- * * - Road To Take - * * -

Brian stood motionless, aghast at Meg’s announcement. His body began to sway a little and he felt light headed. He felt himself brush up against someone or something.

“Whoa there Brian, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” Kevin teased as he patted Brian on the back, helping to steady him. How could Meg not have mentioned this to him? How could she have kept a life altering decision like this a secret? “I thought I meant more to her than that,” he said quietly to himself as he watched her jump up and down with delight, as he watched everyone congratulate each other on their successes, as he watched the room be happy. Why wasn’t he happy? Why did he feel like such an outsider? Like Nick, why did he suddenly feel like he didn’t belong?

Brian disappeared off the stage without anyone noticing. He pushed his way through the people until he found the stairs up to the office. He staggered up the stairs praying that the office would be unlocked. He needed somewhere to hide. He wanted someplace where he could be alone with his thoughts for a minute and try to figure out what had just happened to his life in last 30 minutes. One minute he’s the happiest man on earth, going into a partnership with his best friends and the next, his girl is leaving him to follow her dream. In his heart he was happy for her, he truly was, but at the moment he was still feeling to selfish to tell her.

He turned the knob on the door and it opened. He had to give the door a little push with his shoulder to open it, revealing an empty office with stark white walls and black carpeting. “Gee, this place looks like a world of excitement!” he muttered to himself as he closed the door behind him. He looked around the room for a chair or stool, but there was nothing, only a window with one-way glass so that he could peer down onto the club without being seen. He stood and stared out at the club and watched. He watched as Howie picked CJ up in his arms and swung her around on the dance floor. And then he watched as Kevin and Howie pointed around the club, probably at things that they were going to change, now that they own the place. He watched as Nick sat alone at the bar sipping on a beer and he watched as Alex and Jamie danced naughtily on the dance floor. He watched them until they broke apart and searched through the crowd until they found the twins, who were crying to each other in one of the booths, and then watched as Jamie and Alex disappeared through the side door, bearly able to keep their hands off each other.

He watched as the party went on without him. He tried to watch the entire club, but no matter how hard he tried not to, his eyes kept coming back onto that corner booth where Meg and Nat sat. He watched as Meg’s _expression changed from elation to bittersweet sorrow and as Nat got up and walked around the table and sat down beside Meg and gave her a loving hug of encouragement. Brian stood there and watched until he could watch no more. He turned and leaned against the wall and then slowly slid down onto the floor, stretching his legs out in front of him. And that’s how he sat, alone in the darkness of that empty office until there was a timid knock at the door.

“Brian? Are you still in there?” Meg’s quiet voice seeped through the door and tickled his ears like a gentle spring breeze. “I know you’re in there, cuz Nick saw you come up here.......can I come in?” she said as she pushed the door open, at first thinking that the office was empty. She flicked on the light switch and was startled to find Brian sitting on the floor.

“What are you doing up here......in the dark?” she asked, puzzled, as she walked over and kneeled down beside him. Brian looked up into her beautiful eyes and felt tears burn. He fought them back and swallowed.

“Just thinking....” he said quietly.

“Brian, I .....I thought that you’d be happy for me,” she said. Brian looked up at her again, to see tears streaming down her face.

“How could you not have told me?” he asked, sounding more hurt than angry.

“I just found out this morning........I went to my call back yesterday and they called this morning while you were here......they said that if I want the part I have to be in NYC by tomorrow.............” she dropped her head down, she couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t watch while she broke his heart. “Brian, it’s my chance of a lifetime. I was just downstairs talking with Nat.....I hadn’t told her either.......and Brian, I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to leave her.......I’ve never been away from her....not for one night..........” She began to sob now, and Brian’s tears could not be contained any longer either. He wiped them away, hoping that she wouldn’t see, but as soon as he’d wipe one away, another one would follow in it’s tracks. “Nat told me to follow my dream, but....it’s going to be so hard!!!!!”

“Leaving all of us will be difficult, but if your dream truly is waiting for you in New York, then you’ll find that it’s not that hard....you’ll know that you’ve made the right decision.....” Brian trailed off, the words had stopped coming, only tears remained.

“What do you mean leaving ‘US’????? You are coming with me, right?” Meg asked, crawling over closer to Brian. The words hit his ears like a brick. He hadn’t thought about going with her....he hadn’t realized that she was ready for that.

“Go with you?” he repeated. “How can I go with you? I have a business to run here now? I can’t walk away from that before we even get off the ground......”

“But.......but don’t you love me?” she whispered, her eyes locked onto his.

