AJ walked out of Ty's room and leaned his forehead against the cool tile of the wall. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder but he kept his eyes closed, knowing exactly who it was. "Why don't you get some rest?"

"Not right now." he answered.

"You're planning on staying here overnight?"

"You have a better idea?"

"Yeah I do, take your wife and head home..."

AJ shook his head, "Somehow I doubt she'd call my hotel suite home...and the beach house..."

"I meant our home AJ." Jenn said, rubbing his back. "Remember our house?"

He turned his head a little and looked at her, "I don't know Jenn...honestly I'd feel better staying here with Ty."

Reluctantly she nodded, "All right, I'll see who else I can find and we'll get everyone something to eat. Unless you want to come with me?"

"I don't know..."

"AJ you know as well as I do she needs her rest. If anything changes we'll find out right away..."

Squeezing his eyes shut he thought over what she said. "She did just drift off..."

"See..."

"All right, I'll agree to heading over to McD's and get something to eat. There's one a block away."

"You're actually going to leave the hospital?" she asked in surprise.

He laughed, "Okay so maybe I'm in overprotective mode but..."

"You're being a good friend. Its okay. Do you want to tell the others we're heading out?"

"Nah, they probably headed off themselves. I haven't seen Kevin or Brian in at least an hour."

Alec walked into the private waiting room, finding her husband taking over the couch, his jacket rolled up under his head making a pillow. "Wondered where you went off to." she said, sitting down on the other couch.

His eyes slowly opened, "Didn't want to cause a pile up in the hallway with all of us out there."

"Actually we've all sort of pulled a disappearing act. David and E decided to search out Howie if no one sees him soon."

A low grumble came from Kevin and she smiled, "I don't know what could have gotten into him." he said, rolling on his side and looking at his wife.

She shrugged as she sipped her coffee. "No clue. I walked in at the middle remember? Which reminds me, you okay?"

"Fine."

"He did land a few good shots."

"Nothing a little ice won't cure."

"Good to know."

"How's Ty doing?"

"Sound asleep. Probably stay that way the entire night. Doctor Spencer's kicked all of us out of her room for the night. Wants her to rest."

"Don't blame her for that."

"Me either."

Kevin studied Alec, "Been awhile since we've been alone."

"Well there was supposed to be lunch today but..." she sighed, "all hell broke loose. Remind me next time we want to be alone, go back to our house. Doubt they'd find us there."

"That's a good idea."

"Alone or going home?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

"Both." he moved to sit up, "Would it be wrong for us to go?"

"I think Ty has enough protectors and you and J did manage to scare Howie pretty well. I doubt he'll cause any more trouble tonight."

"I think you're right." slowly he stood up and held out his hand, "Ready to head home Mrs. Richardson?"

"Lead the way."

"I think you need to get out of here for awhile D."

"Oh now you're throwing me out too."

"No but I think you need to get away from everyone and clear your mind."

"My mind..."

"Is FAR from clear Howie. What happened today shook you and honestly I can't blame you for that but I do think you should go home, get some sleep and try and regain your sanity...lets face it you even go on Ty's floor right now for whatever reason, Kevin and AJ will mop the floor with you."

A defeated sigh left Howie's lips, "You may be right, but I wouldn't mind talking to Doctor Spencer again before I left."

"If there was any change in her condition I think they'd be searching for you right now."

Howie's eyes closed as he lost himself in thought, "I need to know for sure she's all right...then I'll see about heading home and getting some sleep."

"Are you sure? I could go up, talk to the doctor and call you when I'm done?"

"Bri there's some things I need to do for myself. This is most definitely one of them. Right now I don't care what Tyler thinks, I'm going to find out if she and the baby really are okay."

Walking into the cafeteria Shan pulled a couple dollars out of her wallet. Hospital food was better then nothing and besides she hadn't had anything in a couple hours. If she knew where her husband had disappeared off to maybe she could of convinced him to go with her. Grabbing a tray she studied the array of saran wrapped sandwiches and grabbed one, setting it on her tray and moving forward. Waiting for a doctor to fill his cup with coffee she surveyed the cafeteria, surprised to find her husband sitting there watching Howie walk away. Taking another cup from the tray she filled both with coffee and headed over to the register.

Shan sat down in front of Brian, "Shan??" he said in surprise as he looked up from his empty coffee cup.

"Well unless I have a twin I didn't know about," she pushed a hot cup of coffee towards him. "What are you doing down here?"

He sighed, "Trying to talk to Howie..."

"Taking over his peace maker role?"

"Trying to keep him from self destructing and taking the rest of us with him." Brian ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm exhausted."

"Same here."

"How's Ty?"

"Sleeping. We're not allowed in to see her until visiting hours tomorrow. Doctor Spencer told us that she wants to keep her from anything supposedly harmful."

"Well that would be Howie..."

"How can your own husband be harmful?"

Brian shrugged, "I guess if he's acting like D is lately, he would be."

"Guess you're right on that one."

He nodded as he took a sip of his coffee. "Hot."

"The way its supposed to be."

"Smartass."

She grinned, "Course."

Having had enough of just watching him stand outside staring out at the water, Lis climbed off the bed and walked outside, standing behind him. "What's going on with you Nick?"

