Disclaimer: I don't know BSB or anyone connected to them in anyway. I don't know their sexual preferences, this is just a story. I made it all up in my own little twisted world. Well, it's not that twisted but that's not the point.
Warning: I don't know where this is going, or what will happen. I've had this story on my mind for the past couple of months. There may be sex, but if there is it won't be in the first chapter. So if that's what you're looking for you might want to look in another place. Now I'm going to try and not use any super natural beings. I may fail but hell trust me when I say I can't help it.
Authors Note: Well this is the last chapter so I wanted to thank everyone for reading the story this far. I had thought about writing more to this story but certain health concerns have made sure that I won't be able to do that. While on the other hand the other stories that I have posted I will try to finish them as well. Still there aren't any promises in that area as well since I have good days and bad days. I will try my hardest to finish my other stories as I have done with this one. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading this and your kindness in the letters that I have gotten. I hope that you all enjoy the last chapter of Double Take as much I have enjoyed writing it.
Ash
When it had started I didn't know what to do or think, and they had ruined my spot on the beach. Now I couldn't go back without worrying about being spotted and then plagued with questions I wouldn't know how to answer. So my answer was to hide out in my house until they stopped and left me alone, or I got in contact with the guys. Once I knew what to do it wouldn't really be a huge problem, it was the waiting that was starting to get to me. Still no one had contacted me yet, not even Mom, but then again she might not know what's going on yet. I on the other hand knew what was happening my secret was out, and so was Nick's, now things would get messy. There was still the problem that Nick didn't want anything to do with me so talking to him was out of the question. My only real choice had been to hide, now everything was out of my hands, which really sucked. I hated not being able to control this, and it was making me break my promise, I was interfering with the guys and the band. That made it a whole lot worse since I had managed to stay out of band business, now it looked like I couldn't. Then it hit me I could get in contact with the guy's management and tell them to make sure the guys didn't say anything. After that I could confront the reporters and tell them that they were mistaken.
I could come up with enough lies, and if I needed to I could fake a blood test with Brenda's help. That way nothing happened and Nick wouldn't have to come near me for longer than a few minutes. Then he could go on his way and continue to live his life while I lived mine. When I went for my phone I stopped thinking that maybe the lines were bugged, or someone could be listening from outside. After a while of thinking I thought it might be best to head out of town and get their management to meet me somewhere. Still I would have to make a call, and I didn't really know how I could do that safely, not with all the high tech stuff that was out anyway. I guess I could use my cell but I would rather be on the move when I did that way I could at least see if someone was following. After peaking through all my windows I slowly made my way out to my car and then raced away from my house. I drove for about twenty minutes and made sure no was behind me when I tried calling their management. No one was willing to connect me with anyone that could get in contact with the boys as they said, then they hung up. So I did the only that I could do, I called Brian hoping that he had his phone and wasn't busy.
"Hi Bri, it's me Ash, and I was wondering what I should do, but I have an idea, so give me a call back as soon as you can." I hated being put through to the answering service but hopefully I would get a call back soon. Then I would at least know who else I should call, and what I should get myself ready for. It took seven hours and filling my tank up again before Brian was able to get back in contact with me. Even then all he said was to head home and that he and guys were on the way to my house regardless who saw them. So I went back home after traveling for a good length of time only to see a few reporters camped on my lawn, so I called the police. Then I parked down the street and waited until they arrived and started hauling people off my lawn. After I had a good shot I drove into my driveway and ran into my house before to many pictures could be taken of me. It was then that I stood in front of a mirror and decided that if they really wanted a show I would give them one. I started with cutting my hair really short and nothing like Nick's, then shaved and continued with the change of appearances. When my phone ringed I was ready, it was the guys, they were less than a mile away and wanted to know what was going on outside.
"Well, there are about thirty or forty reporters waiting for me to make a move, do you think I should head to mom's or somewhere else?" The phone was silent for a little bit while they talked it over, and then finally decided.
"Don't go anywhere, we're going to come to you Ash, it's time the world knew about you and Nick. Just get ready to open the door to let us in, then slam it closed behind us, we'll see you soon." I said good bye then hung up the phone and watched for them from my window ready to run to the door. When they pulled up I moved to the door and looked out the peep hole until I saw Brian, then I opened the door. As they flowed in it looked like a million bolts of lightening had just struck where they had stood before. I guess the press now had a small piece of what they wanted, after all they just wanted some money for a picture. That picture just happened to invade lives and destroy people from time to time, but as long as they got their money they were happy. Slowly I turned to face the others, even my brother who refused to speak to me, but that was ok.