“Of course I do, I just.......I didn’t know whether you.........of course I love you, Meg...I love you with all of my heart!” he gushed and sat forward and hugged her so tightly that she squeaked. He pulled back and kissed her softly on her lips. She kissed him back and began to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt. He swung around onto his knees until they where both kneeling and facing each other. She finished removing his shirt as he gently kissed up and down her neck. His hands found the zipper to her dress and slid it down gently. She arched her back as his cool hands caressed her backside and slipped her gently out of her dress. Her hands reached for his belt and began to undo it when his hands grabbed hers and stopped her.

“Are you sure you want to do this???? Are you sure, when you don’t know what tomorrow will bring?” Brian whispered softly into her ear.

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life,” she whispered back. He smiled and lay her down onto the black carpet, where he made sure that she would never forget him.

Meg’s bags sat waiting at the front door for the cab as Meg and Nat ran around the condo in a crazy panic, checking to make sure that they hadn’t forgotten anything. Nat had decided to go with Meg for a few days, just until she was settled, before coming back to start in on fulfilling her own dream, her own destiny, If all goes according to plan, Meg could become a permanent part of the company and could remain in NYC for years. Nat secretly hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, that her sister would be back in Orlando with her in a few months, but then Jamie reminded her that she too would be away. Jamie had already booked Nat on her first tour and she would be touring Europe all the following summer.

Everyone had come to the condo for a ‘farewell breakfast’, everyone that is except CJ who was still finishing up her physical therapy at the rehab centre and Brian, who was sulking in his room.

“CJ gave me this note to give you, Meg...” Howie said, holding out a tiny blue envelope. Meg smiled shyly and took it and placed it in her purse for later. “You’ll be great, I just know it....and ya know what? We’re all gonna come and see your show as soon as your settled! You just say when!” Howie smiled and gave her a huge hug.

The sound of a car horn meant that it was time to go. Nat picked up Meg’s luggage and with Kevin’s help, began to carry it outside to the waiting cab. Tears flowed freely at the front door as everyone offered their ‘good-byes’ and ‘good lucks’. Everyone that is except Brian, who had not yet materialized from his room.

He wasn’t sleeping, but he was in bed under the covers. He hadn’t lost track of time, he heard every word downstairs, but the thought of facing her and saying goodbye to her was too much for him to handle. He needed some time, some space. In a day or two he would call her and make things right.

“Brian? Aren’t you coming downstairs? Meg’s about to leave.....Brian?” It was Nick. “Brian don’t you want to say goodbye?”

“No!.............I cant.”

The cab was full and the meter was running as Nat climbed in.

“Goodbye everyone! I love you and I’ll miss you all!!! I’ll call when we get there and you have to promise that you’ll come and see me!!!!” Meg said cheerfully, supressing her tears. She turned to climb into the cab when Nick came running out of the house yelling.

“WAIT! MEG!! HOLD UP!!” Meg paused and took a step towards Nick and smiled. Nick threw his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

“He’s not coming.....I tried, but he’s not coming.......” He could feel the happiness being drained from her body as she went limp in his arms. “You know he loves you, trust that!” Nick said and pulled away, offering her a kiss on the cheek. Meg stood there, blushing and stared back at the house, hoping to see a glimpse of Brian standing in the window, but he wasn’t there. She waved to everyone one more time and climbed into the cab, driving out of their lives as quickly as they had driven into hers.

“I can’t believe what a spoiled little ass you just were!!!” Kevin scolded as he ripped the sheets off Brian’s bed, exposing Brian all curled up in the fetal position, crying. “How could you be so selfish as to put her through that??? Don’t you think she’s having a hard enough time going out there on her own without you making her feel like she’s making a mistake??? God, Brian, what were you thinking??”

“I was thinking how much I love her and how much I don’t want her to go!” Brian mumbled into the mattress.

“Brian? Can I ask you something, man?” Howie interrupted Kevin’s scolding. “Why didn’t you go with her? I mean if you love her, then why.............”

“Because I’m just starting a life for myself here. I just went into partnership with you two...I can’t very well just up and leave.....now can I????”

“THAT’S why you’re here and not on that airplane?? Because of US?” Kevin said, stunned out of his mind.

“Uhm Brian, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you gotta follow your heart, man!!!” Howie said, slapping Brian across the leg.

“Brian, don’t listen to your brain, listen to your heart....and if it’s saying to go and be with Meg, then GO! You can follow your business from NYC, but it’s pretty damn hard to follow your heart from here!” Kevin said, standing up and tossing the covers back over Brian. “Think about it.”

