Disclaimer: Here's the deal. This story may or may not contain sex between consenting men and women (not necessarily that combination though) This is fiction (fiction -- not true or real). This is not meant to imply anything about the Backstreet Boys. If you find this material offensive then why on earth are you here? This story may be redistributed in other archives as long as you don't charge people to read it and keep me as the author. Easy stuff. Enjoy.
Jess thanks for the help and Alec this is for you. I love you
Chapter 9
Kevin walked into his and Jenna's room only to find it and the bathroom empty. Feeling slightly panicked he searched the room. Suddenly he noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand. Grabbing it he quickly read it and only felt more confused.
Kevin-
I'm sorry that I have to leave like this. Something came up and I have to take care of it. This is really important and needs to be done now. I will be back soon I hope. I will explain later I promise. I love you.
Love,
Jenna D.
Kevin wondered what on earth it was that she had to take care of. He slowly walked downstairs and into the dining room where he found everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty having breakfast. Mat looked up and asked,
"Where's Jen?"
Kevin handed him the note. Mat read it looking not concerned, but confused.
"I guess she had something to take care of. She'll be back soon." Kevin just nodded. Brian stood "Kev, I have something I want to talk to you about." Mat started to stand but Brian gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay babe, I'll be right back." Mat smiled at Brian and nodded. Brian and Kevin walked together into the den and Kevin looked at his cousin, "What's up Brian?"
Brian looked at his cousin and said, "Well, actually I wanted to know if you thought it
would be okay if Mat came with us on tour. I know that you will do everything to get Jenna there, but I really want Mat with me. And not just because I love him desperately, but also cause I am scared silly that if I leave him alone for a long amount of time..."
Brian's voice trailed off and Kevin finished for him,
"He'll either disappear or Brad will show up again and hurt him." Brian nodded silently and Kevin smiled at him. "Hey, I know how you feel and I talked to Jenna's uncle. He says that it would be alright for them to come with us. Although they will be taking their college courses through Internet correspondence, but I think that we can work around that."
Brian grinned, "I know we can!" he then asked curiously, "What college are they going to be corresponding with?"
"Stanford." Came Mat's voice from behind them. Brian spun around and looked at Mat, who was lounging in the doorway.
"Stanford? Was your uncle going to help you pay for that?" Brian knew his love was smart, but goodness.
Mat smiled, a soft, pain-filled smile and shook his head, "No, we both got full ride scholarships. They were going to pay for us to live on campus, but we wanted to live here. We got perfect scores on the SAT's and were our classes valedictorians." Mat watched Brian's face carefully and noticed the moment that Brian understood.
Brian stared at his lover in awe, "You two are incredibly smart aren't you?" When Mat silently nodded, Brian smiled, "I knew it!"
Mat stared, he had been expecting Brian to take it like his first boyfriend had. "You --- you don't mind, Bri?"
Brian laughed, "Of course not! Why on earth would I mind?" he asked as Mat pushed away from the wall and walked swiftly to Brian to hug him tightly.
"I thought you would be like my first boyfriend and be really intimidated because I'm smart."
Brian smiled, "This only makes you more perfect, babe."
They're lips grew close and suddenly they were kissing passionately, their tongue's intertwining. Kevin coughed loudly and they pulled apart blushing.
"Sorry Kev. Forgot you were there." Mat said smiling.
Kevin was about to reply when Jenna walked into the room, they all immediately noticed the stressed look on her face.
"Hey Jen, where'd you disappear to this morning?" Mat asked brightly from the circle of Brian's arm's.
"Uh, the bank then the drug store. Kevin, Brian I am sorry, but I need to talk to Mat for a minute alone." Jenna was fidgeting and they all noticed it.
"Are you sure babe? Is anything wrong?" Kevin asked, Jenna managed to smile and shake her head at him,
"No, I need to tell Mat something that our Mom told me this morning when I talked to her." Kevin and Brian nodded and left the room. The minute the door closed Jenna burst into tears.