"I'm willing to do and say whatever you want, and I'm so sorry that this happened. I just didn't think that going to a beach would do this to you, I just hope you can forgive me." Brian stopped me from ranting on with a simple kiss that knocked me off my feet, and scared me to death. For all I knew there was someone in my house taking this picture as well. That didn't mean I was going to stop it, that just meant I had to worry a little as my mind lifted to heaven.
"It was bound to happen someday Ash, and you know that it's not that bad we've come close to revealing who you are anyway. Or did you forget that little fashion show you put together to get my attention?" I couldn't help the smile that formed or the way he made me feel, he made me feel like everything would be ok. No matter what happened my Brian could fix it and make all my worries fade, that was until I saw Nick. He was just looking at me without any emotion on his face, like I was someone he didn't know or care about. To him I was just someone that had screwed up his life more than anyone else in the world. When he moved toward my body tensed ready for a punch or anything else he thought I should get for causing all this to happen. Only he just stopped about an inch away from my face and looked at me for a little while. When he reached out and touched the side of my head my heart sped up a little bit, then his hand fell.
"You know I didn't want this to happen, I could have lived the rest of my life without anyone ever knowing that you were my brother." That had hurt a lot, still I just nodded a little and tried to hold back the tears that refused to be stopped. The others seemed a little bit out of it, and Brian looked like he was about to attack.
"Then I came in here and looked at you, I had forgotten how much I loved you, and how much you meant to me. I kept thinking that you were going to run away again, but you didn't, you stayed and you're willing to face this with me, with us. Honestly I didn't think you would, I thought you would already be on a plane to some other country. Ready to hide this out until it was over, but you didn't and that proved so much to me. One of those things being on how wrong I was to push you away, and stay away from you. I shouldn't have said what I said to you when you had first came back, I should have just punched you in the arm and called it even." He was crying, but he made no attempt to reach out to me, and I didn't know if I should.
"Well, my arm is right here, if you want to give it a slug and be my brother again I'm sure I can take it." Then his arms were around me, and mine were around him, we cried and I knew now that everything would be ok, no matter what happened from here on out. Soon other arms found there way around us, and the simple hug had become a full on group hug. I could feel Brian behind me as his lips rested on the back of my neck, and Kevin to my right with his hand behind my waist. There was no doubt that it was the back of AJ's hand between Nick's waist and mine, then there was Howie who took up the other side. His head lightly leaning against mine and Nick's, it was nice to feel so close to so many people.
"Ok loving this bounding time, but we have things we need to take care of before it gets too out of hand." I couldn't stop myself from speaking since I had been going out of my mind trying to think of a way to handle this. Now that I knew that we were going to take this problem on with the truth it made things a lot easier.
"We have time, our label is pulling reporters in right now for an interview that you and I are going to attend." I nodded to Nick slowly then headed to my bed room to get some better clothing on, leaving the others to walk around the house. After changing into the best outfit I could put together with my current hair style I walked back into the living room. All the guys were watching MTV, and now they were showing them running into my house. There was no way in hell we could ever lie about anything from this point on, at least not who I was anymore. It just kept going on and on, reporters standing just outside my home, and I was watching them on the TV. So far they had managed to destroy all my plants, my lawn, and even my tree looked pretty bad at the moment. I couldn't take it anymore so I walked outside and faced them, they all started asking questions.
"Stop right now or I will never answer any questions for anyone, and neither will the others. I have a few questions of my own to ask, like how you plan to pay for the yard work that's going to have to be done. Don't think that any of the people in my yard aren't going to get a bill, and if you don't pay I will take each and everyone one of you to court. One small fact that you forgot to find out and that was how powerful my adopted parents are, I can make sure that none of you have jobs tomorrow." Everyone that was on my lawn was now off and at a pretty good distance, maybe to conceal their faces.
"There will be a meeting in a short amount of time, at that meeting you will get your answers. Now on the other hand if you refuse to leave my home alone, and the homes of my friends I will be forced to never answer any of your questions. I have the money and the means to vanish without a problem, and take all my friends with me. This isn't simply a threat, this is a promise, now you have the choice to leave or stay." I turned and walked back into my home wondering if my threats would do any good, I was meant with some interesting looks.
"Well, it's not your lawn their destroying, and I didn't tell one single lie or threat that I couldn't carry out." Brian just shook his head slowly as he turned back to the TV and watched as the news teams switched to other stories.
"No, it's the last part, about vanishing, you said you could take us all with you, that might be kind of fun." I looked at Nick and nodded slowly before entering the living room to sit on the couch. It was there that we started talking about how to handle everything and when we were going to handle it. By the time it was over most of the guys were asleep, Nick was the only one still awake. We hadn't said anything to one another for going on an hour, we just looked at each other.
