Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:36:47 -0800 (PST)
From: John D <zachstack@yahoo.com>
Subject: BSB Hearts Assunder Book 3 Promises: Part 2

Previously...

BSBHAB3: Heart's Promises Pt. 1
"Looking Back: New smiles, Old Faces"

[Mike's office]

"Do you really think that John had an accomplice?"
Mike commented, stopping his recent rumaging of
papers.

"I don't really know, but the Detective said it fit
the profile perfectly.  All I know is, he was usually
on a phone when he was on brake."  Burc shrugged,
taking a sip at his hot coffee.

"hmm,"  Was all Mike could mutter.  The truth was,
they had really not bothered to look beyond John's
references which were mostly -- if not all -- former
employers that were very high on his services.  Other
than those, John had never really seemed to have any
sort of friends other than other bodyguards and former
employers.  But even those were few in number.  John
had always been professional with his work and found
it unthinkable to socialize with his superiors.
*******************************************************

[The end of class for Nick and Bryan]

Nick was terribly wrong when he thought that the other
boy couldn't get anymore handsomer.  Upon taking the
extended arm, the other had smiled broadly with a
winsome smile that was accentuated with beautific
dimples at the ends while his brown eyes sparkled with
a deep and promising undertone.

"Hi Nick, I'm Slade."  His voice was enough to melt
the coldest icebergs of the arctics.

"C'mon Nick we're gonna be late."  Bryan, annoyed,
finally was able to pull Nick away from Slade.  But
his eyes were still drowning in the lovely pool of the
living adonis that was Slade.  To Shane, "Slade, I'll
-- we'll see you later."

To which the other only smiled even deeper and uttered
a low, almost whispering, almost sultry, "I take that
as a promise..."  His smile only wilted a little to
take more of a wicked image that was full of forbidden
promises.

[A few minutes later]

"Nick if you are going to behave like some stricken
schoolgirl, fine, but at least you could pretend to
still be my boyfriend when I'm around."  Bryan pouted
as he finally managed to pull Nick around the corner.
"Besides, Slade's trouble."

Nick looked at Bryan curiously.

"Yeah, that's right.  They guy is gorgeous and he
knows it.  He thinks he's god's gift to women, er and,
gays."  Bryan looked suddenly uncomfortable.  "You
shouldn't see him anymore."

"Oh, if it means that much to you, then I won't see
him anymore."  Nick smiled at him kindly and hugged
him for a minute or two.  "Let's grab some lunch, I'm
starving!"  Nick grinned happily and pulled Bryan into
the cafeteria.
*******************************************************
[A few yards away just as Nick and Bryan rounded the
corner]

Slade chuckled deep in his throat and shook his head.
He turned and nodded a greeting to another guy who had
been hiding in the shadows before he too headed out
the corridor.

End of Part 1

-------------------------------------------------------
**Disclaimers:  This is a work of fiction and should
not be taken into any other levels past that.  The
Backstreet Boys, Jane and Aaron Carter, Leighanne
Littrell, are their own people.  The trademarks of the
Backstreet Boys belong to Jive Records.  All of the
events and places and people involved in the following
story aside from the forementioned are only
ficticious.  In short, people, it's only a story, it's
not real.  It's PG so please, sit back, and enjoy the
ride.  Thank you**
-------------------------------------------------------

BSB Hearts Assunder Book 3: Hearts Promises Part 1
"Sights that Blind"


[On the way to the cemetary]

Nick and Bryan rode rather quietly in the car.  One,
Nick was still trying to sort through his own emotions
with finally having both Bryan and Brandon all in one
space -- even though the other is under 6 feet of
dirt; and two, Bryan didn't know how to really react.
He has been with Nick long enough to know how much
Brandon meant to Nick, and deeper yet in his
thoughts was something he and Nick were thinking
about: Slade.

For Nick, Slade was an enigma waiting for him to
discover.  A dark hidden secret that was exotic and
thrilling at the same time.  Despite the chaos that
was his feelings for Brandon and Bryan, he still could
not pry the image of the other out of his memory: he
had to see Slade again even for just a few minutes.
There was something about Slade that he just so wanted
to know.  A nagging secret waiting to be discovered.
The way he just seemed to reek of confidence in his
casual and almost catlike stride.  His smooth movement
as though he was wading through water was just
mesmerizing...well that and the way he was looking at
Nick like something he wanted to taste did not make
things easier either.

Bryan observed Nick as time flew past.  His face was a
regular Piccaso of confusion and emotions that he
thought that it did not take a shrink to know what was
in his mind.  Partially, he was correct of course. But
there was no way Bryan could know anything of what
caused the most trouble for Nick right at that moment.

Nick sighed openly through his mouth and clicked the
radio off where it had gone long enough without
anyone's real attention.

"Bryan,"  Nick quietly broke the silence.  "I am
really happy that we're doing this today.  I really
am, it's just..."  He couldn't finish.  His emotions
were far too intense to put into words.

