Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 00:51:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: John D <zachstack@yahoo.com>
Subject: BSB Hearts Assunder Book 2: Harmony pt 13b

Previously...

Part 12
"Red Flag"

[Still the day before on the BSB's plane]

"Brian, I...?"  Leighanne walked back in to the room
intending to grab her purse before heading off to the
others.  "Brian!"  She quickly ran to the side of her
distraught fiancee.

*******************************************************

[In a hotel lobby somewhere else in Tampa some half an
hour earlier.]

"Shit. Shit. shit!"  Dan scanned over the new papers
and files David had just faxed him and he knew he had
to do something fast.  He quickly fished out his phone
from his pocket and dialed Scott McGill.

Busy!  He must try again.  He has to, there was
someone else's life at stake now.
...

End of Part 12
*******************************************************

BSBHAB2: Harmony Part 13a
"Final Revelations"

[Day before at the BSB Plane in New York]

Leighanne bit her lower lip before embracing Brian to
her again.  She wasn't the type of person who gets
into another mother's business with her kids, but she
knew that there had to be a stop put to Jane before
she could cause anymore damage.  Brian was too far due
for a break, and Jane was a definite cause of it.

Leighanne kissed Brian on the head and thought about
what she was going to do.
*******************************************************

[Somewhere behind a bar in Tampa]

"Dammit!"  Dan belted Scott in his seat and headed
back to his hotel.  There was nothing he could do
anymore tonight.
*******************************************************

{The bright morning of the following day}

"I'm so so sorry, Nick..."  Nick remembered John
whispering before the world suddenly spun around him
and he went crashing down into darkness.

To be continued...

-------------------------------------------------------
**Disclaimers:  This is only a work of fiction and
should only be taken as such.  Any resemblances
between the other characters to any real, living or
dead, persons is highly coincidental.  This does not
reflect the lives of any of the Backstreet Boys or
their family members.  This is mainly a PG 13 story.
Enjoy**
-------------------------------------------------------

BSBHAB2: Harmony Part 13b
"Final Revelations II"

[Police II:  Leighanne's place]

"Sorry, ma'am but we have tried reaching your son at
his home phone, and his phone has apparently been
disconnected."  Officer Chang raised his hand to
stiffle any interruptions from those gathered.  "We
have already made contact with the local Tampa police
and have them send a uniform patrol to see if he is
okay."

"Is that the best you can do officer?"  Leighanne
asked quietly.  She was left comforting Jane because
she was predominantly the only female around.  Kevin
was nervously waiting for any more information by the
window.  The other boys had gone out to find if they
could charter a small plane to take them quickly to
Florida.

"For now, it is yes.  We have continued our search for
Mr. Mason and so far we haven't had any luck at all.
We have also gotten the Tampa police to be on a look
out.  But they haven't gotten any word on that
either."  Chang sighed and continued to try and
reassure them for a few more minutes before returning
to the other detectives to see if there was any more
developments.
*******************************************************
[Tampa, a hour later]

"Shit, Dan, where did you get this?"  Scott McGill
thumbed through the information.  His earlier hateful
convictions quickly giving way to guilt and fear.

"I got that last night.  I tried calling you but you
were not home."  Dan paced back and forth.  "There
must be something we can do.  You know where Nick
lives don't you?"

"Yes.  Have you at least tried to warn him of this?"
Scott looked up a moment.

"Way ahead of you, I called this morning but the phone
was out of order."

"Shit,"  Scott cursed again and picked up his jacket.
"Let's go."

Together they headed towards Scott's door where they
were suddenly met with an astounding sight.

"YOU?!"  Scott and Dan blurted out together.
*******************************************************

[Nick's house: Cops]

"Yeah, Detective, Mr. Carter is no longer home.  There
aren't any signs of foul play, but his car is still in
the garage."  The officer looked out the window to see
a honda speed away the opposite direction of the
house.  "Wait a minute -- "  He tried to focus on the
license plate when something broke under his shoes.
"I was wrong, Detective, there had been a struggle
hear, albeit a short one.  We will do what we can."
He quickly hung up the phone and bolted out the door
to his own car to call in the new information about
Nick's disappearance.