"Jen! What is wrong?" Mat gasped running to her side and hugging her tightly.
"Mom told me to call Dad this morning. He wanted $4,000." she sobbed. Mat's mouth opened in shock.
"That's why you went to the bank isn't it. You sent it to him." When Jenna nodded Mat took a deep breath, "He threatened them again didn't he?" Jenna nodded again crying harder.
"What do we do Mat? We can't let him hurt them, but we can't keep sending him
money." Mat nodded still hugging her, trying to think of something to do. Finally he decided. "Jen," she looked up at him, "We have to tell Brian and Kevin. I bet anything that they can help."
Jenna silently nodded. Mat lifted his head and called out, "Bri! Kevin! Could you guys come in here please?"
The door opened and they both walked in. Kevin stopped, seeing Jenna in tears in her
brother's arms. "What's wrong?" he gasped rushing across the room to hold her tightly. "Did you see Brad? What happened?"
Jenna quickly pulled herself together and said softly, "No, nothing like that. It's our father. He's blackmailing us."
Kevin looked shocked and didn't answer, but Brian looked from Mat back to Jenna, "What does he have on you guys?"
Mat shook his head, "It's not information. He has our little brother and sister living with him. If we don't give him money he'll hurt them." Mat felt tears slipping down his face and tried to stop them, "They are only 6, but he beat them really badly the first time we didn't send him what he asked for. He sent us pictures of them tied up and black and blue all over....." Mat was sobbing now and couldn't help it. "We have sent him whatever he has asked for since."
Brian knelt and gently took Mat into his arms. "Don't worry baby, we'll get them away from him."
Kevin nodded, "That's right. We can probably take a stop before we leave the country, where does your dad live?"
"Michigan." Jenna said softly looking up at Kevin, "What do you mean before we leave the country?"
Kevin smiled at Jenna, "We want you and Mat to join us on tour. We leave in tomorrow night at about 10:30 pm."
Jenna whispered, "I told Mom I wanted to go with you but I wasn't sure that you wanted me." Kevin lowered his mouth gently to hers.
"I will always want you."
Mat and Brian just smiled at the two, happy that Jen and Kevin were happy. Mat sat up suddenly though, "What do you mean that's what you told Mom?" he asked his sister.
Jenna smiled, "I talked to her this morning when I woke up. She's really happy for us
Mat."Jenna shot a glance at Kevin, "She gave me some really good advice."
Mat looked perplexed, "About what?"
Jenna smiled serenely, "Birth control pills."
Kevin turned bright red as Mat and Brian both burst out laughing. Mat managed to choke out, "Well at least you did think about it Jen. That is very responsible of you."
"Well I like to think that Mom raised me right. What about you? Did she raise you right?" Mat and Brian both blushed and didn't say anything. Jenna's smile disappeared and she stood. "Mat I want to talk to you now." He nodded and followed her out of the room.
The minute they were gone Kevin turned on his cousin. "What they hell do you think by not using a condom with him Brian?"
"Well I know that for one, he won't get pregnant. And for number two we were both virgin's before so I wasn't exactly concerned." That made Kevin pause.
"But I thought he said something about having a boyfriend before."
Brian looked away, "I didn't know that. I do know, however, whatever he may not have been Mat was a virgin."
"Just please don't be stupid Brian. I love you and Mat too much for you two to die because of a stupid mistake."
"Thanks Kev."
"MAT! How could you! Damnit, I cannot believe how stupid you are sometimes." Jenna paced back and forth in front of him as he sat on a bench in his aunt's and uncle's green house. She was really pissed off. He had never told her that he and Jacob had never had sex together. They had never even sucked each other off. They had still been in the kissing stage of their relationship when they had broken up. He had also never been comfortable enough with Jacob to take a step like making love. He remembered the day that they had broken up. That had been the day that Jacob had told him that he had HIV. He had never told Mat, despite the many times he had tried to get to have sex with him. Mat had told him he never wanted to see him again. Mat had heard about a year ago that Jacob had died after a long painful fight with AIDS. Mat had gone to the funeral and sobbed. He hadn't realized what a good friend that he had had in Jacob until that moment. Mat still missed his friend desperately. He looked up and saw that Jenna had stopped yelling at him and was staring at him with sympathy on her face.
