Nick glanced over at Melissa's sleeping form before returning his gaze out the window of the plane. Her face only showed slightly yellow traces from the bruises anymore, but the memory was still fresh. The first week was littered with her nightmares of Marcus and the alley, and she still had trouble sleeping. Deciding it safer to keep his family with him and the band's security, he was taking all three with him to a week long press escapade in Los Angelos.

Suddenly, a little blond haired head popped up over the seat in front of him. Mackenzie's giggle stopped his train of thought as he leaned forward to talk to her.

"Guess what, Daddy!"

"What?" A smile crossed his face as he watched his daughter.

"Sebastian said that Brian told him that Kevin said we'd be in Paris in two hours! And we're not even going there!" She shook her head, the bouncing curls twisting and turning in unison.

Sebastian's muffled laughter came from the seat next to Mackenzie, causing Nick to stand up and look down at his son. "Sebastian . . . ?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Did Brian really tell you that?"

"No." The little boy shook his head emphatically and started laughing again.

"Then why did you tell your sister that?"

With a shrug, the little boy diverted his attention to the hand-held video game he brought with him. His little fingers flashed between buttons as soft beeps and blings came from the small speaker. Deftly, Nick reached over the seat and stole the game from his son's hands, pressing pause before returning his gaze to Sebastian.

"Let me say this again. Why did you tell Mackenzie that we were landing in Paris in two hours?"

"'Cuz I knew she'd believe it . . ."

"Apologize to her . . . now."

"Yes, Daddy." The little boy looked at his sister with big blue eyes. "Sorry."

Mackenzie's green eyes slitted in anger as her little mouth turned down in a scowl. "That's no apology! Daddy!"

With a sigh, Nick turned and shook Melissa's shoulder. "Honey, wake up. It's fun time. . ."

With a sleepy murmur, Melissa slowly opened her eyes. "They're fighting again?"

Nick stumbled in the hotel room - stubbing his toe on the dresser, tripping over a suitcase and hitting his head on the coat rack in the dark - before collasping onto the bed fully clothed. Aside of him, Melissa woke up to help him out of the suit he had to wear for the day of press conferences that had worn him completely out.

"Sleep . . . " he mumbled into the pillow. "Nick want sleep."

Smiling, she pulled the blankets up over him and cuddled against his side as he quickly drifted into a deep sleep of exhaustion. She then slowly fell back asleep, afraid of what dreams may haunt her.

The quiet knock on Nick and Melissa's door interrupted the passionate kiss Nick started to wake Melissa up . . . but he forgot to stop once she was awake. He broke away to walk over to the door in only his boxer shorts and found Mackenzie standing barefoot in the hall in only her nightgown. Her curly blond hair was a mess from sleeping and her green eyes were shining with tears.

"He's gone." She followed her father's face as he squatted to be closer to her height.

"Who's gone?"

"Bastian . . . "

Nick stood up and ran across the hall to find a note laying within the rumpled sheets instead of his son. After skimming the note, he turned to find Melissa holding their little girl. "It was her . . ." he whispered, causing Melissa to hold Mackenzie tighter.

"Do you think Bastian's ok?" Mackenzie's small voice broke into the conversation.

"He'll be fine, sweetie . . ." Melissa softly replied, pressing a kiss into Mackenzie's hair. "We'll find him soon . . ." Her pleading green gaze lifted to her husband. Nick looked up from the note to her and matched her worried gaze with one of his own. He took a deep breath and walked out of the room, his form soon disappearing around the corner, followed by the chime of the elevator.