1574: A Timeless Summer

Chapter 1

© 2007 Nina

The rumble of the engines filled his ears, and his hands clutched the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. After spending more than half his life flying, he had never gotten used to it... and he knew he never would. Here we go, he thought as he felt the large aircraft began to pull away from the terminal. He didn't understand how a lot of people liked, no, loved to fly. The idea of being 15,000 or 30,000 feet up in the air, with nothing below you but solid land terrified him. And the fact that he was encased in 180 tons of metal that was carrying more than 48,000 gallons of fuel did little to appease his fears. Stop it!, he scolded himself as he willed his mind to think of something else. If the guys could hear him now, oh how they'd tease him! Fourteen years of flying all over the world, and Nick Carter was still scared to fly.

His choice had been obvious at the time. Between an 18 hour long drive and a 3 hour long flight, he went for the flight, as most people would. It was a relatively short trip in comparison to other trips he had taken. His eyes closed as he felt the plane take up speed as it ran down the runway, preparing for take off. "Oh, this is the worst part," he murmured to himself, his baseball cap hiding most of his blonde hair from view.

"You can hold Pookie if you want, he makes bad things go away," he heard a little voice say, and he looked to his side, seeing a little girl seating next to him, holding a worn teddy bear. She must have been no older than seven, and was acting braver than a 26-year old. Now he was really glad the guys weren't here to see this. He would have never lived this down.

"That's ok, you can hold him," he replied with a warm smile.

"I'm Jenny, what's your name?" the little girl asked him, a curious and friendly look upon her young face.

"I'm Nick. Nice to meet you," he replied, "Are you flying alone?"

"Nope," Jenny promptly replied and pointed at a couple sitting in their same row but across the aisle, as each row at either side of the aisle in the first class cabin only held two large seats.

"Those are your parents then?"

Nick's question was met with a nod from the girl. "We're flying!" the girl announced excitedly as she leaned forward to take a peek out the window.

"Yeah, we are," Nick said, a little surprised as this had been the first time he hadn't consciously noticed (excluding the rare occasions he had managed to fall asleep right after boarding) when the plane lurched off the runway and became airborne.

***

Nick had never been more relieved in his life as he was now that the plane had finally landed. It had just come to a stop at the terminal at O'Hare International Airport. His flight buddy, Jenny, had fallen asleep halfway through the flight, and Nick found himself facing the landing alone.

Not many knew of this holiday he was taking. The last year had been crazy with their latest album, Never Gone, coming out and touring around the world. It had been good, but crazy nonetheless, and he wanted a break for himself. He just wanted a few low-key months in a place that, while did not have the fast-paced life of a city, would offer him enough things to do to keep him from getting bored. He considered spending time in Florida, but he knew there was no way he could ever be low-key there, no matter what he did -or did not do - or where he went. This is why he chose Illinois. True, his method of choosing was by closing his eyes and pointing to a map of the United States, but, realizing he had never really spent a lot of time there, he decided to just go along with fate.

The internet had been his next step, wanting to find a place to stay; he wasn't really in the mood for any fancy, five-star hotels. What was low-key about that? An internet search revealed the Marriott Residence Inn, a hotel geared towards extended guest stays. A little bit of further research -or reading in the hotel's web site - revealed information about its key location. Minutes away from Six Flags Great America, Hurricane Harbor theme parks, shopping at Gurnee Mills or Prime Outlet Malls (although the shopping part, he knew, would appeal more to Howie or AJ than to himself), and, for a bit of history mixed with entertainment, the Historic Long Grove and Bristol Renaissance Faire. Train stations were very close as well, and he could just hop on a train and go down to the city of Chicago or just drive north to Wisconsin. The possibilities were endless. Not even thinking it twice, he booked his flight and a room. The next day, he found himself landing at O'Hare.

"Bye bye, Nick!" Jenny said as she waved at Nick, her mother holding her other hand as they made their way down the plane's aisle.

Nick waved back at her, he found kids cute... except when they were screaming their lungs out. He must admit though, that there had been a point in his life, not too long ago, in which the thought of forming a family had more than just crossed his mind. The idea of settling down and, by this time, being able to hear tiny footsteps running around the house had been something that he had wanted to make a reality. But, it had been a reality that had slyly slid through his fingers like sand.

Stop it!, he scolded himself as he made his way towards the baggage claim area, you're supposed to enjoy yourself, it's a holiday, not a trip down memory lane, he reminded himself.

***

Nick opened the trunk to his rental SUV, a color silver Audi Q7. He put inside his two suitcases and closed it. He walked around to the driver's side, opening the door. Before getting in, he reached over to the passenger's seat, to place his carry-on bag. Placing the key in the ignition and turning it, the engine roared to life.

Okay, so the car maybe isn't exactly low key, but hey, I'm a guy, he thought with a chuckle as he pulled away from the parking spot. Reaching into the outside pocket of his carry-on, he retrieved the directions to the hotel. It would take him about 40 minutes to get there and, at the moment he read it, his stomach grumbled as if in protest.

"So maybe I should have MapQuested a Burger King or something," he said to himself as he got into the interstate. Turning on the radio to a random station, Nick tapped his fingers against the wheel to the rhythm of the music as he drove.

His destination? A summer he'd never forget.

1574: A Timeless Summer

Chapter 2

© 2007 Nina

Nick took a left turn into White Oak Drive, seeing the hotel right on his left. At first glance, the hotel did not look like one. If it hadn't been for the sign and its name in huge letters, Nick would have guessed it was an apartment complex, which he didn't mind one bit. Glamour was the last thing he was looking for.