"Your thinking about Jacob aren't you? You always get this sad, contemplative look on your face." Mat nodded and replied,
"Jenna, Jacob and I never slept together. I didn't know until the day we broke up that he had AIDS but we never slept together. We never even slept in the same bed."
Jenna looked at him surprised, then smiled sadly, "But you still miss him don't you?"
Mat nodded, feeling the tears well in his eyes, "Jen, can you leave me alone for awhile please? I...I need to think for awhile."
Jenna gently touched his shoulder and whispered to him, "Of course. Do you want me to send Brian in?"
He shook his head, "I just want to be alone." Jenna nodded and left Mat with his regrets and sadness.
Kevin and Brian both stood when Jenna entered the room. She went straight to Kevin and hugged him tightly. He returned her embrace but asked, "Jen? Is something wrong?" Jenna shook her head and begged softly, "Please don't ever leave me, Kev. I don't ever want you to leave me." He realized that she was crying. He exchanged worried looks with Brian and softly said,
"I promise sweety, I'm not going anywhere." She nodded with her face still buried in his shirt.
"Jenna? Where's Mat?" Brian asked gently.
"In the green house, wrestling with his ghosts." She said looking at him. When Brian made for the door Jenna added, "There isn't anything you can do for him right now Brian."
Brian shook his head, "I can still be there for him." He swiftly left the room.
AJ, Howie and Nick were all just hanging out together in the pool when Nick's cell phone went off. Quickly he climbed out of the pool and ran across the room to it. Grabbing it he pushed the send button. "Hello?"
"Hey Nick what's up?" said a voice on the other end that Nick immediately recognized.
"JC? Hey pal what's up?" he asked grinning at AJ and Howie who were still in the pool, making out.
"Not much, we gotta leave tonight to join YOUR tour when you guys get to Switzerland, so right now we're just hanging at our hotel here in LA. Where are you guys right now?"
Nick started to laugh, "LA."
"Really? What hotel are you guys at?"
Jenna's aunt walked in the room, "Just a sec JC. Hey, Mrs. Dougherty. Can I invite some friends over here?"
"Of course Nick. Invite whoever you want."
"Hey thanks! JC? We're not staying at a hotel. We're staying at a friends house. You guys wanna spend the rest of the day hanging with us? Really? Great! Get some paper so that I can tell you the address."
Brian walked into the green house slowly, taking in the total beauty of his surroundings. Turning a corner he saw Mat, sitting on a white bench simply staring into space, not making a sound while tears poured down his face. He wasn't quite sure what to do, so he just slowly walked towards him. He could tell Mat wasn't even aware of his presence.
Mat didn't see or feel anything, he kept reliving those last terrible things that he had said to Jacob. Would he leave Brian the same way? What would have happened if Mat had been there for Jacob when he had needed him? Suddenly he heard a voice, but it sounded as if it was coming from far away.
"Mat...do you want to be alone?" Mat felt himself shaking his head.
"Then why did you send Jenna away?"
"I....I don't know."
"You shouldn't lie Mat." the voice whispered.
"Because, she...she just wouldn't understand. I don't deserve anyone, I left him alone when he needed me."
"Did he betray your trust first Mat?"
Mat was surprised, "What?"
"Didn't he betray you for trying to get you to sleep with him, even though he knew that he had AIDS?"
"I.....guess so."
"Mat, that's not an answer. Did he betray you?"
"Yes." Mat whispered.
