Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 00:55:24 -0800 (PST) From: slpwriter Subject: Nick Lachey: My Everything-75 I'm back with another chapter of "My Everything." Thanks for all of your support! Without it, I don't think I could have written this story for this long. Now on with the story. First of all, let me just say that this is my first time writing any kind of fiction like this. DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this story. If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality offends you, then please don't continue any further and leave. Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are. "Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche. "69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt "Nick Lachey" by Ken. "98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night "The Reunion" by RinSong. "Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan "Playing Doctor with 98 Degrees" by Brian "This Gift" by Sprout and finally: "What I feel for you" by Thack. "What I feel for you." is an awesome story and Thack, himself deserves applause for all of his hard work on it. Now, I"ll let you get on with the story. Enjoy. Previously on "My Everything"..... Nick's eyes shifted to the floor. He could tell that I was being serious about leaving Los Angeles and leaving my past behind. "So, you meant what you said out there about not wanting to be my friend anymore?" Nick said, his voice filled with sadness. "You're really going to just walk out of my life just like that?" I couldn't hold back my emotions anymore. My eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Nick." I said. "But I can't stand by and watch you go down this road with Jessica. You refuse to see Jessica the way I see her, so there's nothing I can do for you anymore. You'll have to find out for yourself what kind of a person Jessica really is." Nick shook his head in defeat. "If you're that determined to cut me out of your life, then I guess that there's nothing I can do to stop you. But I will say this. You're making a big mistake. Because once you walk out that door, you know that there is no turning back." "I know that, Nick." I said, as I wiped at my eyes to clear them of the tears. "I don't want to do this, but it's for your own good, Nick, as well as mine. And to be honest with you, I can't take your family's drama anymore." Nick came over to me and tried to put his arms around me, but I moved away. "Don't Nick." I said, angrily. "Don't touch me. I don't want your pity." Nick was visibly hurt by my words. He raised his hands in the air. "You know what? Fine!" He said, harshly. "If you're going to be this difficult, then just go!" I watched Nick, closely and saw just how upset he was getting. His face was turning red, which is what happened when he was getting angry. "You don't care about me!" Nick shouted at me. "You never did!" Nick's words were like a knife in my heart. I'm sure he didn't really mean them, but it still hurt to hear them. "I'm through trying to reason with you!" Nick said, through gritted teeth. "Good-bye Sean!" Nick brushed past me, bumping against me, as he exited Drew's room and slammed the door behind him. About a minute later, I heard the sound of a car being started and then the sound of squealing tires, signaling that Nick was driving away. I grabbed my suitcase and headed towards the door, as I wiped the remains of my tears away. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I closed it behind me and walked downstairs and out the front door. As I walked outside, I could hear voices from the pool area. It sounded like Kandi was laying into Jessica. I knew I had to stop it before Kandi got too stressed. Besides, I needed to say goodbye anyway. As well as ask for a favor. I set my suitcase down by the gate, and opened the gate to enter the pool area. Everyone looked in my direction as I came in. "Well, guys, I've come to say goodbye to all of you." I said. "And to ask for a favor." "What favor is that, Sean?" Jeff asked me, curiously. I looked Jeff in the eyes. "I need a ride to the airport." I told him. "Would you be willing to take me?" "Sure." Jeff said, nodding. "Just let me go and put on a shirt and grab my wallet and car keys, and I'll be right back." "Ok." I said, as Jeff started walking towards the house. "I'll go with you." Danny said, as he followed Jeff into the house to get a shirt put on as well. I turned back to Justin, Kandi, and Jessica who was standing nearby. "Well, I guess this is goodbye." I said to Justin and Kandi. "I'll miss you two." "Same here, hon." Kandi said. "I'm sorry about everything that's happened." "It's not your fault, Kandi." I said, hugging her. "If you want someone to blame, look at the bitch behind you." "Right." Kandi said, as she released me. When she did, I looked past her and walked up to Jessica. "You listen to me, and you listen good, you little ingrate!" I said to her. "If you are not on the up and up about being