Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 20:03:25 -0700 From: Michael McCall <mccall0470@hotmail.com> Subject: Lance and Michael: Michael's Quest 1 This story is completely fictional and I am not in anyway implying that Lance Bass or any members of Nsync are gay. The depiction of all other characters in this story, (from Johnny Wright to Lou Pearlman) are also fictional. The author in no way claims that the situations and circumstances in this story have ever happened in "real life". The usual warnings apply...If you shouldn't be here, then don't be here. **Voted Reader's Choice Novella for the Boy Band Story Awards** Welcome to the New Adventures of Lance and Michael. If you are checking in for the first time, then stop, turn around and read Lance and Michael: Lance's Love (Chapters 1-10) before you do any further reading. For those of you returning to us here...Welcome Back! Special thanks to my pal Rob for the writing assists! And to Kyle...thanks for the "inspiration". This one goes out to my new friend Joe...just cuz! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and I would appreciate any comments and criticisms. You can email me at mccall0470@hotmail.com. Lance and Michael: Michael's Quest Chapter One "You Don't Have To Be Alone" June 13, 2000 Somewhere over Colorado --Journal Entry: June 13, 2000. It's been a month. A month since he left. A month ago today, he left without an explanation. Without warning. Michael McCall just picked up and left me. Of course I don't need to tell you that...I've been writing this journal for just as long. It's kinda been my way of keeping him close. Michael always wrote in his journal. Any free moment he had, I would see him typing the events of his day and saving them for some future use.- Lance Bass looked up from his computer and looked around the cabin of the airplane he was in. He and the other members of Nsync were on their way to Florida for a couple of days to rest and take care of some company business. Lance was looking forward to a day off. It had been a grueling tour so far with no end in sight for the group. Of course, the sudden departure of his boyfriend, Michael McCall hadn't helped any. --Things are getting better for me. Typing this journal is actually very therapeutic. I started off very depressed...but I think I've worked through that. At least the guys have stopped asking if I'm okay. They've all been great though. --I just want to understand! Is that too much to ask? He just left! No reason...just left. He said, and I quote "I don't know how long I will be gone, or if I will ever be back. All I ask is that you don't follow me. You have a tour to worry about. The last thing you need to be doing right now is trying to track me down. Trust me, you won't find me." What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't know. I need to not care...but I can't. I miss him. Sometimes I just can't help wondering where he is.- Orlando, Florida Michael McCall entered his apartment with a sigh. After closing and locking the front door, he headed for the living room. Dropping his backpack on the couch, he turned to his laptop sitting on the coffee table and hit the power switch before continuing through the living room to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and looked inside. After a moment, he reached inside and grabbed a Spiked Lemonade and closed the door. Michael popped the top off and took a large swig of the drink before heading back to his computer. He sunk down into the couch with an audible sigh and turned his attention to the computer screen. --Journal Entry: June 13, 2000. What a day! I thought I'd never get home. Ah, home...or at least what I'm calling home these days. I guess I should bring you up to date. It's been a month since I've typed a journal entry. A month since I quit my job working for Nsync. A month since I began working for Trans. Con. A month since I broke up with Lance...-- Michael looked up from his computer screen and around the living room. There wasn't much in the way of furniture, just a couch, two chairs, a couple of end tables with lamps and a coffee table. A row of picture frames sat on the mantle over the fireplace, and a few more sat on the end tables. Michael reached over and picked up one of the frames. A smile crossed his face as he looked down at the photo of him with the five men of Nsync. The photos were pretty much all he had in the apartment to remind him of the past year of his life. A small sigh escaped his lips as he replaced the photo on the end table. Before returning to his computer, Michael let his gaze fall on the largest frame that held a picture of him and Lance sitting arm in arm. "I miss you, baby." He whispered, returning his attention to the computer screen in front of him. --I hate to admit that I actually enjoy my job. I'm serving as Production Manager for Lou on the "Making the Band" television program. I've been revising his budgets and schedules. Whoever had the job before me must've been on crack...Anyway...I think that Lou is starting to realize that he may have overemphasized my importance to the Nsync franchise. It's been a month