"Hey babe!" Brianna called as Nick came out to meet her and Kevin when they finally pulled into the driveway.

"Brie, what are you doing here?" he asked. He did not look pleased to see her at all. His cold reception worried her.

"Thought I'd stop by to say hello before I went to my hotel," she said defensively, trying to hide her hurt.

"Hotel? What's up with that? Where's Diane?" he asked.

"Mom decided that this would be the perfect time to pull the Phoenix act on the house. I didn't tell her I was coming, and it's too bad to stay in. She's even leaving," Brianna explained. The Phoenix act was a name that they had developed for the way Brianna's mother, Diane, enjoyed stripping her house down completely and renovating everything. When it was finished, it was always exactly the same as when she had started, just newer looking. Hence, Phoenix act.

"Oh, I see. That sucks. Well, come in for a drink, then. What hotel you staying in?" he asked, ushering her into his house.

"Don't know yet. Can I use your phone?" she asked. He laughed.

"You are too impulsive for your own damn good," Nick said.

"Where's Wonder Girl?" she asked.

"She's upstairs, getting dressed. It's our anniversary tonight, so I'm taking her out. That's why I couldn't come get you," he explained.

"Oh, that's cute. Which anniversary?" Brianna asked.

"It's six months since our third phone call," he answered.

"That's nice," she said slowly, trying not to show her anger. He had ditched her for a stupid, stupid anniversary like that one?

"Carter, are you talking to yourself?" a voice called down the stairs.

"Not at all, Laurie. Kev's here. Guess who he brought?" Nick answered.

"Brie." As Laurel pronounced her name, she stepped down the stairs, into view. Brianna tried to hide her disappointment. Laurel was beautiful. Not the "perfect blonde" beautiful that she was accustomed to seeing with Nick, but she was a genuine, all-natural, don't-need-make-up-because-I-am-already-gorgeous beauty.

And as she walked forward towards the sitting room where they had stopped, Brianna realized with a start, Laurel was also blind.

* * * *

"How did you know it was me?" Brianna asked, quickly covering her surprise.

"I was eavesdropping. Sorry," she said, walking over to sit down on the couch. She walked quite as if she could really see, and sat down in the empty spot without hindrance.

"Brie, this is Laurel. Laurel, this is the first woman to ever steal my heart," Nick said, smiling over at Brie.

"You can have it back, Nick, I don't really want it," she dismissed him, rolling her eyes at their old games. They were still playing them.

"Rejected. At least this time, you aren't coming on to Kevin," Nick said, making Brie turn bright red with her embarrassment.

"That was just so that…you know why I did that!" she protested, ready to kill Kevin for the way he was laughing his ass off.

"Yeah, I know, but it's still funny to bug you about it. Who'd come on to Kevin?" Nick asked.

"At least he's hot, Mr. Not Hot," Brianna asked. She paused, realizing how stupid she sounded.

"Brie, you will never grow up…that's why I love you," Nick laughed.

"I told you, Carter, I just don't feel the same way about you. Now show me your phone," Brianna demanded, standing up. Laurel had laughed along with everyone else during their conversation, but she seemed reserved. Brianna was going to rip Nick apart the second she got him alone. This made everything not only harder, but close to impossible.

"Alright," he said, walking down a hallway to a den. He opened the door to reveal a makeshift office.

"Phone book is in the drawer," he pointed out.

"Nick, you are such a jerk, I don't know why I put up with you at all," Brianna said, immediately as she stepped into the room. She yanked the drawer open, and slammed it shut after she found the phone book.

"I know I should have told you, Brie. But it doesn't make any difference to me, why should it to you?" Nick asked seriously.

"It doesn't! But, good God, Nick, you could have warned me. I might have said something stupid that would have insulted her and made her hate me and never want me near you ever again! I'm impulsive. I act first, think later. Does that not spell potential disaster?" Brianna exploded.

"Yeah, I know. She's blind, but she's on a waiting list for an eye transplant. Which is why she won't marry me. Not until she can see me waiting for her at the end of the aisle," Nick said dreamily. Brianna almost retched.

"Well, that's a stupid reason. Anyway, let me find a hotel while you go back and rave about me until Laurel thinks I am a good person, despite my idiocy over being uninformed!" Brianna ordered, as she picked up the phone.

* * * *

"Brie, what the hell took you so long to make a reservation?" Kevin asked, as she finally emerged from using the phone.

"Why didn't you tell me that there was some sort of summer break thing going on?" she asked, accusingly.

"Brie, you're in school. You should know these things," Nick answered.

"But you didn't tell me that MTV was doing a thing for it!" she whined.

"Why? Problem finding a hotel room?" he asked.