"I am sorry Nick, I didn't mean to stay gone that long, I shouldn't have left I know that now." He just shook his head before walking over and kneeling down in front of me, then he took my hands in his.
"Ash I don't blame you for leaving, I might have done the same thing if it had happened to me. It wasn't how long you were gone, it was just that you were gone, and I couldn't reach you. I felt like everything in my world was falling apart, it wasn't your fault, it never was. Still I needed someone to blame for all the pain that was coursing through my life, and you made the easiest target." With the last word spoken he leaned his head down to meet my hands and his. Slowly I lifted his head so his eyes and mine met, then I knelt down and kissed his forehead softly.
"What you did to me really hurt, but I needed that pain to finally find a place to stand and not a place where I could run. You didn't have to wait so long to come back into my life, but I understand why you did that. It's all over now, we're finally going to get the chance to be brothers, like we should have been." Nick could only nod as he wrapped his hands around my waist and rest his head on my lap. We stayed like that for the rest of the night, just staying near one another, praying that nothing would ever pull us apart again.
*****Brian
I had no choice but to watch as Nick and Ash slowly walked up the stairs that led to the stage. This wasn't something Ash was use to, so I feared that this could hurt him in someway. Nick was starting to breath deeply as they neared the top of the stairs, but through it all he made sure that he kept an eye on Ash. I knew that once the questions started it would be a while before they would end or offer any kind of breather. Ash was looking around like a scared cat, wondering where the attack would come from. It was strange to see him like that, he started looking a lot younger then, almost like he had reversed his age. Then they were gone, and I had to move to a different spot to see them and be sure they were fine.
"Mr. Lee, is it true that you and Mr. Carter are twin brothers?" Ash nodded slowly before looking to Nick who answered with a simple yes.
"Then how does it feel to be the one that was given up, does it hurt that your birth mother chose Nick over you?" Nick's mouth had fallen open at the question, and his face had started to get red.
"Yes, at first I felt like I was the outcast because I wasn't good enough to be loved and kept close by. Then I finally meet my mother, and my family, and it hurts a little more to know I was the only one given up. That was at first, but then I got to know them and understand the reasons why they gave me up. They could only look after one of us and give that one a good life, if they had kept both of us we would have suffered. Our mother did what was best for the both of us, and she didn't chose Nick over me, she just chose Nick." I watched as Nick looked over at Ash, then he turned back to the crowd of reporters.
"How long have you known one another, and why did you keep it from the public, why all this hiding?" Ash laughed for a few seconds before shaking his head and smiling like nothing could touch him.
"We've known about one another for a few years now, and I never really hid from anyone, no one ever noticed before. Still I didn't scream from the top of the mountains either, I didn't want the attention. I'm a fashion designer, and I didn't want people to buy my clothing just because I was Nick's brother. My reasons were simple, I wanted to make it on my own without any help from anyone. Still I didn't hide, and there have been times when I would face the people at my shows, they just didn't pick up on the likeness." So far Nick had only answered one question, but all he seemed to be doing now was looking at Ash with awe in his eyes.
"Mr. Carter, how do you think this will affect your fans, or your band for that matter, this was a pretty big secret." Nick looked out at the crowd until he found the person that had asked the question.
"Well, I honestly don't think it'll make people not like me, and my friends support me all the way. Like my brother said it wasn't a real secret, we didn't do anything to stop anyone from learning the truth. All we did was live our lives, I don't see how that makes me a bad person, or Ash for that matter." Then question after question came and Ash and Nick both handled it like it was nothing more than a normal act of everyday life. After I was sure that nothing bad would happen I walked back behind the stage area where the other guys were waiting and watching everything on TV.
"You know I didn't think Ash would handle himself so well up there, he really surprised me Bri." I looked to Kevin slowly, knowing that when he looked at Ash he wanted more than a simple hug. Yet I didn't say anything to him, all I did was nod, and smile a little as I turned my eyes back to the TV. I knew that Ash was mine and that as long as we were honest with one another nothing could come between us. My faith in Ash was getting stronger every day, and today I knew that he could handle anything that happened. The reporters continued their assault on Nick and Ash, who took it like a friendly conversation. When it was finally over they had spent close to three hours answering questions, both of them looked like they were about to pass out. Nick was almost holding Ash up as they walked down the stairs smiling for the most part.
"I hope that I never have to see another reporter for the rest of my life, no more news, no nothing from now on." Nick just looked at Ash for a moment then helped him sit down in a chair.
"So does that mean you're not going to come on tour with me and keep me and the guys company?" Ash looked up at Nick and smiled before letting his head fall down to rest on his chest.
"I don't know if that would be a good idea Nick, last time didn't go so well, and I don't want to mess up what we have going. You're really important to me Nick and I can't lose you again, not even for a moment. So going with you on tour isn't a good idea since we might fight and you'll stop talking to me again." Nick just looked at Ash, he had tears in his eyes, yet he managed to keep his voice calm.