Meg clutched her seat nervously as the airplane took flight. She had never flown before, but once they were in the air, she realized that it wasn’t nearly as bad as she had imagined. Her mouth felt dry and the beverage cart wasn’t circulating yet. She picked up her purse and began to rummage around for her gum. As she did this she came across the little blue envelope from CJ. She took it out of her purse and looked at it, staring at her name written across the front. She tore it open and read the inside. Like CJ, it was direct and to the point. It said:

“He’ll be along, give him time. Good Luck, Sweetie! Knock their socks off!!!” ~CJ

She smiled and ran her finger across the words and prayed that CJ was right.

Kevin, since he was feeling a little down and a little lost without Nat, agreed to go and visit CJ with Howie. He had been feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t visited her there yet and today CJ had asked for him specifically.

When they walked into the centre, CJ was in the middle of one of her physical therapy sessions. Howie waved and smiled to her as she worked with her therapist. Kevin, awkwardly smiled and sat down beside Howie and waited.

“Uhm, TWO men here to see you today...you must be one lucky girl, CJ!” her therapist teased as he helped her back into her chair. She just smiled and began to wheel her way over to her visitors.

“How are you feeling today, honey?” Howie asked as he got up to offer her a little kiss.

“Fine. How are you two?” she smiled. Kevin nodded, but stayed quiet.

“Uhm, excuse me, Mr.Dorough, if you have a moment, I have some paper work that needs to be signed....CJ’s put you down as her ‘contact person.’” the therapist said.

“Oh, ya, sure, I can do that!” Howie smiled. “You two can chat for a while and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Kevin nodded again and CJ smiled and kissed Howie’s hand, before he followed the therapist down the hall and into the office.

“I’m glad that you agreed to come here today, Kevin,” CJ said as she reversed back over towards the window. “I asked Howie to bring you, but I wasn’t sure that you’d come,” she smiled. “There’s something that I’ve been saving for you.”

“Oh, what’s that?” Kevin asked in a monotone voice, rather uninterested in playing her games.

“You okay? You seem kinda down!” she said as she rolled all the way across the room and stopped.

“I just miss Nat, that’s all.,” he said quietly. “Now, what is it that you want to show me?” He asked, still rather uninterested, but still trying to humour her.

“Nothing much, just this!” she said as she moved her feet and planted them firmly on the ground and began to rise. Kevin’s eyes suddenly began to enlarge as he watched CJ stand up from her chair and without any help from anyone, walk across the room towards him. He was stunned, speechless. He could think of nothing to do but stand up and walk towards her. She walked slowly, but steadily towards him. He closed in quickly on her, fearing that she may fall, but she didn’t. Not until she reached him, where she collapsed into his arms.

“CJ!!! I........” he began, but was still mesmerized.

“Wait! I can do more!” she said as she steadied herself and began to walk back over to the chair where he had been sitting. Sit back down!” she ordered. He did as he was told and once he was sitting, she completed her journey and sat down on his knee and smiled.

“CJ! I had no idea!!!! Howie never mentioned that you were......”

“Howie doesn’t’ know!!!” she interrupted. “No one knows...only you.”

“Me? Why me?”

“I wanted to thank you for helping Howie and I.....for defending me and for taking that punch....I really appreciate it, “ she said, offering a provocative smile, “How is your nose, anyway?”

“Tender,” he replied and moaned as she gave it a little peck.

“How long have you been......doing this? Walking, I mean?” Kevin asked as CJ studied his bruised nose very carefully and from a very close distance.

“A couple of weeks....”

“A COUPLE OF WEEKS??? And you never told anyone?? You never told HOWIE??”

“Never told Howie what?” Howie asked, as he returned from the office, finding CJ in another compromising position.

“That she can walk!!!” Kevin exclaimed. “Go on, show him CJ!!!”

“Walk? What are you talking about? You can walk? Since when?” Howie asked, shocked.

“Since a couple of weeks ago,” CJ said as she gently got onto her feet and moved towards Howie. Kevin wished that he had a camera, so that he could have captured the _expression of utter joy on Howie’s face at that very moment.

“Why didn’t you TELL ME??” Howie asked as he scooped her up and spun her around.

“I thought that I might lose you.....”

“Baby, you’ve held onto me threw a hell of a lot more than you learning to walk again!”

“I know, it’s silly,” she said, as Howie picked her up and began to twirl her around again, not putting her down until they were both too dizzy to stand up.

After landing safely in NYC, Meg and Nat hurried along and picked up Meg’s luggage and began to make their way out of the airport.

“The director said that they would be sending someone to pick me up, but I just don’t see anyone,” Meg said as she scanned the airport for a sign bearing her name on it.

“Oh well, maybe they forgot...do you know where you’re supposed to go from here?” Nat asked as she steadied her share of the baggage.

“I have an address, I guess we’ll just have to take a cab.”

