"Look at that stud, all decked out in his tux," AJ called out, sauntering into the store. Nick laughed, blushing, which didn't do anything to diminish the glow that seemed to surround him.

"Man, Nick, remember when you were a kid? Man, you were funny," Howie sighed.

"What are you talking about, D? He's still a kid," Brian chuckled.

"Hey, none of that. Isn't it against the rules to beat up on the groom three days before his wedding?" Nick protested.

"Who needs rules? I can't believe you managed to land a girl like Laurie. What's she thinking, honestly, getting into this Backstreet mess?" Kevin laughed.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Nick sighed. Kevin rolled his eyes and smacked him.

"No daydreaming at all. Tomorrow's the rehearsal, and then we got some bachelor partying to do, and then you are no longer a free man," Kevin reminded him.

"Wow. I can't believe this. I'm getting married, boys!"

"We all knew it would happened, Laurie seems set on you. I kept offering and offering to let her become one of the lucky, but she's stuck on you," Howie said, which received an audible boo from the gathered party.

"Goodbye freedom, hello kids," AJ reminded, as he and the rest of the guys, excluding Kevin, were ushered to the back of the store for their fittings.

"I know, I know. And despite the arrogance, I never thought this day was going to happen. And it's three days away! Everything is going to be perfect for Laurie, just you wait and see. But…"

"But what?" Nick sighed awkwardly, debating whether or not to bring up the subject. He paused for a moment, deciding how to word his next sentence.

"I always thought Brie would be here," he said sadly.

"She hasn't called you yet?" Kevin asked quietly.

"She normally wouldn't hold out this long. Kev, listen, you know me really well, and let me tell you, I am just freaking out right now. Despite the appearance, and the certainty that I want to marry Laurel, because I really do, but…I just don't know if I can do it without Brie here, holding my hand, like I always thought she would be," he said seriously. Kevin sighed.

"Nick, I got to know Brie pretty well, and I don't think she's coming back. She won't come even if you call and beg her to. It's the way her mind works," Kevin said honestly.

"Then go get her for me." The statement hung dangerously in the air, before the rush of air that came afterwards. "C'mon Kev. I know her better than you, but you understand her more than I do. If anyone can convince her to come, I know you can. Please, can you do this for me? Consider it a wedding present!"

"Nick, she didn't just run away from you, man. She left without even telling me. She didn't go to her mother's funeral! I don't think I'll be able to get her to come," Kevin protested.

"Can you try?"

"Well, I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises. You hurt her, you know."

"She knows I didn't mean too. I was just being stupid and selfish. Tell her I've learned my lesson, that I'm sorry," Nick pleaded.

"If I can reach her," Kevin sighed.

* * * *

"Hello?"

"Gotcha. Don't even try to disguise that voice, Brianna, because I've listened to it scream at me often enough to recognize it when I hear it."

"Kevin, what do you want?" she asked brashly, laughing slightly.

"Why haven't you answered any of my calls?" he asked.

"It's time you found out the truth, Kevin. I don't really like you. All along, it's just been a ruse," she said frankly.

"That hurts, Brie. But that's not my game, and you know it. Stop trying to turn me into a stand-in for Nick," Kevin demanded, slightly annoyed.

"Don't break the rules, Kevin. We don't discuss him, and I keep talking to you," Brianna warned. They had only called each other a few times in the past three months, but Brianna had early on set the rules.

"Well, honey, this time the rules are going to be broken, and I think you know why."

"If you don't shut up in three seconds, I'm hanging up the phone and never talking to you ever again," Brianna warned quickly.

"He's getting married in three days, Brie. He's freaking out. He needs someone there to hold his hand, and as the rest of us are extremely heterosexual and would like to be seen that way, it is important that it is someone of the opposite sex, so that leaves only one person that we can think of."

"No, I'm not going and I am so not having this conversation with you. You promised!" Brianna whined.

"I was hoping I could convince you," he said.

"Over the phone? Never!" Brianna dismissed.

"That's why I'm here."

"What?"

"Open the door, Brianna," he commanded. Seething in anger, Brianna marched towards the door, flung in open. And there he was, standing in front of her. With a smug little smile on his face.

She threw the phone at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here? You think that you can just walk into my house and convince me that I should go, despite what he said to me? It doesn't happen that way, Brianna does not forgive that easily, Mr. Richardson, and you'll be lucky if I ever talk to you again!" she yelled, punctuating each word with another blow as he hid his face with his arm. Luckily for him, she hit like a girl.

"So, I take it you don't want to come, then?" he asked.

"Over my dead body," she said defiantly. He looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Okay, that's my answer then," he said quietly. And then he reached over, picked her up, swung her over his shoulder, and carried her out of the door. With her screaming death threats the entire way.

* * * *

Brian hummed along with the radio as he put the finishing touches on the evening that he had planned. Glancing quickly at the table, he sighed with relief as the lighted candles just finished the effect. With all the talk of marriage and love in the air, Brian had felt inspired to make tonight the perfect night - it was time for him to tell his new girlfriend how he really felt about her.

Walking over to the stove to check the state of the dinner he was preparing, he was startled by a tapping noise on the sliding glass patio door. Looking over, he was shocked to see Kevin standing, waving furiously at him.

"Kevin? What's going on?" Brian asked, slightly confused, as he opened the door.

"I need your help with something," Kevin said quickly.

"Look, can this wait until later? I've got some plans tonight," Brian said, frowning as he tried to imagine what Kevin would probably need.

"It won't take long. Okay, do you remember me telling you that Nick asked me to try and track Brie down and convince her to come to the wedding?"

"Yeah…oh, don't tell me you couldn't and you want me to dash his hopes the day before the wedding!" Brian protested.

"No, that's not it…sort of. Well, I was right, and I couldn't make her see reason."

"So she didn't come with you?"

"Not exactly…" Kevin trailed off, as he motioned for Brian to follow him. He lead the confused man to his car.

"Where is she?" Brian asked, looking around and seeing no one. And suddenly, there came a muffled banging and an audible roar of outrage from the back of the car.

"She's in the trunk," Kevin said.

"You kidnapped Brie!" Brian laughed, surprised.

"Not kidnapped…borrowed. Look, if she's not here for this, then she'll regret it forever, and you know the way that Brie regrets things. It eats her up and she becomes obsessive over it all. Anyway, this is what I need you for."

"No, I'm not becoming your accomplice in this crazy business!" Brian cried.

"I just need you to open the trunk door for me. As soon as she sees me, she's going to lay me flat on my ass. She's been yelling for almost two hours now. But if it's you, then you won't suffer a horrible death, because you're the guy letting her out, understand?" Kevin explained logically.

"Okay…Well, then back away from the car, and pop the trunk," Brian sighed. Kevin did as he was told and as soon as the latch of the trunk was opened, it was flung open and a furious redhead appeared. Looking around her with an obvious mission in mind, squinting in the sun, she carefully started to climb out.

Brian made the mistake of walking forward, and helping her out. In her confusion and disorientation to seeing light again, she mistook the accent, and caught his eye with her left hook.

As Kevin watched with horror, he knew that Nick was going to kill him. It was two days before his wedding; Brie was madder than hell and well beyond reason, and now the best man was unconscious, with a black eye.