Oreos for Breakfast: Nick BSB Fiction

Oreos for Breakfast - Chapter 5
By The Paperbag Princess and The Pumpkin Coach

Corresponding KTBPA Message Board Posts (Fictional!)

The phone rang and I reached for it sleepily, yawning. It stopped before I could touch it, and I peeked out from the covers, staring at it. Then I heard a Texas accent from downstairs drawl out "Rachel's house…" and it all came back to me.

I was home, not on tour. Frank was downstairs, and the cute one was asleep across the hall from me. My door was half open, and I looked into the hallway, but couldn't see anything from his room.

I made it through one night, at least, without ravishing him.

"Yes, ma'am," I heard Frank say from downstairs. "They're still sleeping, but I went for a run on your lovely beach this morning."

Such a charmer, that Frank. I was so glad that he came, even if I'd planned for this to be a chance for Nick to escape his Backstreet life. Frank was funny, and a great cook, and an excellent chaperone.

I heard his laugh. "Yes, ma'am, I'll let her know. Her brothers want her for lunch."

I picked up the phone. "Yes, Mommy?"

"We want you and Nick for lunch, too, Frank," Mom was explaining.

"I'd love a tour of the winery, Mrs. Connor," Frank told her.

"Absolutely, I'll have Patrick do it, he'll tell you all about the new press we got."

"Oddly, Mom, Frank will actually enjoy that." I interjected, trying to stifle a yawn, "I might just let Nick sleep, though."

"I'll let you tell that to the girls," Mom laughed as I heard Frank hang up the extension.

"He's not here just to amuse them. He's here to get some rest," I complained.

"I'll go. Where are we going?" Nick was standing in my doorway, t-shirt and boxers, his hair standing on end, rubbing his eyes.

He was so fucking adorable I could barely stand it. And young, Rachel. Adorable and young. Remember that part!

"The winery, for lunch," I told him, and he gave me a thumbs up, falling onto the couch with a yawn. I wanted to sit on his lap and smooth down his hair and kiss him, morning breath be damned. Oh, I should not be having those thoughts about someone who's barely legal.

I turned my attention back to the phone, "Alright, I've got them both. Tell the girls they can't invite any friends over!"

"Not a problem. Lunch at 12:30. Love you, darling."

"Love you too, Mom."

She hung up the phone and sat up in bed, smiling at me. How did I sleep last night when she was this close to me? Her curls were out of control, springing up all around her head, and she was wearing a baggy tank top. The way she pulled the covers around her waist made me think that she wasn't wearing much else. I probably shouldn't have just walked in here, but I wasn't exactly smart first thing in the morning. Or ever, but especially first thing in the morning.

"Lunch at 12:30. I'll try to keep the winery tour to the highlights and not bore you to death."

I shook my head, yawning again. "Whatever. What time is it?"

She glanced over at the clock. "10:15. Plenty of time to shower and get over there."

"Breakfast!" Frank bellowed from downstairs, and Rachel and I exchanged a look. Breakfast? Rachel looked positively thrilled at the possibility. I shrugged and went into my room to find pants, giving her some privacy to get out of bed.

She joined Frank and I at the table a minute later in old pajama bottoms and the baggy tank top. I don't think she was wearing a bra and if I thought about that any longer, I was going to embarrass myself, so I went back to my breakfast. She cooed over the omelet, telling Frank it was the best she'd ever had.

It was awfully good. Maybe Frank should do our catering instead. I tried not to laugh, letting them talk. I was too tired to talk. Damn pain pills. I had to stop taking them, but my hand hurt. I couldn't even butter my toast, and Rachel reached over without missing a beat in her conversation with Frank, buttering it for me and handing it back.

He grinned at me as I handed back his toast, and I stopped talking. "Oh, fuck me, I'm treating you like a child."

"Something about him inspires that," Frank drawled, and I giggled as Nick glared at him.

"My hand hurts," Nick pouted, taking a bite of his toast. "She was just being nice, unlike some people."

"Punkass," Frank responded. "Know how many times I've broken my hand? Stop milking it, you're fine."

Nick started to say something, but stopped as I giggled. "You guys really need some time apart."

"Yeah, Frank, leave," Nick insisted.

Frank went back to his breakfast, not looking at either of us. "I'm enjoying myself. Can't wait to see the winery. This is a great vacation, Rachel," he grinned at me, and I smiled back. They were both pretty used to four star service, I was pleased to know that he liked my little town and my old house.

"Yeah, she invited me, Frank. Not my bodyguard."

Just to torture him, I smiled at Nick, patting Frank's hand. "No, you're both more than welcome. Hell, Frank, invite your boyfriend up."

