Hey Everyone! Happy New Year! I hope that you guys will have a great one!
Well let's just say that even thought it will take a little longer than I thought, I've decided to try and write at least one chapter on every day that I have off of work. It has been hectic lately, but with the break I took from writing, it gave me a chance to think about how I want the story to continue. So here goes.
Oh, and I'm going to try to write it with different scenes in each chapter so we can all see what's going on with the other characters, rather then from Sean's point of view.
First of all, let me just say that this is my first time writing any kind of fiction like this.
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this story.
If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality offends you, then please don't continue any further and leave.
Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are.
"Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche. "69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt "Nick Lachey" by Ken. "98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night "The Reunion" by RinSong. "Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan
and finally: "This Gift" by Sprout.
Now, I"ll let you get on with the story.
Enjoy.
Previously on "My Everything".....
"Excuse me, guys?" A voice said from behind them.
The guys turned to see one of the firemen standing before them, a serious look on his face.
"Where is Sean?" Nick asked, frantically. "Did you find him?"
The fireman sighed.
"There's no easy way to tell you this." He said. "But we found.........partial remains."
Everyone's faces took on a look of sheer horror, realizing what the fireman was telling them.
"Partial remains?! Nick managed to get out. The fireman looked at him, sadly.
"I'm sorry." He said. "There were no survivors."
Everyone was grief stricken. They'd lost a best friend that they'd barely gotten to know even a year.
"No." Nick said, in denial. "No, this can't be happening. "This can't be true."
"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Lachey." The officer said, then looked down at something.
"I also found this near the explosion" He said, holding out his hand to Nick, his palm opened, revealing what he had inside. Nick gasped when he saw it:
It was Sean's wedding ring. The one Nick had bought for him when they'd gotten married.
With trembling fingers, Nick took the ring and looked at it.
"I'm truly sorry for your loss, all of you." The fireman said, then he put his hand on Nick's shoulder.
"I'm sure he loved you very much." He said.
And with those last words, He walked back towards the crash site to help the guys put out the rest of the fire.
Nick just stood there, looking at Sean's ring. Then his cellphone started beeping, signaling a new voice mail message.
Nick grabbed it and dialed his voice mail. He had 1 new message.
"Nick? Baby, are you there?" He heard Sean's voice say. "Look, I'm stuck in this car and it's ready to explode, so If I don't get out in time, I want you to know something...........
Nick could hear the sparks that were coming out of the dash and the truck driver grunting in the background.
Sean's voice, now crying, continued.
"I want you to know that I'm sorry for everything that I said to you tonight and I hope that someday you can forgive me for it." I never meant to hurt you. And remember that I'll always love you. I'll never stop loving you, baby. Til death do us part, you are and always will be my everything. Goodbye, my love. I love you. Now and forever."
The voicemail ended and Nick crumpled to the ground, in despair.
"NO!!!!!" He cried out. "Oh god, no! Not my baby, no!"
Drew knelt down on the ground and pulled Nick to him, trying to comfort him, while sobbing himself.
"Nick, was that voice message from Sean?" He asking, still crying.
"Nick aswered him, between sobs, and nodded. "It was his......last......message before he........he.........DIED!"
Nick collapsed into Drew's arms and hung onto him like a lifeline, his grief consuming him.
Drew looked up at the rest of the guys. They were all sobbing and hugging each other. Justin was comforting Kandi, who was crying really hard, while he was crying himself. So were Jeff and Danny, but they were all actually comforting each other.
"Nick, I'm so sorry, bro." Drew whispered in Nick's ear.
Nick raised his head, his eyes red, face wet with his tears and his nose running.
"Oh Drew, I can't take this!" Nick cried. "I loved him so much and now he's gone! He's gone! And it's all because of me!"
CHAPTER 36 **********
BACK AT NICK'S HOUSE......
The door opened and in walked Nick, Drew, Jeff, Danny, Justin and Kandi. All of them were devastated. They'd just heard that their best friend had been killed in an explosion and they were all taking it very badly.
But no one was taking it as bad as Nick was.
Nick walked towards the couch in a zombie like state and sat down on it. He was going through hell and there was nothing anyone could do to help him now.
Drew gazed at his brother through tear filled eyes, his heart breaking from what Nick was going through.
"Look at him, guys." Drew whispered to everyone else, who was still in the room. "He's going through hell and there's nothing I can do to help him."
"Drew, We're all going through hell." Danny said, walking over to Drew and putting his hands on his shoulders. "I am too. I feel responsible for my best friend's death."
Drew looked at Danny with a look of compassion in his eyes. Danny was also going through hell. Drew could see that Danny wasn't acting. He was really emotional from what had happened and Drew couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Drew pulled Danny to him and hugged him strongly. Danny then broke down in his arms.
