Affairs of the Heart
Chapter 17
Written by Jayson Colin Vascardi
Legal Disclaimer: This story is fictional and not meant to reflect upon or imply anything about any of the celebrities mentioned herein. If you are offended by material of a homosexual nature, or if such material is illegal to view in your area, you should be leaving now. Otherwise, please enjoy the story.
This story is copyright ©2001-2002 by Jayson Colin Vascardi. All rights reserved.
Email: JCVascardi@yahoo.com
If you don't use the above email link, please remember to include "Affairs" in the email subject line. All emails will be answered. Please send email feedback to my Yahoo! account, and not my Hotmail account. I only use the Hotmail account for MSN Messenger.
If you'd like to chat with me, I hang out in the Nifty Boy Bands chat room quite often, using my first name, Jayson. I've also started going to the Nifty Writers Chat Room now, so stop by sometime and we can chat if you want.
ICQ: 53886549
AOL IM: JCVascardi
MSN Messenger: JCVascardi@hotmail.com
My Website: http://jcv.5u.com/all/worldofslash/


Previously

Drew Lachey wakes up, and after showering and getting dressed, he heads down the hall to his brother's room to talk with him. Of course he soon finds out, with the help of Kerr Smith and Scott Foley, that Nick did not sleep in his room last night. His bedroom door is locked from the inside, so he had to have exited his bedroom through the secret passages, which means that someone in the family had to let him out, since the secret panels in the guest bedrooms don't open from inside the rooms. When confronted with this, Nick panics and runs when the list of family who could have let him into the passages narrows down to only three people, Diana, Alexandra, or Don.

Seth and Bruce argue about whether or not they'll be going out on another date with Justin Timberlake. Seth doesn't really like Justin that much because, among other things, Justin refuses to say whether he's gay or straight. Justin says that that's because he doesn't like labels and refuses to label himself. Finally however Seth agrees to give their relationship with Justin a little more time, knowing that Bruce really does seem to be falling in love with Justin.

His Imperial Majesty King Christian of San Cristobel informs his sons, Their Imperial Highnesses Princes Nikolas and Stephen, that their mother called from the states and that she will be returning to the kingdom tomorrow, accompanied by her sister Katherine's family.

Chapter 17

Donald Preston Smith and Nicholas Scott Lachey take a deep breath as the black limousine that transported them from the corporate headquarters of Smith Industries, Incorporated to the Smith Mansion comes to a stop in the circular driveway in front of the house. Within seconds, Don's chauffeur has opened the door to the limousine, and Nick and Don step out and head into the mansion.

As they enter the reception hall, they notice Mrs. Lansbury walking out of the dining room carrying a suitcase.

"Going somewhere Mrs. Lansbury?" asks Don.

"Yes," replies Mrs. Lansbury, "Master Ashley gave me a few weeks off while all of you are down in San Cristobel. I figured I'd go visit my family in South Carolina."

"San Cristobel?"

"Yes, Master Nicholas," replies Mrs. Lansbury, "Her Majesty has invited the entire family and your group down to San Cristobel for the state dinner as her personal guests. Everyone's minds are so preoccupied with packing at the moment, that I doubt they'll have time to ask why you let Master Nicholas out of his room last night through the secret passages, Master Donald."

"So they figured it out that it was me, huh?"

"Yes, they did," replies Mrs. Lansbury, "After Her Majesty and Diana were cleared from suspicion, it left you as the only other possibility. They are curious as to why you would let Nicholas out of his room through the passages, but I decided not to tell them anything."

"What do you mean you decided not to tell them anything?"

"Oh nothing," replies Mrs. Lansbury, "A woman has to have her own little secrets. Let's just say that I know where Master Nicholas slept last night and it wasn't on the couch in the Collectibles Room. Anyway, I have to go. Mistress Diana is waiting outside for me, she's going to fly me over Burlington, so that I can catch my flight to Orlando. So, you all have a good time in San Cristobel, and I'll see you in a few weeks."

That said, Mrs. Lansbury picks up her suitcase and heads out the front door, heading for her car.

"Mrs. Lansbury has always been a very smart woman," replies Don, as Nick simply nods, "Nothing gets past her."

"Ah, Don, you're home," replies Alexandra, as she descends the staircase, "I need to talk to you."

"About?"

"Well, Diana has made arrangements at Middlebury State Airport," replies Alexandra, "for us all to be flown out to Burlington International on small aircraft, at which point we'll all fly out to San Cristobel. The imperial jet is gassed up and waiting there to fly us down to San Cristobel, the only problem is that it's not big enough to accommodate everyone. There's only enough room for nine people on it, and there's eleven of us."

"Well, that's no problem," replies Don, "I'll have my corporate jet fueled up and then Nick and I will fly down in my jet if you can see to it that my pilot gets the flight plan and proper coordinates."

"Ok, that works," replies Alexandra, "I'm sorry there isn't more room on my jet, but it's the smaller of the two jets owned by the family. The larger one is the plane my husband always uses, which has a larger seating capacity."