"Problem? Oh no, problem doesn't even begin to describe it. Do you know how many hotels there are in the Orlando area?" she asked.

"No."

"Well, I do. I called them all. No one has any available space. I'm stuck. I have no where to stay," Brianna whined.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find something. Worse comes to worse, we'll rotate you through the five of us," Nick said. Brianna was beginning to panic, she really could not find a room anywhere, and Nick wasn't exactly bending over backwards to help her out.

"Brie, I have to go soon, so you'd better figure out where you are going, otherwise your ride will leave without you," Kevin demanded.

"I suppose I can always go back to my mom's, and shift the rubble away from a spot of the floor…" Brianna said, grimacing at the thought.

"I'm sure something'll come up. Look, Brie, Laurel and I have some plans tonight, for our anniversary, but I'm completely yours tomorrow, so I'll call your cell phone," Nick said, ushering them towards the door.

"It's in a very convenient place right now, so I'll call you," she answered back.

"You forgot it," Nick stated, rolling his eyes.

"See you later," she called as he closed the door.

"So…where are we going, Brianna?" Kevin asked. She was already storming towards the car.

"Do you think he was eager to get rid of us? Christ, he practically slammed the door in my face! The Nick Carter I know would not ditch his best friend when she flew three thousand miles to come and see him and keep him from…. What a jerk!" she ranted.

"Keep him from what?" Kevin asked suspiciously as he unlocked the car door.

"Making an ass of himself by forcing Laurel into this marriage thing," she answered before she thought it out properly.

"You don't think they should get married?"

"I don't think that he should continue to pursue someone who keeps rejecting him," she answered frankly.

"I think that as long as he loves her, he should keep fighting for her," he said quietly. Knowing she was beat, Brianna pouted in silence.

* * * *

"Well, here we are for the second time. Shall I carry your bags for you?" Kevin asked bitterly as he pulled into Diane's driveway. It was now getting really dark, and Kevin was obviously frustrated by the simple favor that seemed to have taken over his entire day. All he wanted to do was go home, put on some music and play around with his piano - enjoying the silence. He needed some stress release - Brianna's stressed attitude was being to rub off on him.

"Yeah," she mumbled. She was searching aimlessly around in her purse. She couldn't find her keys. She got out of the car and walked to the front door, while Kevin grabbed her bag for the second time and carried it behind her.

"Well, bye," he said, dropping it on the porch. Brianna was so tired from the late night packing, and the incredibly long day she had had, and was about ready to cry with her panic. She would have to break into her mom's house, just to spend the night on the floor.

"Thanks… Have you seen me with my keys at all?" she asked.

"No, sorry Brie. Look, I've got to head out, I was supposed to make a phone call earlier tonight. You going to be all right here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You've been great tonight, I owe you dinner. Only next time, I'm driving," she declared, forcing a weak smile.

"See ya," he said, heading off towards his car. Brianna stared hopelessly as he climbed in, and backed out of the driveway. His headlights soon faded as he drove off, leaving her trapped outside her house.

"Well, what to do now? Mom's just as scatterbrained as I am, so that means that the back door is probably open," she stated, then feeling hopeful, she raced around to the gate. As she jiggled and body-checked the gate, in the way that she used to when she was attempting to sneak in after curfew, a sudden sharp barking noise could be heard.

"Sienna! Did Mom forget you, sweetheart?" Brianna exclaimed as the dog came running up to the gate and tried to stick her muzzle through the gap in the wooden planks. "She is such an idiot!"

Quickly, Brianna braced herself and then deftly climbed over the fence, where she was promptly attacked by her puppy, Sienna. Brianna had left her puppy in her mother's competent care. It had taken Brianna a few years to decide what she wanted to do with her life, and when she had finally decided to be a vet, she had immediately moved away from home to go to school. The biggest apartment space she had been able to afford would not allow pets, so she had been forced to leave her dog with her mother, until she could afford a larger apartment that would allow pets. Sienna was rapidly growing to be a big dog.

"Hey baby, I can't believe she left you out all by yourself! You're still my little puppy, sweetie!" Brianna cooed as she gathered the wriggling Labrador into her arms, while it licked her face. She recognized her, which almost had Brianna sniffling with sentiment.

"Let's see if we can find our way into the house, okay?" Brianna asked Sienna's big eyes, and she walked around to the beautifully manicured gardens of her mother's house. The fountain, the hot tub and the pool were all closed, shut down for the renovation. She walked up the steps of the deck, and crossed her fingers before testing the sliding door. It was locked. Brianna swore under her breath.

"Okay, Sienna, remember that window at the front that I always used to climb through? I'm going to climb through to let you in," Brianna said.