"Did he deserve for you to be there for him? He wouldn't have been there for you if you had gotten it from him."
"We don't know that..."
"Don't lie to yourself Mat."
"No, he..he didn't deserve for me to be there, but he was my friend and no matter what I should have been there for him."
"So you are sorry you weren't there to help him when he was dying?"
"Yes."
"But if you could go back would you sleep with him and be the one that had died?"
"No."
"Mat you must learn to deal with the fact that you weren't there for him, remember the good times, not the bad. Don't hate yourself for being human."
"Thank you I will try."
"Don't forget this Mat."
Mat blinked and looked around and saw Brian sitting next to him on the bench, a look of concern on his handsome face.
"Thank you Brian. I needed that."
"Needed what babe? I didn't say anything." Brian said confused. Mat smiled,
"Then I guess I have someone else who had had enough of my wallowing in doubt and misery."
"Mat I don't understand."
"I know, Bri, let me tell you about my first boyfriend, Jacob." Mat said softly, then suddenly looked up at Brian.
"First though....would you hold me Brian?" he asked softly. Brian smiled gently and wrapped his arms around him as Mat began his story.
Jenna and Kevin walked into the pool area to see what the other guys were doing. Nick looked up and called, "Hey Kev, look who's here?"
The guys of N'Sync stood up and turned towards the door. Kevin was about to say something when he noticed the guys staring at Jenna, he started to introduce them when JC said,
"Jen? What on earth are you doing here!?" and walked swiftly across the hall towards Jenna. She pulled away from Kevin and ran to JC throwing herself into his arms.
"Oh I have missed you so much!" she said holding him tightly as he swung her around. When he set her down he asked,
"Well then why don't you call more often? And where is Mat?" he asked setting her down.
"Oh he and Brian are talking in the green house. How are the rest of you delinquents?" she called to the rest of the guys who had been hanging back, trying to give her and JC a private reunion.
They immediately rushed forward with a group hug. "Jen we've missed you and Mat soo much." Justin said hugging her again.
"We've missed you too, Just."
Suddenly a loud cough interrupted their reunion. Jenna looked over to see Kevin and the rest of the guys with very confused expressions on their faces.
"Oh...um I guess that Mat and I forgot to mention that we know the guys of N'Sync very well?"
Jenna asked walking towards Kevin.
He looked at her, "I guess so."
JC smiled at Kevin, "Hey Kev, you haven't heard how we met these guys?" he asked ruffling Jenna's hair like an affectionate older brother or father. Kevin prayed that it wasn't something more, but he smiled and shook his head.
"Nope."
Justin started to laugh, "Oh God, you guys are gonna love this one. Okay we have a concert here in LA and are told that a couple of fans are coming back after the show that have this real important uncle so we should try to be on our best behavior. Now no one mentions that they are about my age and one of them is a boy. So, after the concert we are all exhausted and really crabby, but willing to try to be nice. So we hear a knock on the dressing room door. Chris here goes and opens the door and when he sees Mat he screams at the top of his lungs "We are waiting for a couple of important little teeny-boppers, we will NOT give you an interview for your school newspaper, no matter who you managed to bribe for the backstage passes." then our manager comes up from behind Mat with Jenna and just glares at Chris, saying that these are the two fans that we are supposed to meet. Can you believe it?"
By the time Justin was done Chris was beet red and the guys from the Backstreet Boys are cracking up.
"How did you like that one Mat?" JC asked grinning at the door to the room.
Everyone turned to see Brian and Mat enter the room and Mat grinned, "It was certainly the most interesting greeting I've ever had that's for sure."
JC stood again and took two steps in Mat's direction, "How did you get that bruise?" Mat
flushed looking away and JC nodded, "Alright, but come over here and give me a hug."
Mat grinned and raced across the room like a little kid at Christmas, hugging JC hard. Brian felt a surge of jealousy but pushed it down, knowing that Mat would never hurt him by choosing JC over him.