and the boys are still going strong. Lou did have some hope when the guys disappointed a stadium of nearly 70,000 people the day after I left. --They were doing the big Wango Tango concert for KIIS fm in Los Angeles. They were the big draw scheduled to perform at the end of the night. But they didn't. When it came time for the guys to perform, they got on stage and ran the Bye Bye Bye video then left. Ouch. I can imagine how upset the crowd was. But, the guys haven't missed a show since. --Britney calls once a week to check on me. Its good to hear her voice at the end of a long week. She's promised to come visit as soon as she gets the chance. Melinda and Johnny call once a week as well to check on my progress. All in all, things are going according to plan. Which reminds me that I should check my messages. Until later!- Michael saved his journal and walked over to the answering machine. He smiled at the flashing light then hit the play button. After a moment, there was a beep then the sound of a chipper voice. "Hey Michael! It's Nick Carter. I got a message from Ben Corbyn that you needed to talk to me. I'm going to be in Orlando this week...let's get together for dinner or something. I'll give you a call when I'm in town. Late." "Very cool." Michael smiled heading back into the kitchen. "Very cool." "Hey Mel!" JC Chasez smiled as he plopped himself into the empty seat next to Melinda Bell. Startled by the sudden break in her concentration, Melinda jumped in her seat and spilled her drink. "Josh!" She nearly screamed, trying to regain her composure. "You scared me!" JC stifled a laugh and placed a reassuring hand on his friend's arm. "I'm sorry." He smiled. "I just saw you sitting by yourself over here and thought I'd come keep you company." "Th-thanks." Melinda answered softly, returning her gaze to the night sky out of her window. "You okay, Mel?" "I'm fine." She answered without turning from the window. "Yeah right." JC sighed. "You've been on edge ever since we left the airport in Portland. Its almost as if you're afraid to go home to something in Orlando." That got her attention. Melinda turned to face the young singer sitting next to her and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" JC paused for a moment and looked around the cabin as if to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. He turned back towards his producer and leaned in close. "You've been acting weird ever since we said we were returning to Orlando...and I know why." Melinda folded her arms across her chest. "Oh you do, do you?" "Yes I do!" JC smiled. "Care to fill me in?" JC took another look around the cabin before continuing. "You're nervous for the same reason everyone else is nervous...but no one wants to talk about it." "Go on." JC leaned in even closer. "We all know that Michael is in Orlando." "What?!" Melinda sat back a little, not sure what to say next. "Oh, please Mel..." JC shook his head. "Once we read in the trades that Michael was working for Trans Con, we all figured that he'd be based in Orlando. Especially since Justin couldn't find him at the New York office." Melinda could not believe what she was hearing. "Justin went..." she began, not noticing how loud her voice came out. "Shhhhh!" JC held a hand up to keep her quiet. "Yes...on our last break about two weeks ago, Justin took off to New York to try to find Michael. We didn't tell Lance though. He's doing his best to put up a strong front and all... He would've just tried to stop us." "But why did you..." JC took a deep breath and locked eyes with Melinda. "Look...Michael just up and left without leaving any explanation for Lance, or us even. The guys and I want answers, and we plan on getting them." Melinda chose her next few words carefully. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Josh. Lance seems to be coping pretty well...and he is only following Michael's last request not to follow him. Maybe you guys should just leave it alone." JC eyed his friend closely for a moment before smiling. "Don't worry, Mel." He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I won't be mad if you tell Michael where we are next time he checks in with you." "What?!" Melinda's question was met with only a knowing smile from the singer. He playfully looked around again and whispered. "I've heard you talking to him on your cel at least three times now." "No...I..." Melinda stammered trying to come up with a story. "It's okay...I'm not mad at you," he continued. "I'm sure that you and Michael have a really good reason for keeping in contact and not explaining yourself to Lance or any of us." With that, JC stood and returned to his seat, leaving Melinda in a stunned silence. After a moment, she returned her gaze to the plane's window and the night sky just outside. "I have a bad feeling about this." The Next Day: "You have my word, Lou." Michael sighed into his cel phone as he parked his car. "The recs have been filed and the venue will be ready by the time the show moves out of the house." Michael rolled his eyes, getting out of the car while listening to his employer babble on the other end of the phone. "Yes, Lou..." he