Crossover Fic: Backstreet's Back, part I
Title: Backstreet's Back
Author: luxshine
Artist: aceetha
Pairing: Kevin / Chris UST. Sorta.
Rating/Warnings: G, really. No, trust me on that one.
Word count: 20,853
Summary: To keep Kristen happy, Kevin decides to retire from the Backstreet Boys, but when the others realize they really need a fifth voice, Kevin’s life becomes a complete chaos as the one chosen to become the new fifth BSB is none other than Chris.
I'd like to thank milosflaca who helped me a lot, especially with the final scenes that were a complete mess and so, that last bit? Consider it co-written for all the phonecalls that went between us. To bubbleforest for all her patience, and I'm very sorry I was a day late. I hate my work sometimes, but I did finish. To otherdeb who betaed the first 8.000 or so words, before my computer and rl troubles ate my time, and to musiclover03 and ravenbat because they encoruaged me to follow this bunny.
Link to gorgeous cover art: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/aceetha/luxshine001.jpg
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?”
Kevin had to smile at AJ’s words. He had said the same thing to Kristen two weeks ago, when she had first broached the possibility of a divorce. And, if he was honest, the situation was very much the same.
He was leaving the band. In their world, that was the equivalent of signing divorce papers.
“I don’t see why this is funny, Kevin,” Brian said. It was only then when Kevin realized that he was actually laughing: not just smiling. Perhaps the stress had finally gotten to him. Or maybe, it was just that the situation was funny.
“I didn’t mean to laugh at you, AJ.” The truth was he hadn’t meant to laugh at all, but now that the ridiculousness of the situation had hit him, it was hard not to.
“You’re joking, right?” This time it was Nick who interrupted. “We *said* we would be doing this together forever!”
“We never said forever, did we?” Howie, who always had been the most centered of the group, looked alarmed. Maybe, Kevin guessed, he wasn’t the only one thinking about quitting. “I mean, we just didn’t put a time limit to the group.”
“I’m sorry, Nick,” Kevin said, before anyone could answer Howie. It was better to do things fast, not let them have the chance to try and make him change his mind. Because he knew that if they *really* tried, they could. “But I’m too old for this. And I need time to focus on my family. On Kristen. You know?”
“But… what about us?” Nick asked again, obviously not pleased. “What about the group?”
And that question sounded a lot like the last question he had asked Kristen, when they had their argument, two weeks before. But this time, Kevin didn’t laugh; he answered Nick just as Kristen had answered him.
“You can go on without me.”
* * *
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Kevin asked. He had heard Kristen the first time, but he couldn’t believe what he had heard. His wife had not just told him…
“I’m gay, Kevin.” And yes, that was what Kevin heard the first time, but it still made no sense.
“Kristen, dear, come on. I know you’re not gay,” he tried to sound calm, but inside he knew he sounded just like when he used to correct Nick after the kid, now a young man, had done something stupid. Patronizing, even when he didn’t mean to be. “We’ve been married for six years.”
“And you were out with the band on tour, or at the studio, or somewhere else that wasn’t home.” Kristen sounded angry, and that was a particular tone of voice he wasn’t used to hearing come from his loving wife. “But if you want to get technical, then fine. I’m bisexual. Happy?”
“Kristen, I don’t think sarcasm is called for,” Kevin said, frowning. He understood what Kristen was saying, and he had suspected for a while that his wife wasn’t totally straight as she had more than once commented on how hot some of the Backstreet Boys’ female dancers were, but Kevin had always known that it didn’t matter. She loved him, and that was it. However, now it seemed that her love wasn’t so set in stone, and *that* didn’t make sense.
“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Kristen shook her head, looking as frustrated as Kevin felt. “Can’t you see, Kevin? Ever since the constant touring stopped, since the theatre thing ended, we’ve been fighting over everything. We just don’t work as a married couple.”
“I think we’re doing fine,” Kevin crossed his arms. “It’s just that we need time to adjust.”
“We’ve been adjusting for almost two years,” Kristen shook her head and turned away. “We work great as friends, Kev… and while you were out touring, doing your own thing… it was fine. But I can’t… I can’t keep pretending nothing is wrong.”
“There’s nothing…” Kevin started to say, but Kristen interrupted him.
“Don’t say there’s nothing wrong, please.” And underneath her words, Kevin could clearly hear ‘don’t insult my intelligence, or yours’, so Kevin rethought his words.
“We can still fix it. We just need to work harder.”
“What else do you want me to do?” Kristen looked at him, but Kevin thought she looked less angry. “Drop everything and join you whenever the Boys start touring again like Lieghanne did?”
For a moment, Kevin considered the possibility. Of course Kristen could join them whenever she wanted, but then he tried to imagine what would happen if AJ or Nick had a crisis when he was fixing things with her, and the thought made him shudder. And while Brian had managed to keep a happy family together on tour, Kevin knew his cousin was far better at multitasking than he was. Kevin focused on the tasks at hand, not caring much for the rest. There was only one solution.
“Just give me more time, love. I promise, we can work this out,” Kevin said, trying not to flinch. It sounded a lot like one of his songs.
“I’m sorry Kevin, but I can’t. I really need to go on with my life,” Kristen sounded sad, which gave Kevin a bit of hope. Maybe they weren’t too late to fix things, no matter what Kristen said.
“But what about us? What about me?”
Finally, Kristen turned around, and Kevin could see that she was about to cry.
“You can go on without me.”
* * *
The phone rang, and Kevin had to will himself not to answer at the first ring.
It had been two months since he had retired from the Backstreet Boys to save his marriage, and two weeks since Kristen had packed her things and left, insisting that the problem was that Kevin didn’t listen.
Kevin had listened. The problem was that he hadn’t liked what she was saying.
She still thought that the marriage was impossible to save, that it wasn’t worth more time to try. And while she had, at least, agreed that they had a couple of good years, a lot of good memories and still had chemistry enough to make fireworks… Kevin hadn’t been able to convince her to stay.
And without Kristen, his house seemed too empty.
On the third ring he answered, trying not to sound too eager, trying not to beg her to come back.
“Hey, Kev. How’s retirement treating you?”
Trying not to sound disappointed because the voice on the line was Brian’s, not hers.
“It’s… different,” Kevin answered, forcing himself to smile. He hadn’t told the Boys the real reason why he wanted to spend more time with Kristen, and now when it seemed that it had been for nothing, he was even more reluctant to admit the truth. “How’s the group doing now?”
“We’re not really doing anything since the last time you saw us,” Brian sounded amused. “AJ and Kaci are still pretending to date for the cameras, Howie is still a houseguest at Kirkpatrick’s because he’s afraid to tell his mom that he finally asked Leigh to marry him but they still don’t have a date and Nick… well, you’ve seen TV Guide, haven’t you?”
