Four years after...
LIMPA was now manages by Cari's vice-president, Eric Shea. Hell broke loose when Cari disappeared for one month without
leaving instructions to anyone. Finally she called, giving her board of directors, the plan for LIMPA. She chose who her
successor would be until she was gone. Even it was hard for her to do she had no choice.
Cari gave birth to a baby boy eight and a half months after she saw Brian and BJ. She named him Tristan James Sanders. She
did not use Nick's last name, lest someone got suspicious. Still it wasn't hard to guess who the father is when TJ, as Cari
fondly called him, reached the age of four, he had his father's blond locks and his mother's indigo eyes. He also inherited
Nick's attitude, he was always was doing little pranks to his mommie and all he had to do to get out of a punishment was
smile. It was quite irresistible so Cari just let him go. She would sometimes go to LIMPA's agency in Paris, checking on
some reports that Eric had done. To see what has been happening in her absence. She missed working, being surrounded by
flurry and excitement everyday. BJ sometimes calls her to check on her. It was very awkward for them to talk, but almost
all of the conversations were the same, BJ pleading Cari to come home. But still she being stubborn, refused. BJ would then
tell her about Nick's pitiful condition and she would mentally block out that part. After each conversation, she would put
down the phone with a heavy heart.
"Okay baby, you go play with your toys while mommie here goes to work okay?" she said as she kissed him in the cheek. She
placed him down and he promptly ran towards the end of the room which was filled with toys. Cari did not mind the unprofessional
look of her office.
She pushed the intercom button, "Tanya, have the quarterly reports arrive from Eric yet?"
"Yes ma'am, it arrived yesterday." she answered.
"Bring it up here,"
Tanya, her secretary, went inside the office and handed her the reports. She was looking at Cari with an expectant face.
"That would be all Tanya," she waved her hand as if to dismiss her.
"Mr. Shea told me to tell you to read section four's report carefully and call him as soon as you read it." she said then she
turned around and left the room.
Cari flipped through the pages until she got to a month ago's report. She gasped. Eric had sold fifty percent of LIMPA's
stock without her knowing it! LIMPA was a private company, she wanted it to be that way so that LIMPA would be own it solely.
Eric had sold it last month to a Mr. Gene Cartman. She frowned, the name sounds so familiar, then after realizing who the
buyer was she gave out a strangled cry. TJ, hearing his mommie gasp, went towards her.
"Mommie?"
"What honey?" she asked, not really paying attention.
"Are you okay? I heard you gasp," he said.
Cari smiled at the boy's sensitivity, "I'm okay baby, give mommie a kiss then go back to your toys."
TJ went around the glass desk and gave Cari a slobbery kiss at her cheek. She smiled, that made her feel a bit better. Then
she remembered the reports.
"Son of a Bitch!" she cursed as she punched LIMPA's number in Miami.
Geena answered the phone, "Geens, it's me connect me to Eric, now."
"He's in a meeting right now Ms. Sanders," she said, surprised that Cari called. She hasn't called unless there was trouble.
"Get that damn bastard to the phone right now. Tell him that if he isn't here in five minutes, I'm going to fire his fucking
ass!" she said angrily.
"Yes Ms. Sanders, right away," she punched some buttons on the intercom and asked for Mr. Shea in Conference room #5. She
had never heard Cari this angry.
After four and a half minutes, Eric got connected to the phone. "Eric Shea here,"
"Eric, you son of a bitch!!?! You sold half of LIMPA's stocks without me knowing it?" she exploded.
"Cari, Cari, Cari, it was a good deal, the mad paid twice as much in each share. I doubled your money." he explained gently.
"You should have told me first! It is my company and I have the right to know! LIMPA, if you have forgotten is a private
company, you know what that means don't you? We don't sell our stocks, damnit!" she yelled frustratedly, TJ was looking at
her with surprise. Cari saw it and blew him a kiss, he blew one back.
"Who's the bastard who purchased our stocks?" she asked edgily. She hoped against hope that it wasn't who she thought it was.
"Mr. Gene Cartman, but I think you know him better as Nick Carter. He changed his name in this transaction." he said.
Cari closed her eyes, praying for a miracle. "You sold my shares to my ex-boyfriend? How stupid can you get Eric?" she
snarled.
She could hear Eric sigh heavily at the other line. "We could always get it back you know,"
"By how much? He can triple the price of the damn stocks if he wanted to! The company cannot supply that much money! How much
did you sell each stock?" she asked.
"Ninety dollars per share, he bought five hundred thousand shares, half of LIMPA."