groaned, heading for his apartment. "I understand. And like I told you before I left the office...everything is taken care of!" Opening his front door, Michael finally lost his patience. "Lou! I told you it was taken care of. I am now home and therefore off the clock. It has been a long day. I will see you tomorrow!" With that, Michael shut off his phone and tossed it onto the couch. "Damn." He sighed dropping himself into the chair next to the couch. He brought his hands up and rubbed his tired eyes. Letting out another sigh, Michael looked at the clock...it was almost 7pm. As he started to get up, a loud pounding came from the front door. "Oh god, what is it now?!" Michael said with a groan. He rose up from the chair he had thrown himself in and walked toward the door. "What?!" He said opening the door, his jaw dropping quickly at the sight if who it was. "So let me get this straight!" Roberto Ruiz gently pushed his way into his best friend's apartment. "Rob?" Michael said in surprise. Last Michael had seen Rob; his friend had been on his way to dance with Britney Spears on tour. "You quit your job with NSYNC..." Rob had begun to pace in the living room. "...Backing out of your dream job and your relationship with your dream man...all unexplained I might add! Then, you go and get a job working for the man responsible for most of the trauma in their career, the enemy! That above all is what I don't get!" "Um.... Would you like to come in?" Michael asked as he closed the front door of his apartment. Rob took a moment to catch his breath, and then dramatically placed his hands on his hips. "So?!" "So what?" Michael smiled as he walked past his friend and took a seat on the couch. "I'm waiting!" Michael shook his head, debating whether or not he should share his story with his friend. He had been able to contain the number of people involved to himself, Johnny Wright, Melinda and Britney. "It's a LONG story." Rob let out an exasperated groan. He stepped over the coffee table and took a seat next to Michael. Folding his arms across his chest, he replied defiantly. "I've got time." Michael saw the determination and concern in his friend's eyes. Rob was his best friend. He had been there for all of the ups and downs of the past year. Michael brushed his hands through his hair and sat back in the couch. He took a deep breath, and started the story. "Well...it all started with the Grammy's in February..." Lou Pearlman sat quietly in his office watching the latest footage from his "Making the Band" television series. As he watched he was jotting down notes for the next day's production meeting. A knock on his office door caused him to look up. The music mogul paused the tape. "Enter." He called. The office door slowly opened and a man with stringy long hair entered the room. He closed the door and turned to face Pearlman. "Evan!" Pearlman smiled. "What brings you here this late in the day?" Evan cleared his throat before speaking. "Sir...I know that you said that having our men keep an eye on McCall was no longer necessary, but you should know that he currently has a visitor." "Does he now?" Pearlman raised an eyebrow in interest. "Anyone we should worry about?" "Just the Ruiz kid." Evan shrugged it off. "He's been dancing for Spears. Shouldn't be a problem." "Damn." Lou grumbled. "Why couldn't he be seeing Lance behind my back? Give me something to retaliate for!" "I don't know, sir. He seems to have adapted well here." Lou rolled his eyes. "I know...and what's worse is that he's good at his job!" Lou returned his attention to the TV monitor in front of him. "Bah! Keep me informed." With a nod, Evan turned and headed out of the office leaving Pearlman to his own thoughts. Lance Bass quietly opened the front door of his house and stepped into its darkened interior. As he walked through the foyer, he dropped his bags onto the floor and continued on to the bedroom. It had been a long day. The five members of Nsync had arrived in Orlando early that morning and had spent most of the day in meetings. This was the first time he had been able to come home. As the singer entered his bedroom, he realized that this was actually the first time he had been back to this house since Michael had left him. He walked into the closet and turned on the light. Lance did not know why the site of the near empty closet took him by surprise. He ran a hand along the open space in the closet where his lover's clothes had occupied not more than a month ago. "Snap out of it, Bass." Lance whispered to himself. "You knew his stuff would be gone." Lance walked out of the closet, peeling off his shirt as he headed for his bed. He tossed the shirt on the floor and fell backwards onto the bed with a sigh. He closed his eyes and stretched his arms over his head. The silence was soon broken by the sound of the phone ringing. Lance let out a groan and rolled over to the phone. "Hello?" He answered. "Hey Scoop, It's me!" Justin's voice came through the phone. "Hey Justin...what's up?" "Well..." Justin began. "I just wanted to check on you and see if you were okay." Lance smiled and rolled onto his back. "I'm good, Justy. Just