Kevin grimaced. Nick had been trying to get Kevin to appear on House of Carters for at least a week, and Kevin was running out of excuses. But the mere idea of Nick living with his siblings for more than one week was volatile enough, and if they added cameras to the mixture, Kevin was sure it would be a disaster waiting to happen. He didn’t want to be around the inevitable explosion, although he was perfectly willing to help deal with the aftermath.
*After* he solved his own crisis.
“You still haven’t convinced him that it’s a bad idea?” Kevin closed his eyes. He supposed he could try again to talk some sense into Nick, but he also knew that if he spent enough time with his friend, sooner or later he would spill the truth about his situation with Kristen.
“We all figured it’s something he needs to do, Kev,” Brian stayed silent for a moment. Just when Kevin was about to ask if there was anything he could do, he spoke again. “I didn’t sign the release form to appear on the show, even though we will be at the studio at the time.”
“How did Nick take it?”
“Surprisingly well,” Brian laughed, and Kevin let out a sigh he didn’t know he’d been holding in. Brian and Nick’s friendship had survived a lot through the years, but Kevin didn’t know how they had managed. As Nick grew older, their differences were more obvious. “He thinks it’s better if he focuses on his family, rather than the group. At least, while we find our new sound.”
“What new sound?” Kevin asked, honestly curious. Without Kristen around, he could distract himself a little hearing how the group was doing. “You guys are not going to do pop anymore?”
“We’re rearranging the old songs,” Brian laughed at him. “We’re still in the process of figuring out who sings your parts.”
“Well, if you ask me, AJ could manage most of them…” Kevin started, but Brian interrupted him before he could finish his ideas.
“We’ll manage, cuz. Don’t worry. Hey, how’s Kristen doing? I bet she’s very happy now she that has you all to herself.”
“She’s… got a whole new outlook on life,” Kevin said. It wasn’t a lie. She sure seemed happy when they talked, as long as Kevin didn’t mention that she could come back to live with him.
“Well, tell her I send my love. Maybe Lieghanne and I could visit as soon as my tour is over?”
“Yeah, sure,” Kevin smiled despite himself. By then, he would’ve managed to convince Kristen to return.
It was just a question of time and everything would be back to normal.
* * *
Many people would say that Chris was the least friendly of all the ex-boybanders in America, but the truth was that he was only unfriendly to people he didn’t know. Once you earned the title of ‘friend’, you had pretty much unlimited access to Chris’s life, and more specifically, to Chris’s house. This was both a blessing and a curse for the other members of *N Sync. It meant that they always had a great place to crash- if things around their own houses became too complicated- but, at the same time, they risked finding some very peculiar surprises there.
Joey had always thought he was immune to any surprise Chris could throw his way. After all, the whole group had survived living with him with almost no lasting mental scars, no matter what Justin claimed when you got a couple of extra beers in him. As long as Chris didn’t have a dragon hidden in the basement, there was no need to be shocked.
Which was why he was the only one of the group who still dared to drop by unannounced.
That particular morning, Chris was already awake and on his couch playing PS3. Whatever he was playing, it had to be really good since he didn’t even let go of the controls to greet Joey.
“Hey, Joe,” Chris called out, his attention glued to the tv screen.
“We’ve got to get Lance away from his keyboard,” Joey said, sitting down next to Chris. “Got any juice?”
“In the kitchen,” Chris pointed with his head as if Joey would’ve forgotten where the kitchen was in just two weeks. “What did he write this time?”
Joey didn’t answer. He had opened the door to the kitchen, looked inside and then closed the door again. Just to test, he opened the door again, only to close it immediately.
“Howie Dorough is cleaning up your kitchen in his underwear,” he said to Chris, walking away from the kitchen’s door.
“Yeah, you know he’s a bit of a neat freak,” Chris agreed, as if there was nothing odd about it.
“Why is Howie cleaning up your kitchen *in his underwear*?” Joey asked again, hoping that the emphasis would make Chris see what was wrong with the picture in his kitchen.
“He probably just woke up and didn’t know you would drop by,” Chris finally turned off his game and looked at Joey with an amused smile. “He’s been staying here for a week now.”
“What’s wrong with his house?” It wasn’t that Joey didn’t like Howie. In fact, of all the Backstreet Boys, Howie was probably his favourite. But with the Backstreet Boys recording again, even without Kevin, and *N Sync now pretty much done for, because Justin had finally told them that he was no longer interested, the old rivalry had raised its head again. It was sad, really, but it was also human nature. Joey figured that if *they* had gotten their act together before the Boys, maybe AJ or the others would feel the same way if Chris became Howie’s houseguest.
“He wants to get married,” Chris shrugged. “Do you want me to get you that juice?”
“He wants to… what?” Joey sat down quickly, then got up again, very worried.
“Get married. He’s got a ring and everything.”
“No way,” Joey shook his head. “You’re not going to try and upstage Lance by marrying *Howie*.”
“Oh, hey! I hadn’t thought of that,” Chris now had what Lance had always called the ‘run for cover’ smile. Usually, JC was the one who had those smiles, but Chris’s version was much scary. “You think Elton John would send us a limo with flowers?”
“You’re not marrying Howie, not for a joke.” Joey crossed his arms. He had practice now with his stern face, thanks to Brihana. Although Kelly was much better.
“Who’s not marrying me?” Howie asked, coming out of the kitchen. He still was in his underwear, but had put on a bathrobe, much to Joey’s relief.
“Joey thinks you’re going to seduce me and make an honest man out of me.” Now it was obvious to Joey that Chris was making fun of him, so he decided to settle by punching him lightly on the shoulder.
“No one could make that miracle happen,” he told Chris before smiling at Howie. “So who’s the lucky girl?”
“Leigh,” Howie was beaming with happiness and Joey couldn’t blame him. He had meet Leigh a couple of times, and Joey knew that Howie was madly in love with her. “She said yes a week ago.”
“Congratulations, man! When is the wedding?” Joey finally sit down, his world returning to normal.
“We still haven’t settled on a date,” Howie admitted, sitting down on the couch opposite Joey. “We don’t want to rush things.”
Joey nodded and looked at Chris, who had picked up his game again. He understood Howie perfectly. After all, he and Kelly had waited for almost five years before actually marrying, and it had worked out for the best. It still didn’t explain why Howie was staying at Chris’s house, but Joey figured it was not his business. If Howie wanted to tell him, he would.
“Take the time you need. It can’t be easy to juggle the wedding and a new album.”
“We’re not doing the new album right now,” Howie shook his head, but he didn’t look sad. “With Kevin gone, we’re still trying to figure out what we’re doing next.”