He shrugged in response, not saying a word. His eyes stayed on the waves in the distance. In his mind the words of E kept repeating in his head, he knew he had to talk to Lis sometime but he just...what did he say? That's what he couldn't figure out. And then what if after he told her, it came true? She realized he was right and she didn't want him anymore. "Lis..."

"Do you want to tell me why you're pushing me away? Brian said you won't talk to him and I've seen you avoid everyone else."

Turning around he looked her in the eyes, "I don't think you want to know...you wouldn't understand." he said as he walked past her into their room.

"Why wouldn't I want to know?? I'm your wife..."

He sighed, "For how much longer?"

"What do you mean?" she shook her head as she sat down on the chair and stared out at the beach. "What the hell is going on Nick??"

He leaned in the doorway, "Like I said I don't think you'd want to know."

"Try me. What can be so bad Nicky?? Don't you know you're scaring me," her closed her eyes, "It feels like we're strangers...you promised me that wouldn't happen...we wouldn't grow apart..."

Nick stayed silent for a few minutes, "Everyone's abandoning me Lis...the guys...I mean soon you will too."

"They haven't, they love you. And why would I??"

"Bullshit!! When I told Bri I wanted to leave you know what he said, not don't go...he said okay good bye. That from my SUPPOSED best friend!! Besides what's left to keep you around either, maybe you're the next one leaving me."

"You aren't making any sense. Where's all this coming from?"

He went and sat beside her. "I'd rather be nobody Nick Carter then solo Nick Carter."

"Why?"

"Because no one would want me Lis...I've been part of five for so long..."

"That you don't think you can do solo." she finished finally clueing in.

"Yeah."

"So you're just going to walk away?"

"What's wrong with that? I can be happy just us..." he looked at her, "I know I could..."

"But you've worked so hard for everything...why would you throw it away?"

"Because it would throw me away if I tried."

"You don't know that it would."

"What good is a solo Nick Carter?"

"Not that my opinion would matter but I think he'd be pretty damn good..."

He laughed, "I don't think so."

"Uhm remember all those 'I love Nick' signs at the shows...all that fan mail...I think you've all ready got a fan base there..." she leaned her head on his shoulder, "You just don't want to go it alone because your scared...and if you do go through with it...right now it may have to be with Lou..."

"See, I mean we can get ourselves a ranch somewhere..."

She groaned, "I thought we were making progress..."

"We are...Arizona or California?"

"Neither!! Your keeping that lovely ass of yours right here in Florida..."

"Keep my ass out of this..."

"Fine, but until this whole Lou hell is over with we're not leaving. And your not retiring from music either. Sorry to burst that bubble but I won't let you. You'd be miserable without it." she turned his face to look at her, "You know I'm right..."

Howie hesitated as he stepped out of the elevator. All he wanted was to see Doctor Spencer and get out of there still in one piece. Brian had finally been able to somewhat get through to him about getting out of there and taking some time to clear his mind. He'd admitted to himself he was a tad bit on the crazy side at the moment. Cautiously he walked down the hallway to the nurses station. "Is Doctor Spencer around?"

"She should be in the lounge."

"All right I'll head down there, thank you." he forced a small smile and followed the directions the nurse had given him. Halfway there he passed the waiting room he'd spent hours in and realized he was near Tyler. Just walk by, he told himself as he rounded the corner to his wife's room. Seeing no one in front, he peered inside surprised to find no one was in with her. Hesitantly Howie pushed the door open and snuck inside, going over beside her. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw the machines attached to her, monitoring the baby. ."If Bri didn't get through, this definitely did." he stated quietly as he sat down next to the bed. Reaching for her hand he watched her face. "Almost hate to say it, but this is the most peaceful I've seen you in awhile." he sighed, pulling the elastic out of his hair, rolling it back and forth in his hand. His one nervous habit. "Tyler I realized some things today...things you should know..."

Jenn turned to AJ, "Do you think this is all going to work out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just wonder," she rolled onto her side, resting her head against her hand. "If we get Lou out of our lives..."

"Not if...when..." he corrected.

"All right, when...what are our lives going to be like? I don't think we can go back to what they were before."

He sighed deeply, "I think about that too and the only thing I can come up with is we'll deal with it when we get there. Granted the group...the five of us may not be there but you'll be and that's all I care about."

Kevin sat at his piano, Alec at his side. "I wonder..."

"What?" he asked, turning to her.

"If we're all going to make it through this. I mean Lou's thrown a lot at all of us..."

"Uh huh..."

"And he won't stop until he gets what he wants. You all back."

"Then he'll be after us forever because I know at least me, Nick and Bri won't sign a damn thing with him."

"But what if its the best thing to do."

His eyes widened in disbelief at her words. "What? You can't mean that."

"I'm not sure. Just seeing everything that went on today...that's gone on...I'm just not sure what could be worth all this."

"Alec I won't ever go back to him. He's done too much...cost us all too much...there's no way he could ever redeem himself to me."

Lou set his briefcase down on his desk in his home office and glanced down at the blinking light on his answering machine. Probably should check before he headed up to bed. Easing himself into his chair he hit play and made some notes on his legal pad. Hearing the sound of a clock ticking he looked up,

"Tick tock, the sounds of a clock. Hear that Lou? That's the sound of your clock and guess what? Your time's running out."

Lou hit the button for playback and listened to the voice, he couldn't place it. He could almost swear it was a voice distorter. Checking the call display he saw no number had been logged for the call and he felt a chill run through him.