Date: Sun, 4 Jul 1999 17:06:20 EDT
From: ab4ngc@hotmail.com
Subject: Backstreet bet 4

Backstreet Bet 4

by Allan

Ok, here is part 4 of Backstreet Bet.  Thanks to all of you for your
continued support and readership.  It is a pleasure sharing this story with
you and I hope you will continue to enjoy it.  This took some time to get
out because I was torn about whether Nick and Locky would get together in
this episode and if they were going to get together, how?  I hope you are
pleased with the result.  As always, I would love to hear from you.  There
are so many stories out there and I am not sure if people are still reading
this.  My email is ab4ngc@hotmail.com so please feel free to send me your
comments or just to say G'Day :).

Thanks to Nifty for allowing writrers such as myself to share our work with
the whole world!

This story is completely pure fiction and depicts relationships and love
between males.  If it is illegal to read this type of material where you
live, please leave now.  This story does not imply that any members of the
Backstreet Boys are gay.


Part 4: Virtuos Heart

<ring, ring>

"Hello"

"Hi mum! It's Locky calling, how's things going?"  Locky asked nanchalantly

"Oh god, Locky.  It's about time you called.  I've been bloody worried
about you, you know?  When was the last time we spoke anyway?  Didn't we
say you would call at least once a week to let me know how you are going?"
Mrs Nash was excited to hear her son's voice again but at the same time she
was also worried because they hadn't spoken in at least two weeks.

"Yeah, I know mum.  I'm sorry but things got really busy here."  Locky
answered

"Where is 'here' at the moment? Are you still in New York?"  his mum asked.
She had so many questions for him.  Ever since her son shot into the spot
light she worried about him more than usual.  She cared for him very much
and she knew that she brought him up to be an independant and confident
young man, but show business was never something she prepared him for, so
naturally she was concerned.

"Actually mum, you won't believe this but I am in Florida now.  I've been
here for over a week and I'm having a blast!"  he said excitedly

"That's good to hear Locky.  How's it all going then?"  She really wanted
to ask if he had been taking good care of himself and if he was eating
properly but she knew that if she did that, it would only put her son on
the defensive - she knew him too well sometimes and used it to her
advantage.

"I know you are dying to ask me if I am eating properly and looking after
myself so let me assure you mum that I am.  The people from Uncle Tarq's
record label are really looking after me."

Mrs. Nash couldn't help but laugh.  "Ok ok, guilty. I am a little worried
about you but hey, I am your mother - it comes with the job description."
They both laughed at that comment.

"Honestly mum, I am fine.  The writers I have been working with are so
talented.  They are incredible and we've come up with a lot of solid
material."

"That's good Locky.  I am so happy to hear your song writing is going well.
It makes me so proud to know that you are making your dreams come true but
I hope you aren't working too hard though."

"Well you don't have to worry about that because I'm not just working.
During my spare time I usually go sight seeing and this past week I have
been hanging out with some new friends of mine."

"Oh really?" she asked curiously

"Yeah, I met these two great guys from a band called 'N SYNC, their names
are Justinc and JC.  We have become good friends and if they didn't have to
go to Europe to record their new album, I am sure we would be out right now
having fun at Disney World or something."

"Um Locky, speaking of bands, aren't the Backstreet Boys from Florida?"
she wasn't sure how to ask that question but she was just concerned about
him and she had to prepare her son for a possible meeting with the
Backstreet Boys.

"Yeah mum they are and you don't have to worry because I saw Kevin, Brian
and Howie last night at Planet Hollywood."

"Oh really? What happened?"  she asked

"Well it was very difficult at first and to be honest I was kind of mad and
hurt again but you know what mum?"  Locky asked rhetorically

"What's that son?"  Mrs Nash was concerned now.  She wasn't sure what Locky
was about to say.

"... we sat down and talked about what happened in Australia and I could
see that they were genuinely sorry for what happened.  I wanted to forgive
them so I did - easy as that!  I realized that there is no reason to hold a
grudge against anybody - we are all human and we all make mistakes and part
of being human is learning to recognize this and forgiving people.  That
doesn't mean that I trust them completely yet.  It will take some time for
them to earn my trust but at least it's a start right?"

