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 this site. 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 4: The Birthday Girl ~*~*~ I pulled the suitcases out to the car. Today, we were leaving to go back to Seattle. The guys were finally going back to the tour. I thought it was really sweet that they had put the tour on hold for me, but I wanted to go on the tour. I wanted to dance in front of people again. I missed it. "Nick! Can you help me with this?" He walked around the car and started to pile the suitcases into the car. "Oh! I almost forgot my purse." I ran back inside to get it. Nick's stuff was all in the car already. I grabbed it off the counter, and was almost out the door when the phone rang. "Hello?" I picked it up, and silence greeted me. "Look, if you just want to prank call...." "Lizzie, you think you've gotten away, but you haven't. I'm gonna get you, and there's nothing you can do about it. You belong to me, and you had better not go off and be a whore to one of those assholes." *Click* It was Jackson. My heart froze. I dropped the phone, and sank to my knees, crying. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have his fists pounding into my flesh; almost forgot what a broken bone felt like. Now, those horrible memories came flooding back. Nick came back into the house. "Lizzie, come on, we have to.... What happened?!?" "Nick, he called me. Jackson. He said, He... Oh Nick, I thought I got away from him. He says I'm his, and he...." "Hush. He won't hurt you, not while you are with us.I won't let him." He murmured, pulling me towards himself. The phone rang again, and he grabbed it. "Look, you asshole...." Nick said, eyes flaming with hate. "Oh, sorry Brian." He said after a moment. "Yeah, we're coming. Lizzie and I just need to talk for a sec, then we'll be there." "Come on, Liz. Let's hit the road." He said, as we got up. "And don't worry, even if I have to hire 600 more bodyguards, just for you, I will. I promise, nothing will happen to you as long as you're with us." I laughed, once again feeling safe around him. "Nick, 600 would be a bit overboard, but thanks. Race you to the car!" I took off. Not that I have to run very fast to beat Nick, (he always lets me win) but I couldn't wait to see Brian again. ******************************************************************************** I climbed onto the bus, and headed to the back to set my purse in my bunk. The back end of Nick stuck out from my bunk. "Oh no you don't, Nickolas Gene! Get out of my bunk, now, before I..." I started being tickled from behind. "No AJ! No fair!" "AJ." Rachel's voice interrupted us. "Rachel! Make him stop! Please!!!!!!" I cried out, laughing the whole time. "I just wanted the top bunk, and Nick's trying to take it. He promised I could have it when my leg got better!" I whined, as AJ released me. I was still smiling, as Rachel began to laugh. AJ walked over to her, and wrapped his arms easily around her waist. "Nick, you did promise Lizzie that you'd only take the top bunk 'til her leg healed. It's better, now, keep your promise, and LET'S GO!" Kevin bellowed. "Aww, Train, you're no fun." I said. "Besides, I was just climbing up there to grab this, and now everyone's jumped on me for something I didn't even do." Nick held up a small wrapped gift and pouted for the inhumanity of it all. "Nick, what is that?" I said, trying to see. "Oh no you don't, Miss Birthday Girl. You don't get this until later tonight, I've got to fix part of it." He said, teasingly. "Now, I'll be right back, I have to go see Brian. He's still unloading his stuff." He tucked the present under his arm (damn him!) and left the bus. "Happy B-day, Lizzie." Kevin said, handing me a small present. "How did you even find out it was my birthday?!?" I hadn't told anyone, because I never make a big deal out of birthdays. I took the gift from Kevin's hand. "Oh, Kevin! It's beautiful!" He had gotten me a charm bracelet, and my first charm was a pair of ballet slippers. I smiled. "Thanks, Kev. I love it." Howie and AJ both gave me the next present. "We got together and got you this. Hope you like it." I blushed. My birthday had never really been such a big deal. "Thanks, you guys!" The box's small size didn't prepare me for the heaviness of its contents. I pulled out three books. "The Dark Matter Trilogy!!! Oh my gosh, how did you know? I LOVE Philip Pullman!!!" I ran my hands over the covers. I had wanted this trilogy for a year, but could never find the first book, The Golden Compass. "Nick said that you were always looking for these books, so we teamed up to find them. And let me tell you, I understand how you had so much trouble!" Howie said, his eyes wide. "We found those in a shop that was closing down (after looking in every other bookstore in the city of Tampa), under about five hundred other books. The owner said that he could never sell them, so we grabbed 'em." Brian and Nick walked onto the bus. Brian dropped his duffle in his bunk and sat down at the table where I was. "So, when do we leave for Seattle?" "Umm...in three minutes. The driver just went to grab his suitcase and coffee." Kevin said, glaring at Brian. "B-Rok, can I talk to you?" Kevin got up, grabbed Brian by the arm and dragged him into the TV room. The driver poked his head into the bus. "We'll have to fly to Seattle. The oil needs to be changed, and it hasn't been done in so long that the bus is unsafe." ******************************************************************************** When we got on the plane, I chose a seat at the back and began to read the books from Howie and AJ. Carmen soon joined me at the back of the plane. "Hey, Liz, What's that?" She asked, gesturing to the book. "Never mind. Did you know that Rach is so afraid of heights?" I looked over to where Rachel and AJ were sitting. AJ had pulled down the shade, and sat trying to pry Rachel's hands from the armrests. Her eyes were huge with fright. "No, Car, I didn't. How much longer 'til we get there?" "About thirty minutes, according to Nicky." As soon as she said his name, her eyes glazed over, and she was once again lost in her own world. I turned back to my book. "Hey, Liz! Unless you want to stay on the plane while we do the concert, it's time to get off, so come on!" Nick yelled, once again pulling me away from my book. "I'm coming." I grumbled. I hate being interrupted while I'm reading. Nick grabbed my stuff and followed me off the plane. Brian walked up to me as I got off. "Lizzie, would you like to go out to dinner tonight?" He blurted out, and then blushed. "Sure, Brian. That would be great." He is so cute when he blushes! But, he’s always cute, but that defiantly makes it better. Nick seemed to be very proud, but I can't figure out why. "Oh, Lizzie, before forget..." He reached into his bag and pulled out the same present that I had seen on the bus. He handed it to me. "Oh Nick." Inside was a small velvet box that held a locket. "Look inside." He whispered into my ear. I did, and saw my parents smiling back at me. I began to cry. "Madame wanted to give it to you, but she could never find someone to fix it. She sent it to me, and I got it fixed." As tears flowed freely from my eyes, I threw my arms around him. “Thank you, so much Nick. It’s the best present I’ve ever gotten." I smiled, as Nick fastened it around my neck