“But you *are* doing a new album, right?” Joey frowned. Even when he knew it was a little childish, he didn’t like it when the two groups history coincided like that. He hadn’t liked it when the hiatus first started and Nick decided to do his solo career at the same time as Justin (Even less when Brian followed suit, just like JC had done) and he didn’t like it now.
“Oh, yeah,” Howie laughed. “As soon as we get used to being a quartet.”
“Damn,” Chris laughed. “And here I was hoping we would get to see ‘Finding the Next Backstreet Boy’ right after House of Carters.”
* * *
The third meeting of the Backstreet Boys was not going smoothly. Howie wanted to blame the ever present cameras from MTV for that, and the strain that they caused on Brian, who insisted on being blurred even when everyone would know it was him - but he knew that the truth was that they needed a fifth voice. Because when they needed to vote, most of the time, Brian would agree with Nick, AJ would agree with Howie, and without a fifth vote, they kept ending up tied.
It took almost an hour of them not really doing anything for Nick to ask the cameramen to leave. There were things they couldn’t say in front of the cameras, and Howie was grateful that Nick realized it.
“We’re getting nowhere,” AJ finally said. “None of us wants to sing Kevin’s parts. We don’t want to *be* Kevin’s replacement.”
“We’re not replacing Kevin if it’s one of us,” Brian sighed. “Even if… never mind.”
“Even if we do get a new fifth member?” Nick scoffed. “We *said* we wouldn’t do it. We’re in this together, all five of us. Four. Whatever.”
“*N Sync said the same thing,” Howie said, looking down. “That when one of them quit, they all would. And look where it got them.”
“This is not the same, Kevin didn’t leave for a solo career,” Brian said, angrily. “We’re not waiting to see if he’ll come back. And *we* haven’t had trouble keeping our solo careers separate from the group.”
“Hey, I’m only saying that when we said that, we never thought one of us would want to quit before we all did,” Howie shrugged. “I’m not saying we *should* replace Kevin. I’m just saying that we didn’t know this would happen when we said we wouldn’t. I mean, if we do want to continue the group, and then you or Nick or AJ, or I want to leave… what will happen then? The Backstreet Boys will become a trio, then a duet, and so on?”
“That makes very little sense, Howie,” Brian slumped in his seat. “It doesn’t matter if we didn’t know this was going to happen. We are not going to look for someone to replace Kevin.”
“We’re still talking hypotetically, aren’t we?” AJ asked, looking uncomfortable. “No one else is leaving.”
“Of course not!” Howie, Brian and Nick said at the same time, and for a moment, everything seemed fine. They looked at each other, then at AJ, and started to laugh.
“Ok, for the record?” Nick said once the laughter died. “If I ever decide I want to leave, you guys have my permission to ask Aaron to take my place.”
“Why Aaron?” Brian asked, honestly curious. They all knew that, at the moment, Nick and his younger brother were at odds.
“Well, he’s my brother,” Nick shrugged as if that explained everything. When the others didn’t say anything, he elaborated. “Look, Backstreet as a quartet could work. As a trio, it would be a lot harder for everyone. But Aaron wouldn’t be a replacement. He’s part of the family, anyway. Like, I don’t know. Britney. She wouldn’t count as a replacement either.”
“She wouldn’t count as a ‘boy’,” Howie smiled, but understood what Nick was saying. “Ok. *If* I had to leave, I think… you could ask Aaron too. Or Chris.”
“Well, *I’m* not leaving,” Brian rose his hand. “But Aaron gets my vote too.”
“Not me,” AJ said, making Nick frown. “I mean, Aaron can sign Nick’s parts, and probably yours too Brian, but I think… If for any reason I had to be absent for the group for a while, I vote for JC.”
“Why JC?” Howie looked at his friend, curious.
“It would be easier to exchange our names in the printed programs when I get back,” AJ lowered his glasses to show he was joking.
Somehow, after that, the meeting went smoothly. Even though they all knew that none of them were going anywhere, talking about the possibility had managed to lift a heavy weight none of them had realized was in on the room.
* * *
Kevin was running out of excuses to avoid telling Brian that Kristen and he were separating. When Brian invited him to have dinner at Brian’s house, he started running scenarios through his mind. Although it seemed weird to him that Brian *had* asked originally if Kristen would mind if he came alone, that didn’t mean that the conversation wouldn’t turn towards the subject of their families, and then Kevin would have to admit that no matter how much he had tried to convince Kristen otherwise, his marriage was pretty much done for.
Which was why he found himself in his cousin’s living room one day later, drinking homemade lemonade and trying to pay attention to what Brian was saying.
In short, he was only half-hearing his cousin. Not in purpose, of course, and he was pretty sure he had gotten the gist of what was being said. But as he kept looking for the perfect moment to explain what was going on with his own life, Kevin was sure he was missing a couple of important words. At the same time, he didn’t want to ask for clarification, as he was convinced he could decipher what Brian was saying from the context.
“So that’s how we ended up with Chris, Aaron and JC as possible candidates in case there’s an urgent need for an extra voice,” Brian finished the story of the latest meeting the Boys’s had with a big shrug. “But then, just for a joke, we thought we could vote on who would we ask first, and well, we ended up tied *again*.”
“So the new album isn’t coming out soon?” Kevin took a sip of his drink, replaying in his mind what his cousin had said, trying to figure out why the subject of an emergency fourth voice had come up at all.
“You know how it is,” Brian smiled. “Howie still hasn’t told anyone that his engagement is official, but we would all like to have something in the can before he gets all wrapped up in wedding plans.”
“It’s hard to plan a wedding when you’re touring, yeah,” Kevin laughed. Despite the current situation, he still thought of those months before his wedding as some of the best in his life. But he figured that Howie would like some peace to plan his own wedding. “Well, if you ask me, I would vote for Chris.”
“Really?” Brian lifted his eyes, surprised.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not as if he’s doing anything right now,” Kevin explained further. It was all a hypothetical exercise anyway, and it distracted him from thinking about Kristen. “And he’s got a great voice.”
“Well, yeah. For a couple of extra tracks, we could ask him to help,” Brian seemed hesitant to follow that particular line of discussion, and Kevin figured it was because his cousin thought that for him the conversation was difficult. It was one thing to joke about it with Howie, AJ and Nick, who *weren’t* leaving the group anytime soon, and another completely different was to talk about it with Kevin, who had left. Brian surely was thinking that Kevin might feel insulted about it all.
“The fans would love to see Chris… hell, any of the *N Syncers with you guys on the stage,” Kevin smiled brightly. He would show Brian he wasn’t feeling left out. After all, it had been his own idea to leave the group. “Even if the critics would say it was just a gimmick.”
“When was the last time we sang on the same stage as *N Sync? Germany?” Brian shrugged. “Besides, some critics say that doing a new album is a gimmick. And I know there are a couple of reporters who are dying to write about your come back.”
