Chapter 2

"GODDAMMIT!" Kevin shouted as he threw his mobile onto the carpeted floor of his office. Brian, his cousin and business partner, looked up in surprise.

"Kev?"

"Is it too much to ask for that kid to keep his friggin' phone on?" he ranted as he ran fingers through his already disheveled hair. "I've been calling since last night and I've been getting nothing but voicemail, dangit."

Brian swallowed back a chortle of laughter at the wild eyed look on the older man's face. "Did you try the house?"

He fixed Brian with a look. "Do I look dumb to you? Of course I did, and no one's been answering that line too. Not the studio, not his office, not the general compound line, not his friggin' sister’s house." He threw his hands up in the air and collapsed back on his chair. "I give up. Nick can go and screw this album up. I'm tired of covering his ass."

"You've been making yourself stressed, man," Brian pointed out. "You should try loosening up. Take a vacation or something. You've been locked up in here for too long."

'Here' was the Millenium Records office in Los Angeles. Housed in the top floor of the brand-new 60-story Millennium Tower downtown, the smell of fresh paint still delighted them for the most part because it told them how far they'd gone since they started this small label. Since they decided to lay low from the touring/album promotions aspect of their lives ten years before, they'd all made a conscious effort to put everything they had on their own company, wanting to make a name for themselves as producers and managers, among other things. The Backstreet Boys were all but history.

Now, eight years after moving into their first small office, and a stable full of top 40 pop acts later, MIllenium Records is slowly, but surely, becoming one of the biggest, if not most successful, record and multimedia companies in the US.

But sitting on top of the world didn't matter to Kevin Richardson because dammit, his producer had gone missing, and he needed to get the tracks for one of their new artist's debut albums ironed out.

Where the hell was Nick?

Brian shook a scolding finger at Kev.

"Ah ah. Stop that. Stop obsessing about where Nick is and just focus on the stockholders' meeting this afternoon, alright? You may be CEO of this operation, but you're still accountable to them kids who buy all those nice shares. So chill." Brian handed Kevin his mobile after picking it up from the floor. "I'm having Kristen bring you your serenity tapes."

Kevin shot his cousin a dirty look before stomping away from his desk and going straight for the adjoining bathroom.

"Touchy much?" Brian grumbled as he picked up a couple of folders atop Kevin's desk labeled 'Annual Report'.

"B-ROK! Sup sup, man?!" Howie said loudly from the top of his lungs as he sashayed through the big wooden doors of Kevin's office, his perfectly coiffed hair catching light from the lamps next to Brian. He didn’t shy away from the corporate image, being EVP of Business and Talent Development, but some days, less hair product was better.

Howie pulled Brian in a bear hug, as if they hadn't seen each other in years, when in fact they'd carpooled into work together just a few hours ago.

“Hey, guess where I came from?" Howie excitedly launched, leaning back against the desk across from the cousins.

"Um, your office?" Brian ventured.

"Nope."

"My office?"

"Nope."

"The ladies' room?"

Howie had the grace to looked offended. "Rok! I'm a married man now! I don't do that anymore…"

Brian laughed. "Fine, AJ’s office then. I heard he didn't go home last night, going over the figures with Kevin."

"Oh, that's not the only reason he's still here." Howie's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Apparently Mr. McLean has quite the little love nest tucked away behind his bookshelves. I caught him having a little morning happy with Tracy from Reception."

Brian's eyes widened. "No way…Tracy?" He shook his head. "Didn’t realize she was his type…"

"Dude, we're talking Alexander McLean here. Pimp daddy apparently isn't into blondes anymore, surprise, surprise."

"Better not let Kevin get wind of that, though. We don't want Tracy in trouble just because J couldn't keep it in his pants."

Kevin cleared his throat from the open doorway of his bathroom. Then he raised an eyebrow at them.

"Aw man." Howie grumbled under his breath.

"How does it feel to have your foot in your mouth yet again, D?" Kevin drawled as he wiped his face dry with a small towel.

"I told you!" Brian pointed out, shaking his head at Howie.

Kevin strolled casually over to his desk and pressed the button of his intercom. "Janie, get me Becca from Personnel please."

"Right away, Kev," his assistant answered through the crackling static.

"Aw, c'mon Kev, Tracy's a good kid, she shouldn't be fired because of AJ." Howie reasoned.

"Who said I'm firing her?" Kevin picked up the receiver of his phone as soon as it started ringing. "Becca? Hey, how's it going? Uh huh…Jeannie getting into first grade, huh? That's fantastic…uh huh…oh Kris and Mason are well, thanks for asking. Listen, Beck, I need something from you. Could you draw up Tracy's transfer papers ASAP? We're moving her over to Dorough Corp., down at 36th floor as soon as you can manage it."

Howie's eyes bugged out at the mention of his offices a few floors down.

"Yeah, Howie's been a little shorthanded lately, he needs the help. In an hour? Great. I'll make sure Janie takes care of it. Thanks, Becs." As he put the receiver down, he couldn't help but grin at Howie’s bewildered expression.

