Nick and Larry had just returned from mall when Larry followed him into his room,
"When are you going to Miami?" Nick turned and frowned, the last thing he wanted to think about was what he was supposed to be doing. He knew he should be there for his daughter, for Quinn but it just wasn't something he could handle,
"The tour will be over soon. We only have Denver and Vegas after this." He watched as Larry shook his head,
"I don't want to talk about this. I don't need your damn advice." He sat down on the couch and sighed when Larry followed and stood near him. Larry shook his head,
"The tour? That's what you are worried about? If this was just about you I would stay out of it but this is about my friend." Nick rolled his eyes,
"Your friend, if it weren't for her following behind me you never would have met her." He was wrong for that, he shouldn't have said that.
"Following behind you? I recall you inviting her and calling her alot." He didn't say anything, why bother, they both knew Larry was right. He sighed and closed his eyes,
"Look, you know I can't just leave the tour and its the end, there is no use in trying to postpone it. We've done that before, you know what that's like. Besides, they aren't going to understand this." Larry rolled his eyes,
"Understand what? That your daughter, your family needs you? You think for one minute that if Brian or Kevin had a kid that they would let a concert get in the way of what was really important?" He knew Kevin and Brian wouldn't think twice, they would be gone and wouldn't give it a second thought. They would tell the tour, the group, the fans to kiss their asses but not him. The tour, the fans, the group was all he had outside his parents and his sisters and brother. He shook his head and looked down, MacKenzie was his family too and he still hadn't accepted it. He didn't think he ever could really accept her. How could he? The circumstances in which she came to be, it was from sex, they weren't even in a relationship. Not that he hadn't thought about that before. He really did like Quinn but he just couldn't commit to her and he didn't know why. He knew many times, just from looking at her that she wanted it and she confirmed it in New York that day but he didn't want it, not then. Maybe if he saw her under different circumstances he would have wanted to try it again, but when the kid entered the picture an instant family wasn't something he wanted.
"Look, in about a week the tour will be over." Larry shook her head,
"Well, do you know anything else? What did she say last night?" He licked his lips and took a deep breath,
"She needs surgery." Larry screamed,
"What? Your daughter needs surgery and you're sitting around here buying stupid jerseys and CDs, hanging out with girls and getting ready to sing onstage? What kind of father are you?" Nick was about to respond but Larry never gave him time,
"You're not a father. You're a sorry excuse for a man that's what you are." Nick stood up,
"Don't talk to me like that." He pointed his finger in Larry's face,
"You don't know what you're talking about." Larry nodded his head,
"Oh I know. You are a little punk, that's what you are. You are a weak pathetic-" That was all he was able to say before Nick punched him in the mouth. He drew his hand back and screamed,
"Ow, damn." He shook his head as he held his hand and bent over at the waist,
"Get out, just get the fuck out." He never saw what Larry's expression was, he just sat down on the couch rocking back and forth as he waited for the pain to go away.
They were all sitting backstage at the venue and Nick smiled as a MuchMusic camera followed Howie over,
"And of course you know Nick. He's done alot of growing up since we started. I think he's grown up the most. Mentally and physically, he's a big boy now. We can't give him a hard time anymore. He'll beat us up." He smiled into the camera, but the last thing his heart was doing was smiling.
"Nah, but I'm not a fighter though." He wrapped his arm around Howie's shoulder and pointed at him,
"This guy, is still the sweetest guy in the world. That's why he's still Sweet D." He was good at this, it was part of performing. Sometimes he felt he was the best actor in the world, to be able to mask all the things that were going on from the rest of the world.
They all sat around on a couch and were being interviewed,
"So Kevin and Brian, which of you will give us the first Backstreet baby?" What would happen if he just came out and said he had already made the first Backstreet baby. When he heard his name he snapped back to attention,
"Nick can't wait for a baby to be born, he'll have someone his own age." He smiled,
"I like babies, they're fun." He couldn't believe he just said that, he had hardly spent anytime with his daughter and he was sitting here talking about how great babies were. His own daughter was lying in a hospital somewhere. He was able to put MacKenzie out his mind for the rest of the interview, he had a job to do.
Nick was sitting in front of the camera hamming it up when Larry walked over to him,
"Phone, for you." He frowned slightly and looked into the camera,
"I have to take this." He stood up and took the phone from Larry,
"Hello?" Who was calling him on Larry's phone, very few of his people knew the number,
"Get your ass to Miami right now." He frowned as he made his way into a corner,
"Who is this?"
"This is Elliott, your daughter needs surgery and unfortunately she needs you too. You asshole and Quinn needs you too. You can't just show up in their lives when you want to. You're such a prick." He was getting angry, how dare this guy question him,
"Look, as soon as the tour-" He was unable to finish,
"No, get your ass here tonight. If you aren't here by tonight I will make sure every television station and newspaper know how much of a little prick you are by morning. That you would rather play rockstar than take care of your daughter. Now try me." That was the end of the conversation, he hung up. Nick pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it before waving Larry over,
"Make reservations for two for Miami." He handed the phone to Larry,
"For when?" Nick sighed,
"Tonight, we're leaving tonight." He ran his hands over his face and looked over at the rest of the guys. How in the hell was he going to tell them he was walking out just a couple of hours before a concert? But he had to go, there was no doubt in his mind that Elliott would do exactly what he threatened to do.
Chapter 40
Reunited
Stories
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