pregnant with Nick's child, and you hurt him, you will answer to me. Because I will come back! I will come back with a vengeance! And I will attack you, your life, and your work! And I will pull them all down! I will do everything I have to do to destroy you, Jessica! Never doubt me on that!" "Oh, shut up, you little whiner, and get lost!" Jessica spat back at me. "Gladly." I retorted. "If I never see you again, that's just fine with me. Even if it means not seeing Nick too." I turned away from her and turned back to Justin. "Take care of Kandi, Justin." I said to him. "I'll email you guys when I can, ok?" "I will." Justin said, as he hugged me. "Take care, Sean." "You too, Justin." I said, as I pulled back from his hug. Just then, Jeff and Danny, re-entered the pool area. Both of them now had shirts on, but still had on their swimming trunks, which had not been wet, since neither of them had gone into the pool yet, this morning. "Are you ready, Sean?" Jeff asked me. "Danny and I will get the car ready and put your suitcase in it." "Yes, Jeff, I'm ready." I said, as I walked toward the gate entrance. "Let's go." I waved goodbye to Kandi and Justin, who were staying behind, and left with Danny and Jeff and followed them to their car. "Speaking of the car," Danny started to say, as we all got into the car. "We all heard Nick get into his and peel out of the driveway. What happened between you two that upset him so much? "I'll tell you on the way to the airport." I said to him. "For now, let's get out of here." Jeff started the engine and backed the car out of the driveway. He put it in gear and started driving towards the airport. ************** CHAPTER 75 ************** BACK AT THE LACHEY HOUSE.................... Kandi and Justin both turned and looked at Jessica, who was standing there, looking quite pleased with herself. She had finally gotten what she had wanted. Sean out of her life. "Well, it looks like you got what you wanted Jessica." Kandi scoffed, angrily. "And at what cost?" Jessica glared at Kandi, in disgust. This time, she was going to stand up for herself. She was not about to let anyone walk all over her this time. "You know what, Kandi?" She snarled. "Just shut the hell up! I've had just about enough of your mouth! I'm not going to take anymore of your insults!" Kandi's eyebrows raised up at that. She was surprised that Jessica actually stood up for herself. Jessica then continued with her ranting and raving. "And as far as Sean is concerned." Jessica said. "The less I see of that pathetic, husband-stealing, slut, the better!" That did it. Kandi had finally had enough of Jessica's mouth. Her fist shot out and she punched Jessica across the mouth before she even saw it coming. Jessica staggered back and fell.........right back into the pool! Again! "That's for what you did to Sean earlier in that pool, and for calling him a slut just now." Kandi said, angrily, to Jessica, once she had surfaced. "Maybe now, you'll learn to control what comes out of your mouth, Bitch!" All Justin could do was stand there, in shock. He'd never seen Kandi deck anyone, since the incident with the female reporter, who'd almost exposed the truth about Nick's sexuality, years ago. Jessica wiped at her mouth and saw the blood on her hand. Once she did, she looked up at Kandi, and glared at her. "YOU BITCH!" Jessica screamed, as she leapt out of the pool. "I'LL KILL YOU!" She lunged at Kandi and threw her hands around Kandi's neck and started trying to choke her. By the time Justin had snapped out of his shocked trance, Kandi had already landed a punch to Jessica's abdomen, doubling her over. Once Jessica reeled from the pain, Kandi had slipped behind Jessica, grabbed her right arm, and pulled it behind her back, with one hand. Then, she grabbed Jessica by the hair, with the other. "OWW!!" Jessica shrieked, in pain. "KANDI, YOU"RE HURTING MY ARM!! AND LET GO OF MY HAIR! ARE YOU INSANE?!" Kandi was plenty angry. And this time, she let Jessica have it again. "You try that again, and you'll get worse than what I'm doing right now!" Kandi threatened. "If I hear anymore nasty words out of your mouth, I'll twist off your breasts, break your nose, and send you to the hospital hairless and full of broken bones! Then, we'll see if Nick wants to stay with you after all of that!" "You wouldn't dare?!" Jessica squealed, in a scared voice, as she struggled against Kandi's tight grip. "Well, if you want to keep that beautiful face and body of yours, you better watch out who you're messing with next time!" Kandi said to her. Justin was ready to step in now. "Sweetheart, calm down." He said to Kandi, calmly. "You're starting to stress yourself out." Kandi realized that Justin was right, since she was starting to shake. "I'll be alright in a minute, honey." Kandi said. "I just have one last thing to say to this blonde whore!" Kandi turned back to Jessica, who was still trying to get free. "I'm going to let you go now." She said. "But when I do, you are