[1 week later, the end of July]
        "WHERE ARE SARAH AND NICK?" Hannah yelled.
        "They called and said they're speeding home," Howie informed her.
        "WHERE'S MY LACROSSE STICK?" Cathy yelled from her room.
        "I tripped over it in Hannah's room," Howie stated.
        "ISN'T JULIE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?" Kevin asked from somewhere upstairs.
        "She's stuck at work, " Howie answered.
        "Supposedly..." Brian muttered walking by.
        "Brian..." Kevin spoke warningly, coming down the stairs.
        "What?" Brian innocently smiled.
        "Be nice..." Lance commanded for Kevin. Brian wasn't sure whether to be mad or joke about it. He chose the latter.
        "Yes, sir." Brian saluted, then both he and Lance ran off.
        "Okay..." Kevin began, "Jenny has already left to return to her internship... Chin went back to Paris...AJ left for his tour already... Hannah and Lance leave--"
        "NOW!" Hannah whizzed by.
        "Brian and I leave tonight...and Howie and Nick tomorrow morning... and that leaves the rest of the house to stay here..." Kevin smiled. "This was a good reunion, guys!"
        "WE'RE BACK!" Sarah burst through the door. "HANNAH... LANCE... LET'S GO!"
        "COMING!" Hannah rushed around, grabbing her bags and dragging Lance along.
        "Don't forget your bag," Sarah reminded Lance. He laughed just as a HONK sounded from outside.
        "I think Nick is getting impatient..." Brian laughed.
        "Bye, guys!" Cathy gave both Hannah and Lance a hug before she rushed off.
        "Cathy!" Howie yelped. She stopped and turned to tackle Howie with a hug. "Have a good time with the kids..."
        "Will do," she smiled, then ran off to her class at the YMCA.
        "Okay, we're leaving now!" Hannah declared. "Bye room! Bye house! Bye people! I'll return in four months!"
        "Let's go!" Lance dragged Hannah out with their bags and Sarah closed the door.
        Brian, Kevin, and Howie exchanged glances.
        "The girls left us alone in their house?" Brian snickered.
        "Was that wise of them?" Kevin grinned.
       "Well... they probably think it's no big deal cuz Nick is under their watch..." Howie laughed."Shall we prove them wrong?" he rubbed his hands together evilly.
        "Howie!" the cousins exclaimed.
        "What?!"
        "You're not allowed to be evil!"
        "Who says I can only be 'Sweet D'?" Howie squinted at them.
        "Just kidding!" Both boys stood still for a second before they split in opposite directions with Howie running after them.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[five days later]
          AJ sighed and finished his Coke. He got up to throw the can in the trash, and paced around for a while. He was stuck with nothing to do-- random heavy rain and fog were obstructing his traveling path to get to his next concert. He had had to reschedule.
          He sat on the hotel bed, mulling over what to do. He had written two songs and planned out a new dance routine. He was done with his wireless internet after he had finished his email. Finally, when there had been nothing on TV, he had picked up his phone.
         So far, he had talked to Howie and Nick about the studio, checked up on Sarah and Cathy at the house, spoken to Lance and Hannah on their tour bus on Lance's cell, and he had even gone as far as to try to get a hold of Jenny, but she had been out. He knew that Brian and Kevin were lined up to talk with Howie and Nick. He had been told by the girls at home that Julie was still at the office with her paper. He smiled and thought of his phone bill.
         He checked his watch--it was too early to sleep. He wasn't tired, anyway.
         Something was bothering him.
           