Kevin looked at his cousin before answering. Part of him, the part that had already admitted that his marriage wasn’t going to be magically healed, that Kristen was serious when she said they were over, wanted to tell Brian he had rethought the whole retirement thing and he wanted to come back, if they would have him. But the bigger part of him, the one that still held hope, made him stay silent. Especially because Brian was right. Coming back after all the support from their fans, from everyone, would make it seem as if Kevin had only done it for the publicity. It was a no - win situation, no matter how he looked at it.
* * *
In the four years and counting of *N Sync’s never ending hiatus, Chris had become used to being left alone. While all his jokes could be seen as self-depreciating, as when he had said out loud that he felt like the drummer of the group, waiting for everyone else to tell him what was going on, the truth was that he had more or less made peace with the situation. He had always been somewhat the odd man out of the group as far as the press was concerned: part of it was his age; part of it was that he wasn’t one of the teens’ favourites; but most of it came from the fact that they never knew what to expect from him. And once the group had separated - even if it was temporary - he had more or less faded from the public eye.
Still he knew that there were a couple of things that would make the media pay attention to him again. And no matter what Lance and his new boyfriend said, there was such a thing as bad publicity so Chris had made a mental list of things he would never do in public. He had never imagined that ‘agree to meet with the Backstreet Boys’ would be on that list.
“You must be joking,” he said, after Howie had explained his plan. When Howie didn’t answer, he turned to see the other three. “Tell me he’s joking, please.”
“None of us are joking,” AJ answered, smiling from behind his dark glasses. “We’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“And you’re sure *they* were sober when you discussed this?” Chris crossed his arms. Of all the crazy ideas he had heard over the years regarding what he could do during *N Sync’s hiatus, this one took the cake. “Because it sounds a lot like something *I* would’ve come up with after a night of drinking.”
“So if we take you out to a couple of bars you’ll agree?” Nick raised his hands, as if he had just thought of the possibility. “Because it’s not a bad idea. Except that it would probably ruin the surprise for the fans.”
Chris laughed. He had walked right into of that one. The worst part was that the plan *hadn’t* sounded all that insane, from a complete outsider’s point of view. Sure, Justin would probably stop talking to him for a couple of months, but given that it had been a year or so since the last time they had talked, that wouldn’t make a noticeable difference. Joey would probably think it was hilarious, JC would probably chalk it up as a good experience, and Lance… Well, Lance would probably be grateful that *someone* was taking the media bloodhounds away from his door. Which only left someone who could object to the whole idea.
“You’re completely sure Kevin is ok with this plan?”
* * *
Old habits die hard, so when Lance called up for an impromptu group meeting of *N Sync, everyone agreed. However, it wasn’t as simple as just going to Lance’s hotel room in the middle of a tour as it had in the old days. It took some time before everyone agreed that the best way to actually hold the meeting was to use technology and do a four way video conference. So with Joey at his own home, Justin in Copenhagen, JC in Toronto and Lance in New York, they sat down to have the first *N Sync meeting in more than two years.
JC just hoped it would go better than the one they had during the last Challenge. Maybe with an ocean between Lance and Justin, the damage would be minimal.
“Where’s Chris?” Justin noticed their friend’s absence immediately and frowned. “Please tell me we’re not doing this to organize a party for him. You all know he likes to throw his own parties without our input.”
“I wouldn’t have asked for all of us to meet for that, J,” Lance sounded irritated already, which couldn’t be a good sign. JC sighed. It was going to be a long night. “Have any of you heard the latest news on the Backstreet Boys?”
“Oh, great!” Justin laughed. “So the meeting is to exchange gossip. Kevin retired, so what? Everyone does that, sooner or later.”
“Mick Jagger is still in the business,” JC muttered. *He* wasn’t planning on retiring anytime soon.
“Howie is getting married,” Joey piped in. “He told me and Chris at his house two or three weeks ago.”
“So he must have been scouting even back then,” Lance said sarcastically. “You guys know that the Backstreet Boys are temporarily a quintet again?”
“See?” Justin smiled, possibly in the direction of Joey’s camera. “Told you Kevin wouldn’t stay retired. You better start auditioning; I want to see you on Broadway next year.”
“There aren’t any open auditions right now,” Joey shook his head, looking amused. “But a bet is a bet. I’ll see what I can do.”
“It’s not Kevin,” Lance said, but he was ignored by Joey and Justin who were discussing possible roles for Joey. Apparently, Justin had given it a lot of thought.
“What did you say, Lance?” JC asked, trying to bring the others attention to business.
“It’s not Kevin. It’s Chris.”
That made everyone shut up and look straight at their cameras.
“I thought we were talking about the Backstreet Boys,” JC finally said, after a long pause. “What’s Chris got to do with all of this?”
“Chris is the new Backstreet Boy,” Lance repeated, looking down at his laptop. “According to five different news sites, he’s been recording with them since last *week*.”
“Ok, Lance?” Justin was shaking his head in that way that said that people better listen to him right now. “Check your calendar. September is not April, and the 15th is not the first.”
“I’m not joking, Justin,” Lance sighed. “Look, didn’t Chris call any of you?”
“Obviously not, or we’d know about it,” JC was frowning. “Can you tell us what those news sites say?”
“I’m sending then to your emails right now,” Lance wasn’t looking at the camera of the phone, so Joey figured he was typing. Lately, they were starting to believe Lance had glued the damn thing to his fingers.
On the top left screen, Justin glanced at his cellphone, frowning.
“’Say Bye Bye Bye to *N Sync, Chris Kirkpatrick answers Backstreet Boy’s’ Call’? Who the fuck comes up with those headlines?”
“It’s our fault, really,” JC was trying not to laugh. “We sort of opened ourselves to very bad puns with that song.”
“’Backstreet’s Back with ‘Syncer energy’ is just as bad,” Joey scrolled through his cellphone mail client. “But nothing here says it’s true. I mean, Chris is going to the studio with them, so what? It’s not as if we haven’t done collaborations before.”
“It’s not as if we’re still *N Sync,” JC said, and Joey thought he still sounded hurt. Truth to be tell, he still felt hurt over that, and speaking in public as if the breakout had been peaceful and everyone’s idea, was still painful. “Chris can do whatever he wants.”
“With the Backstreet Boys?” Justin didn’t sound convinced. “No way. I mean, if he wants to reform 98º or even O-Town, that’s his business. But the Backstreet Boys? That’s… that’s just wrong.”
“Would you really rather have Chris join *O-Town* before he helped Howie and the guys?” It was Joey’s turn to sound incredulous. “That’s stupid. Look, I’m doing the Doc and Johnny show with Chris in a couple of days; I can ask him what’s going on then.”