"What if I promise that even if we fight that I'll talk to you right after the fight, that way we can make up right then and there? That way you can come and we can hang out, get to know each other better than we do. Plus you can see Brian everyday, spend the night with him in his room and, well maybe I should stop there." I looked at Ash as he started to slowly nod his head, Nick started smiling and getting that look in his eyes. He was about to get hyper, something I hadn't seen happen to him in a long time, maybe to long. When Kevin pulled me away from everyone else I thought there was going to be a problem between us.
"I'm really happy for you Bri, but I'm going to tell you now so there aren't any surprises while we're on the road. I love Ash, and if you so much as give me a chance with him by hurting him I'm going to take it. Only I know that I can't make him as happy as you can, so please don't give me that chance. You're more than my cousin you're my brother and I don't want to hurt you, but you hunt him and I will hurt you. I know he's not perfect or that there aren't going to be problems but if I see him crying I'm going to be there for him." I didn't know what to say to him, it was like he was threatening me only not really threatening me, it was weird.
"I'm not going to give you a chance, and I know you love him, it's written all over your face. Out of everyone in the group you were the one that had me worried, I don't think anyone else could take him away. I won't let you do that Kevin cause I can't live without him, he's everything to me, and he always will be. On the other hand, if anything ever happens to me, I want you to take care of him. He cares about you, like he cares about all of us, but I think he could fall for you, so if I die, please help him." Kevin nodded and then we hugged there was an agreement between us now, Ash was going to be taken care of no matter what.
I turned back to the others and just looked at them, and for a minute I could see how we use to be. Ash had changed the most, I could still see Nick in him, but not as much as I use to. Now I just saw him as he was, the man that I was in love with, and I could feel the fear of losing him. Something had been edging it's way into my mind for a while now, only I didn't want it to surface. All I could really do is hope that I was wrong and that I hadn't lost to much time with him. Still something was there that told me that there was a good chance I would outlive him. That thought scared the living hell out of me, but it was still there, and I knew that if he died I would soon follow. There was no way I could face the world without him now, he was just to important to me. I guess it was that way with the rest of the guys too, Ash had buried himself in our hearts. Now I knew their was a real chance at happiness for all of us, and that Nick and Ash would get to be the brothers they were meant to be. Even now I could see the bounds becoming unbreakable as the whispered back and forth to one another. Slowly I walked over and sat down pulling Ash into my arms, I held him and he let me hold him. If this was as close as I ever got to heaven that was fine by me, nothing could take this feeling in my heart away from me now.
One year after that fateful day Ash and Brian got married, at first it remained a secret, yet both decided that they would rather be open about their love for one another. Nick and AJ remained unmarried, yet stayed together and supported Ash and Brian. Kevin never remarried or even tried to find anyone else, he appointed himself Ash's guardian. His love for Ash never faded, it only grew stronger by the days that passed, and his heart only suffered more from watching Ash and Brian. Howie being the odd member got married and had four children, three boys and a girl. Through all of their troubles that followed throughout their lives they always remained there for one another. Always making sure to go to one another when one of them was in need of help or support. On March 16, 2034, Brian's day of need came as Ash passed away in his sleep. The boys, now old men found that they were far from alone in morning the passing of their beloved brother, friend, and lover. Nick and Brian held to each other the hardest as Aaron held onto them. Tears flowed like rivers, and hearts broke into millions of pieces, as they laid Ash to rest. Kevin no longer had anything to do since Ash was now gone, so he slowly withdrew from everyone. Seven months later Brain joined Ash in his rest, as he had known he would do.
Nick had now lost his brother and best friend, his heart screamed in agony, this wasn't fair. Aaron did his best to help his older brother through his loss, through their loss, but in honesty it didn't matter. AJ was there as well holding onto Nick trying to keep him going, but all efforts were failing until Kevin found a way to help Nick through. He had told Nick that Ash had loved life, and had never given into anything, that he should do the same to honor his brothers memory. From that moment Nick tried to be more like Ash, and in doing so he found his will to live again. Four years down the road Kevin followed his cousin and his little dreamer to heaven. Not much more time passed before the other members of the group passed as well. Howie was the last to go, and on that day he smiled knowing that his brothers were waiting for him so they could fill the heavens with their sweet voices like they had done on earth. While Ash made sure they had the best clothing he could make from clouds and dreams. The world mourned the passing of the last Backstreet boy and honored their memory with their music. Old fans cried, and new ones began to understand why, the world had changed but music would always remain the same. It is something that will always touch the human heart, and bring back memories of old.
The End