~Three Weeks Later~
Brian sat in the conference room and looked at his three bandmates, who were sitting around the table looking at one another. Each noticing the lack of Nick's presence but not saying anything about it.
Kevin took a deep breath before he spoke. "So do we delay the recording sessions another month?"
"I guess...I mean we have the songs picked, did that before the accident." D said, then stopped. "Sorry guys."
"It's ok...so Bri you know him the best right now, do we delay or start laying down tracks?"
Rok leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what to say fellas. He's starting to retreat into himself...doesn't say much to me anymore."
"But this..." AJ said motioning to the group, "Does he even want this anymore?"
"I couldn't tell you."
D sighed. "Give him time...we don't want to make any decisions that might not be what everyone wants."
Kevin looked at his cousin. "Can...could you talk to him, see if he's even interested in being a Backstreet Boy?"
"I'll try."
AJ poured himself a water. "How is everything? You still living there Rok?"
"Yeah, I mean I haven't heard from any of you guys lately, and Alec hasn't mentioned talking to Lis in awhile." Kevin stated.
"It's well, its a weird situation...You can see Nick's frustrated with not remembering and instead of turning to Lis he's going to Han for comfort."
"Whoa, wait a minute...Han?" D interrupted.
"Yeah..."
"That has to be hell for Lis to see." AJ said, shaking his head. "Has she said anything about art school? Maybe it would be better if she got out of here."
Lis opened the front door to see Jenn and Alec standing there. Both of them stared at her shocked, she looked the worst they'd ever seen her, pale, drawn in the face and tired.
"Guys, what are you two doing here?" she asked, surprised to see her friends.
Jenn regained her voice. "If you weren't coming to us, we're coming to you." she said, walking into the house.
Alec smiled and followed. "And we brought food!" she said, motioning to the box of pizza she was carrying.
"You two didn't need to do this." Lis said, following them into the living room.
"And why not?" Jenn said, sitting down on the floor.
"Look Lis, we care about you."
"And we're worried. Look you've been home almost a month and when was the last time you called us? Before you left." Alec finished, taking out a couple drinks of a bag.
Lis smiled. "Guys, honest I'm fine..."
"And that's why you look like shit." Jenn said bluntly.
"Oh thanks!" Lis said with a laugh.
"When was the last time you left the house? Without Rok or Han at your side?" Alec asked.
"When I went grocery shopping this morning." Lis answered, picking at the toppings on her pizza.
"We need to get you back to the land of the living." Alec said, pulling her friend to her feet.
"But the pizza..." Lis said as Jenn pulled the plate out of her hands.
"Will still be here when we get back...now come on, go change...try to do something with your hair and we're taking you out. Chop chop!" Jenn instructed pushing her friend towards the stairs.
Lis laughed, "I'm going, I'm going."
Han looked over where Nick was sitting on the blanket, staring out at the sea. "Ok Carter, get up!" she yelled, heading in his direction.
He looked up at her and smiled. "Why?"
"Because, we're at the beach, it's a beautiful day and you're sitting around lost in your own world. Get up and do something!"
A smirk appeared on his face. "Get up and do something? You want me to get up and do something?"
Han took a step back. "Oh no...I know that look..."
Nick smiled. "Come here Han.." he said jumping to his feet.
"Gotta catch me first." she yelled and took off down the beach. Nick laughed and followed her.
Rok opened the front door and walked inside, arms full of shopping bags. "Heylo? I'm home!" he called, setting down the bags on the couch. No one answered him. "Lis? Han? Frack?"
That's weird, Lis never leaves the house anymore, he thought to himself as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at the box of pizza on the table and the six pack of cola and saw a note with his name on it.
Rok:
Jenn and Alec are dragging me out...have no idea when they're bringing me back. Cya when i get home.
Brian stuck the note in his pocket and smiled, that just might help Lis get back to her old self.
Nick grabbed Han around the waist and they both fell to the ground laughing.
"That's mean." Han said breathlessly.
"Oh really?" he said, smiling down at her.
"Very...the sand...it's hard..." she smiled up at him.
"That's too bad...here I'll make it better." he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her.
Alec pulled her car into the driveway and looked in the backseat at Lis. "You feeling ok?"
"Fine!"
"You sure, you fainted." Jenn said, looking at the house quickly then back at Lis.
"It's the heat. Florida's in the midst of a heat wave in case you two busy bodies hadn't noticed." Lis said, getting out of Alec's car.
Jenn and Alec exchanged puzzled looks. "Maybe you should see a doctor Lis...I mean you're wearing yourself down...it's not good." Alec suggested.
Lis grabbed her few bags out of the back seat and shut the door. She crouched down and looked in Alec's driver's side window. "I'm fine ok? Thanks for worrying but there's nothing wrong, now go before I have an angry AJ and Kevin on my doorstep demanding you two get home." she said with a smile.
"Like the time Nick did that." Jenn said laughing, then stopped.
"Just like that." Lis said, forcing a smile. "Now go, shoo!" she stood up and walked to the door.
Brian looked up as Lis walked inside. "You're home early."
"Uh yeah...didn't feel like staying out long." she answered, not looking at the man who had become her best friend in the last few weeks.
"Care to tell him why?" Jenn said, coming up behind Lis.
Lis spun around. "Can't you guys just leave well enough alone?"
"No, we can't. We care about you, and Nick." Jenn answered.
Brian walked over to Lis and turned her around. "Now why are you home so early?"
"I uh..." she looked into his eyes, "I fainted ok?"
"She fainted?" Rok turned and asked Jenn.
"Yeah about an hour ago, we took brought her straight here. Would have taken her to the doctor's but she's so damn stubborn."
"It's the heat...Rok it's just the heat."
Brian nodded. "Sure...thanks Jenn for telling me the truth."
"No prob Rok, I'll call you later Lis." Jenn waved and shut the door behind her.
Lis walked over and sat on the couch. "Ok Rok, yell all you want."
Brian knelt in front of her. "I'm not going to yell, I just think you should get checked out. The stress of the last few weeks is taking its toll on you, we can all see it."
"Why does everything think I'm sick? I feel perfectly fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
Han laid next to Nick on the blanket, her head on his chest. "You know I've been thinking." Nick said breaking the silence.
"And what would you be thinking?"
Nick smiled. "Well I was talking to Rok and he said I still have my beach house...it's close and not far from your place." He refused to call it his house since he had no recollection of it, "I think I'm going to move in there."
Han sat up and looked at him. "You're moving out?" she asked, knowing how that would devastate Lis.
"It's the best thing, I mean I'm moving on with my life and I think without me there Lis could move on with hers. You notice her and Rok are getting closer?"
'Because your pushing her there.' Han said silently. "They're just good friends Nick. Are you sure about this?"
"Very...would you move in with me? You wouldn't have to go to a dorm in the fall, this way we'd be together."
Han smiled weakly. "It's a great offer Nick, but uh I'm happy right now at the house and even if she isn't admitting it, Lis needs me there right now. You're really going to move?"
Nick nodded. "I took a cab to the house the other night. It's a perfect place for me."
Han sighed, she knew it was the perfect place for him, he'd had it designed especially for him shortly after he'd met her sister. They'd lived there together until a few months before when they'd moved into their house. "You always loved the beach house." she said softly.
Nick sighed. "It's great there Han...and I can be alone, try to sort things out...and I was thinking, maybe I'll start college in the fall."
"Don't you think your making a lot of changes right now?" she asked worriedly.
"Nah, I'm moving forward. It's what I should be doing."