To be Continued...
Author: luxshine
Artist: aceetha
Pairing: Kevin / Chris UST. Sorta.
Rating/Warnings: G, really. No, trust me on that one.
Word count: 20,853
Summary: To keep Kristen happy, Kevin decides to retire from the Backstreet Boys, but when the others realize they really need a fifth voice, Kevin’s life becomes a complete chaos as the one chosen to become the new fifth BSB is none other than Chris.
I'd like to thank milosflaca who helped me a lot, especially with the final scenes that were a complete mess and so, that last bit? Consider it co-written for all the phonecalls that went between us. To bubbleforest for all her patience, and I'm very sorry I was a day late. I hate my work sometimes, but I did finish. To otherdeb who betaed the first 8.000 or so words, before my computer and rl troubles ate my time, and to musiclover03 and ravenbat because they encoruaged me to follow this bunny.
Link to gorgeous cover art: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/aceetha/luxshine001.jpg
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?”
Kevin had to smile at AJ’s words. He had said the same thing to Kristen two weeks ago, when she had first broached the possibility of a divorce. And, if he was honest, the situation was very much the same.
He was leaving the band. In their world, that was the equivalent of signing divorce papers.
“I don’t see why this is funny, Kevin,” Brian said. It was only then when Kevin realized that he was actually laughing: not just smiling. Perhaps the stress had finally gotten to him. Or maybe, it was just that the situation was funny.
“I didn’t mean to laugh at you, AJ.” The truth was he hadn’t meant to laugh at all, but now that the ridiculousness of the situation had hit him, it was hard not to.
“You’re joking, right?” This time it was Nick who interrupted. “We *said* we would be doing this together forever!”
“We never said forever, did we?” Howie, who always had been the most centered of the group, looked alarmed. Maybe, Kevin guessed, he wasn’t the only one thinking about quitting. “I mean, we just didn’t put a time limit to the group.”
“I’m sorry, Nick,” Kevin said, before anyone could answer Howie. It was better to do things fast, not let them have the chance to try and make him change his mind. Because he knew that if they *really* tried, they could. “But I’m too old for this. And I need time to focus on my family. On Kristen. You know?”
“But… what about us?” Nick asked again, obviously not pleased. “What about the group?”
And that question sounded a lot like the last question he had asked Kristen, when they had their argument, two weeks before. But this time, Kevin didn’t laugh; he answered Nick just as Kristen had answered him.
“You can go on without me.”
* * *
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Kevin asked. He had heard Kristen the first time, but he couldn’t believe what he had heard. His wife had not just told him…
“I’m gay, Kevin.” And yes, that was what Kevin heard the first time, but it still made no sense.
“Kristen, dear, come on. I know you’re not gay,” he tried to sound calm, but inside he knew he sounded just like when he used to correct Nick after the kid, now a young man, had done something stupid. Patronizing, even when he didn’t mean to be. “We’ve been married for six years.”
“And you were out with the band on tour, or at the studio, or somewhere else that wasn’t home.” Kristen sounded angry, and that was a particular tone of voice he wasn’t used to hearing come from his loving wife. “But if you want to get technical, then fine. I’m bisexual. Happy?”
“Kristen, I don’t think sarcasm is called for,” Kevin said, frowning. He understood what Kristen was saying, and he had suspected for a while that his wife wasn’t totally straight as she had more than once commented on how hot some of the Backstreet Boys’ female dancers were, but Kevin had always known that it didn’t matter. She loved him, and that was it. However, now it seemed that her love wasn’t so set in stone, and *that* didn’t make sense.
“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Kristen shook her head, looking as frustrated as Kevin felt. “Can’t you see, Kevin? Ever since the constant touring stopped, since the theatre thing ended, we’ve been fighting over everything. We just don’t work as a married couple.”
“I think we’re doing fine,” Kevin crossed his arms. “It’s just that we need time to adjust.”
“We’ve been adjusting for almost two years,” Kristen shook her head and turned away. “We work great as friends, Kev… and while you were out touring, doing your own thing… it was fine. But I can’t… I can’t keep pretending nothing is wrong.”
“There’s nothing…” Kevin started to say, but Kristen interrupted him.
“Don’t say there’s nothing wrong, please.” And underneath her words, Kevin could clearly hear ‘don’t insult my intelligence, or yours’, so Kevin rethought his words.
“We can still fix it. We just need to work harder.”
“What else do you want me to do?” Kristen looked at him, but Kevin thought she looked less angry. “Drop everything and join you whenever the Boys start touring again like Lieghanne did?”
For a moment, Kevin considered the possibility. Of course Kristen could join them whenever she wanted, but then he tried to imagine what would happen if AJ or Nick had a crisis when he was fixing things with her, and the thought made him shudder. And while Brian had managed to keep a happy family together on tour, Kevin knew his cousin was far better at multitasking than he was. Kevin focused on the tasks at hand, not caring much for the rest. There was only one solution.
“Just give me more time, love. I promise, we can work this out,” Kevin said, trying not to flinch. It sounded a lot like one of his songs.
“I’m sorry Kevin, but I can’t. I really need to go on with my life,” Kristen sounded sad, which gave Kevin a bit of hope. Maybe they weren’t too late to fix things, no matter what Kristen said.
“But what about us? What about me?”
Finally, Kristen turned around, and Kevin could see that she was about to cry.
“You can go on without me.”
* * *
The phone rang, and Kevin had to will himself not to answer at the first ring.
It had been two months since he had retired from the Backstreet Boys to save his marriage, and two weeks since Kristen had packed her things and left, insisting that the problem was that Kevin didn’t listen.
Kevin had listened. The problem was that he hadn’t liked what she was saying.
She still thought that the marriage was impossible to save, that it wasn’t worth more time to try. And while she had, at least, agreed that they had a couple of good years, a lot of good memories and still had chemistry enough to make fireworks… Kevin hadn’t been able to convince her to stay.
And without Kristen, his house seemed too empty.
On the third ring he answered, trying not to sound too eager, trying not to beg her to come back.
“Hey, Kev. How’s retirement treating you?”
Trying not to sound disappointed because the voice on the line was Brian’s, not hers.
“It’s… different,” Kevin answered, forcing himself to smile. He hadn’t told the Boys the real reason why he wanted to spend more time with Kristen, and now when it seemed that it had been for nothing, he was even more reluctant to admit the truth. “How’s the group doing now?”
“We’re not really doing anything since the last time you saw us,” Brian sounded amused. “AJ and Kaci are still pretending to date for the cameras, Howie is still a houseguest at Kirkpatrick’s because he’s afraid to tell his mom that he finally asked Leigh to marry him but they still don’t have a date and Nick… well, you’ve seen TV Guide, haven’t you?”
