Nick and Julie went outside and saw a white stretch limo waiting for them near their house.
"Wow, that's for us?" asked Julie amazed.
"Yeah, I wanted to make our first date special." Said Nick smiling.
"Well, I don't know how much more special it can be…I'm with you and that's special enough." Said Julie looking at Nick and smiling. Nick blushed slightly.
The driver opened the door and they both got in. They got to the restaurant and were led to a private table near a window overlooking the ocean. They sat down and ordered their food.
"So, what do you think so far?" asked Nick.
"I think that it's wonderful," said Julie, "And the view from this window is gorgeous!" she added.
"Well, it can't compare to the view that I'm seeing." Said Nick while looking at Julie.
"Aww thanks. You know, in all the excitement, I didn't even tell you how great you looked tonight. So I'm telling you now, you look great!" said Julie looking at Nick who was wearing black pants, a silk cream-colored short sleeve shirt, and black shoes.
"Thank you." Said Nick smiling back at his date.
"You're welcome." She said. At that moment a group of teenage girls came up to their table.
"WOW! It really is Nick Carter! Can we please have your autograph?" asked one of them who looked like she was about to pass out from excitement.
"Sure, no problem." Said Nick as he took each girl's paper and signed it. Julie looked at Nick with admiration while he calmly and patiently signed each autograph and answered the girls' questions. After they had gone away, he turned his attention back to Julie.
"I don't know how you handle that everyday." Said Julie.
"Well, it's something that I'm grateful for and it's also something that comes with being famous. I figure it this way, without the fans, there would be no Backstreet Boys, so we have to always be there for them and never disappoint them." Said Nick, he then took Julie's hand into his. "But right now, my full attention is on you and no one else." He said gazing into her eyes. By then their food had arrived and they began to eat. After they were done with their dinner, Nick paid the check and they went outside to the beach.
They walked hand in hand along the shoreline just enjoying each other's company and listening to the waves. After a while, Nick took his hand out of Julie's and put it around her shoulders. They decided to stop for a while and sit down. They found some rocks and sat on them. Nick sat behind Julie with his arms around her. They looked up at the sky and saw a falling star.
"Make a wish." Whispered Nick looking at the star. They both made a wish and when the star passed, Julie turned to Nick and they kissed…for quite some time. When they parted, Nick looked at Julie and said:
"Did your wish come true?" Julie nodded.
"Definitely." She smiled and they kissed again. After about a half an hour of kissing, they both saw that it was almost 1 am so they decided to head back to the limo. They were walking with Nick's arm around Julie's shoulders when Nick sneezed.
"Are you okay?" asked Julie, then she looked at Nick and saw that he was kind of pale.
"Yeah, I'm fine, it was just a sneeze." Assured Nick. He didn't want anything to ruin their date and he didn't want to tell Julie that he didn't feel very well.
"Are you sure? Cause you look pale." Asked Julie again.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Said Nick and smiled at Julie, but his smile wasn't as wide as it had been before. Julie stopped walking and turned to face Nick. She put her hand on his forehead and felt that it was hot.
"Nick, you're burning up!" she exclaimed. "How can you say that you're fine and you're obviously not?" she added.
"Well, I didn't want anything to ruin our date." Said Nick. "I figured that when I get home, I'll get some sleep, and be okay in the morning." His face was even paler now.
"Well, home is definitely where you're going, and straight to bed." Said Julie. She took out her cell phone and called the driver and told him where they were so he can come pick them up. By the time the limo came Nick started coughing and he became weak. They got into the car and drove straight home. They saw that the lights in the living room were still on, and Julie told Nick to stay in the car and she'll go see who's up so they can help him get upstairs. She went into the house and saw that Brian and Kevin were still up playing a game. They looked up when they saw Julie come into the room.
"Hey Julie, how was your date, and where's Nick?" asked Brian. Julie quickly told them what happened and they all went outside to help Nick. When they had got him to his room, Julie looked around the house to see if there was anything there that would help Nick. She saw that there wasn't, and so she told Brian and Kevin that she was going to go to the 24 hr pharmacy to buy some Aspirin for Nick. Kevin pointed out that it was after 1 am and she shouldn't be going anywhere alone, so he went with her.
When they got back from the pharmacy, Julie went straight to Nick's room to give him the Aspirin. He took it and Julie sat near his bed holding his hand.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I've been better." Said Nick, his voice was weak. "I'm sorry I ruined our date." He added.
"You didn't ruin it, I had a wonderful time!" said Julie and then she kissed his forehead, which was still hot.
"Careful, you might catch it from me." Warned Nick.
"I don't care." Said Julie. "I intend to be with you until you get better."
"Thanks, that means a lot." Said Nick and then closed his eyes because the Aspirin was kicking in and he was getting sleepy. Julie kissed him lightly and kept holding his hand until he fell asleep, after which, she fell asleep herself.
*~*~*

Julie woke up the next morning with a slightly stiff neck from leaning against the headboard of Nick's bed all night. She looked over at Nick and saw that he was still asleep. She then looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was only 6:45 am, so she decided to go to her room and change out of her dress, which she was still wearing because she didn't have a chance to change the night before. She quietly got up from Nick's bed and quietly made her way across the room and out the door. She closed the door behind her softly and then tiptoed into her room. She took a fast shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top. Julie then went to the kitchen to get something to eat because she was starving. She was surprised when she saw AJ in the kitchen already eating.