"I am not shorthanded…I have a very competent staff, thank you very much," Howie argued.

"Well, if you want to be the girl's champion so bad, then you handle her. And besides, it'll give AJ a chance to forget about her and look for a new girlfriend NOT on the payroll."

Brian regarded his cousin with wry amusement. "You take those company rules too seriously, cuz."

"If I don't, who else will, hmm?" Settling back behind his desk, he motioned for the two men to sit down in front of him. "Guys, we need to go over the figures on the annual---"

"Daddy!" a small shriek came from the suddenly open oak doors, and Kevin managed to catch a streak of blonde hair running through it.

"Mase?" Kevin managed to say as a small weight suddenly bounced onto his lap. He barely managed to get a surprised grunt out when he felt small arms go around his neck. Tightly.

"Mason Richardson!" a stern voice from the doorway came loud and clear. All three men turned and saw Kristen's angry blue eyes. "What did I tell you about jumping on Daddy?"

"Oh Daddy I have fire truck, go vroom and wooo wooo!" the three-year old shouted excitedly as he showered his father with spit as he told his story. He was so busy that he missed Kevin's face contort in pain at where his son's knee struck him.

Brian and Howie laughed. "No more brothers OR sisters for you, Mason," Brian coughed, nodding at Kristen evilly. The older woman tried to pry her son away from Daddy, but without much success.

"NO! Mommy, no!" Mason wailed as he clutched his Daddy's neck tighter. "I want Daddy. I wanna stay with Daddy."

"Mase, calm down," Kevin's voice was soothing even if he still felt the sharp pain from his groin shoot up through the rest of his body. "Daddy's right here. And no kicking, alright, dude?" Slowly, Kevin eased his son's weight off his lap and into his arms, carefully maneuvering his legs away from anyplace potentially…um…decapitating.

"Sorry, Kev," Kristen said softly as she dropped a quick kiss on her husband's forehead. "He was just excited to see you."

"It's alright, babe, nothing damaged," he answered with a very telling cringe. Howie and Brian shot each other looks and started to guffaw.

"Right," Brian wheezed, "Have your balls hidden from the real world for good?"

"Daddy, daddy, you didn't tuck me in last night," Mason murmured against his father's chest, his green eyes peeking thru the folds of his suit jacket. "I waited and waited and waited…"

Kevin had to laugh at his son's talkativeness. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but remember I called you and told you Daddy had to work last night?"

He looked at his face curiously. "Daddy, you go night night in here?"

He nodded. "Yes I did."

Mason frowned. "That's bad." He shook his head at his father. "Bad Daddy. Mommy's gonna get REALLY mad."

Kristen grinned. "That took care of MY lecture. Come on, Mason, you'll ruin Daddy's good suit if you keep burrowing into him." She pulled off the little boy from Kevin's arms and put him down on the floor beside her. "You forgot to bring your lucky tie, babe," Kristen added, handing her husband his favourite black and blue Versace tie, then leaning down to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I know you'd want it for the stockholder's meeting later."

Kevin gave her a grateful look. "I do. Thanks for remembering, baby. AJ and I got too wrapped up in the figures last night, I forgot all about it."

"Ooh, ooh!" Brian raised his hand in excitement, "Kris, ya wanna know what else AJ got wrapped in? C'mon, c'mon, ask me!"

Kris looked at her husband, and saw that he shook his head in warning. "Trust me, babe, you DON'T wanna know."

"I do!" a dark haired woman standing by the doorway, clutching two toddlers by the hand. "Hey everyone!"

Howie looked up and saw the shining brown eyes of the woman he loved. "Mi querida!"

She grinned. "Honey love!" With much drama, the two came together and gave each other noisy messy kisses, eliciting a loud whine from little Mason.

"MO-ommy! Howie and Leigh are KISSING!" Mason wrinkled his little nose and hid behind his mother's skirt. By the doorway, two little boys started giggling.

"Well looky who we got here!" Brian held his arms out to the laughing kids. "Hi ya there, Matty 'n James! Give Uncle Brian a hug!"

The two boys launched themselves at Brian, squealing as they bumped into each other in their haste to get to him. When they were enveloped securely in his arms, however, their squeals increased tenfold as Brian lifted them off the floor.

"I wonder if I'm actually the only CEO in the world whose office doubles as a day care center," Kevin mused wryly as he stood up and welcomed the new arrivals. "Hey, Leigh, what a pleasant surprise. You're looking very…"

Howie pulled away from his wife and threw a casual arm over her shoulder. "Pregnant," he beamed.

Smatterings of "ohmigod", "that's so great!", and "Another Dorough!" peppered the suddenly excited room, with Howie receiving good natured jibes from his comrades and a warm hug from Kristen.

Sarah beamed as Kristen pulled her into a hug. "Who would’ve thought, huh? After James, thought you two knew better," Kristen kidded, jabbing Howie on his side.

Howie took this time to puff out his chest proudly. "We Doroughs enjoy a challenge."

"And Howie is hoping we get a girl this time, so he'll have an excuse to go shopping." Leigh informed everyone, picking up her three-year old James, who'd started tugging on her skirt.