"Don't worry about it Alexandra," replies Don, "I don't mind using my jet. Anyway, I guess Nick and I should get upstairs and start packing, so we'll be ready when it's time to leave. When are we leaving?"

"As soon as Diana gets back from flying Mrs. Lansbury into Burlington," replies Alexandra, "I called Christian and told him that I'd be back at about eight o'clock tonight, and it's a four hour flight down to San Cristobel's Kingston Airport. So we should try to be out of here no later than about two this evening, so that we have ample time to get through security at the airport and get luggage checked and such."

----

Ashley Smith picks up his cell phone and dials a number which is now very familiar. Within moments the phone is answered.

"Hello, this is Kevin."

"Hey Kev, it's me Ashley."

"Hey Ash, how's everything going?"

"Well, you're not going to believe this," replies Ashley, "But, my father is alive."

"What?"

"Yes, he's alive. We just found out yesterday afternoon," replies Ashley, "It seems that my grandfather, Thomas Winthrop, hired a hit man to kill my father, so with the help of the FBI and San Cristobel's Secret Police, he faked his death to avoid being killed by the hit man. Also, my mother is alive, but the woman who came to the mention claiming to be her, isn't my mother but my mother's half-sister, Alexandra Winthrop de'Montferrat, the Queen of San Cristobel."

"Yikes," replies Kevin, "But, if your mother is alive where is she?"

"In England," replies Ashley, "My grandfather purposely crashed his car into my mother's car twenty years ago, and she's been in a persistent vegetative state in an English long-term care facility ever since."

"Wow," replies Kevin, "So, I guess since your father is alive again, you'll be modeling again?"

"Yeah, my contract has been re-instated," replies Ashley, "And Zach signed a modeling contract now. Diana isn't in debt anymore, because dad has re-instated the payments going to Harvard, and it turns out that Diana is actually my half-sister."

"Half-sister?"

"Yeah, it seems that before she married Christian de'Montferrat fifteen years ago, my Aunt Alexandra lived as my mother for the three years between my mother's car accident and the time of the fire at the Smith cabin. So, obviously, since Diana was born during that time, she's Alexandra's daughter, so actually I guess that makes her my half-sister and my cousin."

"Well, you've certainly had a lot going on lately, haven't you?"

"Yeah," replies Ashley, "Oh, just to let you know, my whole family and 98 Degrees is flying down to San Cristobel this afternoon. Aunt Alexandra has invited all of us to attend a state dinner there next week."

"98 Degrees?"

"Yeah, it seems that while my father was supposedly dead, he was living as Trey Williams, the new manager of 98 Degrees. Anyway, when dad returned home, he brought 98 Degrees with him and since they have about two months off right now, they're coming with us to San Cristobel."

"Well, have fun then," replies Kevin, "I've never been to a state dinner, so let me know what it's like."

"Well, Kevin," replies Ashley, "If you'd like to attend one, I think I might be able to get you an invitation. My aunt is the Queen after all. That is if you can get the time off."

"Well, when is this dinner?"

"A week from today," replies Ashley, "So it's next Saturday evening at the Imperial Palace in Kingston, San Cristobel."

"Well, actually, I do have off that weekend," replies Kevin, "The last concert is on Thursday night, and then we don't have another one until Tuesday, so I suppose I could come down for the weekend."

"Ok, that's great," replies Ashley, "I'll ask my Aunt Alexandra."

"Ask me what?" asks Alexandra, who was passing by Ashley's bedroom and overheard him say that.

"Well, Kevin, my Aunt is here now, I'll ask one moment," replies Ashley into his cell phone, before asking, "Well, I'm on the phone with Kevin and it seems that he has off from his tour the weekend of the state dinner, so I was wondering if maybe he could come?"

"Of course," replies Alexandra, "Any friend of yours Ashley is more then welcome to come, and Kevin is a celebrity right?"

"Yeah, he is," replies Ashley, "He's a Backstreet Boy, he's touring with the rest of his group and *NSYNC right now."

"Well, tell him that he's more then welcome to come down," replies Alexandra, "As are the rest of the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and any significant others that any of them might have. We'd be glad to have them."

"Thanks."

"No problem," replies Alexandra, as she pulls a card from her purse, "He's the number for the phone on my jet and the number for the phone in my office at the Imperial Palace. Just tell Kevin to call me and let me know how many people will be coming, and from where, and I'll send either my jet or my husband's jet to pick them up, since there are no commercial flights to San Cristobel at the moment."

"Ok, thanks Aunt Alexandra," replies Ashley, who in turn relays the information to Kevin, before replying, "So, Kevin, how are Jeremy and Jordan doing?"

"They're doing quite well," replies Kevin, "I'm enjoying almost every aspect of fatherhood. Except perhaps the 2am feedings and diaper changes."

"Well, I look forward to seeing them again," replies Ashley, "Assuming that you'll bring them with you to San Cristobel, and not like leave them with their grandmother for the weekend."