        Chin sighed and plopped on her couch, throwing her bag and keys in a sofa beside it. The day had been exhausting. A show had to be put on, but models had been sick, some dresses lost, hair stylists seemed to be on strike... she rubbed her temples in an attempt to massage away her pounding headache. A flashing light caught her eye. She looked up to see that there were messages waiting for her. She lazily got up and hit the 'play' button on the machine and headed over to her kitchenette while it played back her messages. She had three.
        "Hey, how's Miss Chin of Paris?" she heard Kevin's recorded voice laughing as she got some apple juice out of her fridge. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can't meet you for our Saturday evening dinner tonight. Howie and Nick called me--something's up with the company and I have to go do some stupid satellite conference with them and some execs from head of other companies. Hope we can move dinner to tomorrow. Call back and leave a message. Bye..."
        Chin smiled and moved to get a bagel from her breadbasket. She looked at her watch. It was about 7PM. Maybe she'd just go down to the café and grab something to eat. She was craving a croissant for some reason. Maybe some hot chocolate, too.
        The next message began to play. It was from her designer's manager apologizing about the show. She rolled her eyes and went to grab her keys and her bag to head out to get something to eat. The beep from the machine signaled her third and last message. She had forgotten about it already. She stopped, almost at her door, as a familiar raspy voice began to speak.
        "Hey, hon...Wussup? I...Today's show was canceled cuz of weather--I can't get to the venue. I know I haven't called you in a while. I've been so busy...but I assumed the same was for you, miss Parisian princess...Listen, I can't really make this too long, both for the sake of your machine--which prolly has a billion messages already on it--as well as for my wallet; I've tried to get ahold of everybody in my boredom. I just wanted to say hi...and.........Call me sometime, okay? I mean it...This, this distance shouldn't be an excuse for so much silence...I miss you--"
        The tape finished and began to rewind, having cut off anything else he had said.
        Chin's stomach grumbled, reminding her that she needed food. She opened the door and headed out, promising herself she'd call him when she got back.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[August 6th, New York]

        Jenny tossed and turned. Why wouldn't she go to sleep? What was bothering her? Did she forget something? She sat up trying to figure out what it was... Then her eyes fell on a picture frame. It was of Brian.

[flashback]

        "Wha-?" a voice grumbled next to her.
        "Nothing... go back to sleep..." Jenny shoved the body down after it had attempted to get up.
        "Jenny..." Brian whined.
        "What?"
        "Sleep..." he pleaded.
        "I can't! Something is wrong..."
        "Yes... you've been tossing and turning all night!" Brian pulled her into his arms.
        "Well, it's not like you were being mister sweet-heart!"
        "What's that supposed to mean?!" Brian pouted.
        "You just went to sleep without me!"
        "I'm exhausted from the concert!" Brian cried.
        "So? Nick waited up for Julie!"
        "Okay... One: It's not my fault you guys took so long at the club! Two: You left without us! Three: I accidentally nodded off! Four: You know Nick was just waiting up for you-know-what!"
        "BRIAN!" Jenny exclaimed, smacking him.
        "What?" he whined, "It's true!"
        A pillow came flying toward Brian.
        "That's not true!" Nick yelled. They were sharing a hotel room. The girls popped up for a surprise visit, and when the hotel was overbooked, the girls just stayed with the Boys. Kevin had refused to be in a room alone with a couple, so the Jenny, Brian, Julie, and Nick had to stay together. AJ and Chin were also in a room, as well as Howie and Cathy, and Kevin was with  Hannah and Sarah.
        "You trying to start something?" Brian chucked the pillow back at Nick. It hit Julie.
        "That's it!" Julie yelped. She tried getting up but Nick wouldn't let her.
        "Julie..."
        "What?"
        "Let the man do it." Nick grabbed the pillow and got up to beat Brian with it. Jenny yelped and stood in the way.
        "No beating my little Brian!"
        "He didn't wait up for you..." Nick simply stated. Jenny sat thoughtfully for a moment.
        "Jenny!" Brian yelped as she pretended to move away.
        "I'm kidding!" Jenny turned to kiss Brian on the cheek. "Nick! To bed!" she commanded.
        "Yes, Ma'am." Nick saluted her and stalked off to bed. Brian giggled.
        "Why are you giggling?" Jenny raised an eyebrow.
        "Cuz my girlfriend protected me from the Big Bad Nicky..." He pulled her into his arms for a hug.
        "That's what I'm missing..." Jenny smiled as they snuggled into bed.
        "What?" Brian asked as she pulled him closer.
        "Your hug!" She smiled and kissed him.

[end flashback]

        Jenny sighed. What was she going to do? One accidental hug from him at the reunion and here she was falling all over herself again. Wasn't she just going to think about work? Wasn't that all she had time for? The picture of Brian told her otherwise.

