretty bruised up." her eyes went back to Howie. "I thought you were his friend."

"I am..."

"Strange way of showing it. Just stay away from him Howard..." she turned around. "Sorry to burst in here Ty I just...when I saw J...I had to come..."

"Its okay." Ty walked her friend out then soon as the door was closed she turned to her husband. "I don't even know you anymore Howie...and I don't know if I even want to."

Walking around his hotel room, Paul held his phone to his ear as he leaned against the balcony door and stared out at the bright city lights of Orlando. "Everything will be taken care of don't worry...won't be long before the five of them are back where they belong..."