Happily Ever After: A Companion to ONCE UPON A TIME by starbeamz2
Story Notes:

"Oh, my god, I'm back again!" LOL I know some of you felt a little jipped at the end of Once Upon a Time because I never fully fleshed out the story line between Bryna and Nick. Fortunately for all of you, here's their story in full detail!

If you haven't read Once Upon a Time and want to get caught up on how Nick and Bryna started off, make sure to read OUAT!

In Pieces by starbeamz2
There was a whirl of commotion, of questions and camera flashes as everyone clamored to try to get a glimpse, a piece of the woman all had thought dead and gone for years.  Laurel Caine, the rightful heir to an enormously lucrative film production company, had re-emerged from the depths her stepmother had pushed her to and had claimed her place as the company’s chairperson.  

Of course, Nick Carter thought as he watched from a safe distance, there was quite a bit of legal business that Laurel was going to have to work through before she established herself as Starlight Productions’ chairperson.  Whatever happened, though, she was already well on her way to keeping the company from falling apart and being taken over by other companies.  Her stepmother’s plans had been destroyed, and he figured Laurel’s cousin, Kristin Richardson, was more than thrilled with it all.

He could see Kristin throw her arms around Laurel as the reporters that had been present at the Apollo Records gala pushed and shoved their way to get the first exclusive comments from Laurel’s mouth.  Jason Chambers, her stepbrother, stood resolutely by her side as well, and Laurel’s once-estranged stepsister, Theresa, flanked him as well.  They were a united wall, he thought and figured no one could be more lucky than Laurel Caine at that moment.

But where, he wondered, had Laurel’s best friend and other stepsister disappeared off to? His dark blue eyes scanned the crowds of people in the ballroom and spotted her sitting at a table quite a distance away.  His brow furrowed as he made his way through people, skirted around tables and chairs, and headed towards her.  

Nick wasn’t entirely sure why he was on his way to check on Bryna Chambers, other than the fact that they were cautious friends.  He had a feeling she thought of him as more than that, and he too had entertained the idea of becoming her lover.  He had been working his way to it over the past month or so by taking her out to dinner, to the movies, and spending more time with her in that one month than he had in the nearly twenty years since he’d known her.  

The only thing that was stopping him, he knew, from taking her to bed was the fact that she would undoubtedly want more from him than just sex.  Women like Bryna always did.

Telling himself not to dwell on that, he stopped at her table and studied her face.  Her auburn hair was curled into an elegant up-do, though several curls had escaped to flutter around her face and into her big brown eyes.  Eyes, Nick thought, that were currently troubled.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he said as he took a seat next to her.

Bryna didn’t glance his way but lifted a shoulder to acknowledge his comment.  “I have none.”

“Really? I thought you would have more to say about the fact that Laurel is finally out in the open, that your mom has no authority over Starlight, and so on.  Isn’t that what you were waiting for?”

She shrugged again.  “It feels different now that I’ve gotten what I wanted.”

Nick didn’t know what to say to that, so they lapsed into silence.  They watched as officers from the NYPD showed up, as Laurel was taken aside to speak to them, as Leighanne Wallace, the hostess of the gala, ended the evening’s program graciously.  People didn’t exactly leave quickly, not wanting to miss a second of excitement.  Fortunately, security quickly cleared the room until only the police and Apollo Records’ executives were left in the room.

Without a word, Bryna stood and, gathering her long skirt in one hand to keep it from getting in her way, walked out of the ballroom.  Nick hesitated for a moment, glancing over his shoulder to where Jason and Theresa were throwing worried glances at their sister’s retreating back, before he rushed after her.

He caught up with her as she shoved through the main doors and stalked out onto the busy streets of New York City.  Seeing the set look on her face, he didn’t bother touching her.  “Bryna, tell me what’s wrong,” he said instead.

She didn’t know what was wrong.  Bryna ignored the passersby that stared curiously at her formal gown and the scowl on her face.  She only knew she had to keep moving.  If she didn’t move, she might just break down, fall apart.  There was no reason for her to feel this way, she told herself.  Things were finally looking up, but she felt more unsettled than ever.  

Having Nick Carter by her side was not helping her any either.  He was, after all, the man she’d loved for nearly half her life and been ignored by for just as long.  Now, suddenly, he wanted to know what was wrong with her?

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” she shot back at him, stopping suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk.  The doorman stationed nearby looked nervously at the two of them; Bryna, angry, and Nick, plainly confused.

Nick had nearly run right into her when she’d abruptly stopped.  Now, he was downright baffled by her sudden burst of anger.  “Huh? Why are you mad at me? I’m just trying to help.  You’re obviously not okay, and I just want to make sure you will be.  I am not the bad guy here.”