"Oh god, Drew, this is agony!" Danny sobbed. "How am I going to live with myself after this? I've lost my truest, best friend that I ever had! Maybe even my only best friend!
"Danny, don't do this to yourself." Drew whispered to him. "Yes, you've done alot of things that were wrong and you hurt all of us, including Sean in the process tonight, but we all know you never meant any harm to come to Sean. So don't let yourself feel guilty. Sad, yes. But not guilty."
Danny then released Drew and looked into his face.
"Can I ask you a question?" He asked Drew.
"Sure." Drew said.
"A personal question?" Danny then asked. Drew hesitated, not sure if he was going to like it.
"Ok." he finally said.
Danny hesitated before blurting it out.
"You were still in love with Sean, weren't you?"
Drew didn't get a chance to answer him, because then Jeff put his arms around Danny's waist and whispered in his ear.
"Hey, I'm beat. how about you come up to bed with me now?" Jeff asked him.
"Ok." Danny said. "You go ahead, I'll be up in a minute."
"Ok." Jeff said, smiling half-heartedly. "Don't be long."
"I won't, babe." Danny said, giving Jeff a gentle kiss. "I'll be up soon."
Jeff headed upstairs to his room. Justin and Kandi were still sitting at the table, when Kandi stood up.
"I think I'm going to turn in." She said, wiping at her eyes. "This has been a day of complete hell."
"You can say that again, babe." Justin said, standing up with her. "I'm going to turn in too."
After saying that, he walked over to Danny and Drew and hugged them both goodnight. Kandi hugged Drew, but not Danny. She was still angry with him after the way he treated Jeff.
"If you want my affection again, Danny, you'll have to earn it." She said to him. "That's why I'll be watching you. And if you hurt Jeff like you have ever again, I won't hold back and you'll feel my wrath! Do we understand each other?"
"Perfectly." Danny said, nodding.
"Good." She said. Then she turned to Justin, who was hugging Nick, but Nick wasn't responding. Kandi hugged him too and kissed his cheek.
"Nick, hang in there, ok?" She whispered to him.
Nick didn't aswer her. He hardly even acknowledge her presence. She understood though. Nick was in a bad state of mind right now.
Kandi and Justin then walked up to bed, leaving Danny and Drew alone downstairs with Nick.
"Well,Drew?" Danny urged him. "What's your answer to my previous question about you still being in love with Sean?"
Drew looked over at Nick, who had laid down on the couch and had seemed to have cried himself to sleep. Then he turned back to Danny to give him his answer.
"No, Danny, I'm not still in love with Sean." Drew replied. "I resolved those feelings a long time ago. But make no mistake I did love Sean. I loved him like a brother.
So did I." Danny whispered to Drew. "He was my best friend and I let him down." How am I going to live with that?"
Oh, Danny." Drew said,softly, hugging Danny once more. "Don't do this to yourself. It's not going to bring Sean back."
"I know. Danny sobbed. "I'm just going to miss him so much."
"I know, buddy. We all will." Drew said, rubbing Danny's muscular back, comforting him.
"But now I think you better join Jeff upstairs and try to get some sleep."
Danny nodded his head.
"Yeah, I will." He said, releasing Drew and walking towards the stairs.
When he got to the first step, he turned and looked at Drew.
"Are you coming?" He asked. Drew shook his head no.
"No, I'm going to sleep down here tonight." Drew told him. "I need to be near my brother to help him through this."
Danny nodded, then smiled.
"You're one hell of a guy, Drew." He said to him. "You obviously love Nick alot."
"Yes, Danny, I do." Drew said. "Nick has always been my best friend and I could always count on him to be there for me whenever I've needed him. Even when times were rough."
"Well you hold onto that with Nick." Danny said. "That just may be what will help you through this too."
Drew smiled. "Thanks, Danny."
"No problem." Danny replied, smiling back at him. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Drew called out after Danny, as he was going upstairs.
Drew turned and sat in the recliner chair right across from the couch where Nick was sleeping. He gazed at Nick's face,which had smoothed out a little bit and he looked so innocent when he was sleeping.
"Oh god, Nick." Drew whispered outloud. "How am I going to help you get through this, when I don't know how I'm going to get through it myself?"
SOMEWHERE ELSE.........
"Man can you believe that we pulled that off?" A voice asks.
"Yeah, I know. Can you believe it?" a second voice says. "Now we have to discuss what happens next?"
"Which is what?" The first voice asked the second.
"Revenge against the guys of 98 Degrees!" The first voice hisses.
NICK'S DREAM.............
Nick was at the side of the road and hearing Sean's voice calling out to him.
"NICK, HELP ME!!!!"
Nick looked in all directions, and couldn't see him.
