Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 17:43:36 -0800 (PST)
From: slpwriter <slpwriter@yahoo.com>
Subject: Nick Lachey: My Everything-39

Hey all, I'm back and still writing the story. it's
getting harder and harder to write and make sense out
of it considering some of the choices I've made in the
story.

Oh, and I'm going to try to write it with different
scenes in each chapter so we can all see what's going
on with the other characters, rather then from Sean's
point of view.


First of all, let me just say that this is my first
time writing any kind of fiction like this.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not
meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick
and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this
story.

If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality
offends you, then please don't continue any further
and leave.

Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are.

"Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche.
"69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt
"Nick Lachey" by Ken.
"98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night
"The Reunion" by RinSong.
"Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan

and finally:
"This Gift" by Sprout.

Now, I"ll let you get on with the story.

Enjoy.

Previously on "My Everything".....


"Boy, this has been a night of complete hell." Danny
said sighing. "I can't wait until Nick can finally go
home and we can start helping him deal with all that's
happened."

"You can say that again." Drew agreed. "This time I'm
going to keep a closer eye on Nick from now on."

"We all will, Drew." Justin said from behind him.

The elevator finished it's ascent and the doors opened
to the second floor and the guys got out and headed to
Nick's room.

They all came to his room and Drew opened the door and
they all walked in.

They saw Nick lying in bed, unconcious. His head had a
bandage around it, and they also saw that his right
arm was in a sling, indicating that that was his
dislocated shoulder.

Drew grabbed a chair and pulled it to Nick's bedside,
where he sat down and then grabbed his brother's hand,
squeezing it."

"Nick?" Drew called out to him. "Can you hear me?"

Nick didn't respond. But Drew wasn't about to give up.

"Nick, please wake up?" Drew begged him. "Please come
back to us?"

Just then, Nick started to stir. His head moved a
little towards Drew and then he slowly opened his
eyes.

"Nick! You're awake." Drew whispered. "How are you
feeling?"

Nick's face took on a very strange look as he looked
at Drew, confusion filling his features.

"Who are you?"


Chapter 39
**********

Drew and everyone gasped in shock when they heard
Nick's question.

"What do you mean, who am I, Nick?" Drew asked in
surprise. "I'm Drew Lachey. Your brother." You do
remember me, don't you?"

Nick's face continued to have a look of confusion and
then a few seconds later, his expression changed to
one of recognition.

"Yeah, I remember now." Nick said, smiling. "I'm glad
you're here, bro."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard
that. They almost thought for sure that Nick was lost
to them.

Just then, Nick winced in pain.

"Ow!" Nick whined, his face contorted in pain.

"What is it, Nick?" Jeff asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's my shoulder." Nick said. "It hurts like hell."

"That's because it's dislocated after you were hit by
that car." Kandi pointed out.

Nick looked down at his right arm and noticed that it
was in a sling. Then he looked up at everyone.

"Did you guys find out who hit me?" Nick asked.

"No, we didn't." Danny said. "After the car hit you,
it just kept going. It didn't hit it's brakes once."

Nick's eyebrows frowned at that.

"Didn't you guys try to go after it?" He asked.

"Drew screamed for us to." Jeff told him. "But the
basterd, whoever it was, had a gun and shot out the
front tire to Drew's car, stopping us from going after
them."

Nick laid his head back and looked at everyone with a
strange look on his face.

"What's that look about, Nick?" Justin asked him.

Nick, looking a million miles away at that moment,
finally spoke up about what was on his mind.

"I was just thinking about Sean." He said. "I don't
believe he's really dead."

But before anyone could open their mouths to suggest
otherwise, Nick stopped them by raising his hand.

"And before you guys say anything," Nick continued. "I
just want you to know that even though I have grieved
somewhat, that doesn't mean that I believe he's really
dead. For some reason, I can't feel that loss."

"What are you getting at, Nick?" Drew asked him.