chillin here at the crib." "Really?" Lance sighed and glanced over at the nightstand. His eyes rested at the objects sitting in front of him. "You know what J?" "What?" "I never realized how many pictures we had in this damn house." There was silence on the other side of the phone. Lance reached over and placed the photo frame face down on the nightstand. "I'll be right over, Lance." "Thanks, Justin." Lance half whispered. "That would be great." "And so...without anything but a note that I left behind...I snuck away and came here to work in Orlando." Michael looked over at his friend. Rob's face was a myriad of emotions. Michael could see a strong combination of rage, sorrow and betrayal. He reached over and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I...I..." Rob tried to form the words. "I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" "I'm sorry, bud." Michael smiled, "But I had to keep this as quiet as possible. I couldn't risk Lance or any of the guys finding out and trying to take on Pearlman themselves." "Brit knows, doesn't she." Rob said quietly. Michael nodded. "She's one of the few." "That's why she told me where you were." Michael's eyes widened. "You didn't tell anyone where you were going, did you?" Seeing his friend's panic, Rob answered quickly. "Nope. No one knows where I am." Michael was about to respond, when the ringing of Rob's cell phone interrupted him. Rob took out his phone and turned it on. There was an uneasy exchange with the person on the other side of the phone. "Oh . . . Hey . . . Josh!" Michael's eyes widened and he turned as white as a ghost. He pleaded with his eyes for Rob not to say anything, and he picked up on the signal. "Nothing's wrong!" Rob smiled into the phone. "Just caught me at a surprise! Wasn't expecting to hear from you, that's all! Listen, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cancel on tonight, I just got word of a friend of mine who's in town, and I really need to see him. Don't worry, it's nothing big, just someone who I haven't seen in a long time!" He said still a little uneasy. "I'll give you a call tomorrow and we'll get together, I promise!" Michael listened intently as the reality of the situation began to hit him. He turned away from Rob, only to look directly at a photo of him and Lance. "Damn." Michael whispered. And after three weeks of holding things together, the tears began to flow from his eyes. Rob noticed this and quickly got off the phone. He got up and wrapped his arms around his friend. "It's okay, Michael." He whispered. "I miss him so much." "I know," Rob whispered. "I know." The Next Day: Britney Spears cursed under her breath as she reached out of her shower for her ringing cel phone. "Hello?" "Hey baby!" Justin Timberlake's voice came through the phone. "Whassup?" Britney let out a groan. "Honey, I'm trying to take a shower!" "There's a nice visual to start my day!" The pop princess rolled her eyes while grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself. "Justin!" Justin laughed. "I just wanted to call and see how my girl's doin." Britney stepped out of the shower and sat on the bathroom counter. "I'm okay, darlin. Just a little tired. How are things with you guys?" "We're doing great! We have a couple of days off, so we came home to do some business." "Home?!" Britney's eyes went wide. "You're in Orlando?" "Yeah...Why?" Justin asked. "What are you doing in Orlando?" Britney questioned, jumping off the counter and heading out to her bedroom. "You're not supposed to be in Orlando!" "What do you mean I'm not supposed to be in Orlando?" Justin's tone got defensive. Britney was emptying her purse. She let out a sigh. "That's not what I meant." She recovered. "I mean...does Rob know where you are, I thought he was meeting JC in New York." "Of course Rob knows where we are." Justin replied matter-of-factly. "He's meeting JC later today." Britney stopped what she was doing. "What?!" "Rob is meeting up with JC later today." Justin answered. "He's here in Orlando too. You didn't know that?" "Uh...Of course I knew he was in Orlando." Britney plopped down on her bed in defeat. "I don't know what I was thinking." "Well, we're off to the mall." Justin chuckled. "I just wanted to say Hey! I'll talk to you later, babe. I love you." "Love you, too." Britney sighed. After ending the call, the singer rolled over to her stomach with a groan. "Rob...I hope you know what you're doing." Michael walked out of the music store shaking his head. He turned back to Rob who was carrying two bags of new music. "I can't believe I let you talk me into coming to the mall." "Awww," Rob grinned. "You know the only reason I did was so I could get you to help carry all of my bags." "I needed to get out anyway." Michael laughed. "I'd just be sitting around all day waiting for my meeting with Nick." "Nick?" Rob asked. "As in Carter?" "We're having dinner tonight. He has some information that may be useful for me." "Right." Rob said, dripping with sarcasm. "He just wants to get in your pants." Michael rolled his eyes and started walking towards the food court. "I'm hungry. Let's eat." "Cool." Rob nodded falling