[Honda speeding away]

"Shit, we're too late."  Scott hit the steering wheel
none-too-lightly.  They were all feeling fearful now.
Dan fidgetted through the stack of information they
had gotten on John, while their third sat trembling in
the back seat partially hidden by shadows of the
quickly darkening overcast sky.

"Wait a minute, Scott, did you see this?!"  Dan
blurted, causing Scott and their third to jump in
their seats.  "It's some picture of an old house
overlooking a cliff."

"Shit, I know that place.  That's a few hours drive
from here.  We should get there before dark."  Scott
slammed on the brakes and made a quick u-turn and
speeded for the other direction.

They all didn't want to say anything, but at least now
they all had a new spark of hope left in them.
*******************************************************
[Miles away a few hours later on in the day]

Nick awoke grogily from the confines of the dark
unconcsiousness.  He opened his eyes, slowly the fog
of his tranqualizer induced sleep was already
receding.  He tried to wipe away the dried tears and
crusts from his eyes, when he suddenly realized that
both his wrists were bound tightly aboce his head.
His fingers had already grown numb from the tightness,
but he could still feel enough of his wrists to know
that the bonds used had cut into his skin and had
already caused a bleeding.  Nick shook his head of the
nagging headache and realized that both his ankles had
been tied together as well.  He looked down at himself
in the semi-darkness of the room and realized that he
was dressed in a bright new tux with satin lapels
while he hung helplessly on the wall.

His vision finally grew accustomed to the dim
lighting, allowing his mind to take in the entire
scene.

He was in a relatively good sized room with nothing
special except the large heavy and expensive looking
curtains on one of the adjacent walls.  All the others
had tapestries - old and intricrate - hanging behind
tall candlelabras that burned brightly giving the room
a shimmering luminescence.  All the walls were lined
with large and small candelabras with candles burning
brightly on each holder.  He looked around to gaze at
any tell tale signs of where he was, but all around
the furnitures were covered with soft lacey material
that smelled somewhat strangely sweet.  Atop of some
lace covered tables, stood gothic looking antique
candleholders and candlelabras.  Across the room there
was what seemed to be a relatively large table that
stood between the wall where he was tied to and the
only door he could see in the room.

His heart was beginning to tremble in fear for his
safety.  His abductor had apparently taken the time to
set up this elaborate setting just for him.  He
shuddered to think what -- what -- what...then he
remembered JOHN!  He did this.

It all came back to him in a sudden flood of painful
memories amid the throbbing of his headache.  He just
had a run in with Scott a few days ago in the cemetary
by Brandon's grave, and he remembered getting mad at
Bryan.  Then...then it all happened this morning.
John had shown up.  He had been so happy to see his
old long haired bodyguard.  'But why was he doing
this?  What did he want from me?!'  He cried in his
heart, scrambling in his mind for a reason while panic
shot through him like an electric current.

His vision suddenly cleared in an instant and he
realised what mistake he had made when he had thought
the decor of the room to be tapestries.  No, the other
two walls other than the one with the window was
covered with posters, large and small, and pictures of
him and Brandon together.  What had earlier masked
these of intricacies were infact red glistening marks
mocking the love he and Brandon had for each other.
There were pictures of everything, including the many
private moments that he had thought noone else shared
other than he and Brandon.  He and Brandon and...and
John!

"Ah, I see you're finally awake,"  John stepped
through the door.  He was suddenly there as though he
had read Nick's mind all along.  "Good.  I was afraid
that we weren't going to have the time for dinner."
He smiled warmly.  "I thought you were going to sleep
through the entire night."  His voice changed from
something warm to somethin cold and bitter.

"John, what --"  Nick stopped struggling enough to
look at the bodyguard closely.  He was dressed
similarly in an expensive looking black tux complete
with tails over a while shirt and blood red
cummerband.  John turned to face him just infront of
the large lace covered table, and in a flourish, he
yanked the lace off revealing a richly laden table.
There were exquisite cuisine along the length of the
table.  Fine crystal glistened like gold under the
golden candle light.  The rose petals strewn all over
the table and around it did not escape Nick's notice
at all.  It was all shades of his first -- and last --
night with his beloved Brandon.