Before Nick could answer, Dr. Kerry walked in and saw
that Nick was awake.

"Well, look who's awake?" Dr. Kerry said with a
friendly smile." How are you feeling?"

Nick gave him a small smile. I'm alright, Dr." He
said. "Right now, I just want to know when I can go
home."

Dr. Kerry nodded and smiled at Nick.

"Actually, I don't see no reason, why you can't check
out of here now." He said. "I'll just have to sign
your release papers and write you out a prescription
for pain and suggest that you take it easy for awhile.
No strenuous exercise of any kind."

"Don't worry, Doctor." Nick assured him. I'll be
alright."

"Ok, I'll just have to take your word for it." Dr.
Kerry said. "I'll check on you in a few minutes.

He left the room to get Nick's release papers ready.
When he was gone, the rest of the guys, Danny, and
Kandi, all looked at Nick in relief.

"Well Nick, our prayers were answered." Justin said.
"You survived this ordeal and now you get to go home
with us."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, I'll be glad once I'm at home and
in bed." He said.

"Sure." Drew said, but then looked at Nick, a serious
look on his face.

"But not before we have a serious talk about what
happened tonight." He said, sternly.

Nick sighed. He knew what was coming. Drew was going
to let him have it for worrying him and everyone else
tonight.

"Drew, please, not tonight." Nick begged his brother.
"Can't we talk about this tommorrow?"

"No, Nick." Jeff said, from next to Danny. "We're
going to talk about this later when we get home
because this is not the time or the place to have this
discussion."

Look, Jeff, I know I've worried  all of you, and I'm
sorry." Nick said. "But I'll be alright, don't worry
about me."

Nick, you didn't worry us, you SCARED us half to
death, wondering whether you were going to live or
die." Drew said, starting to choke up. "We've already
lost a good friend tonight, and now that it almost
happened to you, I can't take any chances of leaving
you alone to deal with your grief anymore."

"Drew...." Nick started, but Drew cut him off.

"Nick, look at all of us?" Drew asked him, gesturing
towards himself, Jeff, Danny, Justin and Kandi.

"We're your friends." Drew said, as Nick looked around
at everyone, meeting them all eye to eye."

"We want to be there for you." Drew continued, a few
tears running down his face. "But you're already in
such denial that you won't let us try to help you
through this."

"He's right, Nick." Danny piped in. "You can't just
wallow around in your grief and self pity, you have to
start facing reality."

"Danny, I am facing reality." Nick said, calmly. "The
reality that Sean is not dead. I know it SEEMS like
he's dead, but don't forget that Sean and I are
soulmates. Our souls are connected."

"See, Nick, you're still doing it!" Kandi said,
harshly. "You're still in serious denial!"

Nick just looked at Kandi, calmly, with no angry
emotion showing on his face.

"If he were dead, I'd know it, Kandi." Nick said."

Everyone looked at Nick, not saying a word, listening
to what he had to say.

"So until we figure out what really happened tonight
and find out the truth, I refuse to accept that Sean
is dead." Nick said.

Drew reached out and pulled Nick into a hug, being
very careful not to touch Nick's injured shoulder.
Nick returned Drew's hug as two tears rolled down his
cheeks.

Just then Dr. Kerry came in with Nick's release
papers.

"Ok, Nick, your release papers are ready, all you'll
have to do is sign them and then you can leave." He
said.

He set the papers down in front of Nick and Nick
grabbed the pen in his left hand and signed the papers
as best he could.

He was not as good with his left hand as he was with
his right, but his signature was edible enough. Then
Dr. Kerry sat down a prescripion bottle in front of
Nick.

"Here is your medication to take for the pain." Dr.
Kerry said. "Take 2 capsules for pain twice a day and
with plenty of fluids. And be sure to get plenty of
rest and don't push yourself. I'm sure after a few
days, you're going to really feel the effects of the
accident."

Nick nodded to him. "Thank you, Dr." He said, then
asked. "Is there anything else?"

