AN: Yay, finally updated this one.  Its moving along, honest.  
Also, does anyone have some basic timeline info on all of the 
Boy's major relationships (when they started, ended, etc.)?  
Much appreciated.  Also, I'm not entirely accurate on some minor 
details, eith for continuity's sake or because I'm a spaz.  
Nick's lived in one place for most of his childhood because I 
say so.  I might have forgotten a Carter sibling because I'm a 
spaz.  That's okay, I can deal if you can.  Bye!

inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com


*********** Too Close for Comfort: Chapter Four ************


Nicky was genuinely happy for Nick.  She had treasured her time 
with him before the Boys had gone off to record singles overseas.  
Things had been like old times for almost a year.  She had been 
drawn closer into the circle of friendship he was steadily forming 
with his fellow band mates, especially the charming Alex and Howie, 
but mostly it had just felt nice to have her best friend back, even 
if it was only for awhile.  

She had shared his frustration when their single bombed in the US, 
forcing Jive to seek an international market, but was secretly 
terrified by his extended absence in Europe.  Nicole was happier 
as a ninth grader in middle school- most of her bullies had moved 
on to high school, enough so that she only came home bruised and 
battered once or twice a week instead of daily- but the daily 
pressures of her responsibilities seemed so much harder to bear 
without Nick's sunny laughter and easy smiles.  

It was even harder since he rarely got a chance to make calls to 
her, restricted by time and money and Lou's overwhelming presence.  
When he did manage to call her he was nearly always in tears and 
Nicole ached at the helplessness she felt over her best friend, her 
adopted brother's, unhappiness.  She truly wanted him to achieve 
his dream.  She just wished it didn't have to hurt him so badly on 
the way to coming true.

But then they started their inevitable rise.  Nick still called to 
cry with her, but he was happy, so Nicole didn't fret nearly as 
much.  Not that she had the time to fret over him as much as she 
should; she had enough of her own problems.  They still stayed 
close though, through the frenzy of a Backstreet crazy Europe.  
It was what they did after, stuck together.  

*********************************************************

Nick danced from foot to foot impatiently.  Howie rolled his eyes 
good naturedly as AJ snickered.  "Not impatient or anything are we
Nicky boy?"  

Nick flipped the older man off and craned his neck to search for 
Nicole among the crowd streaming away from the plane's gate.  
"Shove it Alex and help me look for her."  

AJ snorted.  "What, you think she's going to fly all the way to 
Germany and then disa...  Nick?  Nick!"  

But he was gone like a flash at the first hint of dark brown curls.  
Nick threw himself at his best friend before she even saw him 
coming, knocking her to the ground with the force of a speeding 
train.  Nicky wasn't complaining though, even as her bags went 
flying.  She laughed and babbled in a reassuring familiar mix of 
Spanish and English, crying all the while as she hugged him and 
pulled his hair and tried to breathe.  

Nick finally settled down enough to simply hug her as tightly as 
he could without breaking a rib, burying his face into her shoulder 
as he breathed in.  It felt like he had come home.  "I've missed 
you so much Nicky, SO much it isn't possible."  

She shushed him firmly, "I know Nick, I know.  But I'm here for 
exactly ten days and we can be wild and crazy..."

"And eat gallons of vanilla ice cream," he interrupted with a 
smirk that was already making him famous, and a heartthrob.  

Nicole beamed.  "You remembered!"

"I wouldn't forget Nicky," he whispered into her hair, "I'd never 
forget."  

"Ahem, are you two weirdos going to get up or try to make an even 
bigger scene?"  

She felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair and tried to 
slip out from under Nick.  "Geeze Carter, have you been eating ice 
cream without me?"  

He pinched her, hard, and started to tickle her.  

"Nick!" she shrieked as she tried to stand and scramble away from 
him all at the same time, sore from a run in she had had with Larry 
Dirken, a younger, nastier version of Billy Longdon.  "You cretin, 
stop it and let me get a good look at you, monster."  