"Can't you see, Nick?  I did this for you -- for us,"
His last statement was made low with an underlying
edge of both love and the agony of it.  His face
mirrored the emotion that ran through his mind and
heart.  "In these last five years, I have been so
loyal to you.  I have watched you grow to become such
a beautiful young man, and yet I got nothing from
you!"  He was beginning to tremble with fury and his
breath came in ragged panting.  "I loved you, Nick,
and I still do.  I did everything to make you happy."

John slumped onto one chair with a sigh, his face
burried in his large hands.  He gestured feebly around
him and groaned, "Look around you.  Look what I have
built for you with my undying love for you and
everything you have done.  This place is a shrine
Nick.  A shrine of my love for YOU!"  John growled,
his face shooting up to meet Nick's.  "This old and
decaying mansion is a symbol of everything you have
become Nick.  A beauty of your time and place, but
without me, you would become a ruin!  Without me, you
would have long time been destroyed by everything
around you!  I gave you my life!  My blood!  My sweat!
 And this is how you repay me?!"  He threw a knife so
forcefully at the closest picture of Nick and Brandon
together that it twanged vibrating as it buried itself
into the partially decayed wall.

"John, I -- " Nick was about to give his heartfel
apology when the look on John's face when the other
looked up stop him dead on his tracks.

"Nick it doesn't matter anymore.  None of it does,"
John snarled, pulling himself up from the chair.  "I
hope you don't mind that I shaved that ridiculous
looking goatie of yours.  Honestly Nick, what were you
thinking?!"  John smiled a predatory grin at Nick,
staring him in the eyes like a big dangerous
carnivorous cat.

"You're--you're crazy!"  Nick stammered only to be cut
of by the stinging back hand of John's right paw.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!"  John snarled,
then suddenly softened up.  "I love you." He gently
dabbed at the blood that trickled down the side of
Nick's lip with his handkerchief.  He smiled again and
continued.  "You shouldn't say such hurtful things to
me, baby.  After tonight, we are going to be together
forever."  He said somberly..  "I made dinner for us."
 John added cheerfully with a sickly -- and somewhat
dreamy -- smile on his face.

John turned his back to Nick and started to walk
towards the table.  "Nick, I loved you enough to even
put up with that little fool, Brandon...well at least
for a while.  But the thought of him holding you..."
His voice trailed off with a shudder of disgust.
"Well, that's all in the past now, isn't it?"  There
was something in the way he said it that made anger
spark deep in Nick's chest.

"Brandon...you?!"  Nick forced back the burning of his
tears and the tightness in his throat.

"Yes, me.  It was I who called your mother that first
night with you and Brandon getting together.  It was I
who warned her of your transgressions.  Hell, it was I
who hinted to her first of your choice of a
lifestyle."  John frowned suddenly.  "But your mom has
always been a stupid bitch.  I mean could you believe
that she actually thought that she could out smart
me?!  Hell she threatened me on how I should act
around you!"  John laughed maniacally.  "The stupid
bitch didn't even know that I switched her stupid
photos of you and your 'friends' with you and Brandon
before Brian could get it to those stupid reporters
she had following you and that stupid private eye she
had spy on me." John laughed again.  "She wanted you
back with the Backstreet Boys or at least pass your
spot over to Aaron."  John smiled dolefully at Nick
for a second.

"But, I had to eventually take things into my own
hands.  Did you ever wonder what you could have done
to save Brandon, Nick? Huh?  Do you ever ask yourself
how you could've prevented his death?"  John walked
back closer to Nick to look at him in the eyes.
"Well, it doesnt matter what you think you could've
done.  It was probably the wrong thing anyways.
Although, had you just dumped him earlier -- Nick -- I
wouldn't have been forced to take things into my own
hands again."

Nick's tears pooled behind his pale blue eyes.  His
eyes shook with pain and disbelief of what he was
hearing.  He had always trusted John.  Why was he
doing this.  "You...?"

"Well, not exactly.  As you know, I wasn't the one who
pulled the trigger."  John smiled wildly at Nick.
"However, I was the one that goaded his mother up to
the brink of insanity though."  John laughed out loud.
 "She was one piece of work, that woman.  She was
practically teetering over the edge of sanity anyways.
 All I did was give her the gun and the images of you
fucking her son, and she snapped."  John chuckled deep
in his throat.  "How was I supposed to know she was
going to kill him?"  John laughed sarcastically.

Nick spat into his face.  Angry at both John and
himself.  John for what he did, and at him for not
seeing it sooner.