When Mat pulled away from JC, he asked softly, "Mat have you been crying?" When Mat nodded slowly JC whispered, "We are going to talk you, me and Jenna later, you hear me?" Mat nodded silently and walked back over to Brian. JC noticed the possessive way that Brian put his arm around Mat, and how Mat leaned into him without even realizing it.
Kevin sat down on a lounge chair and Jenna sat on his lap leaning against him as Nick asked, "So what time are we all leaving for the airport? I assume that Mat and Jenna are coming with us." Kevin nodded and replied looking at his watch,
"We need to leave for the airport in an hour, everyone get packed." he looked at the guys of N'Sync, "Do you guys need to go back to your hotel to pack?"
JC shook his head, "Nope, all our bags are in the car. We packed before we left."
Kevin nodded, "Okay then guys lets hop to it."
JC stood, "Can I please talk with you, Jenna and Mat, real quick?"
They both nodded and walked towards him as they rest of N'Sync and BSB left including Kevin and Brian.
JC sat back down on a double sized lounge chair and looked at the two of them, "What is going on with you two and Kevin and Brian?"
Jenna looked at JC, "I'm in love with him. I am so scared that he will get tired of me though." she said softly tears coming to her eyes.
JC looked at Mat, "Is that how you feel for Brian?" When Mat nodded silently JC smiled and opened his arms to the two of them, "Come here guys." When they both settled next to him on opposite sides he hugged them and said,"Guys, I am very happy that you two have chosen so very well. Brian and Kevin will treasure you two until the days that they die, I can tell."
They both smiled and JC turned to Mat, "Now why did you look as though you have been crying when you came in? And why do you both look as though you have been in a fight?" Jenna looked away and JC saw fear in her eyes, he turned and looked at Mat, seeing the same fear there, "Brad. Brad came after you two again didn't he?" When they both nodded JC felt anger surge through him, "Damn, I knew I should have told you guys to have him arrested after the first time."
Jenna looked at him, "It's not your fault, he barely managed to hurt either of us this time. Brian and Kevin were here to stop him." JC kissed the top of her head,
"That's not the point, I want to keep you both from harm." JC said softly. Mat stood and took astep away.
"I..I'm really afraid. But, Brian makes me feel safe, from everything." He looked at two of the most important people in his life, "Is that right?"
JC stood and walked to him, pulling Mat back into his arms, "Of course it's right, sweety. You should have called me. How am I supposed to help if I don't know there's a problem. I love you, you know that."
Brian, walking into the room just in time to hear these last couple of words gasped, "Mat....,"
When they turned to look at him he felt a tear slide down his cheek, "Mat how could you? You know how much I love you."
Mat pulled away from JC and took a step towards Brian. "Bri, I love you too. It's not like that between me and JC."
Brian just wanted to run away from what he had heard but he had to give Mat a chance to
explain. "How is it between you and JC, then Mat? He just said that he loves you. Are you saying that you don't love him?"
"No, Bri, I do love him, but not in the same way that I love you." Brian shook his head,
"What do you mean?"
JC stepped forward, "What Mat is saying, Brian is that we love each other, because I am type of surrogate father to both Mat and Jenna. I love them both very much, but I would not ever consider sleeping with either of them."
Brian stared in surprise, then slowly smiled, "God, babe. I wish that you had told me before. I have never felt so scared in my life. So JC? Do you approve?"
JC smiled, "Yes I do. Welcome to the family Brian."
To Be Continued...
Well, that's this one. I know some of you are wondering what happened to Brad. Did Brad give up and return to school to begin a harem of slaves? Did he decide to jump in front of a car? (Don't we wish) Well find out in the next chapter which will be coming out as soon as I can manage it. It may be a little while as I have actually found myself surprisingly busy with school. Thanks to all of you who have written me. Comments can be sent to skyfire12@netscape.net
Please write The Meeting under the subject, so that I don't erase it by accident. Thanks.