"Sean?!! Where are you?!" He cried out, tears streaming down his face.
"I'M STUCK IN THIS CAR! PLEASE HELP ME!!" Sean's voice rang out.
Then Nick saw the car and then saw Sean's face, which was white with terror, and saw his hand extending out for Nick to grab ahold of.
"I'm coming, baby!" Nick shouted out. "Hold on!"
Then Nick started running to the car, Sean's cries for help echoing over and over again.
Before Nick could even get to the car, it exploded and Sean's face took on a frightening look as the car burst into flames.
The look in Sean's eyes chilled Nick to the bone when he saw the emotions in it:
Anger. Pain. Resentment, but most of all: Hate.
Then Sean's voice sounding very deep and scary, boomed out.
"YOU NEVER LOVED ME NICK!!! YOU TURNED YOUR BACK ON ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST!!!"
"No, Sean, that's not true!" Nick screamed. "I loved you more than my own life! I would die without you! I love you, Sean! Do you hear me?! I love you!!!!"
Sean's stony cold expression took on one of sadness and despair now. He gazed at Nick, the sadness obvious in his eyes. But almost as quick as it had come, it was replaced with that emotionless, cold look.
"STILL NICK, YOU TURNED YOUR BACK ON ME!" Sean's booming voice continued. "YOU TURNED YOUR BACK ON EVERYTHING THAT WE EVER MEANT TO EACH OTHER AND YOU LEFT ME TO DIE! LITERALLY!!"
"Sean, Please stop saying this!" Nick sobbed. "I never meant for this to happen to you!
"YOU'RE GOING TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID, NICHOLAS! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, NOW THAT I'M GONE!"
"NO!!!!!!!!!!" Nick screamed,covering his ears. But Sean's last words kept ringing through his mind:
"NOW THAT I'M GONE!....."NOW THAT I'M GONE!.....NOW THAT I'M GONE!"
Nick screamed as he woke up and started hyperventilating. He'd obviously been crying in his sleep because his face was wet with tears and his skin was clammy and cold,indicating that he'd woken up in a cold sweat. plus he was shaking badly.
His screaming had woken up Drew, who was at Nick's side in a flash.
"Nick? Bro, what's wrong? what's happened?" Drew asked Nick, his face white as a ghost.
Nick couldn't answer him, as he was still hyperventilating, which was making Drew start to panic.
About five seconds later, Danny, Jeff, Justin, and Kandi came pounding down the stairs and into the living room.
"Someone, bring me some water quick!" Drew gasped out. "Nick is hyperventilating!"
Hearing that, Jeff rushed to the kitchen and about 5 seconds later, came back into the living room with a glass of water, which he handed to Drew.
Drew then put the glass to Nick's lips.
"Drink this, Nick." He urged. "It will help you."
Nick took a few sips between breaths and then finally managed to calm down a little bit. Then he hugged Drew again, but didn't say anything. which was worrying everyone.
"Nick, please say something." Drew begged him. "You're scaring us."
Nick pulled back and looked at Drew, a wierd look on his face.
"I had a nightmare about what happened tonight." He said. "But it was more terrifying then tonight's events."
"How?" Danny asked him. Nick continued.
"Well, for one thing, I kept hearing Sean calling out to me for help, and I didn't know where he was right away. But when I finally did see and hear him, I tried to run to the car to save him, and it exploded."
"Wow." Jeff said. "That sounds alot like what we all witnessed tonight."
"Yeah, but this one was more scary." Nick said, starting to choke up again. "It seemed so real."
"Is there more, honey?" Kandi asked him.
"Yes, Kandi, there is." Nick said, choking up. "When the car exploded, I saw Sean's face staring at me through the flames and he had this look on his face that scared me, shitless. Plus his voice sounded like the devil's himself. He said that I'd turned my back on him and everything that we meant to each other and that I left him to die. Literally."
Here Nick fell back into Drew's arms again and buried his face into Drew's chest.
Everyone in the room, Even Danny, all felt sorry for Nick. They all had tears in their eyes as well. They knew exactly what Nick was going through right now. They were all going through the same thing. They'd lost someone whom they'd all loved like family. And with Sean gone, it just didn't feel like the same anymore.
"Nick, We're all so sorry that you have to go through this." Justin said, sitting beside Nick and puttin his arm around him.
"Sean was very important to all of us and he will be greatly missed by all of us. But Sean will always be alive in our hearts, Nick." Justin continued.
Nick pulled Justin to him and hugged him, tightly.
"How am I going to deal with this, Justin?" Nick asked him. "I lost the man I love and now I have no reason to live! I have no reason to go on!"
Everyone gasped hearing this.
"Nick, don't you even think about going there! Not even for 1 second!" Drew screamed at Nick.