"Absolutely.  And by the way... how did you get to be so smart and kind
hearted?"  she asked proudly

"I think I have you to thank for that!"  They both laughed again and then
there was a moment of silence before Locky spoke again, this time sounding
a little more unsure of himself,

"Um... mum... I sort of, ummm kind of need some advice."

"What is it Locky? You sound a little concerned."

"Well... it's um Nick actually."

"Oh I was going to ask you about that but I thought I'd let you initiate
the topic."

"Yeah well... I haven't spoken to him yet let alone seen him, but the guys
invited me to their concert tonight and I told them I would talk to him to
sort things out.  The problem is I thought I was over him but yesterday
Brian told me that Nick might still have feelings for me.  When I heard him
say that, I thought about things and forced myself to be honest. And you
know what mum?"

"What?"

"I still do have feelings for him!  I don't know if it's full blown love
yet but maybe that's because I am still a little bit cautious - you know -
once bitten, twice shy.  I want to work things out but I am so terrified
and confused about what might happen.  I mean, what if Brian is wrong?
What if Nick decides he dosen't love me the way I love him?  What if this
is just another bet?  What if I get hurt?"  Locky was upset now.  He wasn't
crying but his mum could hear the anguish in his voice.

"Locky, you are a strong person!  If there is anyone that can handle this
it is you!  You have to realize that there aren't any guarantees in life
and sometimes we lose but sometimes we also win.  The important thing is
that you are honest with yourself and don't forget about what YOU want -
never lose sight of your dreams Lachlan.  Understand that no matter what
happens people enter our lives for a reason - you just gotta figure out the
reason why Nick entered your life."  If there was one thing Mrs Nash was
good at, it was comforting her son.  Sure, he was a rising singer/song
writer now, but nevertheless he was still her son and she knew the right
things to say to ease his mind.

"Mum... thank you!  You are the best!  I still don't know how things will
turn out later but I feel better now.  Thank you!"

"Locky, I'm always here for you - you know that."

Locky felt so privileged to have such an understanding and wonderful mum.
He was about to ask her how his pet dog was, but he glanced at the clock in
his hotel room and was surprised,

"Oh my God!"  he yelled into the phone.

"LOCKY!!! What is it???"  Mrs. Nash was suddenly concerned again and Locky
felt terrible for scaring her...

"Oh I'm sorry mum, I didn't mean to scare ya!  I didn't realise what time
it was.  The Backstreet Boys concert is in an hour and I haven't even had a
shower yet - I'm gonna be late."

"Phew, for a minute there I was worried.  So are you going to talk to Nick
before or after the concert?"  she asked in a releaved tone.

"Actually, the guys are so sure that Nick still has feelings for me and
they thought it would be a good idea if I made a surprise performance at
the concert tonight.  I wasn't sure about it at first but I spoke with
Uncle Tarq today and he said that any publicity is good publicity."

"Yeah that sounds like Tarquin.  So what are you going to sing?"

"I'm going to sing something new.  Hopefully their fans will like me but if
they don't, then hopefully Nick will, at the very least."

"Well I wanna wish you luck.  I don't want you to be any later than you
already are so I'll let you go and get ready.  Good luck for tonight Locky
and promise to call me tomorrow to let me know how it all went ok?"

"Ok mum I promise! I love you!"


"I love you too Locky, bye."

"Bye mum"

Locky hung up the phone and quickly jumped into the shower.  After his warm
shower he put on his favourite cargo pants and checkered shirt and put on
his favourite cologne, "Le Male" by Jean Paul Gaultier.  He looked at
himself in the mirror and fixed his hair so that he had that "I just got
out of the shower" trendy look going on.  He was running a little late and
didn't have time to get nervous - which was just as well.  As soon as he
was ready he asked the concierge to arrange his transportation and before
he knew it, he was on his way to the concert but more importantly, on his
way to seeing Nick for the first time in almost 10 months.

Meanwhile at the concert...

"OK fellas, let's give it our best tonight.  Remember, it's our home crowd
out there."  Kevin spoke to the rest of the group trying to psych them up.

"Don't worry Kev, we're hyped up as it is.  I can't wait to get out there
and give them the show of their lives!"  AJ responded excitedly.

"You're not the only one AJ, I've been waiting for this chance for so long
- if we don't get out there soon I think I might explode."  Howie added
with a bit of a chuckle.