going to go upstairs and change into some dry clothes. And, from now on, you're going to behave like a woman, not a spoiled brat! Do I make myself clear?!" "Fine!" Jessica said, in frustration. "Let me go now, please?!" Kandi issued one last warning to Jessica. "Don't test me!" She hissed at Jessica. "You will regret it!" Kandi let go of Jessica and Jessica ran in the direction of the house to get away from Kandi, and to get changed into another pair of dry clothes. When she was gone, Kandi took a deep breath and calmed down. Justin put his arms around her. "Are you ok, sweetheart?" He asked her. Kandi nodded. "I'm ok now, Baby." She said, wrapping her arms around him. "I just needed to let Jessica know just who she was dealing with. At least now she knows not to mess with me, anymore." Justin smiled at her. Then he put his arm around her. "Come on." He said, gesturing towards the house. "Let's get you inside and upstairs into bed now. The doctor said that you need your rest and I'm going to make sure that you get it." Kandi smiled at Justin. She didn't think it was possible to love him more than she did at this moment. But everyday, she was loving him more and more. "That sounds great right about now, Honey." She said, yawning a bit. "I could use a nap right now after I've been in the hospital almost all morning." "Alright." Justin said. "Let's go inside." Justin and Kandi walked back towards the house. ******************************************************* IN JEFF'S CAR............. "Sean, are you sure that you want to leave things like this, between you and Nick?" Jeff asked me, as he drove. "Are you sure you really want to do that?" I saw Jeff glance at me, in his rear-view mirror for a second, as he tried to see my reaction. Danny turned his head and looked at me, also. I shrugged. "No, Jeff, I don't want to." I told him. "But I have no choice. Nick just doesn't see just how insecure and scheming his wife really is. He won't listen to me, so I have to back off and let him find out on his own. Besides, I can't take the insults and abuse anymore. I shouldn't have to, and I won't." "I see your point, Sean." Danny replied. "But do you really have to go as far as putting your friendship with Nick on the line?" "Yes, Danny, I do." I said, sadly. "It's the only way Nick will take me seriously. Some time apart from him will do me some good right now, anyway." "Why do you say that?" Jeff wanted to know. "Well," I started explaining. "Nick and I, both, have different lives now." Nick has responsibilities to Jessica and their little girl. Family is what he should be focusing on right now, anyway, as much as it sickens me to have to admit it." "I have my own life and responsibilities back in Orlando. I have to get back to my life and to my friends, Jake and Michelle. I need to set things right with them after the way I left things with them, before I came back to Los Angeles earlier this morning." "You mean with the fight that you had with them after you stood up for Nick?" Jeff asked me. "Yes." I confirmed for him. "Jake and Michelle are really going to need my support right now. Especially now that they both are planning on getting married and expecting their first child." "That's great news, Sean." Jeff said to me. "Tell Jake and Michelle that Danny and I said "congratulations." "I will, Jeff." I said to him. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it." "I'd like to meet Jake and Michelle sometime." Danny said, sounding really interested in them. "They sound like really good people." "They are, Danny." I said, nodding my head. "I'm so grateful to have Jake and Michelle in my life. Especially Jake. He saved my life when I was prepared to take my own. He helped me to see that I still had alot to live for when I thought I had nothing. I couldn't have asked for a better friend than Jake." When I finished saying all of that, Danny grew silent, and so did Jeff. I saw Jeff's eyes look over towards Danny and then I saw Jeff grab Danny's hand and squeeze it. It was then that I realized how I must have sounded. I had insulted Danny and threw the fact that he was no longer my best friend, in his face. It was unintentional, but I'd still did it, nonetheless. "I'm sorry, Danny." I said, apologetically. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Please forgive me." "Don't worry about it, Sean." Danny said, a sad note in his voice. "I understand. I can see why Jake is your best friend. He was there for you when I couldn't be. You're right about him. He definitely is the better friend." I picked up on the sadness in Danny's voice at that moment. I know that it had to have been really difficult for him to say that. He still considered me his best friend, despite everything. "Danny, don't be so hard on yourself." I said, softly. "You're not totally to blame for what happened back then. I have to take responsibility for my part in our friendship going sour." Now, Danny and Jeff, both, were shocked to hear that admission from me. "Are you serious?" Danny asked me. "Sean, it wasn't your fault. It was mine." I started to object, but Jeff spoke up before I could get a word in. "Actually it was all of us." Jeff explained. "Nick, Drew, Justin, and Kandi, had their part in it, as well as myself." Here, Jeff started to choke up a little. "I feel more responsible than anyone because I feel like I took your friendship away from you both." Jeff sniffed. "It was unfair of me to allow Danny to stay with me after the way things ended with you and Nick, and you got thrown out." "But, Jeff." I started complaining. "Danny wanted to stay with you. I can't say I blame him. He loved you back then. Even I could see that, despite my anger over the situation." I looked down and saw that Danny still had his hand around Jeff's and was squeezing it lightly. I looked up and saw Jeff, wiping at his eyes in the rear-view mirror. I reached forward and laid my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Besides, I'm as much at fault as anyone for Danny and I not being best friends again." Now, this threw both Danny and Jeff for a loop. "How is it your fault?" Danny asked. "You didn't do anything." "Exactly, Danny." I replied, hoping to get my point across. "I didn't do anything. I didn't reach out to you when I should have." Danny frowned, not quite getting it just yet. So, I continued to refresh his memory. "Do you remember on the day I left, you said that you wouldn't abandon me and that you would be there for me even though you didn't really agree with what the guys were doing to me?" Danny nodded, as he remembered the events of that day, which seemed like so long ago. Which it had been. "Yes, I do." He said. "I also remember saying that at least Nick and the rest of us all still cared about you enough to have at least one person in your life that you could count on. But I still chose to stay with Jeff." "I know." I said. "And my point is, I didn't reach out to you when I should have. I was so blinded by my anger over being disowned, I didn't let myself remember that fact. The fact that you were still going to be there for me. But I decided that I didn't want to hear from anyone, so I decided to just start a new life and leave the past behind me." "I see what you're getting at, Sean." Danny said. "But I still don't blame you for being angry and bitter. You were justified." I nodded, as we all grew silent, thinking about the situation. I knew that it was all water under the bridge now, but I still hadn't fully forgiven everyone yet. But I had softened up to them a little bit better than how I'd been before. So stony cold. I looked up and glanced at Jeff's reflection in the rear-view mirror and noticed for the first time, since the morning of Nick's disappearance, that Jeff's bruised lip was almost healed. I then took my opportunity to address that subject and offer an apology for it since it seemed like Jeff and I were on good terms now. "By the way, Jeff, how's your lip?" I asked him. I saw him run his finger across his lip, feeling it for himself. "It's doing ok." He said. "It's not as bad as it was before. It's almost healed." "Good." I said, smiling. "And I'm sorry about that by the way. I wish I hadn't hit you." "Me too." Jeff chuckled. "It hurt." We all laughed a little at that. Leave it to Jeff to try to lighten up the mood a little bit. "And I apologize to you too, Danny." I said to him. "Hurting Jeff, hurt you as well and I could see that at the time, even though I didn't care." "It's ok, Sean." Danny said, smiling at me. "Apology accepted." "Thanks, guys." I said, sitting back and getting comfortable in my seat. We still had a half hour drive ahead of us. ******************************************************* BACK AT THE LACHEY HOUSE............ Kandi was upstairs, in her's and Justin's room, laying down on the bed. She was reading a book to pass the time while Justin brought her up some food and water. When she'd come to the good part in her book, Justin came back into the bedroom with some fresh fruit and a glass of water. "Here you go, sweetheart." Justin said, softly. "Nourishment for my beautiful fiance." Kandi looked up at Justin and smiled, as she put her book down. "You're so sweet, Justin." She said, as she reached for the glass of water. "Thank you." Justin reached over by the beside table and picked up a prescription bottle off of it. He opened it up and took out two tablets. "Here, Babe." He said, holding them out to her. "Take these." Kandi grabbed both of them and put them into her mouth. Then she took a long sip of her water and swallowed, making sure they went down her throat. "There." She said, sitting the glass of water back down on the tray Justin had set in front of her. She grabbed a freshly cut apple wedge and started chewing on it. Then she noticed something. "You know, Justin, it's pretty quiet around here." Kandi observed, frowning a bit. "Where's Jessica? Is she downstairs?" Justin shook his head. "No, I think she went somewhere." Justin