Nick turned to Drew and looked at him through teary eyes. Drew continued.
"I've already lost my brother in-law! I'm not going to lose you too!" Drew lectured Nick. "Not my own flesh and blood brother! So whatever crazy thoughts are going through your head right now, you get them the fuck out of your mind!"
Drew's face was wet with tears and he looked panic stricken.
"I love you, Nick." Drew sobbed to Nick. "I won't lose you. Not my big brother! You're my best friend and I'm not going to hear anymore of you not having any reason to live! Just forget it!"
Drew threw his arms around his big brother's shoulders and hugged him so tightly that Nick almost choked.
"Drew, I love you too." Nick said, sniffling. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Sean wouldn't want me to give up on life."
"See?" Danny said. "You know Sean better than you think you do at times. He wouldn't want you to postpone your life simply because his ended. He'd want you to grieve, of course, and then he'd want you to go on with your life.
Nick looked up at Danny and smiled for the first time that night, since the incidents that had happened earlier that evening.
"Thanks, Danny." Nick said. "That means alot to me."
"No, problem, Nick." Danny said, smiling back at Nick. "I just hope that you can forgive me for everything that I put you guys and Jeff through tonight."
Nick nodded and smiled at Danny again.
"As far as I'm concerned, you're already forgiven." He said. "Besides, you're all I have left of my husband."
Danny then knelt down and started to hug Nick, but then stopped. Nick saw this and decided to make the next move and pulled Dannny into his arms, hugging him close.
Danny and Nick both hugged for a long 5 minutes. Then Justin spoke up.
"Well, Nick, since you're alright now, We're going to go back to bed, ok?" He suggested.
Nick nodded.
"Sure, go ahead." He said, then added. "In fact, why don't all of you go back to bed. You all look like you're very tired."
"Is it that obvious?" Jeff asked, stifling a yawn.
"Yeah." Nick replied. "You all look like you didn't get much sleep either."
"We didn't." Danny said, looking at Nick. "So, if you don't mind, we're going to turn in."
"Sure, go ahead." He said again.
Kandi then gave Nick a concerned look.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright now?" She asked him.
"Sure, I'll be fine." Nick insisted.
"Are you sure?" Jeff asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes, go ahead." Nick insisted again.
Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Alright." Justin said. "But if you need us, don't hesitate to yell out for us, ok?"
"I will." Nick said. "Now, go." get some sleep."
"Yes sir." Jeff said. then he turned and put his arm around Danny. "Come on, Baby. Let's go upstairs."
"Sure, hot stuff." Danny smiled. Then he turned back to Nick. "We'll see you later, Nick."
"Goodnight, guys." Nick said, as they walked up the stairs. Kandi and Nick both said goodnight as well and headed up too."
Drew was still standing there, looking at Nick. Nick noticed.
"What's wrong, Drew?" Nick asked him.
Drew gave Nick a look that Nick knew very well. Nick answered for Drew before he could say anything.
"Ok, Drew, I know that look and I'm telling you I'm fine, ok?" Nick said.
Drew studied Nick's face for a minute and then nodded.
"Ok." He said. "Now I"m going to go upstairs and go to sleep in my bed. Goodnight, Nick."
"Goodnight, Drew." Nick replied.
He watched Drew go upstairs and then sat up and ran his hand through his hair. Then feeling thirsty, he reached over to grab his glass of water and as he did, his eyes fell on Sean's wedding ring, which was sitting on the table, near his glass.
Nick picked it up and looked at the engraved message inside Sean's ring.
Sean Perry Lachey: "My Everything"
As Nick looked at the engraved inscription, he got a very intense look on his face.
******************************************************* IN JEFF'S ROOM........
"Do you have any idea how much I love you right now?" Jeff said to Danny, as they were snuggling up to each other.
Danny smiled, hearing Jeff's words. He couldn't have felt happier than he did at that very moment.
"I know, Jeff." He said. "And I love you too." I just can't believe I was such a fool not to see and deal with it sooner."
"That doesn't matter now." Jeff said, stroking Danny's cheek with his thumb and forefinger. "What matters is that you love me now and I'm finally the happiest man in the world."
"Me too." Danny said, as his eyes connected with Jeff's.
Danny and Jeff started to lean in to each other to share a kiss, but was interrupted by Drew screaming.
"Guys! Come down here, quick!"
"What the hell?" Jeff exclaimed, he and Danny jumping out of the bed and running down the stairs. Kandi and Justin were right behind them as they got to the bottom of the stairs to see Drew looking panic stricken.
"What's wrong, Drew?" Danny asked him.
Drew looked at everyone his face white as a ghost and managed to blurt out the words.
"Nick,s gone!"
TBC..........?"