Dr. Kerry then remembered something.

"Oh yes!" He said. "I wanted you guys to autograph my
daughter's poster of you guys in my office. Would you
all be up to doing that before you leave?"

Nick looked at everyone else. "What do you all think?"
He asked them.

"I'm all for it." Jeff agreed.

"Me too." Justin said, next.

"Count me in, too." Drew said.

Since everyone agreed, Nick turned to Dr. Kerry and
flashed him his killer smile.

"Well, Doc, go ahead and get it. We'd love to sign
your daughter's poster for her." Nick told him.

The Doctor grinned. "I'll be right back, then." He
said, walking out of the room.

A few minutes later, he returned with a black marker
pen and a poster of the guys.

"Here it is." Dr Kerry said, sitting it down in front
of Nick, and the guys for them to autograph.

"What's your daughter's name?" Nick asked as he picked
up the black marker.

"Nicole." The doctor said, smiling.

"Pretty name." Nick said, as he wrote his message and
signed his name.

After doing that, he handed the pen to Drew, who also
wrote a message and signed it, before giving the pen
to Jeff.

Jeff did the same and handed it to Justin when he was
finished.

"There you go." Justin said, once he'd finished
signing it. "This should make your daughter a happy
girl."

"Oh, believe me, it will." Dr. Kerry said with a grin.
Then he grabbed Nick's release papers and ripped the
top part off, giving Nick the bottom copy.

"Well, Nick, I wish you and your friends good luck."
Dr. Kerry said, holding out his hand. Nick took it and
shook hands with Dr. Kerry, who in turn shook hands
with everyone else.

"We will." Nick told him, standing up out of the bed .
Take care, Doctor."

The doctor left the room and Nick turned to the rest
of the guys.

"Guys, would you wait outside until I get dressed?"
Nick asked them when he realized that he was naked
underneath his hospital gown.

"You mean you're naked under there?" Danny asked him,
with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Woo hoo! Let me
see!"

He then went to grab Nick's gown, but Nick was too
quick for him and pulled back before he could get
ahold of him. Everyone laughed.

"Now now, Danny, don't you already have a guy that you
can see naked?" Nick asked, grinning.

"Yeah, he's right." Jeff said, smacking Danny's
shoulder. "And I better be the only guy you want to
see naked." Jeff said. A little too loudly.

"Jeff! Shh!!" Drew hissed fiercely. "Someone could
have heard you!"

They all looked around to see if anyone has heard him,
but apparently not. All the hospital employees were
still busy working.

"Watch what you say next time, Jeff." Justin said to
him, quietly.

"Sorry." Jeff apologized, looking relieved. "I'll be
more careful from now on."

Everyone nodded, then Nick spoke up again.

"Ok guys, can I get dressed now?" He asked, giggling.

Everyone took that as their cue to leave and walked
outside to wait until Nick was dressed and ready to
go.

After they left, Nick closed the door to his room and
pulled the curtains closed so he'd have some privacy.

As he got dressed, which wasn't easy to do with only
one good arm, his mind thought back to all the
memories that he and Sean had shared. Everything
they'd been through. The Laughs. The dissapointments.
Even the tears.

Nick smiled as he remembered the day he and Sean got
married, which hadn't been even a month ago.

"Oh Sean." Nick said, dreamily. "We sure had some good
times."

He pulled on his jeans and then his shirt. Then he
smiled again as he remember how Sean used to hold him
when they go to sleep at night. Sean caressing Nick's
washboard abs, which would put Nick right to sleep.

"How I hope and pray that I'm right about you being
alive." Nick whispered. "If I find out that you are,
I'm going to do everything I can to find you and get
you back into my arms. Soon."

Nick finished getting dressed and headed out to the
hallway with the rest of the guys.

"Well, it looks like you're ready to go." Jeff said,
noticing Nick fully dressed.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Nick said, with a sigh.