"It's alright, hun.  I completely understand the way
you feel.  It's alright,"  Bryan stopped to study Nick
where he drove on amidst the confusion in his heart.
"It's alright if you decide not to do this today after
all."  Bryan finished quietly, but Nick could swear
there was an edge to his voice underneath the emotion.
 But he shook it off as just his own confusion.

"Nah, we're here anyways,"  Nick sighed openly as the
wrought iron gates of the cemetary came into view.
However, Nick could see that there was another guy of
his past present at the moment.

As Nick slowly brought his blazer to a standstill in
the parking lot, he could see Scott through his window
in an obvious fit infront of the caretaker.

"C'mon, let's go."  Nick said, frowning suspiciously.
*******************************************************
[A few yards away]

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT WAS VANDALIZED!"  Scott was
growling at the top of his lungs.  "What the fuck are
these gates for then huh?  I worked my ass off to get
my brother a proper burial in peace and this is what I
get?!"  Scott was not letting up a bit as Nick and
Bryan made their way to the entrance.

Nick winced internally having taken some of Scott's
anger before, he knew what the other guy must be
feeling.  As for the other guy himself, Nick has never
seen him before here in the cemetary.  He had thought
that he had seen just about everyone on the local
staff.  Looking at him around Scott's massive
billboard back, Nick could see that he was not all
that much older than him if at all.  He was lean,
light brown hair in a nice clean trim.  Longish clean
shaven and slim face.  Long arm in long sleeves
finished with the dark slacks of the cemetary staff.

"I am very sorry sir, but that is all I was informed.
The cemetary has been closed today for mandatory
cleaning and inspections.  You can see for yourself
that there are cleaning crews working over time in
there along with some remaining police officers.  They
have been doing this for most of the day, sir, please
calm down."  If the other guy was phazed at all by
Scott, he wasn't showing.  "I do know for a fact,
however, that all visitors have been promised that
tomorrow the cemetary will once again be on regular
business terms."

"Calm down?  Calm down?!"  Scott grabbed the smaller
guy by the front of his buttoned down dress shirt and
slammed him against the side of the building.  "Tell
me why the fuck I should calm down and not kick your
ass right about now, huh?"

Nick had seen enough.

"Scott, please, I'm sure they're doing what they can."
 Nick carefully and gently tugged at Scott's bulging
arms.  He wasn't completely sure that he was in
Scott's good graces.  "Here let me,"  Nick braved the
situation a little seeing that Scott had not rounded
and decked him instead.  "Come on let me see what's
going on here."  Nick said a little strained as he
pried Scott's huge calloused paws off of the cemetary
staff.

Finally getting Scott to back off a bit, Nick turned
to face the cemetary man.  He was not as small as Nick
had originally thought him to be.  Scott just seemed
to have dwarfed the other man.

"Now, let's see here, uh..."  Nick made the cursory
inquiry of the other's name.

"Seth,"  The other filled him in.

"Now, let me see here, Seth, what's all this hooplah
about vandalism of the cemetary?"  Nick tried to seem
cool, when deep inside he was a raging bull of
emotions and confusion.

"Well as you can see, sir, there are cleaning
crews..."  Seth gestured behind him.

"They've been at this all fucking morning!  They won't
even tell me the extents of the damage if it involves
Brandon or not."  Scott rumbled behind Nick, almost
threateningly moving towards Seth.

Seth gave an involuntary squeek and jumped back a step
before Bryan and Nick were able to calm Scott down a
bit again.

"Seth, if you could maybe get into the details that
you are supposed to tell us other than the obvious..."
 Nick let himself trail off as he kept his two hands
pressed flat against the great pecs of Scott's massive
chest keeping him from advancing -- barely!

"Well-last-night-some-local-punks-got-into-the-cemetary-somehow-and-made-a-mess-of-things-and-the-cleaning-crews-are-trying-to-clean-it-up-in-time-for-tomorrow's-services-and-visiting-hours."
 Seth mumbled his words into a quick spiel before
hurriedly moving back a few more steps away from the
other three and closer to the office doors.

"Thank you Seth,"  Nick said calmly when Scott finally
seemed to have cooled off.  "I suppose then that you
aren't going to be able to tell us any sort of
damages?"

"No, I'm sorry,"  Seth cringed after the last
statement and was already one step up towards the
office doors.

"Aight, thanks."  Nick turned just in time to see what
he thought was a look that went between Bryan and
Seth, but he shrugged it off as Bryan feeling sorry
for the other guy.  "Scott, please calm down.  I'm
sure Seth over there has tried his best to give us all
he could that he is allowed to."  Seth was making
inaudible agreement noises behind them while Nick was
feeling somewhat relieved in a weird and guilty way.

"Don't you ever tell me what to do boy, I still
haven't forgotten your place in all this."  Scott
turned his violent and shinning dark eyes down at Nick
and spoke through gritted teeth.  Scott gave Seth a
disgusted look before pushing past Bryan and into his
car.  He gave Nick and Seth one last glare before
speeding off into the distance.

Nick smiled weakly at Bryan and shrugged helplessly.

"I-I'm sorry about all this."  Seth finally got the
courage to speak up as Scott's car disappeared 'round
the far bend.