"Hey Nick, relax it's going to be fine!"  Brian noticed that his Nick had
that anxious look on him.  He knew that it wasn't concert jitters, actually
Brian was almost one hundred percent sure it had something to do with a
certain young Australian singer who Nick couldn't get out of his mind.

"What's on your mind little bro?" Brian asked.

"I'll give you one guess."  Nick answered

"Hmmm, that's a tough one..." Brian playfully answered, making Nick smile,
"let me see, does it have something to do with um... Locky?"

"How did you know?" Nick replied sarcastically

"Just a lucky guess" Brain answered.

"I'm kicking myself for not getting the chance to talk to him last night.
AJ and I had a chat and during that chat, AJ helped me realize that I gotta
work things out with Locky because I think I still love him Bri."

"Well, you don't have to worry because we have his contact number here in
Florida and you can give him a call tomorrow if you like.  He told us that
he'll be in town for at least another two weeks."  Brian lied to Nick - he
hated himself for it but last night they all agreed that Nick wasn't to
know about Locky's presence at the concert tonight until the time was
right.  They didn't have Locky's phone number at all, and the reason he
didn't tell Nick that Locky would be at the concert tonight was because it
was going to be a surprise.  From the way Nick was acting, it was gonna be
a good surprise.  At least Brian hoped it would be; he wasn't sure about
whether Locky wanted to resume his relationship with Nick but at the very
least, he had Locky's word that Nick wouldn't get hurt by tonight's
appearance.

"Yeah, I think I might give him a call.  Thanks big bro!"  Nick happily
replied

"For what?"

"For making me feel better!"

"No problem!  That's what big brothers are for and you have four of them!"

As Brian said this they heard the announcer on the loud speakers in the
stadium...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's give a warm home town welcome to Florida's
very own world conquering band..."  the announcer's voice echoed throughout
the packed stadium followed by a laser light show, "the Backstreet Boys!"

As the announcer introduced the guys, they each appeared, one by one, on
the stage.  They opened the concert with "Larger than Life" and the
audience (mostly teenage girls) went ballistic.  The atmosphere was
unbelievably electric and the audience was pumped.  They were repeatedly
cheering "Backstreet Boys!, Backstreet Boys!".  The guys followed the
opening song with a medely of cover songs that they used to sing before
they became famous - it was kind of like a trip back in time and as they
sang, pictures of them in their earlier days appeared on the huge video
monitor.  This drove the crowd wild!  The medely consisted of songs such as
Boyz II Men's "End of the Road", Shai's "If I ever fall in love" and Keith
Martin's hit, "I'll never find someone like you."  Following the medley the
guys started to sing "Everybody."

As they sang the first verse, Locky walked into the packed stadium and was
escorted to his seat by the ground crew.

'Damn it' Locky thought to himself, 'I can't believe I'm 20 minutes late!'

A few girls in the crowd recognized him but after an obligatory stare and
whisper their attention went back to the stage.

Brian saw Locky taking his seat and gave him a reassuring smile.  Locky
smiled back and as he smiled at Brian, he saw Nick for the first time in 10
months.  He couldn't believe that he was actually just meters away from
Nick Carter - the guy whom he fell in love with so fast, only to have his
dreams shartered.  But surprisingly, the pain was the farthest thing from
Locky's mind now.  He had dealt with the pain and right now all he was
feeling was nerves mixed with excitement.  Nick looked like he'd been doing
some weight training and looked more solid and defined since their last
meeting.  He sat there and froze for a minute marvelling at how Nick could
make him feel so entranced, making his spirits soar.  Nick on the other
hand, was so focussed on the song that he didn't even see Locky taking his
seat.  The guys performed a few more of their upbeat songs before Kevin
announced that there would be an intermission to give the guys a chance to
get out of their sweat soaked outfits.

As Kevin announced the intermission, the lights in the stadium were
brightened and the boys left the stage.  A general announcement was made
stating that there would be a 15 minute break and then the guys would be
back for the second half of their concert.  Some people in the audience
used this as an opportunity to go to the rest room while others came up to
Locky and asked for his autograph.

Backstage...

"Ok gentlemen, 5 minutes left!  How's everybody doin?"  Kevin asked the
group.

