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**Explaining**

Kevin looked up when Brian came back with some food. The guys were getting a little hungry, so Brian offered to find a nearby restaurant and buy some food for them.

"Thanks Brian," Kevin said, as Brian placed the food on the table in front of them. "You didn't have to do it."

"No, it's okay. The people there thought I was an errand boy," Brian said, as he sat down next to Kevin, and whispered, "Besides, I wanted to go out. I needed time to think."

Kevin gave his cousin an understanding look, as the rest of the boys found something to eat.

"I guess Aaron hasn't returned," Brian said, after he took a bite out of a piece of fruit. Kevin shook his head. "Well, at least you got Nick back."

"Yeah. He was in the backyard playing. The little brat didn't want to come in," A. J. said. Nick stopped eating, and glared at A. J..

"I am not a little brat!" Nick exclaimed. A. J. didn't looked fazed, he just gave Nick a mischievous smirk. Nick turned to face the older boys.

"Kevin! A. J. teasing me!" Nick complained.

"I didn't do anything wrong," A. J. said, trying to look innocent.

"Yes you did! You said that I was a little brat!" Nick said.

"It's the truth," A. J. said, still acting innocent.

"Please stop," Kevin said. He almost sounded like he was pleading with them.

Nick and A.J. forgot about their fight. They turned their attention to Kevin, resting his face in his hands. Kevin didn't know what to do anymore. He had it with his friends being affected with the instinct to behave the age they changed into. Kevin knew he was affected with the same instinct as well. He wanted to do something that a 16-year-old boy could do. Which is to let someone else take care of the boys, and be free of that worry. Kevin felt like he was going to cry. Something that a 16-year-old boy or a 31-year-old man rarely does.

"Hey Kevin. Are you okay?" Howie asked, concerned, placing a hand on him.

Kevin looked up and saw his friends surrounding him. A. J. and Nick had moved to sit next to his feet. Brian sat on one side next to Kevin, and Howie was sitting on his other side.

"I guess so," Kevin said, even though he was still unsure.

"Kev, Nick and I want to say that we're sorry," A. J. said.

"We promise to behave," Nick said.

"Thanks, but as much as I would like to see you behave, that wasn't the problem," Kevin said. The other guys looked more concerned.

"Then, what is it?" Howie asked, as A. J. and Nick returned to the sofa facing the other boys. As soon as they sat down, Kevin was ready to talk.

"Everyone, each of us, has acted for a while, the age we now look like," Kevin said. The other guys, except Brian, looked surprise hearing this. "It only last for a short time."

"Are your sure?" asked Howie.

"A. J.'s teasing, Nick wanting to play with the other kids," Kevin said, giving examples.

"Brian's tears, your willingness to let the other guys go outside," Howie continued. Kevin nodded.

"Howie's crush on Isabel," A. J. said.

"Yeah-Hey!" Howie said, as A. J. and Nick laughed.

"You were worried about that?" Brian asked, when Nick and A. J. quieted down. Kevin nodded. "Why should that bother you so much?"

"I feel-" Kevin started to say.

"Responsible?" A. J. said. "Kevin you're 16 . . . again, and you shouldn't worry."

"Try to enjoy yourself," Nick said. "Take advantage of it. You can have fun."

"But-" Kevin started to say again.

"Kevin, relax. What happened isn't your fault. So you shouldn't feel like you have to be really responsible for us," Brian said. "We'll take care of each other."

Kevin looked around at his friends smiling at him, and he smiled back.

"Thanks guys," he said, feeling the other Boys' reassurance, smiling.

The group went back to finish their lunch. Nick checked the front door again, when the guys were done eating.

"Hey guys! I think I see Aaron!" Nick said.

The other Boys turned to see Aaron, walking in the hotel, wearing the outfit he wore disguised as Nick. Half of the group went up to him, while the other boys disposed of the garbage. Kevin was the first to meet Aaron, and pulled him to the side, as the rest of the Boys caught up with them.

"Hi guys," Aaron said. "I see you got the clothes I brought. You look good in them."

"Thanks Aaron," Howie said, trying to appreciate Aaron's compliment. "But-"

"Aaron, where were you?" Nick exclaimed.

"You got my note, right?" Aaron asked.

"Yes we did," Kevin said. "But you should have come back."

"Look, I'm sorry that I'm late, but I went to that meeting of yours, brought you new clothes, and this is what I get in return?" Aaron said.

"Kevin, let him go for now. We did owe him a favor," A. J. said. "It's better this way."

"How?" Kevin asked, looking at A.J.

"Well, now we don't owe him a favor anymore," A. J. said. Kevin sighed, and looked at Aaron again.

"Fine. You won't get a lecture," Kevin said. Aaron silently cheered to himself.

"But you better not have done anything illegal," Nick said.

"Trust me, I didn't," Aaron said.

"Especially something illegal at your age," Nick said.

Aaron tipped the sunglasses off his face a little, to give Nick an odd look from his brown eyes, before he placed the shades back on.

"I mean illegal at the age you supposed to be," Nick said.

"I promise, I didn't," Aaron said, then a thought came to him. "Say, why are you guys here anyway? I thought you were going to stay in your rooms. Did you miss me?"

