Shortly after the song had ended Maggie pulled into DWF Dance Studios. She rushed inside, arriving five minutes late to her first class. Several students lounged around the mirror-covered room, some stretching, others going over moves from the previous week.

"Sorry for being late." Maggie smiled, tossing her duffel bag against the wall. "I'm glad to see you've started your stretches," she continued right as the phone in her office rang. "Excuse me."

Opening the glass door that lead into a small room Maggie went to over to the desk and reached the phone on it's forth ring. "DWF Studios, Maggie West speaking, how may I help you?"

"Depends." Judy's voice teased on the other end.

Grinning Maggie looked out to see some of her students becoming restless. "I don't have much time, Jude, what's up?"

"Well, you know how you're coming out here to visit in a few weeks, right?"

"Mmm hmm." The red head agreed, placing a nail in her mouth and biting down.

Judy gave a dramatic pause. "What if I came to see you now instead."

It was then that Maggie knew something fishy was going on. "Do I have a choice?"

Laughing Judy shook her head. "Not really. I'm at the Plaza hotel right now, but wait, there's more."

Maggie's emerald eyes twinkled with curiosity. "I'll take the bait. What else could there be?"

"We've got meet and greet passes along with front row seats to the Backstreet Boys that any teeny bopper would kill or die for." Judy stated.

Maggie frowned. "Did Nick put you up to this?"

Judy knew Maggie would know if she were lying, so she shrugged and went with the truth. "Eeeer. Wrong answer. I'll give you a hint. His name starts with Alex."

Shocked Maggie glanced out to her classroom. The students had given up on rehearsing and were sitting in small clumps chatting. "I don't have time for this." Maggie muttered. "Did he fly you out here too?"

Giving a heavy sigh Judy answered casually. "How soon we forget your best friend is a travel agent. Listen, I'm going to drop your ticket and pass off at your place, I'll slide them under the door. I'm leaving it up to you if you want to join me. Just remember, I could have made a few hundred bucks on Ebay with these."

It was just like Maggie's friend to make jokes at a time when her head was spinning with questions. Five months had passed and now out of nowhere both Nick and AJ were reaching out to her. It didn't make sense and while part of her wanted to know why, she was torn. There was no way she would get involved in their lives again, she couldn't. All she did was cause them pain, and she loved them both too much to do that. "Fine. I have a class to teach. Call me later." Maggie hung up before Judy had a chance to say anything more.

*

AJ paced back stage, wringing his hands together. His plan had to work. He had worked with Judy for the past few months figuring out exactly how they would get Maggie back into Nick's life. Then he smiled. It felt so strange, yet so right, to know he was setting up his best friends. AJ had finally let go of his feelings for Maggie and now he was ready to truly let go once and for all.

"Are you alright, dawg?" Nick asked AJ, from where he was seated by the TV, the game controller in his hand.

Pausing in his steps AJ nodded. "I just hope this works," he mumbled.

Nick didn't turn his attention from the television as he smiled. "I did my part. You did yours. Judy did hers. It will be fine."

AJ had debated whether he wanted to let Nick know what he and Judy had come up with, but finally they agreed it involved him, so he should know. Nick was eager to help. He had thought about nothing but Maggie ever since the morning she left, for the second time. It was like he saw her face everywhere he went, but it never was his one true love. It was Nick's idea to play the song on the radio, although the others didn't agree, but the lyrics to the song fit the situation so well. Now he hoped all these risks would lead to a happy ending.

Brian opened the door to the dressing room and called in, "time for the meet and greet guys!"

"Here goes nothing." AJ grinned at Nick and the two walked out together.

*

The ear piercing screams began and Judy placed her hands over her ears. She rolled her eyes and girls began to push closer to their favorite boy. Tears were streaming down most of their faces. It was more than the lanky blonde could stand. The line eventually calmed down and began moving towards the table set up at the front of the room. Each boy sat smiling and waving to the girls who waited in anticipation to meet them.

Judy's turn came and she placed a pin up on the table.

Nick was first. He laughed as he looked down to see the faces of *NSYNC on the magazine page. "Funny." His attention wasn't held long as his eyes darted around the crowd in search of Maggie.

"My bad. Wrong side." Judy said, turning the pin up around. She knew Nick hadn't heard he was too busy scanning the throng of girls. "Don't worry. You know she's always fashionably late," she reassured before moving over to AJ.

"Alex."

"J bug," he answered affectionately. He quickly scribbled his name on the pin up. Giving a side ways glance to Nick, who was still acting anxious, he frowned.

Judy shrugged. "Just be patient," she reassured. Then she stepped aside and was face to face with Brian.

"Hey," he drawled, giving a shy smile.

"Long time no see." Judy responded. She shifted her weight and smiled back at Brian.