"Hey, what are you doing up so early?" asked AJ when he saw Julie.
"I don't know, I just woke up and decided to go change and eat something." Said Julie.
"How's Nick?" asked AJ while chewing a bagel.
"He seems better, he's asleep so I guess we'll know for sure when he wakes up." Said Julie and got herself a glass of juice and a sandwich.
"So Julie let me ask you something." Said AJ leaning with his elbows on the table.
"What is it?" she asked in between bites.
"What happened between you and Nick the day before yesterday and on the day when everyone was watching the movie?" asked AJ.
"Um…sorry AJ, but I can't tell you either one. They're very private and personal." Said Julie.
"Does anyone else besides you and Nick know?" pressed AJ.
"Well…um…Brian knows and all the girls know, but no one else." AJ opened his mouth to say something but Julie interrupted him, "And before you say anything, Nick doesn't know what happened the day that we were all watching the movie, I didn't tell him." She finished.
"Well, will you tell me what happened sometime in the near future?" asked AJ.
"Maybe, I'll have to see and talk it over with Nick, because if I'm gonna tell you, I might as well tell the rest of the guys too." Said Julie thoughtfully.
"Ok, it's better than nothing, I'll wait." Said AJ and continued eating his bagel. At that moment Howie came into the kitchen.
"Hmm, I see I'm not the only person up early today." He commented when he saw AJ and Julie around the table eating.
"Yeah, seems like today is a day for getting up early." Said Julie. "I'm done with my breakfast, I'm going to go check on Nick in case he wakes up soon." She started to get up.
"Hey Julie wait a minute." Called AJ.
"What?" asked Julie and stopped.
"You love Nick don't you? That's what that day during the movie was all about, you got upset and Brian went to look for you and pretty much stumbled into your thoughts." Guessed AJ. "So then you had to tell him, and then of course the rest of the girls had to know because well, girls just talk about this stuff very often, am I right?" he asked.
"Yeah, you're exactly right." Said Julie amazed. "How did you figure this whole thing out?"
"Well, I put two and two together. You were upset during the movie, and since you were sitting next to Nick, it could've only been about him, and then I just saw how you look at him and realized that you care deeply for him, and that led me to the conclusion that you're in love." Said AJ smiling.
"You're completely correct." Said Julie feeling somewhat relieved that she wouldn't have to tell this story to AJ. All the time that the two of them were talking, Howie kept looking back and forth between them, finally he got up from the chair.
"Did I miss something?" he asked in a confused voice. AJ and Julie looked at each other and laughed.
"I'll fill him in, you go and check on Nick." Offered AJ.
"Thanks." Said Julie and with that she went upstairs and back to Nick's room.
She carefully opened the door and peeked inside. Nick was still asleep. Julie stepped into the room, closed the door behind her, and sat back down where she was sitting before, on Nick's bed right next to him. About half an hour later Nick started to stir and then opened his eyes. He saw Julie sitting next to him and smiled.
"Hey you, how are you feeling?" asked Julie when she saw Nick wake up.
"Well, not as bad as yesterday that's for sure. I think my fever's gone." Said Nick feeling his own forehead.
"Let me see." Julie put her hand on Nick's forehead and frowned. "Well, your fever is lower but it's not gone." She told him.
"That's not good." Said Nick then he started to cough.
"You want me to get you some water?" asked Julie.
"Yeah, that would be great." Said Nick in between coughs.
"Ok, I'll be right back." She got up and went downstairs. She came back a few minutes later and gave Nick a glass of water.
"Better?" she asked after he drank it.
"Yes, much better, thanks." He smiled giving Julie back the glass. "And now that I'm better, I gotta get up, get dressed, and get down to the studio. We're supposed to put the finishing touches on one song and hopefully start recording another." Said Nick trying to get up, when Julie put her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back into bed.
"You're not going anywhere, you're sick." She said.
"Sick or not, I still have a job to do." Insisted Nick trying to get up again, Julie stopped him again.
"Ok, Mr. I-have-a-job-to-do, tell me one thing, can you sing?" she asked raising her eyebrows.
"Of course I can." Protested Nick.
"Ok, sing one line." Challenged Julie.
"And I want it that…" began Nick but he started to cough immediately.
"Case closed, you're not going anywhere." Said Julie folding her arms. Nick started to pout, and Julie put her arm on his.
"You know it's for your own good and won't help you or anyone else if you go down to the studio today but not sing, in fact, it might make you feel worse and I'm sure that that's the last thing anyone wants." She said softly.
"Yeah, I know, you're right." Said Nick but he wasn't happy about it.
"I'll go get you some breakfast, what do you want?" asked Julie getting up.
"It's ok, you don't have to, I feel strong enough to go downstairs myself, well, with your help." Said Nick getting out of bed.
"Are you sure?" asked Julie uncertainly.
"Yes, positive." Said Nick and got up. He was still slightly off balance but as soon as he put his arm around Julie he felt stronger and they both made their way down to the kitchen.


chapter 3 chapter 5