in step with his friend. "What are you craving?" Michael took a moment to ponder the question before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know...No fast food though." Rob glanced around the food court in front of them before pointing to the restaurant at the end of the row. "How 'bout Fridays?" "Sounds good to me." Michael smiled as they neared the restaurant. The two friends entered the crowded lobby of Fridays and made their way up to the Hostess. The girl smiled at them. "Hi guys. It's about a fifteen minute wait." "Really?" Rob rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Couldn't tell by the crowd and all." Michael elbowed his friend in this side. "We just need a table for two." The girl nodded. "It'll be fifteen minutes. I'm sorry guys...We had to clear the back area for a small party. They're almost done. Just have a seat and I'll call you when I get a table." "Thanks." Michael smiled. As they turned to sit down, the hostess tapped Michael's arm. "I'm sorry, could I get your name." Michael returned his attention back to the hostess. "McCall. Michael McCall" "Thank you, Mr. McCall" Michael smiled again and followed Rob to a seat near the jukebox. He sat down and took a quick look around the room. The lobby area was crowded with couples and small groups waiting to be seated. Michael noticed that outside the restaurant there were a few groups of high school girls hanging around. "So, what's your job like?" Rob's question interrupted Michael's train of thought. "It's okay..." Michael sighed. "It's nice to be doing the type of work I got my degree for." Rob looked at his friend skeptically. "But?" Michael smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing..." he began. His gaze moved back over the crowd. He noticed a young couple standing in front of the jukebox trying to make a selection. He could tell by looking at them that they were very much in love. Playfully looking over all the tracks trying to make that perfect choice. Michael watched them make their choice and moments later the new song began to fill the lobby. Michael listened to the first few bars of the song and instantly recognized it. He heard Lean Rymes' "How Do I Live" fill the room and he fought back a shudder. His mind brought back the images of dancing with Lance while Britney and the guys sang this song to them. It was right before he moved back to California to finish his last semester of school. The first time he had been separated from Lance. It was a difficult time for both of them. Lance had somehow managed to call Michael every day during their time apart. It was almost as if they hadn't spent any time away from each other. Compared to the last month of his life, that lonely month nearly a year ago was a walk in the park. "I just have to keep convincing myself that I'm doing the right thing." Michael mumbled. "What?" Michael returned his attention to Rob and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm doing the right thing." He said with a little more feeling. He stood suddenly and walked to the jukebox. Rob was instantly at his side. "Of course you are." He reassured his friend. "I mean at first, I didn't understand why you did such a drastic thing breaking up with Lance and then disappearing..." Rob placed a hand on Michael's shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. "But if you hadn't, Pearlman would have exposed Lance as a gay man and dragged Nsync right through the mud." Michael nodded at Rob's statement, then noticed the hostess waving them over. "I think our table is ready." "Let me get my bags." Rob said. Michael stood in the center of the lobby and once again looked at the crowd of girls outside the restaurant. They seemed to have grown in numbers and in excitement. "Must be an autograph signing somewhere in the mall today." He thought. Feeling Rob's presence next to him, Michael turned and bumped into a man walking out of the restaurant. "Ow." Michael grunted as he stepped back and looked at who he bumped in to. "Oh shit." Rob whispered. Michael had just bumped into Joey Fatone. And he wasn't alone! The five men of Nsync and their bodyguards had been trying to leave the restaurant when Joey and Michael collided. An uneasy silence fell over the group as recognition set in. Rob's gaze fell from each member. He saw Joey and Chris' surprise at the sudden meeting. He felt Justin's rage instantly appear at the sight of Michael McCall standing in front of them. He could feel the weighted stare of his own boyfriend, JC Chasez land on him filled with anger and disappointment. And finally, he caught the connection between Michael and Lance. Their eyes locked onto one another's. Rob could feel the range of emotion running throughout that stare. Sensing the confrontation that was about to happen with the six men in front of him, Rob took a deep breath and did the first thing that came to his mind. "OH MY GOD ITS NSYNC!!!!