Frank smirked at Nick. "Excellent idea, Rache."

Nick groaned, standing up from the table and taking his plate into the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower. Stop torturing me."

He left as Frank and I laughed after him. "Seriously, Frank, you don't have to leave."

"You're a sweet girl, Rachel," was his only answer as he started clearing the table. Did that mean he was leaving or staying? I sorta liked having a chaperone…

We drove past row after row of grapevines and Rachel was positively glowing, a huge smile on her face as she turned down the radio and rounded the corner into a large circular driveway.

It was exactly as I'd pictured it. A huge Victorian home - three floors and a large wrap around porch with a white swing next to the front door, just like you'd see in a movie. I looked over to the left and could see the adjacent driveway packed with cars. They were parked up on the grass and people were milling around. That must be the tasting room she told us about as we drove over here.

"Welcome to Connor Vineyards!" She announced as she screeched to a stop inches away from the house.

"Wow."

She shrugged, "It's home. Not as high-brow as it looks, believe me."

I got out of the car and spied a basketball hoop around the side of the house, just like the one at her place. I had no doubt that the inside was just as amazing, probably packed with arts and crafts projects she and her brothers had made in kindergarten and pictures of the family.

I thought about my house in the Keys. I don't even know how much I'd paid to have someone decorate it, but I'm sure it was a small fortune and it didn't have half the character that Rachel's house did. In fact, other than the awards and gold records in the office, you couldn't even tell who lived there.

"Rachel!" Her mom came across the driveway, smiling at us. She was wearing a Conner Vineyards t-shirt like Rachel was but hers was stained down the front with splotches of red wine. She stopped and looked down, "Sorry… we're short-handed this morning. Three tour groups so far and it's only noon. I'm helping Jon in the tasting room."

"I can do that," Rachel offered quickly as she went over and threw her arms around her mother.

Her mom shook her head, stepping away from her. "You have company. We're fine, no more tours scheduled for this afternoon. Other than Frank's, of course!" She smiled over at Frank.

"I'm looking forward to it, ma'am," he told her. Hey! I want to see the winery! I guess. What was there to see? Did they really stomp on grapes to make wine or was that just in the movies?

I knew nothing about wine. I could feel more homework coming, wasn't it bad enough that I attempted to learn about chick rock for Rachel?

"Nick!" Two little voices yelled, and I looked over to see Katie and Colleen on the porch, with a younger girl I didn't know. "Look!" Katie leaned down to tell her. "It's Nick!"

Rachel beat me to the porch, picking up the little dark haired girl and swinging her into her arms for a hug. "Allie! How's my beautiful girl?"

Allie smiled at her. "Is that really a Backstreet Boy?"

"Yes, that's Nick. Should we take him inside and show him the house? Is your brother here, too?"

"Uh-huh" Allie chattered away to her as Rachel carried her inside, followed by the other girls.

Rachel's mom led Frank and I inside, catching us up on the rest of the family, "You know Katie and Colleen from yesterday, but the little one is Allison, their cousin. Patrick's daughter."

We stepped into a huge living room that felt a lot like the one at Rachel's house, airy and filled with memories. Rachel grew up in an amazing place, did she have any idea how lucky she was? We'd moved a dozen times by the time I was 10, and then I'd spent the rest of my life on the road. I didn't have any place that was this much like home in my life.

A little boy, about two, came running around a corner, followed by his mother. "William Franklin Connor, you stop this instant!" She yelled, scooping him up. "You are such a terrible two," she smiled at him. "You never stand still!"

The boy just giggled, trying to wiggle out of his mother's arms as she attempted to wipe off his face. Looks like he started lunch without the rest of us. Rachel's face softened as she smiled over at him. Who would have guessed that the wanton sex goddess would be so good with kids? Thinking about how she was on stage, I had to stifle a laugh. If only her boy toys could see her now!

"Aw, he just couldn't wait to see his Aunt Rachel," Rachel told her, sitting Allison on the floor and holding her arms out for the baby. "How's my Billy?" He squealed at the sight of Rachel and leaned out of his mother's arms to her.

Surrendering the baby, the mom held out her hand to me. "I'm Sarah. You're Nick Carter, the girls can talk of nothing else."

"Patrick's wife?" I asked. Patrick and Sarah, Jon and Vanessa, Rachel had told us about her family on the drive up, did I have it right?

"Yes," she smiled. Allison was hers, they had the same smile. "And so you are Frank, the scary one."

Frank shrugged, shaking her hand. "Never to ladies."