replied. "I noticed her car was gone when I was coming back upstairs." Kandi eyes raised at that and she visibly brightened. "So, does that mean what I think it does?" She asked, in a seductive voice. "Yep." Justin said, as he sat on the bed next to her. "We have the whole house all to ourselves." "Well, in that case." Kandi said, leaning towards Justin. "Let's take advantage of the time that we have." Kandi kissed Justin slowly. Justin kissed back and then lay down with her, as they prepared to make love together. ******************************************************* LATER, AT THE LAX AIRPORT............. Jeff, Danny, and I, walked into the LAX airport together. While Jeff and Danny tried to keep a low profile, I went and got in line to check on my flight information. While I waited, my thoughts kept going back to Nick. I was still frustrated with the fact that he couldn't see Jessica the way I saw her. I questioned why Nick would even want to stay married to her after all the hurtful things she said and did to me since the first day I came back to Los Angeles. As much as I loved Nick, I realized that I had to stay strong and not give in to my guilt over what I'd said to him earlier. I knew that I had to step back and let Nick handle his own life. And that also meant the same thing for me. It was time for me to move on. After I'd finally gotten everything taken care of at the airline counter, I turned back towards the waiting area to look for Danny and Jeff. ******************************************************* MEANWHILE, AT THE SIMPSON HOUSEHOLD.............. Jessica knocked on the door to her family's house. In a few minutes, her mom answered the door. "Hi, sweetie." Tina said, when she saw her. "How did things go with your husband?" Jessica didn't answer right away, which gave her mother a chance to look her over more. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Jessica's cut lip. "Oh my god, honey!" Tina exclaimed. "What happened to your lip?" Jessica entered the house and her mother shut the door behind them. Jessica then turned back to her mother. "Kandi did this to me." Jessica said, bitterly. "All because of the fact that I called Sean a husband-stealing slut! Which he is!" Tina's face crumpled. "Don't tell me that Nick's left you and went back to Sean?!" She said, hoping that she was wrong. Jessica shook her head. "No, that hasn't happened." Jessica told her. "And it's not going to." "How do you know that for sure, Jessica?" Tina asked her, confused. Jessica smiled, widely. "Because I got what I wanted." She told Tina. "My telling Nick that I'm pregnant, also got rid of Sean as well. He's probably on a plane back home right now, even as we speak." Jessica paused for a moment and looked around the house, noticing how quiet the place was. "Where's my little girl?" She asked Tina. "I came by to pick her up now and take her home." "She's upstairs." Tina said. "I just put her down for a nap shortly before you got here." Jessica's expression changed to guilt. She didn't like the fact that she had to wake up Nicole just because she had to take her home. "I really hate to wake her up, Mom." Jessica said, quietly. "She must be really tired." "Don't worry about that, Sweetie." Tina said, waving it off. "As active as she was today, nothing will wake her up. Besides, you don't have to rush off right now do you? I'd like to hear the whole story about how things went back at the house when you told Nick you were pregnant." Jessica sat down on the couch and her mother sat next to her. Jessica then started telling her about what had happened back at the Lachey house. "Well, when I told Nick I was pregnant, he wasn't thrilled about it. Because at the time we had agreed to not have anymore children for awhile. At least not for a couple more years. And then Nick stormed off and left me alone by the pool with everyone else." "Everyone else?" Tina asked, in confusion. "Who else was there?" "Well, at the time there was just Nick, Jeff, Danny, and Sean." Jessica pointed out. "But Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were there too. Sean must have asked Nick if he could invite them over." "Ok." Tina said, then asked. "What happened after Nick left?" Jessica's anger resurfaced again, as she remembered the events that had happened a few hours ago. "After Nick left, Sean and I got into it and he accused me of getting pregnant out of insecurity! Then he made me think that he slept with Nick back in Orlando back when Nick had disappeared. And then he said that he slept with Nick this morning again while I was gone earlier. That's when I let him have it and I punched him in the face." Tina's eyes bulged when she heard that. Then she smiled. "Good for you, honey." She said, sounding ecstatic. "Now maybe Sean knows not to mess with you now. What did he do after you hit him?" "Well after that he told me to shut up and cool off." Jessica said. "Then he pushed me into the swimming pool." "No he didn't?!" Tina was shocked