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, in the best girlie voice he could muster. Chaos and Pandemonium suddenly broke out in the restaurant lobby. The crowds of girls that had been waiting outside suddenly converged on the boy band's location. The bodyguards scrambled to surround Sync and get them out. Rob grabbed Michael by the arm and pulled him in the opposite direction. "Let's go!" Michael allowed Rob to pull him out of the restaurant towards the mall entrance. As the crowds moved in around them, Michael turned back one more time to see Lance looking back at him amidst the chaos. He tried to stop and go back, but Rob's grasp was strong. He wanted to explain. He just wanted everything to be back to the way it was. "Let's go, McCall." Rob ordered. "You've come too far to blow this now." With that, Michael turned away from the crowd and headed toward the parking lot leaving the chaos behind. "Johnny! We've got a problem!" Melinda nearly shouted as she burst into the office of Johnny Wright. Johnny looked up from his computer with an eyebrow raised. "Take a breath, Mel." He said flatly. "Tell me what the problem is." Melinda shut the door of the office and turned to face her boss. "I just got a call from Lonnie." "Are the guys okay?" Melinda nodded and continued. "Apparently as the guys were leaving the restaurant after lunch, they ran into Michael." Melinda held her breath as she waited for Johnny's response. She was surprised to see how calm he was. He returned his attention to his computer briefly before looking back to her. "What happened?" He asked calmly. "Well, Lonnie said that they bumped into Michael and Rob." Melinda began. "He said that there was some quiet tension but before anyone could say anything someone recognized the guys and they were mobbed by fans. By the time things cleared, Michael was no where to be found." "Have you heard from Michael?" Melinda shook her head. "No. He's not answering his cel or at home." There was a moment of silence before Johnny responded. "Keep trying to get a hold of him. Tell Lonnie to bring the guys in. Make up a reason. We don't want them roaming the city looking for Michael." Later that evening: "Thanks again for dinner, Nick." Michael smiled as he opened the door to his apartment. "Would you like to come in?" "Sure!" the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys grinned. Nick Carter quickly stepped into the dark apartment. While he waited for Michael to lock the front door and get the lights, he ran his hands through his hair and took a quick look around the room. "Great place you have here!" he said. Michael tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter and headed for the fridge. "Thanks. Can I get you anything?" "Water's fine." Nick smiled, taking a seat on the couch. From where he was sitting, Nick could see the small cluster of photo frames sitting on the end table. He reached over and picked up one of the frames. It was a photo of Michael sitting with Lance. They were sitting on the beach with the sun setting behind them. "Here you go." Nick's thoughts were interrupted by Michael's voice. "Thanks." Nick nodded, taking the small bottle of water. "This is a great picture of the two of you." He added, placing the picture back on the end table. "Its obvious that you two are in love." "Yeah..." Michael said softly, his good mood beginning to fade. "Which is why I can't thank you enough for everything you've told me tonight." Michael turned away from the young singer and opened the patio blinds. "I can't believe that you went through all of that with Lou. It must have been terrible." Nick took a swig of his water before responding. "It was." He answered. "I've never felt so violated in my life." Michael opened the patio doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The warm air from the day was cooling as the sun was beginning to set. Michael closed his eyes and let the cooling breeze wash over his face. "That man is pure evil." "Amen to that." Nick chuckled as he stood to join his friend on the balcony. Nick stood at the door and looked at his friend. Michael was leaning on the railing of the balcony looking out into the evening sky. He was wearing a green shirt with a wife beater visible underneath and loose fitting cargo pants. "Damn..." Nick thought to himself. "He is as good looking as the day I met him." Nick's thought went back to the day he had met Michael. The young singer had been watching Michael during an Nsync dance rehearsal for the MTV awards. Every move the dancer made attracted Nick to him more and more. So much so that he could not resist the urge to make the moves on him. That's when he discovered that not only was Michael not interested in him...but he was involved with Lance. But Nick was able to properly apologize a few months later at Michael's birthday party. "Michael, remember the first time we met?" Nick asked hesitantly. Then Michael glanced toward Nick. "Yes," was all he said in reply. "I was an asshole," Nick said simply. Michael was looking back at him, no expression on his face. "Yes, you were," he said at length. He maintained his poker face just a bit longer, then-seeing the genuine concern on Nick's face-he smiled. "You did come on awfully strong," he said. Relief showed in Nick's grin. "Yeah, I did. But I didn't know you and Lance were together." He glanced about a bit before