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[The Next day, In Paris]
        "Why won't you let me do anything?" Kevin asked as he rocked Chin back and forth.
        "Because you can't do anything...No one can," she sniffed, her head buried in his shoulder.
        "I swear, if I knew who this freak was, I'd-"
        "You DON’T know who she is. End of story." Chin pulled away from his grasp, wiped her cheeks, and got up to head for her kitchen.
        "Chin...you can't keep living like this. In fear..."
        "I'm just learning to deal with it, that's all. Be a dear and hand me those coasters, will you?" she said, trying to change the subject. Kevin sighed and reached for the coasters on the coffee table. He got up and handed them to her over the kitchen counter.
        "Chin--" he tried again.
        "She'll stop eventually, Kevin," she said, putting away the coasters in the cabinet. Her face was dry, but he knew more tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.
        "You said that four months ago."

[flashback--3 months earlier, April 2002]

        "He'll never understand. He can't," Chin cried, sitting on the beanbag, not looking at either of the two men in the room. She could still hear AJ yelling as Brian and Nick took him downstairs.
        "Understand what?" Howie knelt down beside her.
        "It's best for him if he's not with me. Why can't he see that?" She covered her face with her hands. Kevin knelt down on her other side and placed a hand on her back.
        "What are you talking about, Chin?"
        "I can't tell you. She'll kill me if I tell you."
        "Who?" Howie asked.
        "Rebecca."
        "Who's Rebecca?" Kevin asked.
        "Remember that group of girls that terrorized us?" Chin whispered.
        "Yeah," both Boys nodded.
        "Rebecca was the mastermind. She's been...she's been..." Chin couldn't say it.
        "Been what?" Howie rubbed her back.
        "Threatening me...for months...months..." Fresh tears flowed down Chin's cheeks.
        "Saying what?" Kevin asked.
        "Saying I don't belong with AJ."
        "She's just a crazy fan," Howie tried to assure her.
        "Do crazy fans say they'll KILL the love of your life if you continue to be with him!?"
         There was silence for a moment. Kevin and Howie looked at each other.
         "Did she say she'd kill AJ...?" Howie asked.
        "One of the many things she has said..." Chin whimpered. " 'If I can't have him, no one will' " she quoted. Kevin hugged her. Both Boys were thinking of the ring AJ still had in his pocket. "That's why I stopped it. He'll never understand why, but his life shouldn't be put in danger because of me," she cried. She looked up at the two who were trying to comfort her. "Promise me you won't tell him. Promise."
        "But--" Howie began.
        "Promise!" Chin insisted. "It's better that he doesn't know. He doesn’t need more things to worry about." Chin looked at them. Kevin nodded at Howie.
        "Promise," they whispered in unison. The three sat in silence for a while, mulling over all that had happened.
        "Chin, what if she doesn't stop?" Kevin asked.
        "I'm not with him anymore...She'll stop, eventually."

[end flashback]

        Kevin looked at the figure who was searching through her fridge for apple juice. Rebecca hadn't stopped. Maybe it was because Chin still knew AJ. She hadn't completely severed contact and Rebecca wasn't happy about that...And now that the two were rebuilding their friendship, for how long would the torment go on? Forever?