The hotel complex consisted of three not very large buildings. On the left side, there was a three-story building, which Nick guessed held the hotel's suites. Next to it, there was a smaller, one-story building, called the Gatehouse. In between the first building and the smaller one, there was a basketball court that doubled as a volleyball court, and right behind it was the pool. To the right of the Gatehouse, there was the third building, which was a mirror of the first one. In between the Gatehouse and this last building, there was an open area with freshly-cut grass and well-tended bushes, and a pathway to walk through.

He parked the rented SUV in one of the available parking spots right in front the basketball court. Deciding to leave his suitcases in the car for now, he grabbed his carry-on bag and got out of the car. Walking into the Gatehouse, he found himself in the lobby of the hotel. It was small, but then again, it was a small hotel. Just before the receptionist's counter, to his right, he could see a small market that offered various snacks, drinks, frozen foods, and other travel-size necessities, such as toothbrushes, razors, and over-the-counter medicines, to name a few. To the left, there were two big doors that led to the hotel's conference room. Next to the conference room, he could see a hallway, which led to the restrooms and the gym room, and straight in front of the Gatehouse's entrance was the hotel's dining room. He could spot some comfy lounge chairs placed in front of a large plasma TV.

Looks nice for a small place, he thought as he approached the receptionist's desk to check in.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked Nick when he approached her. He read her tag name, Gloria. She was a Hispanic woman, in her thirties, with a Spanish accent when she spoke. Her wavy dark hair barely reached her shoulders and she had a friendly face.

"Yes, hi. I have a reservation, I'm checking in," Nick replied.

"Your last name, please?"

"Carter," Nick replied, now debating whether or not it had been a good idea to use his real last name. But then again, if the press or fans were looking for him, they'd probably be trying their luck at fancy hotels in the city, not a small one in the middle of Waukegan.

"Nick?" Gloria asked, to verify, as she looked up from the computer. Seeing him nod, she turned her attention back to the computer. "There's a $50 deposit, it can be cash or credit card."

"Cash," Nick replied, taking out his wallet. He handed her two twenties and a ten dollar bill.

A few moments later, she handed him the room key, "Here you go Mr. Carter. Your room is 302. If you go through the dining room, it's the building on your left. If there's anything you need, just let us know."

***

Nick opened the door to his suite. He had opted for the one-bedroom suite and he was surprised. As he stepped inside, to his right was a fully-equipped kitchenette, complete with a full size refrigerator, a counter-top two-range stove, sink, dishwasher and a microwave. Directly in front of the door there was a large desk. In front of the kitchenette, there was a small dining table with two chairs and in the living room area was a large L-shaped couch, and a TV in top of a dresser.

Bringing his suitcases inside, he shut the door behind him and brought them over to the room. The room had a Queen-sized bed; in front of it was another dresser with a TV on top of it as well. There were two night tables at either side of the bed, with lamps and an alarm clock. Next was the closet with two sliding mirror doors, and across from it, was a large counter space with the bathroom's sink. The bathroom door was in between the closet and the sink.

"Not bad," Nick said after examining the hotel room. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but was content with what he found. He looked down at his suitcases, as if contemplating what to do with them.

I think I'm gonna find a place to eat first and unpack later, he thought as he felt his stomach grumble in protest to the lack of food.

As he grabbed the room key, he heard the familiar tune of his cell phone. Looking at the screen, he saw his brother's name flashing across it, and unconsciously sighed.

"Hello?" he said as he took the call.

"Hey, bro! What's up?" Aaron's voice was heard through the phone.

"No much," was Nick's reply, but before he could say anything more, Aaron spoke again.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Why did I do what?" Nick asked in return.

"Don't play dumb Nick. You know what I'm talking about. Why did you back out?"

Nick knew exactly what his younger brother was referring to, and his hand went to the back of his neck, unconsciously rubbing it. It was a habit of his, something he often did, unconsciously, whenever he was worried, nervous, or in a situation he disliked or was uncomfortable in.

"Aaron, this is not the best way or the time to discuss this."

"Bullshit Nick!" Aaron exclaimed, "We had all talked about it, all ready to drop everything for three months and do this, and all of the sudden you just back out? You owe everybody, including me, an explanation!"

The younger man had a point, Nick realized. He did, at least, owe them an explanation. It had been, after all, his own idea. And it did seem like a good idea after all. Getting all five Carter siblings to live under one roof for the summer, surrounded by cameras for the world to witness. It had been so long since BJ, Leslie, Angel, Aaron, and him had been together, that he completely forgot what an explosive combination they could be. At least until that dinner together. It was then than Nick came to the realization that they couldn't do this. That he couldn't go through with it. They were as dysfunctional as they could be, and there was no way he was showcasing it to the world.

"Look Aaron, I just can't do this right now. Can't you respect that? I know you all deserve an explanation and in time you will get one, I promise."

"No, Nick. Not in time, we need to know, 'cause it's just not fa-"

But the younger man was interrupted, "But nothing Aaron, I can't give it to you now because there are a lot of things I need to figure out for myself. I'll talk to you later."

And without giving his brother a chance to say good bye, or rather to protest, Nick hit the End button in his cell phone, ending the call. There were a lot of things he needed to think about, there were a lot of things he needed to figure out, those were part of the reason why he decided to take off without telling anyone.

But I have the whole summer for that, he thought, for now all I need to figure out is where to get some dinner. And, placing his cell phone in his pocket, and with his car keys and room key in his hand, he left the room.