leaning in and adding, "And, to be honest, I didn't say anything that hadn't worked on dancers before." Howie laughed. "Dancers, maybe, but not boyfriends." "Not even on boyfriends pretending to be dancers," Nick added. Then his expression turned more serious as he leaned closer to Michael and his voice dropped. "Michael, I know I was a jerk the last time, but I want I'd like a chance to show you I'm not. You seem like a great guy, and I'd like us to be friends-just friends." Michael smiled gently at the young singer sitting next to him. "I'd like that too, Nick." Seeing the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys blush a deep crimson, Michael reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "There's a catch though." Nick looked into Michael's green eyes and asked, "What?" Michael let out a small sigh. "You have to wish me a happy birthday and promise to have dinner with me and Lance the next time you're in Orlando." Nick bit his lower lip thoughtfully for a moment before a devilish grin broke over his face. He quickly leaned forward, catching Michael off guard and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. After a moment, the singer pulled back, smiled and pulled Michael into a hug. "Happy Birthday, Michael." He whispered into his ear. "You tell that boyfriend of yours that I'll be over for dinner soon." Nick shook his head bringing himself back to the present. "He's in love with Lance." He thought. "And he's your friend." The singer walked forward and placed his hands on Michael's shoulders. He gently squeezed. "Damn, you're tight." Michael let out a sigh. "I know...it's all this stress." "Well...let's see if we can work some of it out." Nick said as he began to massage Michael's shoulders. Michael leaned into the railing and allowed Nick to rub his shoulders. While he enjoyed the feeling of his muscles being kneaded, he looked down the street below. The sun was slowly setting and the street lights below were flickering to life. Michael watched as a pair of joggers passed by underneath him. Something to the right caught his attention. A blue Honda had just pulled up but the driver did not get out. Michael dropped his head lower to get a better look at the driver. A knot began to form in his stomach as soon as he recognized the driver of the car. "Oh shit." Michael spat. Nick instantly pulled his hands off of Michael's shoulders. "Did I hurt you?" Michael stood up casually looking away from the car. "No." he answered. "One of Lou's goons just pulled up. He's still having me watched, I guess." "Why?" Michael shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. Maybe he heard about me running into Lance and the guys at the mall today and wants to make sure that I'm staying away." Michael felt Nick's hands return to his shoulders and suddenly felt Nick's breath near his right ear. "Then let's give him a show." Nick whispered as he resumed massaging Michael's shoulders. This time, the massage was deeper, with more feeling. Michael felt his knees buckle slightly at the intensity of the massage. He placed his hands on the railing of the balcony and closed his eyes. Nick bent his head slightly and gently kissed Michael's neck. Feeling no resistance, Nick kissed his neck again and then again, this time allowing his mouth to linger on the spot. Hearing the slight moan slip from Michael's lips, Nick placed three small kisses up Michael's neck and stopped at his earlobe. Slowly, Nick's teeth closed over the earlobe and he playfully bit it. "Oh god," Michael thought to himself, goosebumps flying up his arms and back. "That feels way better than it should." Nick turned Michael around by his shoulders to face him. He could see the conflicting emotions on his friend's face. Nick brought his hand up and gently caressed Michael's cheek. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Michael's forehead. "Relax." Nick whispered. Michael nodded slowly. "Is he still watching?" Nick's hands rested on Michael's shoulders and gently pushed his shirt off the shoulders and onto the deck, leaving Michael in his wife beater and cargo pants. "Nick...I..." Michael tried to speak. Nick placed a finger over Michael's mouth and smiled softly. "I'm going to kiss you now." Nick leaned in a little closer and looked Michael dead in the eye, his blond hair fell into his face and he was blushing just a little. Not red, but sort of pink. As he moved closer to Michael's mouth, his eyes closed and his breath caught in his throat. Michael held his breath in anticipation. "What am I doing?" he asked himself as Nick's lips met his. Nick's lips brushed gently against Michael's at first, then they met again. This time with slightly more force and definitely more passion. Michael didn't know what to do! He lost his breath as Nick gently pushed him against the balcony and kissed me deeply. "What the hell was going on? What am I doing?" Michael's mind raced. "This is...not Lance for crying out loud! Well...not my boyfriend. I mean...its Nick. He's...my friend. My very...very...cute friend...who just so happens to be a good kisser. An AWESOME kisser! But...but this is wrong. This is SO