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5

By the time Howie got back to the hotel, he found the beginnings of a bad headache threading it's way around his eyes. He just wanted to take a nap and call it a day, even if it was barely 1 in the afternoon. He bypassed Nick and Brian's room because he knew if he walked in there, he would receive question after endless question that he was just too tired and drained to answer, so he walked passed their room and keyed into his own, praying that AJ had decided to stay with Brian and Nick while he was out.

Happily, his room was abandoned when he turned on the light. He slipped his shoes off of his feet and decided to lay on the bed by taking the Nick Carter bed flop. He started at the closet and took a running leap for the bed. He would usually just stand there looking impartial when Kevin yelled at the blonde one for doing it, but the second he would be alone, he found himself doing all the silly and stupid things that that kid did. His guess is, that Kevin did the same, more than once too.

He was just about to close his eyes when his cell phone rang. He rolled over and grabbed for it, but realizing he left it in his little briefcase by the door he sighed as he stood up to answer the phone. He pulled it out of the bag and looked at the number before picking up. He learned that the hard way after a few fans found out his number. He had picked it up and politely, talked to them the first few times until eventually it got so out of hand, he had to change the number all together.

Now he had the sense to look before he answered and if it was a number he didn't recognize, a generic voice mail would tell them to leave a message. That was another mistake he had made. Putting his own voice on his message. So now he just had the electronic sounding woman talking on his behalf. His real friends knew how to get in touch with him, everyone else could wait until HE wanted to talk.

When the caller ID showe 'Unknown' he walked back to the bed and sat waiting to see if there was a message. He yawned and stretched moving his neck around in a circle, "Being a private eye is tough work" He said out loud in his best Sherlock Holmes British accent. "I'm talking to myself now cheerio cheerio good day" He put the phone to his ear, "Aha me thinks I have a message" Still staying in his Van Dyke British voice. He dialed up his voice mail and pressed in his code and patiently waited...

"Mr. Dorough. You are sticking your nose where is doesn't belong. I suggest you stop and move along before someone gets hurt"

Howie's playful mood went out the window when he heard the low, gruff voice on the other end of the line. He replayed the message about ten times, just to see if he heard any kind of joking quality to this guys voice. When no comedy was sensed in what Howie could only conceive as a threat, he got off his bed and nervously paced around his room.

Tons of thoughts going through his mind as he did so. He stopped pacing finally, moved back to the bed and dialed up the front desk.

"Can you look up a number for me please?" While the desk clerk looked through the Yellow pages for the number of The Inquisitor, Howie searched for a paper and a pen.

He was going to call that Bolten guy and give him a piece of his mind for giving out his number to some whacko. Once he got the number down on paper, he called the magazine demanding to speak with Bolten, who conveniently was out for the rest of the day. "Tell him Mr. Dorough called and I want a returned call back ASAP!"

He hung up the phone and found himself yet again, calling his voice mail and listening to the threat. "Ridiculous" He said slipping his shoes back on his feet and going back to Brian and Nick's room, suddenly not wanting to be alone anymore.
~*~*~*~*~
Nick was restless, he loved the thought of having the entire day off, kind of like getting a snow day at school. Not that many of those existed in Florida but even still, a free day was a free day. Management had insisted that they just relax in their rooms. Since no parents had accompanied them on this trip and Kevin was away, maybe today was a great day to just catch up on some sleep.

Sleep shmeep was his thinking, he and Brian were going to go play some basketball. Maybe AJ and Howie could play against them. All they had to do was find a court. He was sitting alone playing some generic game on his Gameboy while AJ laid on one bed and Brian on the other. He knew he only had a small window for them otherwise they would become sloth like for the rest of the day leaving him alone to entertain himself.

That's when Howie walked in, once again letting himself into the room, "You know D, even though you have a key the polite thing to do would be to knock" Brian said from his lazy position on the bed.

Howie walked in and sat on the bed next to AJ, "Why? Are you hiding something?"

"Oh yeah can't you tell?" Nick rolled his eyes, "So, tell us what happened at the paper dealie?"