"Alright then, let's go home." Drew said, as he stood
close to Nick to help him out in case he needed any
assistance.

They all started walking towards the elevators to head
down to the lobby.

When the elevator headed down from the lobby, the guys
exited to a flurry of flashes, as photographers and
reporters were snapping photos and shouting out
questions at the guys.

"What the hell?!" Drew exclaimed, as he put his hand
over his eyes, blinded by the sudden flashes.

"What are they doing here?" Kandi asked, as Justin
pulled her close.

"They must have found out about us being here at the
hospital somehow." Jeff said, as he and Danny walked
behind them.

The reporters fired questions out at the guys, as they
walked. They got no response from any of them.

Well almost. That is until one question caught them
all offguard.

"Nick, is it true that you are gay?" A male reporter
shouted out.

That caused Nick to stop in his tracks, his heart
catching into his throat. He looked like a deer caught
in the headlights.

Luckily for him, Drew acted fast.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we are not answering any
questions at this time." Drew announced. "If you want
anwers, I suggest you deal with our Management
company."

After saying that, Drew grabbed Nick's left arm and
they walked out of the hospital.

The reporters continued to follow them and shout out
questions.

"Nick, if you are not gay, then where does the rumor
that you got married to a faggot named Sean Perry come
from?" A female reporter asked, rudely.

That did it. Nick turned around and was ready to say
something, but Kandi was the one who flung herself
around and decked the female reporter.

"Bitch?! didn't Drew just say we weren't answering any
questions?!" Kandi shouted, as the female went down
among the reporters and photographers.

All the rest of the reporters and photographers
huddled around the decked woman, who was bleeding from
a busted lip.

"Run!" Justin yelled, as he grabbed Kandi's hand and
they all ran for the van, taking advantage of the
media's distraction.

They got to the van and Justin hopped in the driver's
seat, unlocking the door for Nick, who was helped in
by Drew, and started the engine.

"Hurry! They're coming!" Jeff said, as he and Danny
both jumped in.

Justin gunned the motor and peeled out of the parking
lot, just before the reporters and photographers could
catch up to them.

"Can you believe that bitch?!" The female reporter,
whose name was Jen, yelled, as she watched the van
speed off. "Decking me like that?!"

But nobody paid attention to her.

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

BACK IN THE VAN...............

"Whew, that was close!" Danny said, as he leaned into
Jeff, in the middle seat. Drew was sitting across from
him. and Jeff was to his left.

"It sure was." Jeff said, holding him close. Then he
turned to Kandi with a huge smirk on his face.

"Man, I still can't believe you decked her, Kandi."
Jeff said, with a laugh. "I'm sure she wants to make
you pay now."

"Screw her." Kandi said, with a scowl. "She was
hitting to close to home. I had to do something."

"Yeah, but did you have to do THAT?" Justin asked from
the driver's seat.

"Yes, I did." Kandi said, then added. "I'm not sure
Nick won't agree with me?"

"I don't blame you for hitting her, Kandi." Nick said.
"You actually saved my butt because I would have done
the same thing at that moment."

"Well, I had to protect you guys." Kandi said.

"Thanks, Kandi." Nick said. "But actually the more I
think about it, the more convinced I am that maybe I
should come clean and tell the truth."

"What???" Everyone asked at the same time, in shock.

"You can't be serious, Nick." Danny said in amazement.

"I am, Danny." Nick said. "I was going to do it back
when Sean was still with us."

"Well I think you'd better sleep on it for tonight
before you make that decision." Justin said, as he
pulled into Nick's driveway.

"Alright, I'll do that." Nick said, opening the door
and getting out.

Justin got out and walked around to let Kandi out,
while Drew helped Nick.

Jeff got out and turned towards Danny who was getting
out. Danny jumped out and Jeff grabbed him suddenly
and gave him a kiss that left him stunned.

"Wow." Danny said, with a wide grin, then asked. "What
was that for?"