As they walked through the terminal, Meg grew more and more exhausted from dragging all of her luggage. She hadn’t realized how much stuff she had collected until she was packing it up. They were almost clear of the terminal when Nat spotted the man holding the sign with Meg’s name on it. They exchanged smiles and began to hurry towards the man.

“Hi, I’m Megan Wilson,.......and this is my sister, Nat!” Meg smiled proudly as the man reached up to remove his low-brim hat.

“I know,” he smiled. Meg’s eyes widened as she dropped her luggage and squealed with delight. She threw her arms around Brian so fast, that she almost knocked him over.

“Oh, my God, Brian!!! I can’t believe that you’re here!!!!” she shrieked. He spun her around, not wanting to ever let her go. “But wait a minute....how did you get here before me???” she puzzled as he set her down.

“Ah, the things you’ll go through for love!” he smiled.

Nick was tired and his eyes were drooping. His plane from NYC hadn’t landed until 3:15am and he was running on no sleep. There had been no time. He had to be here for his first day at his new job at 7am, sharp, in order to familiarize himself with the routine. His plane had been delayed in NYC for several hours which had forced him to become overly familiar with JFK airport and had also left him ill prepared for his first day.

He had gone to NYC with Jamie and Alex to visit with Meg and Brian and take in Meg’s show. Nick was overwhelmed with not only Meg’s flawless performance, but also with the art of live theatre itself. He didn’t move a muscle during the entire show, his eyes fixated on the entire production and then it was Nick who clapped the loudest when the theatre company came out to take their bows. Jamie had to take him by the hand and literally drag him from his seat. Nick reluctantly followed her, desperately not wanting the night and the experience to come to an end.

He had been dying to go and visit Brian and Meg since they had left 2 months ago, Brian had left an empty void in Nick’s life, one that Alex and Jamie tried to fill, but it was the preparation for his new job that ultimately turned his head towards something else. Something new and exciting that Nick was looking forward to, until now. Alex and Kevin had helped him discover his inner self, his true self and they helped him find a job that would allow him to use his gifts and talents, but also have fun at the same time. One where he could use his brain and show off his quirks and one where he would not have to pretend to be something that he’s not. Together, they had accomplished the impossible; they had helped Nick find a job that didn’t really seem like a job at all.

Nick shut the door behind him and sat down at his desk. He delicately placed his folders down and removed his pen from his white coat. He looked up from his desk hesitantly and waited, he waited for someone to say something, anything to make the awkwardness go away. He needed to feel safe and secure. He needed for someone to say that this was going to be great, that he was doing the right thing. But no one did, and all at once, he was over-whelmed with the sensation that he was making a terrible mistake. He wasn’t cut out for this. Who was he trying to kid? He couldn’t do this alone. He wasn’t smart enough. He wasn’t strong enough to be able to handle this by himself. Thoughts of standing up and running out of the room raced through his head. Thoughts of running out through the front doors and down the street, not stopping until he was home and safe under his cover, where no one could hurt him dance through his mind. He began to sweat as he envisioned himself doing this. He could see himself running away from the pain. But then the bell rang, snapping him back into reality and everything was alright again.

“Please sit down,” he said in a mild voice. “My name is Mr.Carter and this is Senior Physics. Open your text books to page 14 and we’ll start with Isaac Newton and his 3 Laws of Motion.”

“No, no, no, the lights should be over there!” Jamie said running to CJ’s side and taking them from her and moving them.

“What are you talking about?” CJ asked, moving them back to where she had them.

“CJ, if the lights are over there then they are going to be blinding everyone on stage...if there over here they won’t!” Jamie smiled and put here hands on her hips, waiting for CJ to draw her own conclusion.

“But from over here, they will light the stage up perfectly, over there.....well, it will be dark in that back corner.”

“Is it really going to make THAT big of a difference?” Howie interrupted, slipping his hands around CJ’s waist, startling her, and then proceeding to kiss her neck. “The stage lights up well no matter where you two put the lights,” he smiled.

“Howie’s right, it doesn’t matter. It’s been fine in the past, we shouldn’t be changing it now,” Jamie said, moving the light back to it’s original spot.

Howie let go of CJ and walked behind the bar and opened a bottle of seltzer. He took a swig and placed the bottle gently down on the counter.

