Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 23:10:14 +0000
From: Stephanie M
Subject: At What Price Love? Part 2

Title: At What Price Love? Part 2
Author: Stephanie M
Disclaimer: Never happened. Complete Fiction not meant to imply anything
about the sexuality of the celebrities mentioned.
Pairing: Nick/JC
Summary: What would you do for love? It's a question Nick is forced to
answer when he falls in love with his rival.
Notes: Writer's Block fic.

Part 2

Nick was in JC's lap feeling happy that he finally had the lover he had
dreamed of. JC was everything he had ever wanted; beautiful, caring,
charming, sexy and importantly someone who saw Nick instead of Nick Carter
the Backstreet Boy. If JC had only seen the Backstreet Boy then they would
never have got together, they would have remained enemies.

"They're coming to save you?" Justin asked amused at how Backstreet
automatically assumed the worst.

Nick nodded as he stood, "They think Josh brainwashed me into believing I
love him. I guess I should meet them in the foyer so they'll leave you
alone.."

"Okay baby. Let's go," JC said taking Nick's hand in his.

Imagining how Backstreet were going to react Chris said in disbelief,
"You're going to walk him down?"

Backstreet would probably try to kill JC just for going near Nick. How would
they react when they discovered Nick and JC had spent the night together?
Knowing their luck Backstreet would be out for blood.

JC said looking at Chris in shock, "Yeah. I won't be long."

"Okay." Lance said stopping the others from saying anything with a look.

Nick said seriously, "You should stay here, Josh. They'll just get angry if
you're with me."

"If that's what you want. I'll call you tonight." JC said, hugging the
blonde tightly before Nick broke the embrace and walked out the room.
*******
"Pay up!" JC declared with a smirk seconds after Nick left the room.

"Why do I even bother to make bets with you?" Joey said with a groan as took
$300 from his wallet.

"You're a sucker for punishment, I guess." JC commented with a smile.

Justin said quickly, "Wait! Got any evidence that you actually had sex with
him?"

JC shook his head, "No, I can't remember much about what happened last
night."

"Well then you've lost the bet." Chris declared with a grin.

"I think we should stop, Nick really has feelings for you." Lance said
remembering the look in the blonde's eyes.

JC said stubbornly, "He's not in love with me, its just an infatuation."

"Tell him about the bet, if you feel that way!" Lance said looking up from
his paper.

JC said, "I will. He'll understand."

"Yeah right (!) What are you going to say?" Chris said with a laugh.

Stopping to think for a minute JC said, "I'll just say I don't love you
Nick. It was a bet I made with my bandmates that I could have sex with a
Backstreet Boy."

Outside the hotel room Nick gasped hearing JC's words. He ran down the
corridor in shock unable to believe he had allowed himself to be fooled so
easily. How could he have been stupid enough to believe JC loved him?
*******
"What's wrong Nicky?" Howie asked gently when they arrived to find Nick on
the floor crying in a heap.

Nick tightly held onto Howie as he wailed, "JC doesn't love me!"

"Oh Nick, I'm sorry." Howie said as he gently directed Nick out of the hotel
to the waiting car.

As Nick got into the car with Howie stroking his hair soothingly he let his
tears fall. His friends were looking at him in shock, surprised to see him
crying as Nick rarely broke down in front of anyone apart from Howie.

Collecting himself Nick said, "We made love last night and he said he loved
me. I left to meet you when I realised I hadn't given him my phone number. I
went back to the room but before I could knock I heard him talking to the
others. He said that he only slept with me as a bet!"

"Everything is going to be okay. We'll take care of you." Brian vowed
sharing a look with Kevin.

They wouldn't allow Nsync to be alone with Nick, not after what they had
done to him. The other Backstreet members had made a vow years ago to
protect Nick at all costs, they had other people to depend on but Nick
didn't. The only people Nick had to depend on were them, his bandmates had
become his family and his friends.

Before falling into a restless sleep in Howie's arms Nick said, "You were
right, he didn't love me. It was a game for him. I never want to hear
someone say they love me again."

"What are we going to do to Nstink?" AJ asked seriously. It was war now,
Nsync had broken one of their sacred rules, you don't hurt the babies of the
groups.

Kevin said seriously, "Nothing, yet. If they try and contact Nick, then
we'll deal with them. No one from Nsync is allowed to come near Nick."

"We should teach JC a lesson for hurting Nicky." Howie said sounding violent
and angry for the first time in years.

Kevin said quickly, "Nick needs is to know that we're here for him, that we
love him. He'll get over JC, as long as we make sure he had no contact with
anyone that could remind him of Nick."

Howie said with deadly calm, "If he does come near Nick, I'll kill him."

AJ shared a look with Brian and Kevin letting them know they would have to
keep an eye on Howie. They all knew Howie was in love with Nick but
amazingly the blonde hadn't figured it out yet. Each one agreed that Nick
and Howie would make a good couple, all they had to do now was make Nick
realise that.
*******
Two days later JC was ready to kill someone, he couldn't get in touch with
Nick. He knew it was just supposed to be a bet but he liked Nick. He was
sure that given the chance he could fall in love with Nick.

"Hi, this is JC. Is Nick there?" JC said as soon as the phone was answered.

Howie snarled, "Don't come near him, JC! If I *ever* see you around Nick,
I'll kill you."

"What the fuck? I just want to talk to him!" JC said confused at the other
man's reaction.

Howie said calmly, "Nick doesn't want to talk to you. He knows about the
bet. Why would he want anything to do with a lying piece of shit like you?"

"What do you mean?" JC said worried, if Nick knew about the bet he had no
chance. Despite the bet JC had meant everything he had said about Nick, he
did have feelings for the blonde. Ok, maybe not love but given time he knew
he could have fallen in love with Nick. It would be so easy to fall in love
with the blue-eyed blonde.

"He knows you only pretended to love him for a bet. He never wants to speak
to you again."

"It's not like that! I do have feelings for him!" JC protested fervently.

Howie gave a chilling laugh, "Like any of us would believe a word you say
(!) You broke his heart. We will not tolerate any of you coming near Nick!"

"Please let me talk to him. I want to explain!" JC said desperately, he
didn't want Nick to think of him like that.

"No. You're not allowed to talk to Nick. Don't make us come after you."
Howie said before hanging up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked as JC threw his phone across the room.

JC sighed as he sat down next to Lance, "Nick knows about the bet. He told
the rest of Backstreet. They won't let me talk to him."

Lance looked up in shock, "Do you blame them? Nick had feelings for you. You
broke one of our rules, you hurt the baby of the group."

"I do care about Nick. I just want to explain everything to him!" JC
protested making Lance look at him in pity.

Lance said seriously, "You know how difficult it is to trust someone in this
business. You broke his trust in you. If you really want him to believe you
then you will have to do something amazing, something that will make him
believe you are telling the truth."

"Okay, I will. If that's what it takes to make Nick listen." JC said before
walking out the room with a determined stride.

End Part 2