"I've wanted to do that for so long tonight, but since
the accident, I hadn't had the chance. Except for when
we were talking at Sean's crash site.

At the mention of Sean's name, Danny's smile faded.
Then he hugged Jeff.

"Oh Jeff." Danny said, starting to choke up. "I feel
responsible for Sean's death."

"Hey, Hey." Jeff soothed, returning his hug."It's not
your fault."

"If it hadn't been for me, Sean would still be alive
today." Danny sobbed.

"Stop blaming yourself, Danny, it's not your fault."
Jeff to him.

"Jeff's right, Danny." Nick said, from behind him.
"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's, it's mine."

Danny let go of Jeff and sniffed.

"You seemed pretty devoted to that accusation at the
time." Danny replied, looking at Nick, sadly.

"I was angry, Danny." Nick said. "I wasn't thinking
clearly. I was hurt by the things that Sean said to me
tonight."

"I know." Danny said. "I'm sorry for that, Nick. You
have no idea how sorry."

Nick looked at Danny, sympathetically and then gave
him a hug.

"I know you're sorry, Danny." Nick said. "It's
alright. I'm still your friend."

Nick and Danny stood there for about 5 minutes,
embraced in a hug, Jeff standing nearby, watching
them, a few tears running down his face.

"Nick, you're wanted on the phone!" Drew said, from
the doorway.

Nick released Danny and rushed to get the phone.

"This is Nick speaking." He said.

"Nick? This is officer Wright here down at the L.A.
Police Department. I saw you earlier tonight at the
scene of your friend's crash."

"Yes, officer, How can I help you?" Nick asked him.

"Well, I have some news that you're going to want to
hear." Officer Wright said.

Nick frowned. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well, after we found those partial remains of a body
in the explosion, we had forensics experts do a DNA
test to find out whose body it was." Officer Wright
told him.

Nick frowned. "And what did you find out?" He asked.

"Well after doing 3 DNA tests to be sure......We found
that the person who died in the explosion was not your
husband."

Nick's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you sure?" He managed to get out. "I mean are you
absolutely positive?"

"Yes, Mr. Lachey, I am." Officer Wright told him. "I
didn't want to tell you until we knew for sure. Now
that you know, you can start finding out what really
happened to your husband."

Nick couldn't believe his ears. His greatest wish was
coming true. Sean was very much alive and well!

"Officer, thank you so much for telling me." Nick
gushed. "You have no idea what you've done for me.
You've given me the answer to my greatest prayers. How
can I ever thank you enough?"

"Just find your husband and be happy. that's all the
thanks I need." Officer Wright said. "And if you ever
need my help, just let me know, ok?"

"Yes, Officer I certainly will." Nick said, tears of
joy running down his face.

Then he realized something.

"Officer?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"If it wasn't Sean's body, who's was it?" Nick asked.

"The truck driver's." Officer Wright said. "She must
have succeeded in getting him out of the car after
all."

"Thank God." Nick said.

"Yeah." Officer Wright said. "Well I need to get back
to work now. You give me a call if you ever need help
ok?"

"I will." Nick replied to him. "Thanks, Officer
Wright. Goodbye."

Nick hung up the phone and walked over and sat down on
the couch, just as Drew and everyone else came into
the room.

Once Drew caught sight of Nick's tears, he looked like
he was ready to panic.

"Nick, what's wrong?" He asked Nick.

Before Nick could answer, the phone rang again. Drew,
who was nearest to it, answered it.

"Hello?" He said into the receiver.

"Drew? Is that you?" A voice asked

Drew's eyes widened in complete and utter shock.

Drew, what is it?" Nick asked Drew, with a worried
look on his face. "Who's that on the phone?"

Drew turned towards Nick, his face white as a ghost.

"It's Sean."



TBC..........?"

Well, that's all for this installment. Stay tuned.
Because what happens next is Everything!

Slpwriter@yahoo.com