It was weird how so many years had passed and she still felt awkward around him. The two had a brief dating history, although short, it was memorable. That was a different time though, when the boys had just started out, Maggie had set the two up. Eventually time proved that the couple was better as friends, but once Brian met Leighanne the distance grew until the friends rarely spoke.

"I'll, uh, see you later." Judy barely managed to say before she shuffled over to Howie.

"OK, Howard, I need two more autographs and then this baby will put fifty bucks in my pocket." The blonde joked, as she pushed the pin up in front of him.

"Sure thing, sweetie." Howie winked.

Glancing back to Nick, Judy felt a pang of sorrow for him. He was so distant to the fans. He would barely grin for pictures, and he didn't pay attention to the comments fans would share. Then she felt a soft shove and realized she was holding up the line.

Coming up to Kevin. "Hello beautiful," he greeted her. Judy frowned, the man was unusually happy.

*

Kevin had been feeling great. Nothing would get in his way. Unbeknownst to the others, he had learned of the plan that AJ, Nick and Judy had concocted. But things had been working in his favor and he wasn't about to have that stop. Maggie left on her own free will this second time around and he wanted to make sure she didn't come back. That was why he had paid her a visit earlier that day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kevin sauntered into DWF Dance Studios and after asking at the front desk, he walked into room 436, Maggie's classroom.

A few of the students gasped at the site of Kevin Richardson, Backstreet Boy, in their class. Although Maggie had her back to the main door, she saw Kevin make his entrance through the reflection in the mirror.

"Please continue your steps." Maggie barked to the class.

Some of the girls had walked up to him, trying to make conversation or get an autograph. Maggie clapped her hands for full attention. "GIRLS!" she hollered, "please go back to your dancing. I'll start the counts. Five, six, seven, eight … and begin."

Smiling Kevin ambled towards Maggie, a smirk painted on his chiseled features. "We need to talk." He spoke softly when he reached the red head.

Maggie's eyes burned with anger. "How DARE you come into my work, disrupt my class and expect me to give you any of my time," she hissed. "Go away."

Turning her attention to the class she clapped out the beats. "One and two, three, four, five… that's good, keep your heads up. Turn, seven and eight."

Just as she finished, Maggie felt a tight squeeze on her arm and Kevin began dragging her into the office. "I'll be right back," she continued as the door shut behind the pair.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Maggie glared at Kevin, her emerald eyes burning with fury.

He narrowed his own blue eyes at the girl in front of him, leaning his tall frame against the oak desk. "You know damn well why I'm here."

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have time for this, Kevin, get to the point and get the fuck out."

The man let a small chuckle escape from his lips. "It's not that I don't like you Maggie. I actually despise you, but I'm sure the feeling is mutual." Kevin glanced at Maggie, who remained by the door, her eyes creased in frustration. "Let me remind you of a time when you came to my home, seduced me and disrupted my marriage…" he trailed off and smirked as Maggie squirmed.

Maggie didn't let her guard down too long. When she saw the satisfaction on Kevin's face, she stood up tall and placed her hands on her hips. "And let me remind you who created the lie to begin with," she countered.

Shaking his head Kevin crept over to Maggie and leaned his face close to hers. His breath was warm against her face as he stood there, inches from her mouth. Maggie turned away, her heart racing. She was grateful the shade was down on the window of the door or else she would have a lot of explaining to do to her students.

"I have a witness, my wife, who will argue other wise. She saw the whole thing. She knows what happened. You and I were having the affair for months, she walked in on us in the midst of hot and heavy sex." Kevin breathed into Maggie's ear.

Tears began to brim in Maggie's eyes, but she wouldn't allow Kevin the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "What do you want from me?"

Standing back up, a smile of satisfaction beamed from his face, Kevin gave a careless wave of his hand. "Just don't come back. I know what the others are hoping, but if you even dare to show your face, I'll tell them what I've just repeated to you."

Before Maggie could argue, Kevin pushed her aside and exited the office. He lingered for a few minutes, chatting with the girls in the class and signing autographs before leaving.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Hey, Kevin, hate to disrupt you from la-la-land but you have a line of fans waiting and I have one more autograph left before I become rich." Judy said, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Sorry." Kevin apologized; signing the pin up and handing it back to Judy.

*

The meet and greet ended and the boys got ready for the show to begin. Nick could barely concentrate as the band played the first few notes of 'Everybody'. Maggie had never shown up to the meet and greet, but maybe she was just too scared to see him face to face again. Excuses continued to run through his mind as AJ let out a scream and they ran from the platform to the front of the stage.

Through the well-polished dance moves Nick scanned the seats and faces of screaming girls. He finally saw her, but she wasn't enjoying the show like everyone else. Instead he watched her back as she hurried from the stadium, her burgundy hair bouncing in her haste to leave. He was helpless; he couldn't just stop the show and chase after her. His gaze followed her until she opened an exit door and walked out, one last time from his life.