"I'll bring them," replies Kevin, "I can't stand to be away from them for more than a few hours at a time, so I'd never be able to leave them with my mother for the weekend."

"Ok, well, I'll see you next week then," replies Ashley, "Bye Kevin."

"Bye Ash."

----

Six days later, well after everyone has left for San Cristobel, a car drives up to the closed Northeastern gates of the Smith estate. A security guard is waiting at the gate and upon seeing the driver of the car, he walks over and unlocks the gates before pushing them open, allowing the car to go through. Several minutes later, the car stops in front of the garage, and the car's occupant gets out, grabs his briefcase from the backseat of his car and walks towards the house, where another security guard stands at the door into the kitchen, waiting for him.

"Is everyone out of the house?"

"Yes, the house is empty."

"Good, I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Hurt, sir?"

"Yes, the house will not be around much longer."

"Ah, I see," replies the guard as he unlocks the kitchen door and allows the man into the house.

The man is Thomas Winthrop, and he intends to destroy the mansion, as it is one of the largest and most expensive displays of Donald Smith's wealth and power in Middlebury. So, obviously, Thomas hates it just as much as he hates Don. Since he wasn't able to kill Don, he figures that the least he can do is destroy Don's home, knowing that with all of the happy memories that Don and his family have had in the house, that it will hurt Don quite a bit to see the mansion destroyed.

Thomas walks through the kitchen and heads upstairs to the second floor, where he goes into Diana's bedroom. There he sees Diana's forgotten hair dryer on the nightstand. Thomas plugs it in and turns it onto high heat, and then places it on Diana's bed and puts her pillows on top of it, before exiting the room and going across the hall to Don's bedroom. There Thomas lights two cigars and after smoking them for a few seconds, drops them in the waste paper basket next to Don's desk. On Don's bed is a laundry basket, which had contained freshly washed clothes a few hours ago.

Thomas grabs the empty laundry basket and then descends the grand staircase back down onto the first floor of the mansion and heads into the study. From the walls he grabs all of Diana's framed degrees and tosses them into then laundry basket, along with several framed family photos. Thomas then sets his briefcase on the desk, opens it, and removes six extension cords and two 3-way plugs. Finding the nearest electrical outlet, he unplugs everything from it, and then plugs both 3-way plugs into the outlet, so that six things can now be plugged into the outlet instead of two. Thomas then plugs the six extension cords in, and proceeds to plug everything requiring electricity into the one outlet and then turns every electrical appliance on, which effectively overloads the outlet and it starts to spark.

Thomas then grabs the laundry basket and heads into the utility room, which is just off the kitchen. He opens the washing machine and throws all of Diana's framed degrees and framed photographs into the washing machine. Thomas then grabs the iron from the nearby ironing board and throws that in as well. A lamp sits on a shelf near the washing machine, so Thomas turns it on, and then throws it into the washing machine, before closing the lid and starting the spin-cycle on the washing machine.

Thomas then walks back into the kitchen and grabs a butcher knife from the knife block and wedges it into the mixing arms of the food processor, before turning it on at it's highest setting, before going over to the stove and turns the dials to turn on one of the burners and then blows out the flames, so that only the gas is on. Crossing the kitchen, Thomas opens the cupboard under the sink and removes three aerosol cans from under it and then places them in the microwave, setting it to high heat for a minute, before exiting through the kitchen door.

Thomas then runs over to his car, gets in, and drives several feet away before stopping and getting out of his car to look back the the mansion, as he looks at his watch, Thomas replies, "Five, four, three, two, one!"

At that instant, there's a very loud noise as the mansion explodes. Thomas watches happily as the roof is blown off and the entire mansion is consumed in flames.

"Ha ha ha ha ha," laughs Thomas evilly, before getting back into his car and driving away, as the Smith mansion continues to burn.

----

To be continued...

Well, there was Chapter 17. Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, and that Don and Nick still haven't told everyone about their relationship, but that will happen in Chapter 18, in San Cristobel, before the news of the explosion in Middlebury reaches them. Did it shock any of you for Thomas Winthrop to blow up the mansion? At least nobody was in the mansion when it blew. Let me know what you think of this storyline, or the story in general. And until next time, stay *NSYNC.

This story is copyright ©2001-2002 by Jayson Colin Vascardi. All rights reserved.
Email: JCVascardi@yahoo.com
If you don't use the above email link, please remember to include "Affairs" in the email subject line. All emails will be answered. Please send email feedback to my Yahoo! account, and not my Hotmail account. I only use the Hotmail account for MSN Messenger.
If you'd like to chat with me, I hang out in the Nifty Boy Bands chat room quite often, using my first name, Jayson. I've also started going to the Nifty Writers Chat Room now, so stop by sometime and we can chat if you want.
ICQ: 53886549
AOL IM: JCVascardi
MSN Messenger: JCVascardi@hotmail.com
My Website: http://jcv.5u.com/all/worldofslash/