[Same day, in California]
        "Hewow?" Cathy mumbled into the phone as she popped another piece of bagel in her mouth. Julie breezed past her to the fridge and got herself orange juice.
        "Who is it?" Sarah asked from the counter as she ate her cereal.
        "Howie!" Cathy squealed. Sarah laughed as Cathy stumbled into the family room with the phone.
        "I miss that."
        "What?" Sarah turned to see Julie leaning against the fridge.
        "Nothing..." Julie muttered and turned to the dining room.
        "What happened to us?" Sarah quietly sighed and buried her head in her folded arms.
        "Sarah!" Cathy yelled from the family room.
        "Yeah?" Sarah picked up her head.
        "Nick wants to talk to you!"
        "I thought you were talking to Howie?"
        "Nicky stole the phone and insists on speaking to you."
        "Coming." Sarah got up and walked to the family room, taking the phone from Cathy. "Hello?...hey-- Brian? What happened to--oh.... yeah... you what? ...WHAT?"
        "What?" Julie yelled.
       "Oh, my--Wait, are you sure about this?" Sarah was jumping up and down when Cathy and Julie ran in.
        "What?" Cathy grabbed Sarah's arm and tugged at the sleeve.
        "Brian stole the phone from Nick cuz Blondie couldn't spit it out...they want me to do some singing for them!" Sarah beamed.
        "That's great!" Julie gave Sarah a big hug.
        "Do you have to fly out to their Orlando office though?" Cathy frowned.
        "Nope." Sarah was grinning like an idiot. "They said they are setting up an office about an hour north of us!"
        "Are you serious?" Cathy grabbed the phone and yelled into it. "Brian, are you lying?"
        "Nop-" Nick began, having stolen the phone back, but Howie grabbed the phone and cut him off.
        "The three of us are getting an apartment right near there, too. Isn't that great?" Howie bubbled into the phone. Two seconds later he pulled it from his ear... The girls were screaming. Happily screaming.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[the next day]
        Brian's fingers traveled across the piano keys, plunking out random melodies as he tried to brainstorm. He'd written a song already, but something was missing. Krystal had agreed to come over and run through some new material, but she wasn't due for another 2 hours. He smiled and thought of Sarah's excitement when he, Howie, and Nick had called about her doing some backup singing for the artists on their record label. He knew she was extremely organized -- maybe they could rope her in to helping around the company...maybe a personal assistant? Jenny would have agreed, had she not been across the country...Why was he thinking about Jenny again?
        He shook his head, disgusted with himself. He had yet to have a day go by without something reminding him of, or making him think of, Jenny. He looked out the window, and all he could think about was the beach, when she had let him dance with her in the rain. Tyke jumped up onto his lap...all he could think about was Roky, wondering how her--or was it their?--dog was doing. Whenever he had to travel, flashbacks of that fateful day in January hit him...the look in her eyes...the damn mutual agreement that it was over. Why had he let it go? Why did he just let her board that damn plane without saying anything? Had she regretted it at all? Why had she given up so easily?
        His silent questions were halted when he heard the phone ring. He sighed, his fingers pressing the keyboard as he got up. He stopped at the chord he had just played by mistake, grabbed a piece of paper, and made note of it before running towards the screaming phone. It was what the song had been missing.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[four days later, Paris]
        "Another drink please," she shoved the glass toward the bartender.
        "Chin, that would make it your 5th drink," he sighed.
        "Please, Bob, just give me another drink. I've had a horrible day." Chin rested her head on the counter, a piece of paper crumpled up in her hand.
        "You're here every week." Bob shook his head filling another glass for her. "Here." He slid the cup to her.
        "Thanks," she smiled.

        Kevin pressed redial for the 4th time. Her machine again. Where was she? The second he hung up, the phone rang. Was it Chin?
        "Hello?!" Kevin yelped at the phone.
        "Kev, it's Bob."
        "No. Don't tell me she's ther-"
        "Sorry Kev, but..."
        Kevin sighed. "How many?"
        "On her fifth but it looks like a sixth is coming up."
        "Keep her there till I get there alright?"
        "No problem."

        "Hey! Lay off!" Bob yelled at a man who was hitting on Chin.
        "Just being friendly..." Chin retorted.
        "You're drunk. You can't think clearly." Bob walked around the counter and placed a protective arm around her.
        "Alright, how many now?" Kevin walked up, out of breath.
        "She was pleading for her seventh. You'd better take her home. Guys are trying to pull things," Bob noted, helping Kevin pull Chin off the chair.
        "No..." she mumbled, "just one more...glass...please, Bob?"
        "No," Kevin and Bob stated. They pulled her to her feet.
        "Doesn't look good..." Bob noted.
        "I can carry her to the car..." Kevin lifted Chin into his arms.
        "Don't forget the recipe I gave you... It'll wake her up more..." Bob held open the door as they walked out.
        "I got your number in case I forget..." Kevin slid Chin into the passenger seat.
        "Take care of her."
        "I will. Thanks."
        "Anytime."

        "Chin, why do you do this to us?" Kevin sighed as he pulled up to her apartment complex.
        "What?" she mumbled, half asleep.
        "Don't go to sleep," Kevin shook her as he parked. "Chin?" He turned to her to find her unconscious. "Shit. Not again."