Sarah grinned. "Good to know. Welcome to Connor Vineyards, gentlemen. Frank, I hear you want a tour?"

"I'd love a tour," Frank answered smoothly.

"I would too!" I hoped I didn't sound like I was trying too hard. From the look Frank gave me, I probably did.

"We'll do that after lunch, then," Mrs. Connor told us. "We do have some time for a quick tour of the house, though."

"Oh, mom," Rachel whined, looking up from her conversation with Billy. "They don't care." She rolled her eyes at us. "Mom is a member of the historical society. She thinks that everyone cares about the history of Cutoghue."

"I'd love to hear about the house, Mrs. Connor," I managed to say before Frank could.

Her mom smirked at Rachel, making me laugh. "You may call me Kate, Nick. Well, then, the house was built in 1905 by my grandfather, Rachel's great-grandfather, William Fielding. They owned just about everything you can see from the front porch. It was all farmland then and my grandfather also owned a store in town. Sold fishing supplies to the boats that would stop here on their way North."

I tried to concentrate on what she said, I'd never remember all these details! Rachel put the baby down and came over to us as her mom led us towards the back of the house. The kids ignored us, obviously they'd heard all this before. Rachel bumped up against me and I completely lost my train of thought, fighting the urge to put my arm around her or reach out for her hand.

"So when Jonathon and I got married in what…"

Rachel smiled, "1965."

Her mother nodded, "Right. 1965. We were going to get as far away from here as possible. It was the '60s and we fancied ourselves to be free spirits. We thought we'd move away and live on a commune for a couple years or something. But then Rachel's grandfather got sick and since I was the oldest, we stayed to look after the farm."

Rachel's mom led us through the house, pointing out antiques and telling funny stories about each room. Just like I expected, there were pictures of the kids all over the place. I kept stopping to stare at them, trying to figure out how old Rachel was in each of them. Luckily she was the only girl, so she was easy to pick out.

I picked up a frame from the hallway table on the second floor and Rachel came over to me, "I was about 10 there. Last time I looked all innocent. Horrible picture."

I looked back down at the picture. She was sitting in the swing on the porch dressed in a white dress with knee socks and patent leather shoes, her hands neatly folded on her lap. "Nah, it's great. Weird to see you in a dress, though! What are you doing?"

She considered the picture for a moment, "No, I don't wear many dresses. Hard to be a girly girl when you're chasing your brothers on the basketball court or loading amps into the van. That was First Communion."

"You're Catholic?" I blurted out. Suddenly my head was filled with images of Rachel in a Catholic schoolgirls uniform ala Britney and it was almost more than I could take. My Rachel, a Catholic girl? She laughed at my expression.

"Yeah… I guess. I was Confirmed and all that. Daddy made us all go through the motions. What's so funny?"

"Nothin'… Just never pictured you a Catholic schoolgirl." But it was an image I liked. Short skirts and all.

She bumped me with her shoulder, teasing. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Carter. I went to public school and never wore a plaid uniform!"

I pouted down at her and she smiled up at me, her brown eyes sparkling, "Stop that. Your petulance will get you nowhere with me."

"Are you sure of that?" I raised an eyebrow at her and licked my bottom lip slowly. I was good at pouting. She grabbed my hand and I put down the picture, letting her pull me up to the third floor. I held onto her hand after we got upstairs and she didn't pull away, I lightly caressed the top of her hand with my thumb and she smiled over at me. This was a good sign, wasn't it? We were joking and she was letting me touch her. If I could just get rid of Frank, this might be a great vacation. The Carter charm had yet to fail me, afterall.

I loved being here with her and just being normal. I wanted to take her sailing and stay up all night watching bad movies on TV with her. I'd stay here all afternoon listening to stories about what she was like growing up. I looked over at her, she was smiling at her mother. When she caught me looking at her out of the corner of her eye, I swear she blushed.

I never felt this way about any of the girls I'd dated. Not even Mandy and she was supposed to be the love of my life.

He was holding my hand like we were in the seventh grade! My head was spinning as his thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand but I couldn't pull it away from him. I glanced over at him and caught him looking at me. God, I was a mess, wasn't I? But he was so adorable, turning his attention back to my mom and listening intently to everything she said like he was taking notes for a quiz that we'd be giving him later. The image of Nick raising his hand in class popped into my head and I had to stifle a giggle.

"This…" mom announced as we entered the large room that took up most of the front half of the third floor, "Was Rachel's room until last year. Katie and Colleen share it now, obviously."

I looked around at the walls - posters of all the boy bands and a few of Britney and Christina were tacked up over the floral print wallpaper. About 20 pairs of Nick eyes stared down at me. I pulled my hand out of his and covered my face, "Ewww… it's kind of creepy having you all staring at me like that!"

