Amazingly, AJ took Nick's advice and didn't call Alexa right away. When he finally did, he got her answering machine. He left messages with Taylor, and even more on Alexa's machine, but Alexa didn't answer any of them. Not that she didn't want to. Every time she heard his voice on the machine she fought the urge to call him back. His calls were never long, never pleading, but always with a note of apology. As much as she continued to deny it to Taylor, she did want to hear him explain. She wanted to know that somehow she wasn't as much of a fool.

She'd thrown herself into her work, hoping maybe she'd forget quicker. But it didn't seem to matter. It didn't help her that every magazine that got delivered for the waiting room seemed to have the Backstreet Boys in it.

The clinic had been extremely busy, and Alexa had just finished with a long string of patients when she heard Taylor gasp from the desk. "Taylor? Is everything alright?" She stopped suddenly seeing the tall blonde there. "Nick?" She said his name softly, unconsciously knowing not to call attention to him.

"Alexa, hi." He fidgetted with a paper he had in his hand, then he looked toward Taylor, and grinned. "I think she'll be in shock for a while."

Alexa smiled slightly, confused by Nick's appearance there. "Hey, Tay!" She snapped her fingers in front of Taylor's eyes, "Taylor, wake up."

Taylor suddenly cringed, "Oh my gawd," was all she murmured before hiding her face in her hands, "I'm such a teeny."

Alexa laughed as she turned back toward Nick, "What's up? Are you okay? Is AJ okay?" She didn't even realize what questions she was asking as she tried to figure out why he'd be there.

"Do you have an office?"

She nodded, "Of course, Taylor, do I have a few minutes?" Alexa rolled her eyes as Taylor nodded, her own eyes never leaving Nick. She could have asked her if she had time to fly to the moon, and Taylor would have agreed. Waving Nick to follow her, Alexa led the way to her office. She took a minute to shut the door, and then sat down behind her desk. "So, Nick, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing, how �bout you?" He was busy looking around her office.

"Nick?" Alexa waited until she had his attention again, "This isn't just a social call, spill it."

He looked confused momentarily and then flattened out the paper he'd rolled up in his hand. "Oh, ya. See, we're goin' on this trip, and I need a medical contact and you're like the only doctor I know. It's only a formality. I never get really sick. Just colds and stuff, nothing serious." He stopped talking and looked at her, as if everything should be perfectly clear.

"So you want me to sign that, and be the medical contact. Why?" Alexa didn't get it. There had to be somebody else. Didn't they have people for that?

Nick shrugged. "You're the first person I thought of. I swear it's just your name on a piece of paper." He slid the paper across the desk towards her, "Here, look."

Alexa picked up the piece of paper, and scanned it, trying to understand. "Okay, so I sign. Now I've got some obligation to make sure you're okay." She was half joking as she looked at him under half-closed eyelids, her face still tipped toward the paper she'd been reading.

"Nah, it's all a formality. I won't hold you to it." Alexa was still looking at him skeptically. "Okay, totally honest. I hate doctors, but you're cool. So I figured, y'know..." He shrugged, not finishing his sentence.

Alexa sighed, and picked up her pen. She didn't say anything as she signed the paper, but before she pushed it back across the desk she picked it up. "What happened to me getting out at my place and you never seeing me again?"

Nick leaned forward in his seat, his eyebrows squinched together, "You didn't really decide that, did you?"

Slumping back in her chair, Alexa shrugged, "Maybe." Nick didn't say anything but she could tell from the look on his face he didn't believe she'd even considered it. "How am I supposed to just get past it?"

Again Nick shrugged, "I don't know, you have to figure it out. But if it helps any, AJ's miserable."

"So I should feel sorry for him?" Alexa didn't bother trying to hide the bitter edge to her words.

"No. Definitely not. I'm never going to tell anyone to feel sorry for AJ. Generally he doesn't deserve it. It's just something to think about." He looked at her carefully. "So are you."

"What?"

"Miserable."

Alexa shook her head. "Am not."

"You are too."

"Am not." Alexa rolled her eyes, when he started to say it again.

"I could ask your mute friend out there." Nick motioned to the other side of the closed door.

"Wouldn't be much help if she's mute, would she?" Alexa figured she'd won.

"I'm pretty sure I could make her talk." He smiled his most cocky grin.

Alexa directed a glare in his direction, "Don't even try it."

"Okay, fine. I'll take your word for it. You're the happiest you've ever been in your life." He stood up, waving his hands, pretending to give up.

"Do you know how annoying you are?" She couldn't help but laugh when he nodded, enthusiastically. Alexa picked up the paper she signed, and stood. "Does he appreciate how good a friend you are?"

"Probably not. But he'd do the same for me." He looked certain of that.

"Would he?" Alexa handed the paper to Nick before he could reply, "So where are you going?"

"Huh?" Nick took the paper, "Oh. Bahamas. Writing trip for the new album."

"Ooh, fun." Alexa opened the office door and ushered Nick out, then followed.

"Oh ya, should be great. Just us guys."

Alexa couldn't help smiling at Nick's enthusiasm. His smile was practically contagious. "Well, then, have fun." They'd walked down the short hallway, stopping at the nurse's desk.

"Alexa, thank you." He surprised Alexa by stepping forward to hug her, saying quietly, "Talk to him," before pulling away. He turned to Taylor who had been watching from the desk. He waved and gave her that Carter grin. "See ya."

Taylor knew enough to leave Alexa alone this time, and Alexa was grateful for it. For the rest of the day she thought about Nick's visit and what he'd said about AJ. Even then she still didn't know what she was going to do. When she walked past the nurse's desk at the end of the day, Taylor caught up to her, "So, Lex, what did the big guy want?"

Alexa turned to look at Taylor as she dug in her bag for her keys. "You call him the big guy?"

"Sure, it's suits him right?" She only paused a second, "So, what did he want?"

"Apparently I am now his doctor of record for a little trip they're taking." Alexa prepared herself for the questions that she was certain Taylor would ask about the trip.

Taylor's face lit up, "Ooh, how cool. Where are they going?" Alexa turned to look at her, "What? I'm a fan, I need to know."

"Bahamas. Writing for a new album." She said it blandly, knowing Taylor would have the enthusiasm of both of them.

"YEY! A new album. Fabulous." Taylor did a little dance in the parking lot as Alexa unlocked her car. "Did he mention AJ?" Alexa hadn't expected that question to come up quite so quickly. She only nodded again. "And?" Count on Taylor to be nosey.

"He said he's miserable. He should be."

Taylor rolled his eyes. "Ever think you're too hard on him?"

"He deserves it."

"And yet you still want to talk to him." Alexa didn't answer, so Taylor knew it was true. "So why not just call him?"

Alexa closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, looking at Taylor. "I don't know."

Taylor raised her eyebrows, before shutting Alexa's car door, tapping the roof of the car with her hand. "You know."

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