Kevin grimaced. Nick had been trying to get Kevin to appear on House of Carters for at least a week, and Kevin was running out of excuses. But the mere idea of Nick living with his siblings for more than one week was volatile enough, and if they added cameras to the mixture, Kevin was sure it would be a disaster waiting to happen. He didn’t want to be around the inevitable explosion, although he was perfectly willing to help deal with the aftermath.
*After* he solved his own crisis.
“You still haven’t convinced him that it’s a bad idea?” Kevin closed his eyes. He supposed he could try again to talk some sense into Nick, but he also knew that if he spent enough time with his friend, sooner or later he would spill the truth about his situation with Kristen.
“We all figured it’s something he needs to do, Kev,” Brian stayed silent for a moment. Just when Kevin was about to ask if there was anything he could do, he spoke again. “I didn’t sign the release form to appear on the show, even though we will be at the studio at the time.”
“How did Nick take it?”
“Surprisingly well,” Brian laughed, and Kevin let out a sigh he didn’t know he’d been holding in. Brian and Nick’s friendship had survived a lot through the years, but Kevin didn’t know how they had managed. As Nick grew older, their differences were more obvious. “He thinks it’s better if he focuses on his family, rather than the group. At least, while we find our new sound.”
“What new sound?” Kevin asked, honestly curious. Without Kristen around, he could distract himself a little hearing how the group was doing. “You guys are not going to do pop anymore?”
“We’re rearranging the old songs,” Brian laughed at him. “We’re still in the process of figuring out who sings your parts.”
“Well, if you ask me, AJ could manage most of them…” Kevin started, but Brian interrupted him before he could finish his ideas.
“We’ll manage, cuz. Don’t worry. Hey, how’s Kristen doing? I bet she’s very happy now she that has you all to herself.”
“She’s… got a whole new outlook on life,” Kevin said. It wasn’t a lie. She sure seemed happy when they talked, as long as Kevin didn’t mention that she could come back to live with him.
“Well, tell her I send my love. Maybe Lieghanne and I could visit as soon as my tour is over?”
“Yeah, sure,” Kevin smiled despite himself. By then, he would’ve managed to convince Kristen to return.
It was just a question of time and everything would be back to normal.
* * *
Many people would say that Chris was the least friendly of all the ex-boybanders in America, but the truth was that he was only unfriendly to people he didn’t know. Once you earned the title of ‘friend’, you had pretty much unlimited access to Chris’s life, and more specifically, to Chris’s house. This was both a blessing and a curse for the other members of *N Sync. It meant that they always had a great place to crash- if things around their own houses became too complicated- but, at the same time, they risked finding some very peculiar surprises there.
Joey had always thought he was immune to any surprise Chris could throw his way. After all, the whole group had survived living with him with almost no lasting mental scars, no matter what Justin claimed when you got a couple of extra beers in him. As long as Chris didn’t have a dragon hidden in the basement, there was no need to be shocked.
Which was why he was the only one of the group who still dared to drop by unannounced.
That particular morning, Chris was already awake and on his couch playing PS3. Whatever he was playing, it had to be really good since he didn’t even let go of the controls to greet Joey.
“Hey, Joe,” Chris called out, his attention glued to the tv screen.
“We’ve got to get Lance away from his keyboard,” Joey said, sitting down next to Chris. “Got any juice?”
“In the kitchen,” Chris pointed with his head as if Joey would’ve forgotten where the kitchen was in just two weeks. “What did he write this time?”
Joey didn’t answer. He had opened the door to the kitchen, looked inside and then closed the door again. Just to test, he opened the door again, only to close it immediately.
“Howie Dorough is cleaning up your kitchen in his underwear,” he said to Chris, walking away from the kitchen’s door.
“Yeah, you know he’s a bit of a neat freak,” Chris agreed, as if there was nothing odd about it.
“Why is Howie cleaning up your kitchen *in his underwear*?” Joey asked again, hoping that the emphasis would make Chris see what was wrong with the picture in his kitchen.
“He probably just woke up and didn’t know you would drop by,” Chris finally turned off his game and looked at Joey with an amused smile. “He’s been staying here for a week now.”
“What’s wrong with his house?” It wasn’t that Joey didn’t like Howie. In fact, of all the Backstreet Boys, Howie was probably his favourite. But with the Backstreet Boys recording again, even without Kevin, and *N Sync now pretty much done for, because Justin had finally told them that he was no longer interested, the old rivalry had raised its head again. It was sad, really, but it was also human nature. Joey figured that if *they* had gotten their act together before the Boys, maybe AJ or the others would feel the same way if Chris became Howie’s houseguest.
“He wants to get married,” Chris shrugged. “Do you want me to get you that juice?”
“He wants to… what?” Joey sat down quickly, then got up again, very worried.
“Get married. He’s got a ring and everything.”
“No way,” Joey shook his head. “You’re not going to try and upstage Lance by marrying *Howie*.”
“Oh, hey! I hadn’t thought of that,” Chris now had what Lance had always called the ‘run for cover’ smile. Usually, JC was the one who had those smiles, but Chris’s version was much scary. “You think Elton John would send us a limo with flowers?”
“You’re not marrying Howie, not for a joke.” Joey crossed his arms. He had practice now with his stern face, thanks to Brihana. Although Kelly was much better.
“Who’s not marrying me?” Howie asked, coming out of the kitchen. He still was in his underwear, but had put on a bathrobe, much to Joey’s relief.
“Joey thinks you’re going to seduce me and make an honest man out of me.” Now it was obvious to Joey that Chris was making fun of him, so he decided to settle by punching him lightly on the shoulder.
“No one could make that miracle happen,” he told Chris before smiling at Howie. “So who’s the lucky girl?”
“Leigh,” Howie was beaming with happiness and Joey couldn’t blame him. He had meet Leigh a couple of times, and Joey knew that Howie was madly in love with her. “She said yes a week ago.”
“Congratulations, man! When is the wedding?” Joey finally sit down, his world returning to normal.
“We still haven’t settled on a date,” Howie admitted, sitting down on the couch opposite Joey. “We don’t want to rush things.”
Joey nodded and looked at Chris, who had picked up his game again. He understood Howie perfectly. After all, he and Kelly had waited for almost five years before actually marrying, and it had worked out for the best. It still didn’t explain why Howie was staying at Chris’s house, but Joey figured it was not his business. If Howie wanted to tell him, he would.
“Take the time you need. It can’t be easy to juggle the wedding and a new album.”
“We’re not doing the new album right now,” Howie shook his head, but he didn’t look sad. “With Kevin gone, we’re still trying to figure out what we’re doing next.”