He paused suddenly and grabbed her hands, hauling her close, too 
close to see properly.  Nicole wrinkled her nose and stepped back 
a pace or two.  Nick at nearly sixteen might have well been a giant.  
He was tall, taller than he had any right to be, but still lanky.  
He hadn't quite grown into his body yet but he moved like liquid 
and already knew how to turn on the charm.  

He stared back at her, surprised by the changes that had overtaken 
his best friend.  She was still short, and probably always would be, 
but she seemed grown up in a way he knew he still wasn't.  There 
was maturity in her heart shaped face, and the waist length hair 
seemed even longer, fuller, a cascade of sable curls.  She was 
softer too, curves more pronounced then he ever remembered them 
being, though she definitely took after her Papa's side, and not 
her Mama's.

"How's Maria?" he asked about her Mother gently, hating the pain 
that flashed through Nicole's dark eyes in silent answer.  

"Better," came the softly given reply, "better than Thanksgiving 
definitely.  She just gets so tired all the time."

"I know Nicky, I understand.  Family has to come first sometimes, 
right?"  She matched his crooked smile, bathing in the forgiveness 
he gave for not seeing him on one of the few breaks he had managed 
home.  There simply hadn't been time between the hospital and 
taking care of the children and even her Papa.  

"Papa isn't so good of taking care of himself," she muttered, 
needing still more justification, even if only for herself.

"Hey, its okay, Aaron missed having you to play pranks on the 
girls but we survived.  And that's why you're here now, right?"  

Nicole took a deep breath, "Right, that's why I'm here now."  

He gave her another tight hug for reassurance.

"Guys, today sometime..." AJ said sarcastically.  

The two youngsters rolled their eyes but when Nicole turned to 
greet the other two Backstreet Boys she had a broad smile.  "Hey 
Bone, how are the ladies of Europe treating you?"  

AJ made a crude gesture that Nicole simply laughed at before giving 
her a noogie with his knuckles and kissing her wetly on one cheek.  
"They treat me like a god!"

"A short tattooed delusional god..." Nick quipped.  

Howie sighed at the antics of his fellows and pried her away from 
AJ to give her a firm hug.  "Its good to see you again Nicky."  

She tweaked his nose and laughed at his surprise.  "Likewise Sweet 
D.  How's Caroline been feeling lately?"  

He beamed suddenly, equally surprised, but pleased, by the question.  
"She's been well, thank you for asking."  

Nicole blushed and wiggled away in response, all to aware suddenly 
of Howie's proximity, and most importantly, his very beautiful 
brown eyes.  Howie and AJ took one of her duffels each and walked 
ahead, leaving Nick behind with her.  He gave her all of a minute's 
peace before elbowing her sharply.  

"So," he winked, "got a thing for Sweet Howie D?"  Another wink.  

She glared death at her best friend as he beamed stupidly down at 
her.  "Don't even start Carter."  

Nick whistled and hooted with laughter.  "That's priceless, wait 
till I tell him!"  

Nicole stopped dead in the airport as she rested her fists on her 
hips, face twisted in anger.  "Nickolas, if you breathe one word 
to any of the Boys so help me..."  

Nick stopped and faced her, not at all afraid.  "What are you 
gonna do to stop me?" he taunted, sapphire gaze dancing.  

Nicky studied him for a long moment before letting an evil smile 
curl her lips.  "Humm, let's see, what to use...  I could tell 
Angel about the time you passed out fliers featuring pictures of 
her in the bath when she was three to the school, or the time you 
broke Aaron's bike when we tried to do stunts and you blamed it 
on Les, or the time..."  

He threw his hands up in defeat.  "All right, all right, I'll be 
Mr. Mum.  You know, sometimes it really sucks having a best friend 
who's known me most my life."  

"You love me," she sing-songed as she skipped past her sullen best 
friend.  

"Yeah, yeah, you wish."  

"If you two don't hurry the hell up we're leaving you at the 
airport!"  

Nicky and Nick glanced at each other, then down the long mostly 
empty hallway.  They didn't have to say the words; after all, they 
simply knew each other that well.  The two went tearing after AJ 
and Howie at a dead run.  Nick only won the race because his legs 
had gotten even longer, and because he had tripped her when she 
managed a short lead on him.  

Spoilsport.