"Looks like we're all ready, cuz."

The five guys were wearing stylish Armani suits.  The second portion of
their concert featured some of their slower songs and their outfits
reflected this.  A few moments before they were due back on stage the
lights in the stadium were dimmed and Howie approached Nick, who had
forgotten his earlier anxiety and was riding high on a wave of adrenalin.

"Hey Nick, got second?"

"Sure D, what's up?"

All five guys were getting ready to get on stage.

"I want you to come here and check something out for me" Howie said
pointing to the crowd.

Suddenly Nick got a feeling of deja vu.  'This can't be happening again'
Nick thought to himself.  This time though, he knew that if Howie got any
crazy ideas about a bet, Howie would be the proud owner of a black eye.

"Um, Howard I don't like where this is going."  Nick rarely called Howie by
his full name so Howie sensed that Nick was a little uncomfortable.

"Nick trust me okay.  I would never hurt you so why don't you just come
here and check this out."

Nick didn't know what to do and he instinctively looked at Brian for some
sort of assurance.  Brian just smiled and nodded so Nick stood next to
Howie and looked into the corwd.

"Ok D, what or who is it that you want me to check out?"  Nick asked in a
hesitant tone.

"You have a special guest out there sitting in the forth row, third seat
from the left."

'Fourth row, third seat from the left' Nick repeated to himself.  This was
getting all to freaky and just as he was about to tell Howie to forget it
he saw who was sitting there.

"OH MY GOD! What is Locky doing here?" Nick exlaimed in a panic.

Howie was quick to comfort Nick and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's ok
Nick, we invited him here.  We think that you guys need to talk and sort
things out."

And before Nick could say anything further, the lights dimmed, candles were
lit on stage to set an ambient mood, the announcer re-introduced the guys
and the crowd went wild again.  This time however, there was no music
accompanying there entrance.  They all just walked on stage and Brain
grabbed the microphone while the rest of the group stood behind him.

"How's everybody doing so far?  Are y'all having fun?" he asked the crowd

He was greeted with loud cheers and screams.

"I think I'll take that as a yes" Brian said with a goofy expression on his
face.

Everybody laughed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that we have a special guest
with us tonight."  Brian announced.

Howie grabbed another mic and continued...

"Yes, that's right Brian.  But before we introduce him can I ask everybody
if the name Locky Nash rings a bell?"

When Howie said this, the audience screamed - confirming that they knew who
Locky was and that they were wishing that the mystery guest was Locky.  On
the other hand, Locky couldn't believe the response to Howie's question.
He knew that people were starting to recognise his song, "You've made me
stronger", and he also knew that people were beginning to recognise him but
this response from the crowd got him really nervous and excited at the same
time.

Kevin grabbed another mic and continued...

"So without any further ado, please give a warm Orlando welcome to our
friend... Locky Nash!"

The crowd cheered and clapped.  Locky couldn't believe this was actually
happening - the whole stadium, consisting of at least 8,000 people were
clapping for him.  Although Locky was getting accustomed to being
recognized and singing in front of an audience, nothing could really
prepare him for this.  He was overwhealmed and almost didn't want to go on
stage but he knew that he may never have a chance to perform in front of
such a huge and welcoming crowd such as this one, so he got up and walked
onto the stage.

Kevin greeted him on the stage and handed him a mic and whispered, "Good
luck pal.  The stage is yours."

Locky just smiled and replied, "Thanks Kev, I'm kinda nervous but I'll
live."

Before saying anything to the excited crowd, Locky took a moment to soak it
all in.  He turned around to see the Backstreet Boys standing behind him
and gave Nick, who was looking quite nervous too, a warm smile.

"G'Day everybody!" he said to the audience in his Aussie accent as he
continued, "my friends, the Backstreet Boys, have been kind enough to
invite me on stage tonight and let me just say that this is an extreme
honour to have the chance to sing for all of you."

The crowd had settled down by this stage and were listening to what Locky
was saying.

"Tonight I'll be performing my song, 'You've made me stronger' followed by
a new song that I recorded only a few hours ago - so it will be a sneak
preview for you all."