"That's alright, not your fault."  Nick gave him a
friendly slap on the shoulder.  "You might want to
consider a new line of work though, man."  Nick smiled
warmly at Seth before turning back to Bryan who was
now heading back to Nick's blazer.

When Nick caught up, Bryan was on the mobile phone not
looking pleased at all.

"Well that sucks."  Bryan sighed as he hung up the
phone.  "I'm sorry about what happened out there, hun,
but I got some more bad news."  Bryan sat back and
strapped on his seat belt.  "Apparently the teacher
that I am student teaching for wants me to clock in
some late night hours tonight.  Seems I can't go to
that party tonight at Rob's with you after all."
Bryan sighed as Nick pulled out the gravel path.

"That's alright.  I really had no intention on going
anyways, I just agreed because you were going at that
time."  Nick gimmaced and smiled at the same time.

"No, no, you should go.  I think you both need and
deserve a break after all this madness."  Bryan
squeezed Nick's shoulder lovingly.

"But--"  Bryan quickly interrupted Nick.

"No, 'buts' about it.  Besides, just because we can't
go together doesn't mean I won't be able to show up
later."  Bryan smiled at Nick reasuringly.  "As a
matter of fact, I insist on dropping you off myself
that way you can be sure that I am coming back to the
party for you."

Nick slouched in on himself and finally agreed.  Bryan
was right.  He DID need a break from all this
craziness.  This would be his perfect chance at having
somewhat of a normal existence.
*******************************************************
[Detective Chang's Office]

"Now let me see here..." Chang mumbled to himself as
he was scanning through the new material in for the
Mason case.  After obtaining the family information
and everything else about Mr. Mason, Chang had
immediately checked into everything.  He wasn't
surprised that the family Mr. Mason supposedly had in
the Northwest was a fake one.  They were a troupe of
amateur actors apparently who got a call from an
anonymous employer.  But there was something about
this one new picture of John Mason he had unearthed
that just seemed so familiar to him.  Especially the
other guy in the picture.  Short brown hair.  Slim
built.  He was having another officer look through the
files to see what he could find on this other guy.
*******************************************************
[Rob's party]

Nick slumped at the bar drinking a little beer from
his can.  The night had been pretty much the same,
slow and tedious with a drunk girl giggling and
laughing and telling him how much he looked like that
one guy from that boy band Backseat Boys or something.
 Of course, the party was full of beer and loud music,
Nick was starting to get a head ache. When the girl
finally fainted onto his lap, Nick had finally had
enough.  It had been hours since Bryan dropped him off
and only minutes since he called to tell him that he
was going to be taking longer than he expected.   Of
course after that, Nick had cared for the party as
much as he cared for a certain blonde wanna be bad
girl out there.  However, just as he was about to get
some fresh air, **he** walked in: Slade.  The room
seemed to suddenly brighten and less crowded.  All
there was between them were a few paces.  And judging
by Slade's smile, Nick wasn't alone in noticing the
other.

Slade glided gracefully across the room in the same
hip hugging jeans he wore earlier at school.  "Hey,"
Slade whispered seductively, Nick thought, but it
carried to his burning ears anyways.

"I didn't know you were coming,"  Nick turned away,
his face blushing furiously.  Thankfully for the low
light, his beet red cheeks were not that obvious.

"Neither did I really, but suddenly I think I'm very
happy with my decision."  His chocolate brown eyes
glinted with promise of private things in the dark
underneath satin sheets as he took Nick's
subcontiously outstretched hand.

"Well, I..." Before Nick could stammer anymore, one of
Rob's friends came in and yelled out "Cops!"

With that single word, the music stopped.  The beer
games were forgotten, and much more of the beer
disappeared.  Rob was making his way to the front door
to show that he was legal age to drink.

"C'mon!"  Before Nick could do anything, Slade was
already dragging him out the door and into the cool
starlit night with the brilight shining moon.

"Hop on."  Slade straddled a gleaming black motorcycle
with his slim legs, swinging his slim backside onto
the seat.  "C'mon, let's go."  Slade patted the seat
behind him, gesturing towards the other helmet that
was hooked at the back.

"But-but--"  Nick stammered again.  He cursed himself
internally for turning into a blithering idiot.  The
sirens blared louder.  That was enough.  Nick hopped
onto the motorcycle behind Slade, fastening the
motorcycle helmet under his chin.

"Hang on,"  Slade smirked through his helmet's open
visor as he revved the machine into blaring life.

The motorcycle vibrated wildly with its awesome power
between both their legs, Nick was thankful that he was
wearing briefs and not boxers tonight, as his arms
linked together around Slade's slim and lean waist.

Unfortunately, as they pulled away, a certain small
small blue Accord pulled into Rob's driveway.  The
driver was not very happy as he saw Nick and Slade
speed off into the silver streamed night.
******************************************************************

End of Part 2
-------------------------------------------------------
More of the always painful exposition, I know.  I'm
sorry, I can't help it.  <;)  Anyways, thanks for
reading, tell me what you think.  Oh and a promise is
a promise well kept, eh?

John