CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR - THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Kevin glanced nervously at AJ, hoping his impulsive friend wouldn't do anything too crazy. The opening song had gone smoothly enough, with no time for horseplay, mainly because it was a big production number that would not allow for deviation. Unlike the next song. Kevin felt a fine sheen of nervousness trickled down his back as he noticed out of the corner of his eye the faces Nick and AJ were making to the crowd. Shit! He grabbed a spare microphone and walked over to the two, the band playing soft background music as they waited for his cue. Kevin had given them specific instructions not to continue the next numbers until he gave the say so.

"Hey, all you Backstreet fans!" yelled Kevin into the microphone. He not-so-innocently butted in between Nick and AJ, wrapping his arm tightly around Nick to calm him down. "Wassup?" he yelled and got a resounding rush of delighted screams. Kevin took that split second to turn his back to the stage and frown threateningly at Nick and AJ. "Stop it!" he mouthed, his eyes dark with irritation. Unconcerned, Nick shrugged comically and AJ bounced away from Kevin. Groaning inwardly, Kevin turned back to the stage, only to catch his breath. Howie was leaning precariously close to the edge, waving and blowing kisses to the front row. He had already unbuttoned his shirt. Trying to keep from screaming, Kevin anxiously searched for Brian, catching his gaze with his own and glared meaningfully at his cousin for help.

"Hi, ya'll! Told you we'd come back, didn't we?" announced Brian to the audience. Once again the high-pitched screams filled the arena.

Kevin thought furiously. "As you can see," he drawled, waving his hand expansively in Nick, AJ, and Howie's direction, "we're happy to be here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see…" Kevin "oofed" as Nick jumped joyfully onto his back and ruffled his hair. Kevin smiled weakly as the crowd roared their delight. "Yes, um, well, as you can see Nick is in a playful mood tonight." Realizing this was going nowhere and not trusting AJ and Howie who were whispering something, Kevin quickly signaled for the band to play.

Brian took over, the first stanza his. He sang, his eyes not on the crowd, but on Nick who seemed to be staring intently at his crotch. Oh God, moaned Brian as he hurriedly walked over, slapping Nick on the back and holding up the microphone. Startled, Nick looked up, but came on cue easily, singing with Brian, his mind concentrating now on the song. AJ and Howie were over on the other side of the stage, arms wrapped around each other, harmonizing. Brian turned his attention to Kevin, who had protectively followed the two. As the song ended, the lights dimmed, but not before Brian had a chance to see the look of sheer amusement plastered all over Xavier's face.

* * * * *

All five Backstreet Boys rushed backstage, hurriedly changing their costumes with practiced ease. They were three-quarters of the way done and Kevin had started to relax a little, not hovering over them to the point of suffocation, as he had done in the beginning.

Nick bumped into AJ accidentally while trying to change into his other pants. "Will you quit staring at your crotch?" said AJ, sorry he ever mentioned one of the more pleasant "side-effects" of the drug.

Nick flushed, embarrassed. "I can't! I'm scared something is going to happen!"

AJ grinned, shaking his head. "You have thousands of girls out there lusting after you, E running through your system, and you're telling me you're not hard yet? Damn!"

Nick swung his arm out half-heartedly in AJ's direction. "And I suppose you are?"

AJ gave him a look of surprise. "How could you not notice?" he bragged.

Nick glanced at AJ's crotch and shrugged. "Probably because that's how big I am without a hard-on!" he boasted, a smirk forming across his face.

AJ opened his mouth for a comeback but found a water bottle shoved into his face. He turned to look at Brian, who had been pushing water incessantly at them all night. "Take it," he said quietly. "Otherwise you'll get really dehydrated."