"I can understand your anger right now, but you must
understand, I was only looking out for you.  He was
going to ruin you.  He and that clutz of a jock
brother of his."  For a moment John's vision cleared
and the warm friend Nick had gotten to know peered out
at him wearily, emploring him for something.

"You..."  Nick's throat was too tight for words, his
tears were already starting to stream down his face.
 "I hate you..."  Nick cried inbetween sobs.

"Nick...?"  There was no fury in John's eyes now, just
confusion.

"I HATE YOU!!!"  Nick screamed his pain, mourning, and
all the betrayal he had endured in his life.  He shot
it out at John, directed everything painful in his
heart and in his memories.  He hated John so much this
moment that he had thought that it was enough to kill
him now.

"Nick, no!"  John shot straight, the fire back in his
deep swirling black eyes.  He wrapped his arms around
Nick tightly and ran his fingers through Nick's hair
and kneaded his back.  "Nick, no, I love you -- YOU
love me!"  John grunted as he forced a bruising, deep,
demanding, and even passionate kiss onto Nick's lips,
face and neck.  "Nick, I love you."  John repeated
over and over as he tried to force Nick into his
embrace.

There was a sudden commotion in the other room that
forced John to leave his current position over Nick.

"You stay here,"  John snarled as he replaced the gag
over Nick's mouth before leaving.

Nick took that opportunity to try and struggle against
his bonds again, but just as sudden as the commotion
had started earlier, the door burst open spilling out
someone that Nick never thought he would see again in
his life.

"BRYAN?!"  Nick gasped after Brian ripped the gag off
of his face.

"No time to explain, but I have to get you out!"
Bryan started to tug and work away at the bonds at
Nick's wrists.  "I brought some help, but your old
bodyguard is dangerous..."

"I know, he's crazy."

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO SAY THAT!"  John was suddenly
behind Bryan and pulled the smaller man and hurled him
towards the adjacent wall with the large windows and
the elegant curtains.  His tux was ripped, torn, and
crumpled with the obvious signs of physical exertion
and struggle.  He suddenly turned to Bryan, spit now
dribbling from his lips in a feral snarl.

"S-stay away from him!"  Bryan tried to scramble to
his feet in vain.  The curtains had been ripped down
when he had tried to break his fall, they were now
entangled with each other.

"NEVER!"  John roared and hurled himself towards
Bryan, his hands balled into large wrecking-ball
fists.

Nick didn't wait to see the outcome, he took the
opportunity to break away from the loosened bonds at
his wrists and untangle those at his ankles.

"Enough of this, Nick is mine.  Now and for ever!"
John growled at the top of his lungs as he raised a
large broken chair leg over his head ready to crash
down into Bryan's hapless body.

Nick looked up just in time as the last knots were
loosed.  "NOOOOO!!!!"  Nick screamed his defiance and
threw all of his weight and body at John, sending the
other out balanced, crashing through the glass doors
to teeter for a perpetual moment over the edge of the
balcony that had gone unstable from disrepair still
grasping his makeshift club.

"Nick...."  John's voice was suddenly soft again,
without any traces of guile or malice.  "I love
you..."  Came his last words squeezed out in a whisper
before he finally fell over the over hanging edge of
the balcony to go crashing down 50 feet below onto the
rocks of the steep cliff.

"John!"  Nick came crashing back to reality in an
attempt to grab the other before falling.  But it was
too late.  John already disappeared underneath the
foam and the surface as Nick looked down over the edge
at his one time friend.

"John..."  Nick groaned.  Again his world was sent
crashing down around him.  In the last three months,
he has lost everything.  His love, his life, and his
heart.

"Nick...?"  Bryan walked carefully beside Nick and
pulled him away from the edge.  "It's over.  He's
gone."

"Hey..."  Another familiar voice jarred Nick's
attention to the door.

"Brian?!"  Nick coughed.  Not believing his eyes.

"Yeah..."  Brian answered feebly, while he was being
half carried into the room by two people, only one of
whom Nick knew.  But even his presence there was a
surprise on its own.

"Scott?"  Nick stumbled towards the battered trio.

Scott looked at him through tired eyes, holding onto
Brian with one strong arm, while cradling the other
against his body.