The crowd clapped as the music started playing.  They listened to Locky as
he started singing his hit, "You've made me stronger."  He was a little
tentative at first but after the first line of the song he eased into it.
At the end of the song, the crowd and the Backstreet Boys applauded Locky.
Nick was feeling a little sad because he still couldn't help but think that
the song was written because of him, and before he could feel any worse,
Locky addressed the audience again...

"Thank you so much!  This next song is brand new.  I wanna dedicate it to a
special person who meant the world to me but because of unfortunate
circumstances we lost touch."  As he said this he felt a quiver in his
voice.  He briefly turned to look at Nick who looked like he was about to
cry.  Locky also felt the same way but he knew that he had to maintain his
composure and continued,

"This song is called 'Reason Enough' and I hope you'll all like it."

The music to his new song started to play and he was greeted by a warm
applause by the crowd.  He began to sing...

"I made myself a promise some time ago.  Never again to give my heart away.
I fell in love with someone who hurt me in the end.  The price of love was
just too high to pay.  I thought my life had ended but here you are, maybe
you'll show me how bright things can be?  Now you see I'll turn my back on
that promise that I made, hoping that your love will set me free!

'Cause you are reason enough for me to go on living.  You are reason enough
for me to smile again.  In a world where hearts are broken, every now and
then, one finds reason enough to love, like I'm finding reason enough in
you to love again."

The chorus was followed by an instrumental and as it played, Locky turned
to Nick and smiled.  Nick was almost beside himself.  'Could he be talking
about me in that song.  Did he really say that he has found reason in me to
love again?' Nick asked himself.  As the instrumental faded, Locky
continued the second verse,

"So here I am all caught up in this new found love.  Feeling like I've
never felt before.  Putting my love on the line with you, taking a chance
again.  (as he sung those lyrics, he looked at Nick again) I'm not afraid
to love, anymore.

'Cause you are reason enough for me to go on living.  You are reason enough
for me to smile again.  In a world where hearts are broken, every now and
then, one finds reason enough to love, like I'm finding reason enough in
you to love again" (instrumental plays again, and fades)


Locky blew the audience away with his performance.  There was so much
emotion in that song and it showed; not only that, this kid knew how to
carry a song.  He hit every note, moving from high to low with
unbelieveable ease.  His eyes were closed as he finished the song and when
he opened them, he was treated to the sight of a standing ovation.  The
Backstreet Boys, who were sitting behind him on stage were also standing
and each walked up to shake his hand.  When Nick's turn came to shake
Locky's hand there was a slight awkwardness and then Locky leaned in a
said, "Good luck with the rest of the concert.  We'll talk afterwards ok."

"Ya, I'd like that very much and congratulations on your great songs." Nick
replied.

AJ grabbed a mic and thanked Locky on behalf of everybody, "Ladies and
gentlemen, please join me in thanking our special guest, Mr. Locky Nash."

Everyone applauded as Locky left the stage and the boys continued with
their concert.  Howie was feeling good that the plan looked like it worked,
both Locky and Nick seemed like they were happy to see each other.  The
guys organised a special side stage seat for Locky so that he wouldn't have
to go back into the crowd and get mobbed, they wanted him to enjoy the
remainder of the concert without the constant interruption of fans asking
for autographs.

Locky was ecstatic.  He couldn't believe that he had just performed in
front of 8,000 people and they seemed to like his songs.  It didn't matter
if they liked it or not, because it seemed like Nick was happy and
essentially that was what mattered to him right now.

Nick was also feeling an incomprehsible amount of happiness.  His mind was
racing, thinking of all the possiblities but he remained calm knowing that
he had to get through the concert first and then he and Locky could talk.

The next song that the guys sang was, "All I have to give" followed by
"Spanish Eyes", "Back to your heart", "Don't wanna lose you now", "Show me
the meaning of being lonely" and "No one else comes close...

"No one else comes close to you, No one makes me feel the way you do.  Your
so special girl to me, And you'll always be eternally..."

As Nick sung those lyrics he turned to look at Locky and smiled.  Locky
smiled back and waved.  The guys ended the concert with a song that Brian
wrote called, "The Perfect Fan".  The audience went beserk and cheered, "We
want more! We want more! We want more!".  The guys didn't need any more
encouragement and came back to perform "Like a Child", "You wrote the book
on love", and "I'll never break your heart."