“But you *are* doing a new album, right?” Joey frowned. Even when he knew it was a little childish, he didn’t like it when the two groups history coincided like that. He hadn’t liked it when the hiatus first started and Nick decided to do his solo career at the same time as Justin (Even less when Brian followed suit, just like JC had done) and he didn’t like it now.
“Oh, yeah,” Howie laughed. “As soon as we get used to being a quartet.”
“Damn,” Chris laughed. “And here I was hoping we would get to see ‘Finding the Next Backstreet Boy’ right after House of Carters.”
* * *
The third meeting of the Backstreet Boys was not going smoothly. Howie wanted to blame the ever present cameras from MTV for that, and the strain that they caused on Brian, who insisted on being blurred even when everyone would know it was him - but he knew that the truth was that they needed a fifth voice. Because when they needed to vote, most of the time, Brian would agree with Nick, AJ would agree with Howie, and without a fifth vote, they kept ending up tied.
It took almost an hour of them not really doing anything for Nick to ask the cameramen to leave. There were things they couldn’t say in front of the cameras, and Howie was grateful that Nick realized it.
“We’re getting nowhere,” AJ finally said. “None of us wants to sing Kevin’s parts. We don’t want to *be* Kevin’s replacement.”
“We’re not replacing Kevin if it’s one of us,” Brian sighed. “Even if… never mind.”
“Even if we do get a new fifth member?” Nick scoffed. “We *said* we wouldn’t do it. We’re in this together, all five of us. Four. Whatever.”
“*N Sync said the same thing,” Howie said, looking down. “That when one of them quit, they all would. And look where it got them.”
“This is not the same, Kevin didn’t leave for a solo career,” Brian said, angrily. “We’re not waiting to see if he’ll come back. And *we* haven’t had trouble keeping our solo careers separate from the group.”
“Hey, I’m only saying that when we said that, we never thought one of us would want to quit before we all did,” Howie shrugged. “I’m not saying we *should* replace Kevin. I’m just saying that we didn’t know this would happen when we said we wouldn’t. I mean, if we do want to continue the group, and then you or Nick or AJ, or I want to leave… what will happen then? The Backstreet Boys will become a trio, then a duet, and so on?”
“That makes very little sense, Howie,” Brian slumped in his seat. “It doesn’t matter if we didn’t know this was going to happen. We are not going to look for someone to replace Kevin.”
“We’re still talking hypotetically, aren’t we?” AJ asked, looking uncomfortable. “No one else is leaving.”
“Of course not!” Howie, Brian and Nick said at the same time, and for a moment, everything seemed fine. They looked at each other, then at AJ, and started to laugh.
“Ok, for the record?” Nick said once the laughter died. “If I ever decide I want to leave, you guys have my permission to ask Aaron to take my place.”
“Why Aaron?” Brian asked, honestly curious. They all knew that, at the moment, Nick and his younger brother were at odds.
“Well, he’s my brother,” Nick shrugged as if that explained everything. When the others didn’t say anything, he elaborated. “Look, Backstreet as a quartet could work. As a trio, it would be a lot harder for everyone. But Aaron wouldn’t be a replacement. He’s part of the family, anyway. Like, I don’t know. Britney. She wouldn’t count as a replacement either.”
“She wouldn’t count as a ‘boy’,” Howie smiled, but understood what Nick was saying. “Ok. *If* I had to leave, I think… you could ask Aaron too. Or Chris.”
“Well, *I’m* not leaving,” Brian rose his hand. “But Aaron gets my vote too.”
“Not me,” AJ said, making Nick frown. “I mean, Aaron can sign Nick’s parts, and probably yours too Brian, but I think… If for any reason I had to be absent for the group for a while, I vote for JC.”
“Why JC?” Howie looked at his friend, curious.
“It would be easier to exchange our names in the printed programs when I get back,” AJ lowered his glasses to show he was joking.
Somehow, after that, the meeting went smoothly. Even though they all knew that none of them were going anywhere, talking about the possibility had managed to lift a heavy weight none of them had realized was in on the room.
* * *
Kevin was running out of excuses to avoid telling Brian that Kristen and he were separating. When Brian invited him to have dinner at Brian’s house, he started running scenarios through his mind. Although it seemed weird to him that Brian *had* asked originally if Kristen would mind if he came alone, that didn’t mean that the conversation wouldn’t turn towards the subject of their families, and then Kevin would have to admit that no matter how much he had tried to convince Kristen otherwise, his marriage was pretty much done for.
Which was why he found himself in his cousin’s living room one day later, drinking homemade lemonade and trying to pay attention to what Brian was saying.
In short, he was only half-hearing his cousin. Not in purpose, of course, and he was pretty sure he had gotten the gist of what was being said. But as he kept looking for the perfect moment to explain what was going on with his own life, Kevin was sure he was missing a couple of important words. At the same time, he didn’t want to ask for clarification, as he was convinced he could decipher what Brian was saying from the context.
“So that’s how we ended up with Chris, Aaron and JC as possible candidates in case there’s an urgent need for an extra voice,” Brian finished the story of the latest meeting the Boys’s had with a big shrug. “But then, just for a joke, we thought we could vote on who would we ask first, and well, we ended up tied *again*.”
“So the new album isn’t coming out soon?” Kevin took a sip of his drink, replaying in his mind what his cousin had said, trying to figure out why the subject of an emergency fourth voice had come up at all.
“You know how it is,” Brian smiled. “Howie still hasn’t told anyone that his engagement is official, but we would all like to have something in the can before he gets all wrapped up in wedding plans.”
“It’s hard to plan a wedding when you’re touring, yeah,” Kevin laughed. Despite the current situation, he still thought of those months before his wedding as some of the best in his life. But he figured that Howie would like some peace to plan his own wedding. “Well, if you ask me, I would vote for Chris.”
“Really?” Brian lifted his eyes, surprised.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not as if he’s doing anything right now,” Kevin explained further. It was all a hypothetical exercise anyway, and it distracted him from thinking about Kristen. “And he’s got a great voice.”
“Well, yeah. For a couple of extra tracks, we could ask him to help,” Brian seemed hesitant to follow that particular line of discussion, and Kevin figured it was because his cousin thought that for him the conversation was difficult. It was one thing to joke about it with Howie, AJ and Nick, who *weren’t* leaving the group anytime soon, and another completely different was to talk about it with Kevin, who had left. Brian surely was thinking that Kevin might feel insulted about it all.
“The fans would love to see Chris… hell, any of the *N Syncers with you guys on the stage,” Kevin smiled brightly. He would show Brian he wasn’t feeling left out. After all, it had been his own idea to leave the group. “Even if the critics would say it was just a gimmick.”
“When was the last time we sang on the same stage as *N Sync? Germany?” Brian shrugged. “Besides, some critics say that doing a new album is a gimmick. And I know there are a couple of reporters who are dying to write about your come back.”
