Nick looked at Rachel without being able to say a word. Actually, Rachel feared the worst. Right then and there, they got out of the car and into their house without a word spoken.
"Nick, talk to me" Rachel said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that was building up around them.
"I- I can't believe this" Nick whispered, covering his head with his hands. "What if the police find him guilty? What if he goes to jail being completely innocent of every charge? What it-"
"Nick, sweetie... calm down. Everything is going to be fine. I've been helping him alone. You'll see" she said with a smile. "Everything will go to its right place again"she soothed, rubbing his arm.
"Rach, you don't understand. AJ is doing this because of me... why did he take the charges that Patricia was putting... why did he go to jail instead of letting me solve everything?"
"He wanted to help you. He didn't want you to go to jail"
"Oh God" he said, burying his head in his hands.
"Calm down... everything will be okay" she said, stroking his shorter blond hair.
"I gotta go talk to AJ" Nick said. Rachel's eyes widened.
"Nick, he made me promise not to tell anything to you... he'll know that I told you"
"Well, I had to know sooner or later... I'll be right back" And with that, Nick got into his car and went to the police station.
After 15 minutes of waiting around, they finally let him talk to AJ. At first, Nick didn't recognize him. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was all rumpled. He hadn't shaved in almost a week and his clothes were the same ones as all the other interns. When AJ saw Nick, he looked down. That was the last person he wanted to confront about the whole ordeal. Nick was more vulnerable than all the others and that's what he feared the most. He didn't want Nick's vulnerability to get in his way of thinking. With short steps and a few short breaths, he walked up to Nick sitting across the table from him.
"What are you doing here?" AJ mumbled, still playing with the zipper of the shirt he had.
"I came here to see you... I know everything" Nick said, looking up to him, observing his hurt-filled eyes.
"I had to do it" AJ whispered, straightening up from his chair.
"AJ, you didn't have to do it"
"Nick, you have a wife, kids, and family to take care of... I cannot let you pay for something you didn't do, and I can't let you go to jail when you have other people to take care of" he answered, running his hands through his hair.
Nick sighed and sat back on his chair. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew right then and there that he had a great friend but also a person who was suffering because he wanted him to be happy and out of trouble.
"Remember when we were touring and you got in trouble?" AJ said, not clearly specifying the moment in which the event took place.
Nick slowly nodded his head, clearly remembering that 6 years ago, he was having one night stands with every girl he knew, doing some drugs and drinking heavily.
"I tried to help you straighten thing up with yourself... I tried and helped you stop drinking and doing drugs... but you didn't let me in. On the other hand, you were there when I had my alcohol problems. You did assist me with everything, and I thought I owed you one since you didn't want my help with your problem"
"AJ, remember I didn't want anyone's help" Nick said, trying to make AJ understand about his past situation.
"Anyway, I owed you... and I feel that with this I'm paying you back for everything you did for me"
"I was your friend, and I don't mind helping you... you know that. You paid me back by hooking me up with Rach... that was your biggest payback AJ" Nick smiled, remembering that AJ was the one who hooked them up. He had met Rachel in a club and introduced her to Nick.
"It wasn't enough Nick" AJ sighed. "I also needed to apologize about me kissing Rach... it was a mistake.
"That's in the past... forget about it" Nick smiled warmly. "Now that I know everything, I'll help you get out of here... I promise you that"
"Alright man, but be careful with Patricia"
"I haven't heard from her since all this happened"
"Okay, and another thing, please... don't tell the guys anything about me... tell them that I'm on a trip or something... don't tell them that I'm here. I don't want anyone to worry about me"
"Okay dude... but I'll help you now... I'll get your ass out of this creepy place"
AJ slowly nodded pondering if this was the right thing to do. A couple of minutes later, a policeman entered the little conference room where AJ and Nick were and told Nick that visiting hours were over for the day.
"I'll see ya later AJ... be careful man" Nick said shaking AJ's hand and pulling him in for a hug.
"You betcha, Nicky"
"Hey, don't call me Nicky" Nick whined, making AJ laugh.
"Okay man, I'll see you soon" AJ said, as he turned around to go to his cell.
Nick sighed loudly and got out of the police offices but before, he wanted to drive around for a bit and visit his family.
"Nick!" Aaron yelled, noticing Nick's car parked in the driveway.