Amidst the chaos, nobody noticed 2-year-old Matty clambering off Brian's arms and walk shakily across the massive office table he landed on.

After a few more cautious steps, he stopped in front of Kevin, who'd been laughing at Brian's attempt at messing with Howie.

Blinking his deep blue eyes and blowing at the curly blond hair that rested over one eye, he spread his arms wide.

"Kewy?" he called shyly.

Kevin must've missed him when he leaned and whispered something in his son’s ear, sending her giggling wildly.

"Kewy," he said again, this time pulling on the man's hair, since his head was near enough for him to reach.

Kevin was surprised at the sudden flash of pain that came from his head and straightened quickly, inadvertently causing the little boy to lose his balance and land bottom first onto a pile of paper.

Kevin was quick to be apologetic. "Matty! Oh man, I'm so sorry," he said, picking the boy up and settling him by his side. "I didn't see you."

Matty frowned but valiantly held his tears in check. "Kewy owie."

"It hurts, big guy?" Kevin rubbed the child's butt through his jeans. "Sorry, man. All better?"

Matty nodded, his head bobbing up and down almost comically. "Hug?"

At that Kevin grinned. "Absolutely." Enveloping the little boy in a tight bear hug, Kevin swore he could smell some of Howie's aftershave.

"You been hanging around Howie again, bud?" he laughed. "Howie, Matty's starting to smell like you. You been keeping him locked up in your bathroom, haven't ya?"

"He smells good, doesn't he? Matty isn't complaining, are you, squirt?"

Matty patted his cheeks. "Matty shave. Look, Kewy." He pointed to a reddish looking scar by his chin. "Cool?"

"Wow, Matty, that looks nasty. Did that hurt?" Kevin threw Howie a sidelong glance. "Has Nick gone apeshit yet?"

"Watch the language, honey," Kristen warned lightly.

"Sorry. Has he?"

"Nope. And besides, it didn't hurt the little guy. James here thought he was doing his friend a favour and started shaving Matty's chin with one of his play razors. Caught it in time, thank God…"

"And Nick doesn't know yet?" Kevin put Matty down on the floor beside Mason.

"We're on borrowed time. I'm hoping Matty forgets about it by the time Nicky gets back from Baltimore."

Kevin straightened as he heard the end of Howie's statement. "Wait a minute…Nick's in Baltimore? Since when?"

Brian nodded absently in remembrance. "Oh yeah. Forgot all about that…"

Howie gave Kevin a strange look as he took a fussy James off his mother's hands. "Since five days ago, Kev. He told all of us last week, remember?"

Kevin scratched his head. "He did? Dangit, I don't even remember if he did. So that's why I couldn't find him anywhere. Matty's staying with you while he's gone?"

Howie nodded. "And Matty's been the coolest little helper for Auntie Leigh, haven't you, buddy?"

Matty gave them the signature Carter smile, leaving no doubt who his father was or where he got the smile from.

"Opping?" he asked, looking up at Leigh, who reached out to carry him.

"Uh huh you bet we're going shopping. We're going to get you new clothes and toys and stuff. And Uncle D's gonna pay for it."

"I am?"

"Sure you are, babe."

"Opping now?" Matty asked, wrapping his arms around Leigh's neck. "Go car?"

"We're leaving in a while, okay? Then we'll ride the car. Kris, you guys ready?" Leigh asked the other woman.

"Yup," she answered with a smile. Turning to her husband, she explained, "We're going to shop for Mason's birthday stuff." She kissed Kevin on the lips. "We'll be back home before dinner."

Kevin nodded as he kissed his wife and son goodbye. Howie, on the other hand, was a tad bit more dramatic.

"Oh mi querida, leaving me so soon?" he called out in a smooth Spanish accent.

Leigh could only roll her eyes before she pulled on James's hand and ushering the two kids out the door followed by Kristen and Mason.

After saying goodbye to their guests, the three men sat back down.

"I can't believe Nick didn't tell me he was going to Baltimore. I've been trying to get in touch with him so we could wrap up Billy's CD." Kevin didn't relish the thought that he was going to have to tell Billy Ames, the newest rock act they signed for the label, that his producer had gone missing. It wasn't going to sink well with the temperamental artist, since Nick was the only one he'd trusted with his work, aside from Kevin.

Brian spoke up. "I can take a crack at it if you want, man. Nick and I worked together on it in the beginning."

Kevin shook his head. "You know how Nick gets when we start taking over for him. It'll piss him off, majorly. What the hell is he doing in Baltimore this time of year anyway? There's nothing to see there."

Brian and Howie exchanged looks. "It's the last week of August, Kev," Howie told his friend.

"So?"

"Two years ago, this week, Kev. Remember?" Brian added quietly.

"Two years---?" Kevin reached deep in his memory for that one. Then a realization. "Oh."

Brian and Howie nodded.

Kevin sighed as he leaned back on his chair. Staring out his window, he began to understand.

Two years ago this week, Nick's wife died in a freak car accident.

And two years ago this week too, Nick's spirit decided to die with her.

God, has it really been that long?