Kevin looked at his cousin before answering. Part of him, the part that had already admitted that his marriage wasn’t going to be magically healed, that Kristen was serious when she said they were over, wanted to tell Brian he had rethought the whole retirement thing and he wanted to come back, if they would have him. But the bigger part of him, the one that still held hope, made him stay silent. Especially because Brian was right. Coming back after all the support from their fans, from everyone, would make it seem as if Kevin had only done it for the publicity. It was a no - win situation, no matter how he looked at it.
* * *
In the four years and counting of *N Sync’s never ending hiatus, Chris had become used to being left alone. While all his jokes could be seen as self-depreciating, as when he had said out loud that he felt like the drummer of the group, waiting for everyone else to tell him what was going on, the truth was that he had more or less made peace with the situation. He had always been somewhat the odd man out of the group as far as the press was concerned: part of it was his age; part of it was that he wasn’t one of the teens’ favourites; but most of it came from the fact that they never knew what to expect from him. And once the group had separated - even if it was temporary - he had more or less faded from the public eye.
Still he knew that there were a couple of things that would make the media pay attention to him again. And no matter what Lance and his new boyfriend said, there was such a thing as bad publicity so Chris had made a mental list of things he would never do in public. He had never imagined that ‘agree to meet with the Backstreet Boys’ would be on that list.
“You must be joking,” he said, after Howie had explained his plan. When Howie didn’t answer, he turned to see the other three. “Tell me he’s joking, please.”
“None of us are joking,” AJ answered, smiling from behind his dark glasses. “We’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“And you’re sure *they* were sober when you discussed this?” Chris crossed his arms. Of all the crazy ideas he had heard over the years regarding what he could do during *N Sync’s hiatus, this one took the cake. “Because it sounds a lot like something *I* would’ve come up with after a night of drinking.”
“So if we take you out to a couple of bars you’ll agree?” Nick raised his hands, as if he had just thought of the possibility. “Because it’s not a bad idea. Except that it would probably ruin the surprise for the fans.”
Chris laughed. He had walked right into of that one. The worst part was that the plan *hadn’t* sounded all that insane, from a complete outsider’s point of view. Sure, Justin would probably stop talking to him for a couple of months, but given that it had been a year or so since the last time they had talked, that wouldn’t make a noticeable difference. Joey would probably think it was hilarious, JC would probably chalk it up as a good experience, and Lance… Well, Lance would probably be grateful that *someone* was taking the media bloodhounds away from his door. Which only left someone who could object to the whole idea.
“You’re completely sure Kevin is ok with this plan?”
* * *
Old habits die hard, so when Lance called up for an impromptu group meeting of *N Sync, everyone agreed. However, it wasn’t as simple as just going to Lance’s hotel room in the middle of a tour as it had in the old days. It took some time before everyone agreed that the best way to actually hold the meeting was to use technology and do a four way video conference. So with Joey at his own home, Justin in Copenhagen, JC in Toronto and Lance in New York, they sat down to have the first *N Sync meeting in more than two years.
JC just hoped it would go better than the one they had during the last Challenge. Maybe with an ocean between Lance and Justin, the damage would be minimal.
“Where’s Chris?” Justin noticed their friend’s absence immediately and frowned. “Please tell me we’re not doing this to organize a party for him. You all know he likes to throw his own parties without our input.”
“I wouldn’t have asked for all of us to meet for that, J,” Lance sounded irritated already, which couldn’t be a good sign. JC sighed. It was going to be a long night. “Have any of you heard the latest news on the Backstreet Boys?”
“Oh, great!” Justin laughed. “So the meeting is to exchange gossip. Kevin retired, so what? Everyone does that, sooner or later.”
“Mick Jagger is still in the business,” JC muttered. *He* wasn’t planning on retiring anytime soon.
“Howie is getting married,” Joey piped in. “He told me and Chris at his house two or three weeks ago.”
“So he must have been scouting even back then,” Lance said sarcastically. “You guys know that the Backstreet Boys are temporarily a quintet again?”
“See?” Justin smiled, possibly in the direction of Joey’s camera. “Told you Kevin wouldn’t stay retired. You better start auditioning; I want to see you on Broadway next year.”
“There aren’t any open auditions right now,” Joey shook his head, looking amused. “But a bet is a bet. I’ll see what I can do.”
“It’s not Kevin,” Lance said, but he was ignored by Joey and Justin who were discussing possible roles for Joey. Apparently, Justin had given it a lot of thought.
“What did you say, Lance?” JC asked, trying to bring the others attention to business.
“It’s not Kevin. It’s Chris.”
That made everyone shut up and look straight at their cameras.
“I thought we were talking about the Backstreet Boys,” JC finally said, after a long pause. “What’s Chris got to do with all of this?”
“Chris is the new Backstreet Boy,” Lance repeated, looking down at his laptop. “According to five different news sites, he’s been recording with them since last *week*.”
“Ok, Lance?” Justin was shaking his head in that way that said that people better listen to him right now. “Check your calendar. September is not April, and the 15th is not the first.”
“I’m not joking, Justin,” Lance sighed. “Look, didn’t Chris call any of you?”
“Obviously not, or we’d know about it,” JC was frowning. “Can you tell us what those news sites say?”
“I’m sending then to your emails right now,” Lance wasn’t looking at the camera of the phone, so Joey figured he was typing. Lately, they were starting to believe Lance had glued the damn thing to his fingers.
On the top left screen, Justin glanced at his cellphone, frowning.
“’Say Bye Bye Bye to *N Sync, Chris Kirkpatrick answers Backstreet Boy’s’ Call’? Who the fuck comes up with those headlines?”
“It’s our fault, really,” JC was trying not to laugh. “We sort of opened ourselves to very bad puns with that song.”
“’Backstreet’s Back with ‘Syncer energy’ is just as bad,” Joey scrolled through his cellphone mail client. “But nothing here says it’s true. I mean, Chris is going to the studio with them, so what? It’s not as if we haven’t done collaborations before.”
“It’s not as if we’re still *N Sync,” JC said, and Joey thought he still sounded hurt. Truth to be tell, he still felt hurt over that, and speaking in public as if the breakout had been peaceful and everyone’s idea, was still painful. “Chris can do whatever he wants.”
“With the Backstreet Boys?” Justin didn’t sound convinced. “No way. I mean, if he wants to reform 98º or even O-Town, that’s his business. But the Backstreet Boys? That’s… that’s just wrong.”
“Would you really rather have Chris join *O-Town* before he helped Howie and the guys?” It was Joey’s turn to sound incredulous. “That’s stupid. Look, I’m doing the Doc and Johnny show with Chris in a couple of days; I can ask him what’s going on then.”
To be Continued...