Part 85
The tension created by AJ's actions in the days to come became unbearable. The guys weren't performing up to their normal standards but the only ones who seemed to notice were the guys themselves and the ones close to them. The fans were still eating up the antics on stage and off, they were hungry for ANY glimpse of the guys. The one bright spot for the guys was Nick and Becca's interview with Carson for TRL.
"Welcome back to this special edition of TRL. I’m Carson Daly, your host, and with me this afternoon is Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and his bride of just a few weeks." The camera panned over to focus on the couple seated on the sofa. "Nick, Becca, welcome to TRL."
"Thanks," they both answered in unison, laughing as Carson rolled his eyes.
"So, do you do this all the time now? Finish each others' sentences?"
Nick smirked, threading his fingers through Becca's and answering, "Only on national television."
They all laughed as Carson pondered his next question.
"Becca, I'm sure one of the questions foremost on everyone's minds is fairly obvious." He watched as Nick and Becca braced themselves for the first of what they were sure would be many questions about her pregnancy, but he took an entirely different tack. "In one word, what's it like to be married to a Backstreet Boy?"
They visibly relaxed, and from then on it was smooth sailing.
"One word?" she replied in astonishment. "I don't think I can do that." She laughed again, as Nick looked on, his eyebrows raised. "One word … amazing? Incredible? Wonderful?"
"Nick you're blushing, knock it off," Carson grinned. "That's it, Becca? No bad sides at all?"
"Well, it's only been a few weeks, give it time," she shot back as the camera crew howled. "Seriously, it's awesome. We're together, I get to see the country, meet the fans … Oh, and my best friend, besides Nick, is along also. Life is good."
"You're speaking of Howie's wife, Sarah, right?"
"That's right."
"I understand she introduced the two of you. Nick, tell us about it."
"It was a setup, I mean, a blind date," he amended quickly as Becca swatted at him. "See, Bec and Sarah were roommates in college and also shared a house together for a while. Bec was my date for Kevin's birthday party last October. It was love at first sight."
"Really?" Carson was incredulous.
Nick went on with a straight face, "Yep, she took one look and fell for me."
"You dork, I tripped over the carpet!"
"Ah, love, ain't it grand?" Carson shook his head, smirking at the couple.
Becca smiled at Nick, oblivious to the cameras. "He's pretty close, though. Anyway, he proposed on Christmas Eve after the midnight service at my church."
"What about your work? Any plans to return to directing?"
"I really don't know, we haven't thought that far ahead yet. Besides …" she patted her tummy gently.
"Ok, so can I ask the other obvious question now?" Carson looked at Nick, deciding at this point to take his cue from him, rather than Becca. He watched, as they seemed to communicate almost telepathically before answering. An understanding seemed to pass between them as they turned to face him once again.
"The baby's due September 18th," Becca said quietly.
"And yes, we're really happy about it." Nick wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulder. "It's not something we expect everyone to understand or approve of, but that's ok. We're the ones who ultimately have to make things work out."
"Did you-" he began, but was cut off by Becca.
"No, we didn't plan this and we didn't get married because of the baby, we got married because we love each other. The baby is just a wonderful bonus. And we're not advocating this lifestyle for anyone else."
Nick went on, "I know we have to set an example and be role models, but one thing our younger fans could learn is to be careful. Unfortunately, in this day and time, unplanned pregnancy could be the least of your problems." He stopped as he heard Becca begin to sniffle.
"Let's take a commercial break, and we'll be right back with Nick and Becca Carter."
As the red light over the cameras signaled a time out, Carson took a deep breath. "We can drop this if you want, Becca. I know we talked about this earlier, but we can move on to the tour and other stuff."
She shook her head. "No, I'm the one that wanted to do this, it's ok. I just don't want to go into too much detail. But I'd … *we'd* rather the fans get the facts from us than the sleazy tabloid of the week."
"Bec, we don't have to." Nick said.
"*I* do, Nick. I need to do this for my own peace of mind and closure. I need to be up front about this."
Carson looked from one to the other, before nodding his head. "All right then, a few more questions and then we'll be all done. Before we roll the cameras, I want to thank you both for doing this."
Nick shook his hand. "Let's get it over with."
As the green light began to blink over camera number one, Carson put his public face back on and smiled. "We're back again with Nick and Becca Carter. Last of the tough questions before we get to the wedding pictures."
Becca took a deep breath and Nick squeezed her hand.
"Why'd you wait this long to make it official?" To the casual viewer this seemed like a harsh question, but in fact the entire interview had been planned and approved by Nick and Becca. This was their forum to reach the fans once and for all and put an end to the rumors.
"I left Nick last January," Becca said quietly. "On his birthday."
"Wow. Why?"
Becca's eyes filled with tears, but this time she didn't bother to hide them from the cameras. "I was terrified and I ran." She took a deep breath and looked up at Nick before continuing. "I found out that afternoon that a man I'd dated briefly had died of AIDS."
Carson handed her a tissue off-camera and she wiped her nose before going on. "We were intimate once, only once, but he knew he was infected and didn't tell me." Her voice began to shake, and Nick pulled her close, kissing her forehead.
"But you-"
"I'm fine, but I didn't know it at the time. All I could think about was what I had done, or 'possibly' done to Nick, and so I ran. Pretty stupid, huh?" She smiled wryly.
"Fear makes you do strange things sometimes," Carson agreed. "But you're back home now."
"Thanks to some very wonderful people. Sarah never gave up on me, and Howie was right there behind her, and of course, Nick. If it hadn't been for their understanding and unconditional love, I'd still be out there alone. Sarah, god, she's been amazing. We've been really hesitant about bringing all this out in the open and she's put her reputation on the line for me several times. She actually lied to the press right before the wedding so we could keep this private for a few days longer. I appreciate her help more than she will ever know and I love her lots."
"What about the video, Nick?"
He smiled, wiping his own eyes in embarrassment. "More Than That?"
Carson nodded, as the camera zoomed in closer to Nick's face.
"The guys all agreed to change the story line at the last minute, so I could try to reach Bec. Sarah had been emailing her and told her to watch the new video, and we sang to her. It was my way of saying 'come home, give me another chance'."
"And it obviously worked. Thank you both for being with us today, and for sharing what might not have been such a happy ending. Check the closing credits for the web address of Becca's new foundation for AIDS awareness. As we close today, we leave you with a montage of Nick and Becca's wedding photographs and the Backstreet Boys singing 'More Than That.' See you tomorrow for more TRL. Peace!"