Chapter 3

Thanks to Stephie for writing this chapter. :o)


“Nick, hurry up, are you almost ready?” Megan called up the stairs. It was a week later, and Nick was getting ready to go back on tour. Megan, BJ and Anna were going with them. Anna and Megan had arrived bright and early that morning, only to find Nick was running behind. He had been in the shower at 7:01, while they were supposed to leave at 7. Anna and Megan had said goodbye to their parents, who had left for a business trip to Hong Kong at 6 that morning. Now they were waiting with Mr. Carter, who was driving them to the airport.

Mr. Carter came down the steps with two duffel bags and a pillow in his hands. “Girls, is your stuff in the car?” he asked.

“Yes, Mr. Carter,” Megan replied.

Mrs. Carter walked out into the hallway from the kitchen along with Leslie, Angel, and Aaron. “Now, girls, are you sure you have everything?” she asked.

“Yes, Mom,” BJ said. She went up and gave her mom a hug, then made her way around to her little brother and sisters.

“Bye, Mrs. C,” Megan said. Anna gave her a hug, and then Megan did.

“Take care of my Nicky, please, Meg,” Mrs. Carter said.

Megan pulled away and grinned. “I will.”

Nick came pounding down the stairs, breathing hard. He hugged his mom and siblings, and then said, “Come, on, let’s go. You guys are so slow.” He grinned devilishly and walked out the front door. Megan and Jane looked at each other, shaking their heads.

“Bye, guys. Have a good time. Be careful,” Mrs. Carter called from where she was standing on the front porch. Megan sat down next to Mr. Carter in the front, sticking Nick in the back with Anna and BJ.

Nick stuck his head out the window. “Bye, Mom! I’ll call you later!” He waved as Mr. Carter pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

The ride to the airport was long and tedious, as the careful of people got stuck in a small traffic jam.

The tourist season was in full effect in Orlando and that meant there was an extra thousand people thinking the same thoughts as they were.

"Man..Darn traffic." Bob muttered beneath his breath, as he looked in his rearview mirror at his daughter and there friends, his teenaged son beside them, staring off into space. Making the best of the bad situation, he leaned over and turned on the radio, the sounds of "Kiss The Rain." by Billie Myers filling the small car.

"Oh yea!" Anna said happily, as she grooved to it, the other girls laughing at her behaivor. Meg looked back at Nick, though, and noticed his section of the car was strangely quiet.

"Yo Blondie,What's up?" She asked, waving her hand in front of him in effort to gain his attention.

"Oh..Sorry. Just dazin' out for a second there," Nick said, regaining attention to the girl in front of him.

"Nick,are you feeling okay? You've been acting..weird..lately," She told him honestly.

"I'm fine, just anxious to get back on the road, that’s all," he informed her, feeling guilty for lying to her. "There is something going on, Megan, but I can't tell you." He sighed sadly, and then turned to his friends and his sister, joining in on the chorus of "Tearin' Up My Heart" which had just come on. "Oh man..not N Sync!" Nick groaned, the other girls tossing him evil looks and Megan swatting him playfully.

* * *

"Now, BJ, Nick, you guys have fun and take care, ok?" Bob told them, kissing his two eldest children as there plane was called, Megan and Anna waiting off to the side for their two friends.

"We will daddy, we promise," BJ said, kissing her dad on the cheek, and giving him one last hug, before Nick pulled them into the terminal.

Once on the plane, Nick and the others spotted AJ, and the rest of the Backstreet gang, sparce seats saved around them, the plane unusually crowded. "Hey B-rok!" Nick greeted his friend, giving him a high five before settling down in a seat beside him, Meg to his left, on the aisle seat, Bj and Anna next to her on the otherside.

"Yo Nicky Boy! " Brian said, smiling,"Hey Meg."

"Hey Bri! How you doing?" she asked, as Brian reached for a hug, squishing Nick who sat in the middle in the process.

"You do know I'm sitting here, right?" Nick asked jokingly. As soon as they pulled apart, Megan hit Nick in the arm playfully.

"How could I forget? Afterall, it's THE Nick Carter - the topic of every 12-year-old's fantasies," she replied, grinning.

"Hey - that's Brian. I'm EVERY 13-year-old's fantasy!" Nick explained, as Brian slugged him too in the shoulder. "Man, tough crowd," Nick’s response was cut off as the sounds of the flight attendants voice came on over the loud speaker.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I'd like to welcome you to Flight 675 nonstop to London, England. Please note the following safety procedures, as they will save you in case of an emergency." Yawning, Meg leaned her head back in her seat, and closed her eyes. She'd flown enough times to know what the usual speil was, and therefore, knew better than to listen.

***

Waking up, she noticed the sun was slowly falling down over the clouds, and the lights in the cabin were out, except for the occasional overhead light. Looking over, she expected to find the seat that she'd originally leaned against, but instead found her head on Nick's shoulder, with him playing his gameboy quietly. "Morning Nicky," she said quietly, looking up at him.

"Morning Sleeping beauty," he said to her, setting his gameboy down on the tray table before him.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she spoke. "So, how much longer 'till we ‘re there?" she questioned, pulling her long brown hair into a messy pony tail.

"Probably not much,” he answered, and sure enough, the flight attendants voice came over the speaker again.<.p> "Ladies and gentleman, we'll be landing in London's Heathrow airport in a matter of minutes. The temperature outside is currently a chilly 60 degrees and it is about 12:30 AM. Please secure your safety belts, as we prepare to land. Thank for you flying Delta airlines and we hope you have a pleasant stay while in the UK." With that, the plane began it's descent down to the dark runway below.