"What�s that noise? Are we at the airport?"

"Yup." Kathy told him. "Have you decided about the fans? We can go in a service entrance and avoid them. It is totally up to you, hun."

Nick considered for a moment. "I think...um...can we go in the service entrance and then go see the fans? Once I have the guys with me?"

"Of course we can!" Kathy squeezed his hand and tapped on the glass to notify Nicks father about his decision. Bob relayed the information to the driver as they switched lanes to pull into the airport lot.

Airport personnel was waiting to usher then into the private room where the rest of the Backstreet Boys were waiting for them to arrive. The drivers took care of the luggage, wheeling it down to be checked in for the flight. Nick let his parents guide him into the waiting room, to the delight of the guys.

"Hey, Nick!" They yelled in unison.

"You�re walking!" Brian admired.

"Well, I tried to break my leg again before I left!" Nick giggled. "But Kathy helped me."

Kathy entered the room a few minutes after the family.

"Hey girl!"

Kathy turned in surprise. "Rho?"

"Like I�m gonna let you leave without saying goodbye!" Rho teased as they hugged.

"So how did you get here, you never told me you were coming." Kathy asked.

"Oh man, you don�t know, do you? I came with Howie!" Kathy gave Rho a stunned, but approving look. "We have spent so much time together! He is just the most wonderful person!" Rho continued to fill Kathy in on the details of the budding relationship.

"So have you...?" asked Kathy, glancing over at the guys, who were still surrounding Nick.

"Yeah, last night! He was so good!"

Kathy laughed. "I do not need details! I�ll take your word for it!" She laughed again. Rho was positively glowing. She had a feeling her friend might be making the trip home sooner than she thought.

"So how about you and Nick? Anything?"

"No!" Kathy considered. "Well, I did kind of see him in the shower this morning."

"What?" Rho shrieked.

The group around Nick looked over at her shout. Rho lowered her voice.

"What? You saw him in the shower? You pervert!" The last part came out admiringly.

"He fell, for heavens sake. I had to look after him because he cut his head open again. I wasn�t peeking in the stall!"

Rho nodded knowingly. "So is he hung?"

"What?"

"You heard me, the rumors say he is huge!"

Kathy just stared at her friend. "I didn�t look!" Rho folded her arms and stared back. "I didn�t!" Kathy protested. Rho didn�t say a word. "Alright, I saw, but just briefly."

"And?"

"Yes, he is huge." Kathys face was burning, she knew she must be beet red by now.

"Wohoo!" Rho chortled.

Kathy sighed and shook her head. "How am I supposed to face him now?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their flight would be leaving in an hour. Nick had decided to go out and say hello to the fans, but he insisted on the other guys coming with him. Security escorted them to the entrance way where the fans had massed the night before, when the news had broken that Nick would be flying home. A makeshift platform was pulled out and several microphones were attached. Kathy, Rho and Nicks family hung back on the sidelines as Kevin took Nicks arm and helped him up to the platform. The crowd cheered as Nick gave a little wave. Kevin adjusted the mikes for him and stood a few steps back.

"Guys?" Nick whispered.

"We�re all here." Kevin assured him.

"They want you, trust me."

Nick stood and listened to the roar of the crowd. So many people came out to see him?

"Hi." he said into the mikes. "Thank you all for coming to see me off. I�m really amazed, I don�t know what to say. Wow! Thank you all!" The crowded yelled and someone hollered. "We love you Nick!" He smiled and waved again. "Thank you! I love you too!"

"Nick can you answer a few questions?"

"Um, I have time for a few, I think. Kevin?"

Kevin checked his watch and moved beside Nick on the platform. "Just a couple folks, he has to catch his plane!"

The crowd hummed with excitement.

"Nick, is your blindness permanent?"

Nick frowned. "As far as I know, yes."

"Nick, how are you dealing with this?"

"I have a great nurse that is helping me. It�s been difficult."

"Nick, are you still a member of the Backstreet Boys?"

