AN: Whoo, finally, an update! Don't worry, there's an epilogue coming up, look for it. I'd love some feedback (pass the holiday spirirt of giving)! inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com ********** Nightmare of a Lifetime: Chapter Twenty-Eight *********** Nicole would never admit it later, not for any amount of money, but she had tears in her darkly lined eyes when *NSYNC dragged her onstage that last night, for her final concert. They sat her protesting ass down on a stool and ringed her, all grinning like idiots as the crowd went nuts. “Okay guys,” Joey said to the audience, “I think a great many of you know that we’ve been part of a little show called Tour of a Lifetime. You all also probably know that this is our last night of the show, and that means our good friend Perry will be leaving us as soon as we say our goodbyes. “Hopefully she’ll take her damn dog with her.” She laughed along with thousands of teenage of girls. Joey walked over and gave her a fierce hug. “Thanks for hanging with us Perry. It was bitchin’ to have our very own bitch on tour. Stay in touch. I expect you to corrupt Brianna to your heart’s content.” He licked her cheek cheekily and jumped away before she could punch him properly. Chris took his turn next, albeit more dramatically, by climbing into Nicole’s lap. “You know what I want for Christmas?” “What?” she asked, knowing better but willing to humor him anyway. “You wearing a big red bow and nothing else in my living room.” She dumped him to the ground but grinned down at him before nudging him with a booted toe. “How about I get you a Playboy Bunny instead and we’ll call it even, Pervert.” “You can do that?” Chris gaped. JC was shaking his head as he hopped forward and pressed a badly wrapped CD into her hands before kissing her cheek chastely. “A mix of our favorite Depeche Mode songs. I expect a Christmas card and frequent pictures of Mr. Buttons. Oh, and I’m dating a guy named Sandy. We’ll see about the gay thing.” Perry laughed as Jayce winked at her warmly. The crowd ohed and awed appreciatively. Lance simply wrapped her up in a hug so tight he lifted her off the stool. “Behave,” he whispered in her ear, “I’ll see you soon.” “Okay,” Nicole whispered back. “Operation Phoenix is in place.” “Damn well better be.” Lance set her down and ruffled her hair. “I’m glad I drew the short stick.” “Ass…” she responded fondly. Justin sauntered up. The two tour enemies assessed each other coolly. “Were they saving the worst for last?” she asked. “You know what Perry, I think I finally figured out a way to shut you up.” Nicole raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Oh really? Let’s see it Timberdumb.” He smirked. “All right, but you asked for it.” And before she could stop, or even fully comprehend what he was doing, Justin had swept her quite literally off her feet in order to plant a wet, lingering kiss on her stunned lips. When he let go Perry fell on her butt with a thud as the audience roared and rose to their feet in shock and amusement. “Yuck,” Justin panted as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “That was just… I mean…” His face flamed bright red and without another stuttered word he turned heel and walked offstage. “I don’t want to hear a peep out of you…” he growled as he strode past a hysterical Bill. Dan saluted smartly and turned back to watch the show. Nicole touched her lips, shook her head, and muttered, “Well shit. Who knew the boy could kiss?” And so ended Nicole Perry’s time on *NSYNC: Tour of a Lifetime. *********************************************************************** “Aunt Sharon!” She embraced the frail looking woman fiercely, refusing to let her know how troubled she was by the paleness, the air of delicateness around Sharon Osbourne. The foul mouthed matriarch grimaced and pinched one cheek. “What in the hell have they been feeding you? You’re skin and bones. Come on in. Jack… Jack!” Nicole smiled softly at Jack Osbourne as he appeared, ambling over in typical Jack fashion. Rehab had left him several pounds heavier, as usual, but he looked happy, healthy, alive for once. “Hey Pear Bear,” he greeted as he hugged her with one arm and got her heavier luggage with the other. “Hey Jackie O, you look good.” “Liar,” he replied with a grin. Nicole pinched his elbow sharply and he cursed. “Never call a girl on lying. If a woman is lying, she has good reason for it.” “Yes ma’am… When is Kell coming home? How’s Dad and the crew?” “Kell’s flying in, hell, tomorrow night? The crew is fine, hell raisers like always. Your Dad really, really wants to be home mostly. He barely let me leave his damn side. Jason almost got jailed because apparently there’s this ordinance against fireworks within city limits and he thought it would be funny to light this beer soaked rag on fire. Of course it blew up. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal if it hadn’t been in Podunk Ville and if he hadn’t done it in the freaking hotel lobby…” Perry paused before entering the Osbourne house, her chattering trailing off, and let a full smile spread across her lips as dozens of animals tumbled out of the front doors to greet her. It felt good to be back. It felt good to be home. Mr. Buttons barked a welcome to his new brothers and sisters. *********************************************************************** Nicole blinked when Robert opened the door to his stylishly corporate car for her. It shouldn’t please her, but it did. He looked deliciously rugged in low slung cargo pants and a green sweater that brought out the color of his eyes. She really, really shouldn’t find it cute that the hem was unraveling. He had shaved that morning but there was already stubble darkening his jaw line, making his scar stand out vibrantly. New York wind whipped his dark hair around and she laughed as he tried to tie it back. She should have been a nervous wreck, this was only the second time she had