wrong! And if so...why is it suddenly so hard for me to pull away?" Michael's body felt weak and his mind raced. He hadn't allowed himself physical contact with anyone since he left Lance. No form of pleasure of any kind. He knew that Nick was just distracting Evan...but he was really getting into it. As Nick kissed Michael deeper and deeper, his hands moved their way up into Michael's hair, all of Michael's common sense began to melt away and his instincts began to take over. The second Nick's hips pushed forward into him, Michael was lost in his kiss. "Oh God..." Michael felt his arms slowly snake around Nick's hips and pull him into him, their desire rubbing against each other. "Mmmm," Nick's head was also racing. "He tastes even better than I could have ever imagined." Nick's hand made it's way down Michael's side, his kisses traveling down to Michael's neck. As he was kissing Michael's neck, Nick looked down to see Evan's Honda slowly drive off. Michael's eyes shot open as he felt Nick's hand reach into his pants. "Whoa!" He broke the kiss and gently pushed Nick away from him. Michael's hands went up to his head as he went back into his apartment. Nick leaned on the balcony for a moment to catch his breath before following Michael inside. "What was that?!" Michael asked in disbelief. Nick blushed slightly and ran a hand through his hair. "I just thought that if Lou's guy saw you with another man they'd think you had given up on Lance and moved on." "That kiss was more than that, Nick." Michael retorted. He could feel the tears beginning to form in his eyes. "There was far too much emotion in that kiss." Nick noticed the tears in his friend's eyes and felt his heart break. "I'm sorry, Michael." He began. "I guess I'm still attracted to you...The instincts took over I guess." "You guess?!" Michael said with frustration. "Nick...I'm in love with Lance. How could you take advantage of me like that? After everything we've talked about..." Nick crossed the room in moments and took Michael into his arms. "Michael, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I...am...so...sorry." Michael fell into Nick's hug and let his tears go. "I'm sorry..." He muttered through his tears. "I know you wouldn't. It's just that.... it's been so hard. I miss him so much. I hurt him so much." "Shhhhh..." Nick whispered. He placed a small kiss on Michael's forehead. "It's okay. We'll get you through this." Nick gently guided his friend through the apartment towards the bedroom. "Everything will be fine...I promise." Nick spoke softly while closing the bedroom door as the phone began to ring softly in the background. Melidna Bell groaned in frustration while she listened to Michael's voice mail message for the eleventh time that night. Once the beep chimed, she left her eleventh message. "Michael! It's Mel. Where are you?" She spoke quickly. "I've been looking for you all day. I don't care what time you get this message...Call me!" Melinda slammed her cel phone down on her desk with a sigh. She had been trying to contact Michael for the better part of the evening with no luck. "Might as well go get something to eat." Melinda spun her chair around and nearly jumped into the air at the sight of Lance Bass leaning on the doorframe in front of her. "Lance!" she screamed. "Hey Mel." Lance smiled nonchalantly. "You're working late." Melinda quickly caught her breath and moved past the singer. "Yeah...well...you know...my job is never done." Lance raised an eyebrow and nodded quietly. "I'm off to the vending machines..." Mel pointed down the hall. "Want anything?" "Nah." Lance answered. "I'm heading home." "Okay...well...see you later then..." Mel quickly turned and walked down the hall. Lance waited until Melinda had disappeared down the hall before dashing into her office and grabbing her cel phone. He quickly dialed up the display for the last number dialed. A smile crossed the singer's face as a local Orlando phone number. Lance pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote down the phone number. Clearing the cel phone's screen, he placed it back on the desk where he found it and headed out of the office. Lance pulled out his own cel phone and dialed a number. After a few moments, he spoke, "Hey, It's me...I need your help with something." The next day: Roberto Ruiz whistled silently as he entered Michael McCall's apartment. After closing the front door, he tossed his backpack onto the couch and headed back towards the bedroom. "Hey McCall!" He called ahead of him. "Hope you don't mind, but I let myself in." Rob noticed as he passed through the living room that the patio door was open and a shirt was lying in the middle of the patio. "What? You still asleep? You party all..." Rob opened the bedroom door and popped his head inside. His voice caught in his throat at the site of Michael sleeping soundly in his bed with his arm wrapped around the body of Nick Carter. "What the fuck?!" --to be continued. Special thanks to all the readers and authors who voted for Lance and Michael in the Boy Band Story Awards! Keep watch for: Lance and Michael: Michael's Quest Chapter Two "It Wasn't Me" Coming Soon!