over that little piece of information. "Yes he did." Jessica said, bitterly. "I was just as shocked as you are when he did that." "I can't believe that bastard." Tina said. "But I probably should be thankful that he didn't do worse to you." Jessica looked up at her mother. "You mean like hit me?" She asked out-loud. "To tell you the truth, I'm almost surprised that he didn't. He sure looked like he wanted to. You should have seen Drew's face after Sean took a beating out on his. I wouldn't put it past Sean to be violent with me. But he wasn't. I wonder why." "Well, I think you know what you have to do to ensure that that doesn't happen." Tina said. "What are you talking about, Mom?" Jessica asked, frowning in confusion. "What do I have to do?" Tina paused for a moment as she thought about it. Then she spoke again. "It's kind of risky, but I think it will work." Tina said. "Nick will be mad at you for doing this, but hopefully he'll see that you're only doing this for your own protection." "What is it?" Jessica asked, still not sure what her mother was getting at. Then, Tina made her answer known. ******************************************************* BACK AT THE LACHEY HOUSE.................... Kandi and Justin came downstairs, both of them dressed now, and headed into the kitchen to get dinner ready. "After what just happened upstairs, I'm famished." Kandi said, as she started grabbing things out of the refrigerator to start cooking for dinner. "How would you feel about having homemade beef stew for dinner?" "Are you kidding?" Justin asked, grinning. "That would be great." "Aright then." Kandi said, smiling. "Beef Stew it is." Kandi finished getting all of the supplies out of the refrigerator and she set about getting everything ready to start making the stew. Justin was helping her. While they were cutting the Potatoes and carrots, as well as the other vegetables, They heard the door open from behind them. They turned around and came face to face with Nick. "Hey, Nick." Kandi greeted him. "Are you feeling any better now, hon?" "Not really." Nick said, as he dropped his keys on the kitchen table and sat down at the table. "I had to get out of here and think for awhile." Kandi and Justin both looked at Nick, in concern. He seemed emotionally drained. He looked it too. Whatever his last conversation with Sean was, it really took it's toll on him. "By the way, where is everybody?" Nick asked, looking up at them. Kandi and Justin both looked at each other and then Kandi looked back at Nick. "Well, your wife left earlier but we don't know where she went. Unless she went back to her mother's to pick up your daughter." Kandi told him. "And Jeff and Danny both took Sean to the airport to catch his flight." "What?!" Nick asked, standing up in shock. "Sean was really serious about leaving?" "Yes, he was." Kandi said, sadly. "I can't say I blame him with the way Jessica acted earlier today." Nick ran his hand through his hair, in desperation. He knew he needed to do something. He couldn't let Sean leave like this. He knew he had to go and set things right with him before he left. "I've got to go after them." Nick said, grabbing his keys and heading towards the door. "I can't let Sean get on that plane and just leave like this. Not until things are resolved between the two of us." "But Nick, Sean's flight leaves in a half hour." Kandi told him. "You're not going to make it in time." "Yes I will." Nick insisted. "I have to. I'll see you both later." "Good Luck, Nick!" Justin called out after him, as Nick left the house. Nick ran to his car and got in, as he quickly fastened his seat belt, and started the ignition. "I've got to get to you, Sean." Nick said, in determination. "I've got to make things right between us again. I can't lose your friendship now. Not after I fought so hard to get it back." Nick backed the car out of the driveway and then started heading for the LAX airport. "I just hope I can reach you in time............." As Nick drove through the busy city streets, an emergency alert came on the radio, signaling that police expected traffic to be tied up for about an hour until the accident scene was cleared. "Oh no!" Nick said, as he noticed that it was just up ahead. "No! No! No! This is not happening!" ******************************************************* BACK AT THE AIRPORT........................ I sat down in the waiting area with Jeff and Danny while I was waiting for my flight to be called. As I looked over at Danny, I noticed that they were both wearing sunglasses and baseball caps to disguise themselves, so that they wouldn't be noticed by any fans. They couldn't deal with that right now. "I'm going to miss you guys, alot." I said, trying hard to fight back the tears that were starting to fall down my face. "I don't know when I will get a chance to come back and see you again." "We're going to miss you too, man." Jeff said, softly. "It's not going to be the same here without you." I looked at them both and an amused smile came over my face. "You mean because you don't get to see anymore rounds between me and Jessica?" I joked, weakly. "No." Jeff said, as he and Danny started laughing. "But that is funny." "What we mean is that we all have had a great time getting close with you again." Danny said. "Maybe it's not like we were, but we're becoming close again in some way, don't you agree?" "Yeah." I said. "And I've enjoyed getting to know you both again, very much. It's just sad to see it come to an end right now. At least for the time being." We all got silent again, not sure of what to say. But then Jeff broke the silence. "I have to go to the men's room." He said, getting up. "Will you both be alright here until I get back?" "Yes, Jeff, we'll be fine." I said. "Go ahead." "Alright." Jeff said. "I'll see you in a few. Jeff headed off to the men's room, leaving Danny and me alone together. When he was gone, Danny leaned towards me a little more and whispered to me. "So, what does this mean where your feelings for Nick are concerned?" Danny said. "You told me earlier that you're still in love with him. Is that still true, even now?" "Yes, Danny." I said. "A part of me will always love Nick. But as Jeff was driving us here, I got to do alot of thinking and I made some decisions and came to the conclusion that there's no future for Nick and me. That means I'm ready to let him go and move on." "What does that mean?" Danny asked me. "Are you just going to give up on Nick altogether?" I nodded, as I wiped at my eyes again, the tears starting to overwhelm me. "I have no choice, Danny." I said. "Nick has made it very clear that he loves Jessica and intends to stay with her. He doesn't love me anymore. I know because I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at me. The love that he once shared with me is gone. I have to accept that and move on." "But, Sean." Danny replied. "How will you know for sure if you don't tell Nick how you feel?" "I already know, Danny." I insisted. "All I have to do is look into Nick's eyes and see it. It's not there anymore. If Nick does love me now, it's purely platonic. I know that he cares about me, but it's only friendship. It has nothing to do with love." Danny gave me a look that I read correctly. He still didn't agree with my decision. "I still think that you should tell him, Sean." Danny replied. "At least then, Nick would know how you feel. Maybe it would change everything." The way Danny was pushing me to tell Nick the truth about my feelings was really starting to get on my nerves. "Damn it, Danny!" I whispered, fiercely. "Don't you understand that I can't do that?! I have to support Nick's marriage to Jessica, and not because I have to, but because it's what Nick wants! I have no business telling Nick my true feelings because he's not mine anymore and he never will be again. No matter how much I want it." I looked up and saw Jeff come out of the men's room and start heading in our direction. I turned back to Danny at that moment, intent on finishing up with what I had to say to him. "I'm trusting you not to tell anyone, including Nick, about what I've told you right now." I said to Danny, the seriousness clear in my eyes and in my voice. "Don't you dare betray me!" I finished up with Danny at that moment. Before Danny could say anything, Jeff had returned to the waiting area. "Hey guys." Jeff said, noticing the seriousness between us. "What's going on?" "It's nothing, Jeff." I said, shaking my head. "Don't worry about it." Jeff looked back and forth from Danny to me, and he could no doubt sense the tension between Danny and me. "It's not nothing." Jeff said. "Something is wrong. I can feel it." Jeff had no idea just how right he was. After all, he knew Danny and could read him like a book. As for me, he still knew me pretty well too. At least enough to know when something was wrong. "As I said, Jeff, don't worry about it." I said again, hoping that Jeff would let it go. "I'm just a little on edge right now, that's all." Before Jeff could give a response, we all heard the boarding call for my flight being announced, saying that all people needed to board the plane now. I stood up and looked at both Danny and Jeff, knowing that I had to say goodbye. "Well, it looks like this is it." I said to them both. "I'll miss you guys, alot." Jeff was the first one to pull me into his arms. He hugged me strongly, but only for a brief moment. We were still in public and we had to make sure that we kept our public displays of affection to a minimum. "We're going to miss you too." Jeff said, lowly. "More than you'll know." Jeff released me and Danny came over and took his turn, hugging me close. "Take care, Sean." He said. "And be safe, always." Then he leaned in and whispered into my ear. "Your secrets are safe with me." I smiled as I pulled back from our embrace. "Thanks, Danny." I said. "You and Jeff be safe as well. And send Justin and Kandi my love, alright?" "We sure will." He said. "Goodbye, Sean." "Goodbye, guys." I