Nick reached his hands out and motioned for the guys to come closer. "As long as they will have me, I am a member of the group. I hope you will all be patient, cause it�s gonna take me some time, but I am still in the group!" The fans cheered and the group on the stage bear hugged. "Thanks again everyone! I really have to run or I will be late. Thank you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>P> Goodbyes said, hugs given and promises to get together as soon as they were all back in Florida, the Carter group made their way to the plane. Nick struggled not to cry and held tightly to Kathy as she turned him in the right direction to wave his goodbyes to his friends peering out the windows.

"Bye." he whispered. "I miss you guys."

Kathy wiped a tear off her face and put her arm around him. "I�m proud of you Nick. You are handling this very well."

"Thanks, I don�t think I am, but, thanks anyway."

They continued on to the plane and waited in line to board. Bob held all the passports and boarding passes for the group. Jane grouped the younger children together and Kathy stayed close to Nick, who was holding her hand tightly. They started up the stairs, Nick gripping the rail and Kathy with her hand firmly on his back for support.

The stewardess showed them to their seats in the almost deserted first class area. "Would you like a window seat, sir?"

Kathy moved in beside him. "He�s blind, miss. But thank you."

She helped Nick into his seat and sat beside him. Jane and Bob were across the aisle and the rest of the Carter kids took up the rows in front of them.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Jane came over and started to buckle his seatbelt. Kathy frowned but held her tongue. "I�m just across the aisle if you need anything, okay?" She smiled at Kathy as she said this. Jane brushed his hair out of his eyes and kissed his cheek before returning to her seat.

"Okay smother." Nick whispered under his breath, causing Kathy to earn a glare from Jane when she giggled at his remark.

The pilots voice came over the speakers with the usual spiel and the stewardess began the demonstrations of what to do in the case of an accident, as the plane started it�s drive down the runway.

Nick twisted anxiously in his seat. "I can�t do this Kathy. I need to get off the plane!" He whispered frantically.

"Nick we are halfway down the runway, you can�t."

The plane started liftoff and Nick slammed his head back against the seat. "Kathy, I can�t! I need to get off of here! Get me out!" His voice became louder and louder.

"Nick." Kathy placed her hand on his arm. "It�s alright, nothing will happen to the plane."

Nick began clawing at his seatbelt. "Get me out of here! I can�t do this!"

His face was a chalky white, and in his struggle to unbuckle his seatbelt, one of his fingers had been scratched and was bleeding.

"Hand me my overhead bag, please." she whispered to Jane. "I need to give him a shot to calm him down."

Jane glared at her. "You are not giving my son drugs!"

Kathy glanced back over at Nick, who was still struggling with the buckle. His breath was coming in short panting gasps.

"He just doesn�t like to fly, he�ll be fine." Jane picked up her book and resumed reading.

Kathy goggled at her. How could she do this to her own son? Nick had finally gotten the belt undone, as he stood he pushed past Kathy roughly. He grabbed onto the seats on either side of him and unsteadily made his way up the aisle.

"Help me! Get me out of here!" Nick screamed.

The sound chilled Kathy to the bone. The memories that must be flooding his head right now she could only imagine. Nick bumped into the stewardess and shoved her aside.

"Give me my damn bag!" Kathy hissed at Nicks shocked mother. Bob silently stood and pulled her bag out of the compartment. "Please go hold him for me. I need to give him this shot." Kathy filled the needle with the medication and tossed the bag aside.

Nick had finally collapsed a few seats away and was scrunched into a ball, rocking back and forth.

"Get me out of here! Help me! Please get me out!" he howled.

Bob stood helplessly in the aisle, unsure of what to do to help his terrified son.

Kathy knelt and slowly crawled over to him. "Nick, it�s Kathy." she murmured. "Everything is alright." Nick whipped his arm around and knocked her aside. Kathy returned to his side again and whispered in his ear. "It�s okay." She gently rubbed his arm as she plunged the needle in.

"Will you get me out of here? I can�t see!" he sobbed. "I�m so scared!"

"We will look after you, hun. Everything will be fine." Kathy held him tight until Nick quieted as the medication started to work through his body. His thrashing movements slowed soon after.

"I�m tired." he finally mumbled and his head dropped forward.

Kathy slumped exhausted on the floor beside him. "Oh my God." she muttered. "This is going to be harder than I thought."