"Aaron, we got kicked out of our rooms," Brian said.

"What? How? Why?" Aaron exclaimed.

"Ask Prince Howie the Valiant," A. J. said, glaring at him. Howie looked at A.J..

"You're blaming this on me?" Howie asked.

"Yes I am," A. J. said.

"It wasn't my fault!" Howie exclaimed.

"Oh really? You were the one who went out of his way to return the gift to Isabel," A.J. said.

"I did the right thing!" Howie said.

"Which got us kicked out when we came back," A.J. said.

"You didn't have to follow me!" Howie said.

"We had to. Or else you'll be holding hands with Isabel," A. J. said, with a tease in his voice. "Unless that's what you wanted."

"Why, I ought to-" Howie said, getting agitated.

"Okay guys, chill. I think I get the picture," Aaron said, breaking up A. J.'s and Howie's argument, trying to hold in his laugher.

"In short, when we came back, security didn't recognized us because . . . we're now just boys," Brian said, finding it hard to speak.

Aaron looked astonished at Brian. He would never thought a consequence of his wish will be this. He had to fix it.

"Don't worry guys, it will be okay," Aaron said, trying to reassure the Boys. "I'll think of something."

"That's going to take a few hours," Nick said. Aaron gave Nick a playful whack on the back of his head.

"Not funny," Aaron said.

"Aaron, do you at least have the room keys?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, it's right here," Aaron said, trying to find the keys in his pockets. Instead, he spilled the contents inside the pockets out and onto the floor. "Heh . . . whoops?"

Kevin groaned and rubbed his face, as the other boys helped Aaron pick up his mess.

"Hey, what's this?" A.J. asked, picking up a piece of paper. "'Lucy Coast: 728-'"

"Give me that!" Aaron exclaimed, grabbing the piece of paper from A.J.

"You went on a date?" A.J. asked, with a tiny smile.

"Well, . . . yeah," Aaron reluctantly admitted.

"You went on a date?" Nick exclaimed. "That's why you were late?"

"What's wrong with that?" Aaron said shyly.

"Dude, how was it?" A.J. playfully asked.

"It was awesome! It started when-" Aaron said, starting to smile.

"Later Aaron! Can we get back into our rooms first?" Nick exclaimed.

"Yeah, whatever," Aaron grumbled, finding the room keys.

The guys walked to the elevator and Aaron followed. He then felt a tug on his arm, and he looked down to see A.J. Aaron bent down a little so A.J. could whispered to him.

"You got to tell me the details," A.J. whispered to Aaron.

Aaron smiled back and nodded when he stood up, before he and A.J. joined up with the other Boys.
~*~

Aaron stepped out of the elevator, with the Boys following behind him. As the elevator doors closed, security spotted Aaron and the boys.

"Hey, I'm back," Aaron said, walking up to them.

"Nick, you have unexpected visitors," a guard said, indicating the boys.

"I thought we told you to leave," another guard said to the Boys.

"Hold on. They're with me," Aaron said.

"They are?" the guard asked.

"Yeah. They're relatives of the guys," Aaron said. "I was told to pick them up."

"Really?" a guard said, looking over the younger BackStreet Boys. "Why weren't we inform?"

Aaron saw the guys looked . . . intimidated as the guards stared at them. He felt pity for them. They guys were now just kids. They look . . . helpless and vulnerable.

"I forgot," Aaron quickly said. Security looked at him now. "I'm sorry."

Security then laughed at Aaron, thinking he was Nick.

"I guess that's okay," a guard said.

"Thanks," Aaron said, smiling, and headed to Kevin's room.

"I don't suppose you know what happened to the other fellows?" a guard asked, stopping Aaron. He turned around to face that guard.

"What?" Aaron asked.

"Housekeeping came by, and when we let them in, the rooms were empty," another guard said.

Aaron and the Boys looked nervous. How were they going to get out of this one?

"They . . . got sick," Aaron tried to explained.

"Sick?" the same guard asked.

"Yeah," Aaron said and thought up an explanation. "They probably left for the doctors when you weren't looking. They didn't want you to get it. That's why I had to pick up the kids."

"Let me guess, you forgot to tell us about the other guys as well," another guard said.

"Yeah," Aaron said, embarrassed.

The guards burst out laughing.

"Man Nick, you're sure not thinking straight," a guard joked. "I hope you're not getting sick."

"I hope not," Aaron said. "The guys asked me to watch their relatives, because they didn't want the kids to get what they have. It's really too bad. Getting sick when family members come to visit."

Security nodded in agreement. One of the guards bent down to the Boys.

"Sorry we scared you before," the guard said. "We had an incident earlier, so we wanted to be extra cautious."

"Let us know if we can make your stay here fun," another guard said, trying to look and sound friendly.

"I'm sure they'll think of something so you can repay them back," Aaron said, smiling, as the guard bending down stood up.

Aaron opened the door to Kevin's room and let the Boys go in first, before he entered. He then closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Aaron took off Nick's shades and breath in a sigh of relief.
~**~

**~To Be Continued...~**