As the guys headed back stage they were greeted by Locky who gave each of
them, including Nick, a friendly hug.

"You guys were great! Now I know why you enjoy performing in front of a
large crowd so much." Locky said.

"Thanks buddy, you were pretty awesome out there too!" Brian replied.

"Yeah, and that was a great song that you sang out there, who was it
written for anyway?" Howie asked naievely, not knowing that it was intended
for Nick.

Just as Locky was about to anwser the question, Kevin interrupted, "Sorry
guys but we've got some fans coming for a meet-and-greet in 15 minutes so
we have to get ready."

Nick was diasppointed because he wanted to talk to Locky but all he could
say was, "I really want to talk to you Locky, can we please talk after the
meet-and-greet with the fans?"

"Yeah sure.  I'll be right here and when you're done maybe we could grab a
bite to eat" Locky suggested.

"OK, cool! um... I mean thank you" Although Nick sensed that things were
starting to look good for them, he didn't want to be too presumptious and
wanted Locky to know that he was serious about fixing things.

The meet-and-greet was over before they knew it and it was time for the
guys to go get some dinner. "Hey Nick the rest of the group are outside
waiting, are you ready?  We decided to have dinner at TGI Fridays, do you
wanna invite Locky along?" Brian asked.

"Um actually Bri, he and I need to talk so we'll probably go to a quiet
restaurant and talk about stuff there.  Hope you and the rest of the guys
understand?"

"Of course we do!  And you know where we are if you need us ok buddy?"

"Yeah, thanks for inviting Locky, Bri."

"I just hope it all works out for you guys Nick.  I really do!"

Brian gave Nick a hug.  As Brian and Nick broke away from the hug, Locky
walked into the room and waited.  "Hi Locky.  Kevin, AJ, Howie and I are
goin' out to TGI Fridays for dinner so I guess we'll see you soon.  Thanks
for coming and performing tonight."

"Thanks for inviting me Brian and it was a pleasure.  Have a good night and
I'll see you soon."

As Brian left, Nick and Locky decided to go to a private restaurant, 30
minutes away from the concert venue.  It was a very fancy restaurant
located on one of the many beaches in Florida but that's not why they chose
it though.  They chose it because it would provide them with the privacy
they needed right now.  Nick called for a taxi, seeing as the guys had
taken the limousine.

Nothing was said during the drive to the restaurant and when they arrived,
both boys decided that they weren't really hungry anyway.  They just need
to talk so they walked along the beach instead.  It was pretty late so
there weren't very many people there.  When they found a semi-private spot
they both sat in the sand, with the sound of waves crashing in the
background, they waited for each other to say something.

There was a few moments of silence before Nick decided to speak up.

"OK Locky, I want to go first because right now, there are so many things I
wanna say and I need to get this out.  Is that ok with you?" Nick asked
hesitantly and Locky just nodded.

"First of all I want to say that I am so sorry for all the hurt I caused
you.  I know it was 10 months ago and I know I have apologized before but I
don't think I can apologize enough.  What Howie and I did to you was wrong
and mean - I will be forever sorry about it but you have to understand that
my feelings for you were and still are, real."

Locky wanted to tell Nick that it was all forgiven but he didn't want to
interrupt so he just continued to listen as Nick spoke.  There was so much
on Nick's mind and he could see this by the way Nick was acting.

"... It took me so long to ease my own pain and I can only imagine how
difficult it must have been for you.  I desperately wanted to contact you
Locky but I knew that you needed to heal in your own time and I had a
feeling that our paths would cross again some day; I just didn't expect it
to be last night at Planet Hollywood."

"Well I guess I was a little surprised to see Brian, Kevin and Howie too."
Locky added.

"When I saw you last night Locky, I couldn't believe how confused I felt.
All those feelings and emotions came back in a flash.  Seeing you there
with JC and Justin made me feel like I had blown my chance to even be
friends with you and that you'd moved on.  There is a song called 'One last
cry' by Brian McKnight and in that song there's a line that says, 'while
the sun shines on you, I need some love to rain on me.'  That's how I felt
last night Locky.  Suddenly, I experieced first hand that you had moved on
and it killed me inside knowing that.  You are an incredible person Locky.
From the moment I met you I knew that there was something about you that
set you apart from the rest and you have proven that," Nick looked really
nervous now and Locky was almost in tears.  The past ten months Locky was
so focused on forgetting Nick that he didn't even realise that Nick may
have been going through similar pain too.  Locky knew that Nick was about
to ask for a second chance and he was prepared to give him that; he just
wasn't sure if Nick would want more, and if Nick did want more what would
he do?

