Title: Family Ties Author: Sorika e-mail: Webmaster@katlair.zzn.com Rating: PG13 (adult language, and scene in chapter 7) Archive: YES!!! Just tell me where, I'll give you a link back! :) Web page: www.geocities.com/Paris/Sorbonne/5647 Note: I have to thank my friend, Donny for telling me about Fanfiction.net, the other site that this story located.  I'm Sorika there, if you'd like to leave a formal reveiw. Disclaimer: I am in no way connected with the BSB *whimpers* Oh! And to those of you that will flame me because of Brian and Leighanne, please don't. I'm happy for them and they're happy together. So, don't hate me for breaking them up! okies? ~*~*~ Chapter 1 : The Meeting ~*~*~ I looked into the mirror, to examine the newest set of bruises. "I'm a dancer, and hey! injuries are just part of the job. Anyway, I fell out of a lift, and my partner, Jackson, had to catch me, but he caught me at a weird angle. So, now I have two, long bruises in the perfect shape of Jackson’s arm. Then, there are the other bruises. Don’t even ask about those. They just hurt, K?" I said this to my roommate, Nancy. She's really sweet, and all, but she's SSSSOOOO nosy. "Lizzie, I think that you should seriously tell Madame about Jackson. I KNOW where you get all those bruises. All of us do, Lizzie. We're not dumb..." "Nanc, Jackson's my partner. I don't want another one, and I don’t want to turn Jackson in!" Just then, Madame opened the door. "Lizabeth!! This package just arrived for you!" " Thanks, Madame." I said, taking the box she offered. I looked at it. It was addressed to 'Elisabeth Miller' "Uh! I hate that! They called me Elisabeth! That isn't my name!" Cursing life, yet again, for the damned name that my parents decided to give me at my birth, I opened the small box. Inside lay a book, which was thicker than War and Peace and Gone with the Wind put together. It was simply entitled "The Jameson Heritage." Nancy looked at me. "Wasn't that your mother's maiden name?" She asked in a hushed voice. "Yeah. I wonder where this came from. Let's flip through it and find out if I'm related to anyone worth knowing." We sat down on the couch to flip through it for a while. Nanc saw something that her gasp. "Lizzie! You're related to..." "Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys!?!?" ************************************************************************************* Ok, so it's hard to believe. Just as hard to believe is that in the book, they had my name right! "But, they had the reason I was at the dance studio wrong. They said I had entered the school as a student, and it sounds like I was older than I was when my parents died. At that time, I was only 5, and the crash happened in front of the studio. Madame took me in, gave me a home, and has treated me like a daughter. It was only a coincidence that I liked dance when I came, and she let me dance with the other students. She never would have pushed me to do something I didn't want." I don't think I ever told that to Nancy before. I never told anyone, except Madame. I just...I just had to tell someone now that I know I DO have a family. "Nancy, you can't tell anyone. All I want them to know is that my parents are dead. I don't want anyone to know the rest. " Nancy just nodded at me, tears clouding her green eyes. I knew that was better than a promise. "Girls! I'd like for you to come downstairs, please. I need you to try your new costumes on." "Ok, Madame. We'll be right down." I looked at Nancy, and we started down the stairs. I live right above the studio, and Nancy's the apprentice to me, the principle dancer or prima ballerina of the school, so she moved in last year as my roommate. Downstairs, Madame held out the costumes for the next performance. She insisted that we always try the costumes on, even after our measurements had been taken hundreds of times. I've gotten used to it. Some of the others always grumble about fittings and trying the costumes on. I think its necessary. So, after I tried on my costume, I came out into the studio again, to tell Madame that the costume was fine. "Madame, It's...." I looked up. Then, I saw him. My cousin, Nick Carter was standing next to Madame, and I totally forgot what I was going to say. Luckily, Madame seems to know. "Ok, Lizzie, since it fits, put it over in the closet. Then, I'd like you to show these gentlemen around, if you don't mind." My mind screamed, Mind?!!? I'll gladly show them around. "Sure, Madame." I walked over and put the costume into the closet. "If you will follow me?" Nick rushed to my side. The others lagged behind. When we left the studio, Nick started to talk. "So... you're Lizzie? Is that short for Elizabeth?" "No, it's short for Lizabeth. It isn't spelled with an E. My parents decided to give me a weird name. Just call me Lizzie, or Liz. Most people call me Lizzie, though. Would you like to come inside and have some coffee? It's cold outside, and there's really not much to see." "Yeah." I looked back at Brian, who had said that. Oh shot! I hope Nancy cleaned up her mess. I lead the way to the stairs, and the guys followed me up the stairs. They sat down on the couch, while I went to make coffee. I could hear them murmuring, but didn't pay attention. When I walked into the room, coffee cups, sugar, and cream on a tray, they were looking through the book. "Lizzie! You're related to Nick?" "Yeah, according to that book I am. I can't really say I know of anyone from my family. I was orphaned at 5, and Madame adopted me, after the courts could find no family. I had no aunts or uncles, my grandparents were dead. I've lived here ever since." There. It was on the table, now. They could think what they wanted to. " You're an orphan? That's terrible! I couldn't imagine...” Brian looked at her, eyes glazing with tears. He had never really given much thought to the life that someone leads without their parents. "I'm Ok, really. It hasn't been that bad. Madame is the greatest. She's given me everything I could ever want or need. She's the only mother I've ever known. My mother and Madame had been friends. She's taught me about my mother enough that I feel like understand her better. The only thing I know about my father is that his name was Charles Miller." Just then, Madame's voice rang out. "Lizzie? Can the Boys come down now, the tryouts are about to begin." I looked at the guys in front of me. "Tryouts?" Nick looked at me. " We're trying to find some new dancers for the tour. We're here to see about taking on some dancers from this studio." ************************************************************************************* I got into formation with the rest of the girls that were going to try out. I was determined to make them look like fools. I can't explain it; I just really want to go on the tour with the BSB. Maybe it's because I'm a fan, but I'd like to think it's because I'd have the biggest opportunity to get to know someone in the family. My family. I can't get used to that. I have a family. And, from how much that pinch in my leg just hurt, I think I can safely say that I am awake. This feels like a dream. If it is, I never want to wake up. Anyway, I'm off the subject. Brian, Howie, AJ, Nick and Kevin sat behind a table, Madame standing against the wall, next to the stereo. She started the music, and I started to dance. The others around me had disappeared. I was on my own, in the clouds. I knew of no other existence. Just the music, my dancing, and me. Then a searing pain made me cash back to earth. My world spun out of the clouds, and my world and I hit the floor with a thud. Then, everything I knew became pain. My right hip was on fire. Then I felt two strong arms pick me up, and I felt as if I were floating. Finally, the wonderful oblivion came over me, and I felt the welcome blackness over take me.