"I know," he said grimly, understanding the effect E had on raising your body temperature. Apparently so did Brian. AJ smiled grimly. Without a doubt that knowledge confirmed Brian's guilt. He sipped his water, eyeing Brian coldly, wondering why he ever thought Xavier was the cause of all their problems. He heard the beginnings of the next song start and he hurriedly put on his ear set. AJ took a long sip of the cold water, swishing it around in his mouth before spitting it out, his aim directed at Brian's feet. Brian jumped away and AJ nodded in satisfaction as he glared at him, rushing onto the stage with the others.

He started the next song quickly, cutting in on Brian's beginning part, not caring if the crowd noticed. As he began to dance with the others AJ realized that he was starting to feel more normal, which in his case, meant less cheerful. Good. The effect of the drug was wearing off sooner than he thought, probably because he had chewed the Ecstasy rather than swallowed it. He wondered how Howie and Nick were managing. He danced past Brian, hearing Nick singing "Am I sexual?" Not tonight Nicky, he smirked, reminding himself to tease Nick mercilessly about it later. He crossed paths with Brian again, throwing a hostile look towards him, but Brian refused to acknowledge it. The song ended to the deafening shrieks of the crowd, and AJ saw Kevin nod in his direction, the relief on the dark-haired singer's face evident. As nerve-wracking as the night had been, they had all managed to come through without a major embarrassment. But lots of little ones! Sighing, AJ began the next song. Just three more and they were through, finished, done. The joy of going home, even if it was just for a week, never seemed more appealing than it did at this moment. AJ waved at the audience, pleased at the thought of no more concerts, no more problems, and especially no more Brian.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE - LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

The wind whipping in their faces, Nick threw Howie a grin as they ran onto the tarmac, past the attendants who were loading their suitcases. Backstreet Management had surprised them, chartering a Gulfstream for their convenience due to the mad holiday rush. Kevin grunted in reply when informed, saying he thought the gift of chocolates had seemed pretty second-rate on management's part. Eyeing the sleek plane, Kevin nodded his approval. This definitely made up for it as he high-fived AJ, eager to climb aboard.

Xavier had driven them all to the airport and was now patiently waiting for them to board. Howie went first, followed by Nick. AJ jogged up the stairs then turned, sure he heard his name being yelled above the noise on the runway. He saw Brian shout something to Kevin, then Kevin holler something back, grabbing his cousin's arm to give it a rough shake. Unable to hear what was going on, but knowing it wasn't good, AJ gritted his teeth and hurried back down the steps. As he got closer he caught Kevin screaming "Come on!" with Brian forcefully shaking his head. Frustrated, Kevin turned as AJ grasped the older singer by his shoulder, giving him a questioning look.

"Brian's not coming!" Kevin shouted, obviously enraged.

"What?"

AJ glared at Brian. He was so close, so close to going home, and now this.

"Go on!" yelled Brian, indicating them to leave with a wave of his hand. "I'm not going home."

"Dammit, Brian, why?" argued AJ, glancing up to see Xavier standing close.

Brian shook his head again. "I've got other plans," he said vaguely.

"More important than family?" yelled Kevin angrily. Brian shrugged, not answering. Kevin threw his hands up, way beyond pissed at his cousin. "Let's go!" he cried to AJ, "forget him!" Kevin walked furiously towards the plane, noticing the curious stares of Nick and Howie peering through the jet's windows.

AJ stood where he was, livid that Brian was able to screw things up, even at the very last moment. Kevin would now have to bear the brunt of his vacation time trying to explain to everyone back home about Brian's bizarre decision. AJ glared at him for a moment, hoping that Brian could read the contempt in his eyes. Disgusted, AJ turned away and headed back to the plane, stopping at the base of the stair ramp to glance once more at him. Brian stood there head bowed, hands in pockets, looking dejected. Xavier came up from behind, bringing his hands down firmly onto Brian's shoulders, shaking him as if to say "let's go." AJ noticed Brian shudder, a quick look of anger, disgust, and panic all rolled into one. Brian's eyes met AJ's briefly then he quickly turned away, following after the large bodyguard. AJ stood frozen to the spot, suddenly remembering where he had seen Brian's look of loathing before. He gripped the stair rail tightly, watching uneasily as Xavier and Brian walk back into the terminal, merging with the crowd, until they finally disappeared.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX – REALIZATION