“It’s gonna be a full house tonite,” he smiled. “You guys must be doing something right with these acts you keep booking in here....people can’t seem to get enough of them. Brian and Kevin would be thrilled with the success of the club, if they were ever around to see it!” Howie smiled and winked. It was a fact from the start, that the club was Howie’s dream, Howie’s baby and that Kevin and Brian were merely financiers. Howie was the one with all of the vision and the five-year plan. Brian and Kevin knew that and respected him for it. Sure it was their money invested in it, but they trusted Howie and his ‘vision’, no matter how crazy it seemed at times. Besides, they both had more important things on their minds lately. Brian was content to be a silent partner in the club on the condition that it continued to profit. And Kevin, he had been more involved with it at the start, but with Nat preparing to go out on tour soon, his focus had recently become a little distracted.

“Good, that means that we’re doing something right!” CJ smiled and checked her watch. “Where are those guys? They said that they would be here to sound check 20 minutes ago.”

“Whose playing tonite? I hope it’s Nat again, she has been a major draw lately!!!” Howie asked as he opened the cash register.

“No, Kevin wisked her away on some romantic getaway!” Jamie smiled as thoughts of her and Alex in NYC ran through her head. They had had such a wonderfully romantic getaway, despite the fact that Nick was tagging along as their third wheel. Alex had pampered her so perfectly while they were there, eating at all of the finest restaurants, an afternoon at a fancy spa and then attending the theatre every nite. It was wonderful, something that she had dreamt of doing her entire life, but had never taken the time to do it. Actually, she had never found the right someone to take a trip like that with before, until Alex. She was crazy about him and she knew that this was serious, she felt like he may be the one, but she was in no hurry for a commitment. She knew that he had had a difficult time in relationships before her and he was too important, too special to rush.

“Jamie? Where did you go, girl?” CJ asked, snapping Jamie back into reality.

“S-sorry, I must have zoned out there...what were you saying?”

“I was just asking you if this band is gonna rock the house tonite?” Howie said with a bright smile.

“Oh, yeah! I hope so! They better, cuz we’re planning on sending them on tour with Nat next month....if all goes well.”

“I didn’t know that Kevin and Nat had left town.....they won’t be gone for long will they? I mean we have to get into rehearsals,” CJ said, with a slight sound of panic in her voice.

“Nat knows her job and Kevin promised me that they won’t be gone long. I don’t know where they went..... all that Kevin said to me was that he had someplace he wanted to show Nat......someone he wanted her to meet, or something....,” Jamie trailed off just as the band walked into the club. “Hurry up and set up your equipment, we don’t have much time.”

Kevin and Nat’s plane had landed just in enough time so that they could watch the sunset along the western sky. It had been a long flight, too long. So long that Kevin had rethought this trip over and over again in his head, but ultimately the answer was the same. Yes, he was making the right decision. After a brief stop and a romantic dinner, they both piled into Kevin’s rented porche and began to drive into that western sunset.

Nat was tired, she hadn’t slept much on the plane, she too was nervous about this trip. Nervous in a good way, but nervous all the same. She always felt that way when she was embarking into the unfamiliar. She knew that this is how she would feel while on tour and she hoped that this trip would help her practice controlling her jitters. She hadn’t yet figured out the cure for her anxiety, but she had found the medicine. She snuggled up to his shoulder as he drove along the interstate. Never in her life would she have believed this, that one day she would be touring around the country doing something that she loves with the man of her dreams, with someone who made her so happy and with someone who treated her so well. She was sleepy, yet she didn’t’t want to fall asleep. She was afraid that when she woke up that she would realize that it had all been a dream.

“I love you, baby,” Kevin said, kissing the top of her head as it rested on his shoulder. “You’re awful quiet, are you okay? Are you okay with everything?”

“I’m just thinking about how happy you make me,” she quietly trailed off. Neither of them said another word until Kevin pulled into the driveway and parked the car.

“We’re here sleepy head,” he smiled, with that twinkle in his eye that made her heart melt everytime. She smiled and unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.

The warm breeze ruffled her long skirt as they walked up to the front door of a charming house. The air that had once felt warm to Nat suddenly turned cold and sent a shiver down her spine. She chattered her teeth together and cuddled up close to Kevin as he reached out and rang the doorbell. The familiar sound echoed through his ears as Nat began to nervously fidget. The outside lights switched on and the front door opened. A women stood there and Kevin smiled as the _expression on her face quickly turned from curious to shock and then into complete elation.

“Oh, my word, KEVIN!!!” the woman exclaimed, opening up the screen door to him.

“Hello mama, I’m back. I came back like I promised you that I would,” Kevin smiled shyly as his mother looked him over quickly and then shifted her attention towards Nat.

“Are you alright? How have you been?” his mother began to ramble over the excitement of seeing her son. She stepped out onto the porch and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. “And who is this lovely lady?” she smiled.

“Mama, that’s why I came back. That’s why WE came back. I wanted you to meet Nat, mama. I wanted you to meet my wife.”