Nick staggered up and ran towards his best friend,
limping all along the way, and wrapped his arms
tightly around him in a tight warm hug.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?"  Brian joked feebly,
grimacing from the slight pain of his bruised ribs.

"Brian, I...I..."  Nick caught sight of the other
Bryan with his peripheral vision, and he was suddenly
bereft of all things to say.

"Nick, comeback with me.  Rejoin the Backstreet Boys.
We are nothing without you."  Brian queried
hesitantly.

"No, Brian, you're wrong."  Nick sighed and
straightened up, wiping his tears away.

"Nick, please..."  Brian started.

But Nick put his fingers lightly across Brian's lips
and said, "No, Brian, you're wrong.  Nick Carter is
nothing without the Backstreet Boys."  Nick flashed
Brian a brilliant smile of old and they hugged like
there was no tomorrow.
*******************************************************

After a few days of rehabilitation, Brian's and
Leighanne's marriage occured without a glitch.  Nick
was there full of brilliant smiles and genuine kisses
for all parties involved.  He was by Brian's side as a
member of the groom's party to celebrate this
momentous occasion.  They lived happily in each
other's arms.

Jane begged his son for forgiveness.  The two are
somewhat on a healing route now.  She still thinks
that there is still hope in changing his mind about
his lifestyle. She has plans.

As for Nick,  Nick and Bryan started seeing each
other.  Bryan asked Nick during one date if he was
ever going to be able to love again the way he did
before.  Nick answered told him that up until this
moment, he would have said no.  But now, he doesn't
know anymore.  Bryan then kissed Nick lightly on the
lips and their date continued happily with each other
in their loving embraces.
*******************************************************
[Epilogue]  A few weeks after the wedding..

The four Backstreet Boys took to the stage for their
final song of the evening.

[The Answer to Our Lives began to play on the audio
system.]

~~Yeah
You see me sitting here
A smile upon my face
The time has come but you know that it's not too late
There's been too many things
Together we have seen
It's not that hard if we start to believe
And we're not gonna take anymore
Can we try to erase all the pain
So please ~~

Just as they have done in the past few months, Aj took
the helm where Nick Carter used to be.  They never
could find themselves looking for a replacement where
the fans were concerned.

~~Show me a reason
Give me a sign
Tell me the way we
Fall outta line
Is it today or is it tonight
We'll find
The answer to our life

(oh yeah)
This world is not at ease
We seem to hide the truth
Thinking there's only so much we really can do
It's up to you and me
To face our destiny
The jury's here so let's take the stand~~

As Aj started to sing once again, a familiar and sweet
voice permeated the air.  The crowd erupted as the
blonde that everyone had missed so much took to the
stage once again together with his brothers and
friends.

~~And we're not gonna take anymore
Can we try (try) to erase all the pain
So please

Show me a reason
Give me a sign
Tell me the way we
Fall outta line (fall outta line)
Is it today or is it tonight
We'll find (we will find)
The answer to our life

So tell me why we have to cry
And not try
When there's so many things we can do
To help this troubled
(Ooh) World start anew

I need a reason
I need a sign
There's no turning back
I'm here by your side
Is it today or maybe tonight
We'll find
The answer to our life

Show me the way
Give me a sign
Tell me the way we fall outta line
Is it today
(is it today)
Is it tonight
The answer to our life

Show me a reason
Give me a sign (give me a sign)
Tell me the way we fall (we fall outta line) out of
line
Is it today (is it today)
Or is it tonight (is it tonight)
(We will find)
The answer to our life (oh)

Show me a reason (oh...)
Give me a sign
Tell me the way we
Fall outta line (don't fall outta line)
Is it today or is it tonight (tonight, oh yeah)
We'll find, the answer to our life ~~

The crowd erupted once more as the five boys reunited
and embraced on stage after almost an entire lifetime
of being apart.  For now, they were once again
together. And this time they knew in their hearts that
it will be forever.

'Forever...'  A lone dark shadowy man stood amidst the
roaring crowd.  He too had a glint in his eye.  But
unlike the others, there was a leviathan of dangerous
spark underneath his.  'That is what you told me once,
have you forgotten me so soon, Nicky?'

~The End of Book 2~

Watch for Book 3: Promises (Title subject to change)
Don't forget to email me and tell me what you think!

John