Nick looked around, "Having Joey's eyes staring at you is even creepier!"

I smiled over at Frank. "When it was my room, it was all Duran, so I guess I can't complain, right?"

"Duran's better than these upstarts," Frank responded with a smile, and Nick scowled at him.

I went over to Katie's bed, inspecting the poster she had hanging over it and started to giggle, "Look at your hair! And Kevin's scrawny chest. Wow. Baby Backstreet!"

"The bowl cut years! We gotta get her a new poster," Nick exclaimed

"But I think this is her favorite! It's got the honor of hanging above the bed. That's no joke. And you're such non-threatening boys there!" I looked at the poster than back at Nick. Hey, if I did that, the real life Nick standing in front of me didn't look quite so young. Hmm… maybe I should make a copy to carry in my wallet. Maybe it'd make me feel less like a dirty old woman who was considering robbing the cradle. Was that what I was doing?

I stared at her blankly. What did that mean? I could be threatening!

"Non-threatening boys. You know… too young and innocent to scare little girls with thoughts of…" she lowered her voice to a mock-whisper and smiled at her mother, "sex."

"Right! The little girls never think about that." I laughed. "I must be imagining all those bras that the roadies sweep up and signs about my butt!" As soon as it was out, I clapped my hand over my mouth. Shit. Rachel's mom was standing right here and I was trying to make a good impression. I didn't want her thinking that I had groupies throwing themselves at me every night. Well, I did… but she didn't have to know that!

"It's okay, Nick. I know how little girls' minds work. I hear the screaming coming out of this room. I remember when Rachel would…"

Rachel wailed out "Mo-om!" and Frank and I both started to laugh. "Isn't lunch ready or something?"

"I was just going to say that I remember you and James hiding out here for hours, listening your to records. And, yes," she grinned at her daughter, "I know that nothing ever happened with you and James. How is he, anyway? Is he coming up to see his parents while you've got this break?"

I could tell that Rachel was relieved to change the subject and she and her mom chatted about James for a minute, until Frank yelled. We all stopped what we were doing to look at him, and Rachel grinned. "Bates!" There was a large, furry cat on one of the beds, glaring up at Frank.

"He tried to kill me!" Frank said, almost whining. Frank, scared of a cat? I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Rachel picked up the cat, and he snuggled into her arms, letting her bury her face in his fur. "He did not. Bates wouldn't ever do such a terrible thing. He's a good sweet boy. See, he's sleeping here on Colleen's bed like a dear."

"I hate to break it to you, darling," her mother said. "But the girls are terrified of him. He must have snuck up here, you know this was his domain."

Rachel pouted at her mother for a moment before looking back down at the cat. "You have such a bad reputation, but we both know you're just a love bunny, don't we?"

Frank and I exchanged a look, trying not to laugh. Who knew Rachel had such a soft side? "Bates?" Frank questioned, and Rachel smiled at him.

"You got that in one, very impressive."

"What?" I whined. It was either cooking or Duran, Frank and Rachel suddenly had all these in-jokes and I hated it. She smiled over at me.

"Bates is Nick Rhodes' actual last name."

"He uses it more often than you'd think to check into hotels, too," Frank had to add. Blah blah blah, Frank was Rachel's new best friend. I didn't care if he was gay and it wouldn't go anywhere, I wanted him to leave. Rachel was mine! I wanted to start having in-jokes with her!

"Lunch!" a voice called from downstairs, and Rachel headed for the stairs, still carrying the cat. I went over to her, trying to pet him, and he growled at me.

"Oh, Bates, give it a rest," she sighed, dropping him. "Go find one of the kittens to torture." She glanced back at me, walking down the steps. "He loves only me, I apologize."

I shrugged, following her. Bates and I might have something in common.

The kitchen here was even better than the one at Rachel's house, obliviously part of the original farmhouse. Sarah was putting plates on the table for the kids, and Rachel looked around. "I thought my brothers wanted me? And where's Vanessa?"

"The boys and Vanessa are in the store while we eat," Sarah answered. "Then I'll relieve them."

"Well, so much for quality time."

"Why don't you go over to the store, Rachel? We can take care of your guests for an hour," her mom suggested, and Rachel looked at me.

I could certainly entertain the kids for a while, right? I shrugged at Rachel. "I'm fine. Go." She grinned and took off, and I turned around to the table. "Now, where do I sit?"

All three girls demanded my attention and I smirked over at Frank before going to the table. Yeah, he might know all the in-jokes, but I could charm the little girls.

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