said, as I turned around and grabbed my things. I walked to the security gate, where the guard was beginning to open the gate to let me through. But right before I went through, I turned around and face Danny and Jeff one last time. I saw them wave to me one last time before they turned away and started walking away. I turned and walked through the corridor, anxious to board the plane and maybe get some rest during the flight back home. ******************************************************* ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER.............. Nick raced through the airport, scanning the waiting area to see if Sean was still around. When he didn't, he started looking around to see if Danny and Jeff were still around. To his surprise, he found them both, still there, at the airport, inside the coffee shop. They were talking and having coffee together. "Danny! Jeff!" Nick called out to them, racing inside. "Where's Sean? I have to talk to him before he gets on that plane." Danny and Jeff were shocked to see Nick there, at the airport. "I'm sorry, Nick." Jeff said, as he sipped his coffee. "But you're too late. Sean already boarded the plane. Nick started shaking his head, in denial. "No." He said, forcefully. "No, I refuse to believe that. Which gate did he leave from? I need to go there and find out if he's really gone or not." "Suit yourself, man." Danny said. "He left at Gate B which is just down the corridor from here." "Thanks." Nick said to them, just before he took off running. He got to the gate, just as the guard was getting ready to leave her post. "Excuse me, Ms." Nick asked her. "I need to talk with a friend of mine who just boarded a plane in this area." "I'm sorry, sir." The guard said to him. "You're too late. "That flight just left about 5 minutes ago." Nick's heart sank when he heard that. He hadn't gotten there in time. Not even to say goodbye to Sean. "Thanks." He said to the security guard, who nodded and left to answer a page she got on her walkie talkie. Nick walked over to a chair near the gate and sat down on it. "I never got to save our friendship." He said. "Hell, I didn't even get to say goodbye. I've lost you again. Forever." Nick buried his face in his hands and took deep breaths, trying not to break down. But he wasn't successful. Jeff and Danny walked into the area where Sean had been, just in time to see Nick break down, crying. Jeff walked over and sat down near Nick and put his hand on Nick's shoulder, squeezing it gently, offering his comfort and support the best that he could. "I'm sorry, man." Jeff said to Nick. "I had no idea that you were even coming to the airport." Nick raised his head and wiped at his eyes. "Neither did I, Jeff." Nick said, in between sobs. "It was a "spur of the moment" thing. I realized that I had to try to get my friendship with Sean back. I didn't want things to end like this. I told Sean that once he walked out the door back home, that there was no turning back. Then I yelled at him and said that he never cared about me. I was so angry, I had to get out of there. Then, while I was driving, I realized what I'd done and I had to come back and apologize." "I went back home, and Kandi and Justin told me that Sean had left. So, I left to head down here and got stuck in traffic because there was an accident on the highway which was tied up for a long time. Then, I get here and find out that Sean has left." Nick wiped at his eyes again, as more tears blurred his vision. He was sick with guilt over what he had said to Sean earlier. But that wasn't all he was feeling. "Now, I have to move on, somehow, without Sean in my life again." Nick said. "God, I worked so hard to get Sean to come around. And now when he finally forgives me for what I did to him, years ago, I end up losing his friendship again." "Nick, don't blame yourself." Danny said, sitting on the other side of Nick. "This is not your fault. And as much as I hate to say this, If you want to blame someone for this mess, then blame your wife. She's the reason this has all happened. All because she can't stand seeing you and Sean getting close again." As Nick listened to everything that Danny was saying, realization slowly began to dawn on him just how right Danny was. Jessica was the one responsible for driving Sean away and ultimately, she'd succeeded in taking any chance Nick had had, in regaining Sean's trust and friendship. Nick sighed and stood up. He was really mad now! Jeff and Danny saw just how mad he was. "Come on, you two." Nick said to the two of them. "Let's go home. I have some unfinished business to settle with my wife!" Nick stalked out of the airport, with Jeff and Danny right on his heels. They all got into their cars, Nick in his, Jeff and Danny in theirs, and they all started driving back to the Lachey house. To Be Continued........? Well, that's it for this one. I hope you all enjoyed it! "What happens next? Oh, if you only knew!" Stay tuned. slpwriter@yahoo.com