AJ stalled for a moment, unsure, then reluctantly climbed aboard the plane, not hearing the flight attendant's cheery hello. He strapped himself into the seat next to Howie, his heart pounding painfully, his mouth dry, as he struggled to maintain his composure. The high-pitched whine of the turbine engines commenced and the jet began to creep slowly along the runway, only to explode into full throttle for take-off. The jet rose quickly, then banked, heading south. AJ bit his lip in consternation, ignoring Howie's excited grin as he closed his eyes to concentrate.

Think, he screamed silently to himself, What's going on? You're so close, come on, come on... AJ willed himself to relax, to let his mind see what his emotions could not. He allowed the thoughts to flow freely, to accept any image or insight that would present itself. A variety of visions came to fore and AJ viewed each one, patiently trying to sort them. He began at the beginning... noticing the radical change in Brian's appearance... the bruises... Brian's angry denials... his mercurial mood swings... AJ remembered the longing, the desire in Brian's eyes to disclose what was the matter, only to be quickly replaced with stubborn defiance. He pictured the silent looks of communication passing between Brian and Xavier, messages that only they seemed to understand. Xavier. AJ's mind veered towards the bodyguard and he grimaced. That damn Xavier, seemingly everywhere, smirking, somehow knowing, always one step ahead, constantly at Brian's side, almost like an obsessed fan. Obsessed. AJ mulled that one over. Xavier seemed possessed, fanatical when it came to guarding Brian, almost consumed by it. He recalled the look of revulsion on Brian's face when Xavier had shook him on the runway, remembered clearly the loathing Brian showed when Xavier had slapped his shoulders at the press interview, considered how he himself had grabbed Brian roughly just before the beginning of a concert. "Don't ever touch me like that again, you got it?" Brian had screamed at him, his eyes brimming with disgust. AJ couldn't erase it from his mind. Over and over again he saw it, each mental picture revealing the agony and fear in Brian's eyes, exposed in small, unguarded moments whenever Xavier was near. AJ bit his lip, angered at his stupidity in not recognizing the connection sooner.

AJ popped his eyes open, his thoughts disrupted by a friendly touch on his shoulder. The flight attendant was handing him a drink and he took it, sore at being interrupted. He took a quick sip, noticing Kevin leaning over him to reach up into the overhead compartment, trying to pull out his duffel bag. "Head's up," Kevin growled. With a thump, he set the heavy bag down next to AJ, bending on one knee to struggle with the zipper on his overstuffed bag.

Heart hammering, AJ shot up out of his seat and stood there, staggered.

He remembered.

Brian's bag of money! How the hell could he have forgotten?

"Bone? Are you alright?"

Oh God... Xavier had picked up Brian's bag.

"AJ?"

Because Xavier knew what was in there.

"Guys, something's wrong with AJ!"

With sickening clarity AJ recalled Brian's angry outburst on the bus, the strain of tension on his face when AJ had asked if Xavier was threatening him.

What do you want me to say? That Xavier beats me senseless...

The bruises!

That he threatens my life...

Shit! That unknown intruder was Xavier!

That he’s holding me hostage in some bizarre way?

The bag of money!

Well, you’re outta luck, pal!

The sheer panic he felt when he discovered the outrageous amount stuffed in there was nothing compared to what he was feeling right now.

"Oh God, oh God, please, don't let it be," he moaned outloud, his mind exploding with terrifying comprehension.

Nick, Howie, and Kevin were now surrounding AJ, their faces in shock over AJ's bizarre behavior. Howie reached out to AJ, who was covering his face with both hands. Shaking with understanding, AJ pulled his hands away to look at them, his eyes filled with fear.

"Guys, Brian's in trouble."

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