"Locky, I am asking your for a second chance.  I want you to be a part of
my life and I want you to be a part of mine.  I love you Lachlan.  Do you
think you think we could try again?"  Nick asked as a tear streamed down
his cheek and waited for a response.

Locky's mind was in overdrive.  It is amazing what three simple words can
make you feel. What was he going to do?  He knew that he loved Nick too but
a part of him was still apprehensive about jumping into things too quickly.
If anything, that was one of the mistakes they made last time.  As they
both sat on the sand, their silence was broken by the sound of thunder.  It
began to lightly rain and as they both stood up to find shelter Locky
spoke,

"Nick... wait.  I have to say this now, otherwise I'll probably chicken out
and you'll never know what I am feeling at this moment."

The two friends stood side by side and Nick turned to look Locky in the
eye.

"I also have strong feelings for you," he wanted to say 'I love you too'
but couldn't bring himself to say it yet.

"It took me a very long time to get over you but the funny thing is, I
don't think I ever did.  I spent so many nights promising myself that I'd
never fall like that again and you know what?"

"What?" Nick asked as the rain started to pour a little harder.

"I never will fall like that again because I think that you are the only
one I will ever love like that."

'Did I just hear him say love' Nick thought to himself and Locky
continued...

"I am terrified like you would not believe but my heart tells me that it
will be ok.  I want us to be together again because... because... because I
love you too Nick."

Nick couldn't contain his emotions.  He smiled and slowly held hands with
Locky - Locky did not pull away.

"I just want you to understand that it will take time for me to completely
trust you again but I do love you and I think that if there is love, then
trust is right behind it."

"Locky, you don't know how happy I am right now.  I understand that it will
take time but give me this chance and we will make things work.  I love you
so much."

"Yeah I love you too Nick."

Both guys were gushing with emotion and Nick leaned in to give Locky a
kiss.  He didn't want to push his luck so he just gave him a light peck on
the cheek and Locky just smiled.

"May be we should go find some shelter before we both catch a cold" Locky
suggested

"Yeah, Kev will kick my ass if I get sick on the first week of our concert"

They both laughed and headed for the nearest phone booth for shelter and
called a cab.  They took separate cabs to their respective hotels and
agreed to meet in the morning for breakfast.  It was so tempting for Nick
to ask Locky to spend the night with him but they both agreed that they
would wait for the right time before taking the next step.

That night, Nick couldn't believe how he felt.  After 10 months on being on
an emotional rollercoaster, love had somehow found him again.  Deep down he
always believe it would, he just didn't expect it to be with Locky again
and for that, he was thankful.  He called his mom to tell her of what had
happened and she was so happy for him.  She made Nick promise to ask Locky
to dinner so that they could meet him.

Locky was feeling the same way and also called his mum to tell her of the
good news.  He was putting himself on the line but the past 10 months had
taught him that anything was possible and if that were so, then why
couldn't he and Nick rebuild a beautiful relationship?  Nothing was going
to stand in their way now.  Locky was indescribably happy and found it
difficult to sleep.  He listened to one of his favourite CDs to help him
along.  It was a Melbourne group called Bachelor Girl and the song was
called Buses and Trains.  As he listened to the lyrics, he slowly drifted
off to sleep...

"So I walked under a bus, and got hit by a train.  I keep falling in love,
which is kind of the same.  I sunk out at sea, crashed my car, gone insane.
And it felt so good - I wanna do it again!"

To be continued...

Once again, thank you for coming along for the journey!  Writing this story
continues to be an absolute pleasure and I hope it shows.  I wanna hear
from all of you - yes, all of you!  I always reply to any email I get so
please feel free to drop me a line at: ab4ngc@hotmail.com

Reason Enough is another song by Regine Velasquez and I have just modified
the lyrics slightly to accomodate my story.  She truly is a talented singer
and I am glad I can incorporate her songs in this story!