"Nothing"

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?"

Howie had decided not to tell them about the call. No need to get them upset or anything, just pretend nothing happened and maybe they'll stop asking and move on.

"I mean nothing Nicky, I talked to them, they told me they couldn't say where the picture came from"

Nick sat up, by the look in his eye Howie could tell this was a little too much fun for him, "Well then what's are next move?"

That made D smile, "WE don't have a next move" Nick looked dejected, "Awww, come on Howie there's gotta be something we can do"

"Nick, it's not a game. I told him to call if he had any info and now I'm just waiting"

"Cool! Wanna play basketball?" Nick's mind and short attention span sometimes got the better of Howie. He could bump from one topic to another so quickly and seamlessly his thoughts almost seemed to fit together.

"Nah, I'm kind of beat" Nick stood up, "Aww come on, will one of you play with me?" No one answered.

"Fine then I'm going alone"

Howie moved off of the bed, "On second thought, let's go play Nick. Maybe a trip around a court will wake me up" He remembered the threat and even though at this point it was baseless, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Nick laughed, "Come on D, you suck at basketball. It won't even be a challenge"

"Suit yourself" Howie said moving back towards the bed and pushing AJ over.

Nick let out a huge sigh, "Okay come on, let's go"

"You are a needy kid you know that?"

"Jesus Howie what are you just figuring that one out?" AJ asked muzzled by the pillow he was laying face down on.

"Come on Howie, let's just go for a walk or something since playing ball against you would be too easy"

"Howie you should play against the kid and win just to make him stop being so damn cocky" Nick started running towards AJ ready to jump on him, "Do it and I'll kick your as Kaos"

"You are NO fun"

Howie made his way to the bathroom to throw some water on his face and put his hair up in a ponytail. He really didn't feel much like spending the day entertaining Nick, but he also didn't feel like just sitting there dwelling on all that had happened. Not that much had happened. Really he didn't know if anything happened at all. The threat could have been completely unrelated, but the guy called him by name.

When he left the bathroom he was met with Nick patiently waiting outside the door for him, "I'm sorry about the basketball crack" He said grabbing D in a hug.

"Yeah whatever. You know I would beat you anyway" Nick laughed, "Yeah that's it"

"Sure you all don't want to come?" Nick called back to AJ and Brian they mumbled a half asleep "Yes we're sure"

Nick and Howie walked down the hotel hallway towards the elevator. Nick still carrying his basketball even though they had decided to just go for a walk. "Where's your hat?" Howie asked the young blonde who nonchalantly bounced as he waited for the elevator doors to swing open.

"Dang! I knew I forgot something" He threw the ball to Howie and ran back towards the room, "Don't go anywhere I'll be right back"

His cell phone rang again, causing him to jump at the sound. He was jittery all of the sudden, that's what a threat will do to you he guessed.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Dorough, this is Miss Wigton over at The Inquisitor" Howie moved away from the elevator and walked down the hall to get better reception, "Yes?"

"I am the new interim head of The Inquisitor and I was told that you had called"

"Yes, I did, but I called to speak with Mr. Bolten, is he in?"

There was a long pause, "I'm sorry Mr. Dorough, but Mr. Bolten no longer works for this magazine, any business you had with him can now go through me"

"But, I was just there less then an hour ago.." Howie seemed at his wits end, so preoccupied with his call that he didn't even notice Nick standing there staring at him.

"It all happened very fast I'm afraid, I can't give you any more then that. Now, what can I do for you Mr. Dorough?"

"Um...nothing, I'm sorry to have bothered you"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...I mean, yes thank you" And then Howie hung up the phone. He looked over to Nick who seemed to be staring back at him with concerned eyes, "D? What's going on?"

"I don't know, something big though. Mind if I give you a rain check on the walk?"

"Why?"

"There's some place I need to go"

"Where?"

"Jive"

"Again?"

"Yup" Howie pressed the down button.

"I'm coming to" Nick said grabbing the basketball back from Howie.