Cari's eyes' popped open. Each share just cost forty-five dollars each. She did a quick Math in her head. "How did he manage
to buy fifty percent of LIMPA with ninety dollars per? That would cost him exactly forty-five million dollars!" she shouted.
"Bingo! Exactly, I just got your lovely company forty-five million dollars in cold hard cash. He had the money, he just
went in here and asked to speak to me. We made the deal in that same day." he said excitedly at the prospect of having a
higher salary.
"I want you to contact him back as soon as I put this phone back. Call me as soon as you hear from him, okay?"
"Yes ma'am,"
"And Eric?"
"If you don't get back the stocks for forty-five dollars each from him, I'll fire your fucking ass." Then she placed down
the receiver. She dropped on the leather swivel chair. TJ ran up to her.
"Mommie, are you sure your okay?" he asked, doubt was in his face.
"Yes, honey, why'd you ask?"
"Because you only say damnit, sonofabitch and fuck when your sick." he explained innocently, not knowing the meaning
behind the words.
Cari groaned.
"Hey Frack, what's with the grin?" AJ asked warily.
"Nothin'" he answered cheerily.
The boys looked at one another, what's up?
"C'mon Kaos, spill." Howie said.
"Hey, am I not allowed to be happy here?" he asked, feigning hurt.
"Nah Nick, were just now used to it." Kevin said.
Fatima called them to start practice. The three went without Brian and Nick.
"I gather you have something to ask me?" Nick asked wryly.
Brian nodded his head sheepishly. "So what's up Frack?"
Nick smiled again, "I did it Frick!"
"Did what?" Brian said, puzzled.
"I bought half of LIMPA!" he said happily.
"Say what?" Brian said incredulously, his eyes popping wide. "How? LIMPA's a private company, you can't buy stocks!"
Nick shrugged, all he thought was that, now that he has half of LIMPA, he'll have his revenge. His eyes were losing it's
happy expression.
"You know Cari loves that company Nick," Brian said quietly.
"Precisely,"
"He refused, I even bluffed saying that we will buy the stocks for one hundred twenty bucks each. He still refused." he said
defeated.
"Did you see him?"
"Yeah, I tried to convince the bastard the LIMPA's stocks aren't doing that well, but still he didn't want to sell it back to
us. Not one damn share! I think the ass has an ulterior motive. When we were having the meeting, he just said no to all our
proposed options. It was like he was interested with the shares like no other." he ranted.
"Are you sure you did all you could?" she asked hopefully.
"Hell, yeah! I even asked Fisher to help me!" he said.
Cari groaned, Fisher was a good speaker, he could have had twisted the truths a little bit to make people believe he was right.
So if Fisher couldn't do it no other can. She had no more options left. She had to save her company, her family. She said
the words that she thought she would never ever say, "I'm going back,"
In the span of of four years Nick's pain became anger. Anger at Cari for leaving him without saying
goodbye. At first, his band mates saw how his career was going down the drain. He would mess up their concerts especially when they
were about to sing ballads. He would usually have tears rolling down his eyes and they would know that he was thinking of
Cari. BJ was there too, helpless at how she could make the pain for his brother go away. She and Brian agreed not to tell
Nick about who they saw in Paris. It will do nobody good. But sometimes when Nick would just wallow up in pain and sadness
and would lock himself up in his room for more that three days, BJ would think if they did the right thing. He lost a lot
of weight. From his usual healthy weight of 180 pounds, he dropped to a mere 150. His hair was loosing it's bright and shiny
color and he rarely smiles. The fans did not see the Carter grin very often now and they were now beginning to think that
something might have happened. This continued on for a year and a half. He endured the pain that long. One day he began to
change, he began to retreat to his own private shell. For six months. his band tried to make him be interested at what he
used to love, to no avail. He was not hurting anymore, just needed time to think about the future. After six months things
began to get normal, he again began to like playing Nintendo, eat pizza, play basketball and stuff. To everyone it seems
normal again but deep inside Nick he was boiling in anger. Anger directed to Cari. When someone accidentally mentions her
name his eyes turn into blue shards of ice, it was frightening to look into directly. His friends and family now talk about
it privately, not wanting to cross Nick's path.
At LIMPA (Paris)...
Cari walked in her office at the relatively small agency, a mere fifteen floors. Still, designers in Paris
flock in that agency to sign up their photo shoots. She always brought TJ with her because she did bot want to leave him with
a nanny, she wanted to take care of him by herself. Carrying TJ, she walked inside.
Back in Florida...
Nick walked in rehearsal with a big grin on his face. His band mates took note of this and became
suspicious.
At LIMPA (Paris), Two days later...
"What did he say Eric?" Cari demanded as soon as she picked up the receiver.