She nearly smacked him.  Her arm had lifted to do it, but she controlled her irrational temper.  He was right, she thought with a sigh, her anger instantly deflated.  He was just trying to help, and her careening emotions had just blasted him.  “I’m sorry.  God, I’m sorry.  I just don’t know how to feel or what I feel.”

She looked miserable again, and Nick nearly reached out to gather her close.  Then, he remembered her lightning quick mood changes and decided not to.  “Tell me what’s wrong.  Something’s bothering you, and I really do want to help.”

Bryna looked up at him, her eyes sad.  “Why, Nick? Why do you want to help me? You’ve barely acknowledged my presence this week.”

“That’s not true.” Entirely, he thought.  Hell.  She was right.  He’d kissed her then walked away.  He could only imagine how she must have felt after that stellar move on his part.  “Okay, maybe it is.  Look, I’m sorry about that, but I don’t like seeing you so sad.  Tell me why you’re blue.”

She sighed heavily and began to walk again, barely acknowledging when Nick fell in step with her.  “When I was little, my mother was my role model.” She didn’t react when he muttered under his breath about Clarissa Chambers-Caine.  “Yeah, I know it’s hard to believe, but, before I turned thirteen and saw her for the monster she is, I thought she was perfect, infallible.  She was strong, smart, determined, and went after what she wanted with a vengeance.  I always wanted to be like her, and I tried so hard to be that way.  Until, of course, I realized that she wasn’t perfect, that she was definitely fallible.”

“It happens, Bryna.  It’s not your fault that your role model turned out to be the wickedest witch of the west.” Nick took a chance and took her hand in his.  When she didn’t tug it away, he squeezed it comfortingly.  

“Either way, she was my mother, too.  As happy as I am for Laurel, as thrilled I am that my mother no longer has control over all of our lives, she’s still my mother.  She’s still the woman that gave birth to me, that bandaged my wounds, that raised me and helped me learn to stand on my own two feet.” Bryna winced at the blast of a car horn nearby and shook her head.  “I loved her, Nick, for all of that.  Even when she made me so angry and so miserable, I loved her.”

Nick nodded, understanding.  His mother hadn’t exactly been the best example of a good mom.  “It’s hard to see why or how we can still love them when they’re so terrible, but you just can’t pick who you love.  I’m sorry that your mother turned out to be pretty awful.”

“Me, too,” she murmured and gripped his hand for support.  She didn’t want to cry, but the tears were welling up inside of her.  “When I saw her standing there with Laurel confronting her, I realized that, no matter what hideous acts she’s committed, she’s still my mother, and I still love her.  Part of me wanted to rush to her side to support her, to tell her that, despite all the charges that are sure to be brought against her, I still love her.  She would’ve swatted me aside for sure,” she added with a watery laugh.  “That woman is all business.”

He slid his arm around her shoulders as they crossed yet another busy Manhattan street.  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry all of this hurts you this way.”

“Thanks,” she said after a moment.  “I guess it wouldn’t have been such a bright move to defend her against Laurel, especially since I was the one who pushed Laurel to come out from hiding and make her stand.  I figured it was better if I just stayed to the side.” She stopped under a streetlight and turned to look up at him.  “Thanks for listening to me, Nick.  I know I must sound and look like a wreck-”

“You don’t,” he interrupted her.  “You look beautiful, and you sound like a sane person with some troubles.  Nothing wrong with that.”

Bryna’s brows shot up.  It was a rare day that Nick commented on her looks, and, even then, he’d never referred to her as beautiful.  “Well,” was all she could say.

Nick squeezed her hand.  “I think you should go home and get some rest.  It’s been a night for the books.”

“Definitely,” she murmured and watched as he lifted a hand to wave down a taxi.  When one slowed to a stop at the curb, she smiled up at him.  “Thanks for all this, Nick.”

“It’s not a problem,” he told her before gathering her up in a hug.  He felt her stiffen in surprise and thought, If you’re surprised now, Bryna, prepare to be swept off your feet.  Stepping back, he smiled down at her and nudged her into the cab.  “I hope you’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Me, too,” Bryna replied and slid into the taxi.  “Bye, Nick.”

He lifted a hand in a wave as the cab pulled into traffic and drove off.  He hadn’t been sure what to do with Bryna before tonight, but now he was sure.  He wanted her, and, though he was commitment-phobic, he was willing to risk it.  It had been, well, never since he’d wanted a woman the way he wanted Bryna.  Maybe he’d known her all his life, but he’d never quite seen her.  Now that he was, he was discovering that there was more to her than the confident, extremely talented and successful music producer that she was.  She was sensitive, generous, and cared—sometimes too much.

Nick was quickly realizing that she was everything he’d never quite known he wanted.  Now that he knew, he was going to do whatever it took to have her and, maybe, if he was lucky, hold onto her.


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