seen him in person after all, but it didn’t feel weird, just right. It had felt right since she had stepped out of the terminal and had been knocked down by her rugged gentlemen and his insistent lips. Mr. Buttons had not been amused. Maybe long distance relationships weren’t total bullshit after all. They chatted companionably as Robert drove her to the apartment that she shared with Debbie and Steven as she absently rocked a very content Pekinese. Normally she would have been worried, falling so hard for a guy, any guy. Her past boyfriends didn’t have the greatest track record after all, but Robert was different. Robert was damn near perfect, as sickening as that was. She couldn’t wait to get him to a bedroom again. Last time had worked out wonderfully after all, but first, first she was going to put him through the ultimate test- he was going to meet her family. *********************************************************************** Steven opened the door first when she knocked. She always knocked. This wasn’t home for her, not really, and probably never would be. Perry didn’t remember the last time she had had a home. Not that it mattered, not really, few things did aside from her brother and the family she had adopted along the way. And maybe Robert. She knelt, throwing her bag and Pekinese to the ground, as she embraced her little brother. It felt good, right to be smelling his hair and feel him warm and alive and well in her arms. A frog squirmed out of his front pocket and Perry laughed as it jumped to its freedom down the hall of the apartment building. “What’s up dork? You grew again, that’s not allowed!” Steven grinned and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. She tugged on his shaggy hair. “This is too long. You need to get this cut…” He rolled his eyes. “Yes drill sergeant. Who’s that?” She turned, her arm around her little brother, and let Robert step into the apartment. Boy and adult assessed each other for a stiff moment in silence before Robert held out one large hand. “My name is Robert Stanon, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet someone who means so much to Perry.” Steven studied him for another cautious moment before shaking his hand firmly, a small smile tugging at lips very like Perry’s own. For all that they were half siblings; they looked precious little alike, aside from the slight tilt of their lips. Their fierce love for each other more than made up for lack of resemblance though. “I like you way better than Frankie.” Perry snorted. “I never brought Frankie home to meet you.” Steven rolled his eyes and knelt down to greet Mr. Buttons, who was not so patiently waiting to be paid his due in attention. “My point entirely.” She blushed as Robert chuckled. “Nicole…” Her laughter died as she looked to the living room doorway. Debbie Perry stood there in sweats and a moth eaten bathrobe. Her eyes, thank god, were clear enough, skin pale but not sallow. A superstitious glance at her arms showed a lack of needle marks, for which Perry was grateful. She remembered her mother’s drug binges all too well. “Debbie,” Perry snapped smartly. Steven watched, mouth tight at her own, as she crossed the distance and kissed the woman who bore her with cool disdain on one cheek. “Are you well?” Debbie swallowed, started to speak before stopping again to gather herself. She had never really learned to deal with the child she had let down so badly. “Well enough. Yourself?” Perry stepped away, closer to Steven and Robert and the kind of love she could trust. “Fine. This is Robert. We’re dating. I’ll be in town, living here, for awhile.” Debbie nodded hesitantly, unused to the air of command her slight daughter used so easily. “I’ll… I’ll be in my room taking a nap.” She shuffled off in the silence of the room. Perry stood, taking deep breaths, until Steven reached over and touched her arm gently. “Pear Bear? You all right?” She shuddered. “Has she been taking care of you?” Steven shrugged, embarrassed, under Robert’s acutely assessing gaze. “Yeah, I mean, sometimes she forgets to cook and stuff but there’s food in the house. I get some money from her purse every week and go shopping and… She tries Perry she just, she just can’t work like a normal person. You know how she is.” “Yeah,” came Nicole’s tight reply, “I know how she is. I’ll hire a housekeeper next week to help out.” “Pear Bear you know we can’t…” “We can afford it. We can afford it, especially after the last three months.” Suddenly cheerful again she ruffled her little brother’s hair. “Come on dork, let’s go get your hair cut. We’ll grab some lunch on the way back.” Perry threw her suit cases into the apartment, grabbed a wallet and her brother. “Come on studly, you can get the doggie.” Robert smiled, though it was strained, and bowed elegantly. “Your wish is my command, my lady.” Perry laughed. *********************************************************************** They didn’t speak about her family until late that night, after they had made love and she had fallen asleep for a bit in Robert’s arms. He woke her with gentle fingers tracing the tattoos on the hands curled against his broad chest. “You don’t have to ever tell me anything about growing up Perry, I want you to know that. I know it was hard for you, you’d have to be blind not to see that but I’ll never ask you any questions. If you ever want to talk about it I’m here but I won’t ask.” She was quiet for a long moment before she squirmed up to kiss the cleft on his chin. “I know. I’m sure you’ll get to hear it all one day, either your or my future therapist but… shit…” she breathed out suddenly before continuing, voice small, “it makes me feel scared to think about because I start to remember everything I couldn’t control or fix or make better.” They were quiet for a long time after that. Robert didn’t have anymore words for her. He had his own demons, his own stories behind the tattoos wrapping around his arms.