"Hey little bro" he said as Aaron jumped in on him and messed his hair up.
"Hey! Not the hair" Nick said as he ran his hands through his hair to put it back in place. "Is mom here?" he continued.
"Yup, she's inside with Leslie"
"And where are the others?" he said, turning the doorknob and entering the house.
"BJ and Angel are with dad at the supermarket"
"Ohh okay" Nick nodded as he found his mom talking on the phone.
Jane waved at him and whispered that she would be with him shortly.
Aaron took Nick to the pool. "See? we changed it" Aaron said, referring to the new pool they had.
"It's cool" Nick said, smiling at his little brother. He missed the times that he spent with him just joking around.
"So" Nick started "How is my little bro in the girls department?" he asked with a grin.
"I got myself a girlfriend" Aaron answered with the same exact grin that Nick gave him.
"What??" Nick screamed.
"SHHHHH" Aaron said, putting a hand on Nick's mouth. "Mom doesn't know anything yet"
"Ohh okay" Nick said apologetically. "MOM!!!!"
"Screw you Nick" Aaron said, giving Nick a dirty look. Nick only grinned.
"Hey sweetie" Jane said, giving his son a kiss on the cheek and messing Aaron’s hair.
"Hey... did you know that Aaron has a girlfriend?" Nick asked casually. Aaron hid his embarrassment by burying his head in his hands.
"Yeah I knew it" Jane answered, making Aaron jerk his head up with wide eyes. Jane looked at him. "You know you can't hide anything from me... I have my ways to find out" she smiled. "She's a nice girl though"
"OHH mom!" Aaron mumbled and shifted around uncomfortably on his seat.
Nick laughed loudly as Aaron prepared to diss Nick.
"And mom, did you know that Nick met Rach in a club and that same night I caught them making out in one of the couches at the club, giving everyone who was there a free show of what they were doing???"
"That is NOT true" Nick defended himself.
"Now, that I didn't know" Jane said smiling at Nick.
"That IS true Nickay aka Pillsbury" Aaron said, teasing him with the new nickname that he adopted for Nick.
"You liar" Nick said, his face all crimson red.
Aaron started laughing. "Now I'm going to go talk with MY girl, Caitlin on the phone" Aaron grinned as he went up to his room leaving Nick and his mom alone.
"I'll get you later" Nick shouted back.
"So, how are you? I haven't seen you happier" Jane smiled, rubbing Nick's thigh.
"I am happy...but I also am a little bit worried"
"Why?" his mom rapidly inquired.
"Personal problems" he said, dismissing the theme. He didn't want his mother to worry about anything that happened to him in the last few days with the whole AJ/Patricia stuff.
"You know you can talk to me" Jane said. "Is it with Rachel?"
He shook his head quickly. "No... me and her are okay"
"Then what is it?"
"I don't wanna talk about it right now" '
"Okay" Jane agreed. "Oh... I wanted to tell you.. I don't know if Brian called you"
"Nope... I haven't been home a lot these past days"
"Well, Brian called here and told us that he was going to make a Barbecue at his house on Saturday afternoon... he wanted us to come too..."
"Alrighty then... I'll talk to Rachel and we'll go there then" Nick agreed with a grin. "Are you coming too?"
"Yup, he invited us too"
"Cool... well I gotta go now... gotta go to the house to take care of Colin and Lissa"
"They've grown!" Jane commented.
"Yup, they're really big and cute now... just like me" he said, licking his lips.
"Oh God... we got a cocky one here... please, don't teach that to your children"
"Nah, I'm joking"
"Okay then... well I'll see you Saturday then" Jane said.
"You know you can come to the house every time you want" Nick replied, putting his arm around Jane's shoulders while they were walking to the door.
"Alright then... I'll call you tomorrow to go by then. I want to see the kids and Rachel so bad" Jane answered, giving a kiss to Nick.
"You don't have to call. We'll wait for you tomorrow" Nick grinned as he walked to his car and closed the door.
"Bye bye!" Jane waved.
"See ya" Nick said, putting the car in reverse and getting out of the driveway.
As Nick was driving, he couldn't put aside the fact that AJ was making himself guilty in front of the police to save him from going to jail. Would he do the same thing for AJ if he would have been in the same situation? What did he do to be so fortunate to have friends like him in his life? With that, he looked around for his sunglasses, put them on and drove back to his house in silence.