Chapter Fifteen

June 2001

"Hey, guys," Nichole, their fan club manager said as she walked into the huge conference room at The Beverly Hills Hotel in California. The boys of Breakdown were there to film their next video, "I Want It That Way". It had all been set up, the video would be filmed at LAX, and they were meeting with their fan club manager because their fan club members would be there during the filming. "I hope you guys are prepared, this is going to be crazy," she added with a grin.

"What else is new?" Emmett said.

She rolled her eyes. "Edward, I got the information you requested about the Boys and Girls Clubs."

"Thanks, Nic," he said with a wink.

She blushed. It was known to all the guys that Edward was trying to clean up his act some. And the way he was doing it was by volunteering at the Chicago Boys and Girls Club and donating a ton of money to them. He was getting a lot of publicity, something that the club and the band both benefited from.

She sat down and they got down to business. One hundred of their fan club members were going to be there and they were coming from all over the country. "I've talked with security, your personal security as well as over at LAX and they have everything well in hand, so, no worries on that front…"

"You mean we don't have to worry about some teenie-boppers trying to kill us?" Jasper joked quietly.

She shot him a look. "Be very careful, boys. These women go nuts, remember that, okay?"

They all nodded solemnly and she smiled. "Alright. Now, you have a meet and greet with them this evening. The video begins shooting in the morning, so, hopefully that will calm them down a little bit."

"I'm scared," Emmett said. "Hold me, Jasper!" He clutched onto his best friend and as the other guys laughed, Jasper included, he yelled, "Get the fuck off, you fairy."

"But I'm scared!" Emmett said again. He wrapped his arms all the tighter around Jasper, who now just rolled his eyes. Suddenly an evil smirk crossed his face and Jasper kissed Emmett's face.

"YUCK! DUDE! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Emmett said as he fell to the floor in a hasty retreat.

Jasper puckered up again. "Just remember, Em, I'm always armed."

The other three men were laughing their asses off and Emmett's lower lip poked out. "Fine, be that way. Jackass."

"Well, a jackass is better than being a dumb ass, which you are."

Emmett stuck his tongue out at him.

"Mature, Em. Real mature."

"So is kissing me on the cheek! God, it's like we're in grade school again. Next thing I know you'll put me in a headlock!"

Jasper grinned again. "Now, you know that turned into foreplay in later years."

The others looked confused until Emmett said, "That was when Jamie did it, Jasper, and you know it!"

Jasper shrugged and started whistling.

Nichole watched everything for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Okay, so…"

Two days later, the boys were exhausted and flying on their private jet to New York where they would release the newly completed video on TRL, the request television show on MTV.

"Dude, MTV!" Jake said excitedly as he looked out the plane window. The lights of New York were just starting to brighten the night sky.

"Dude, New York!" Edward shot back, mocking him. Jacob flipped him off and they both grinned.

"Don't forget, we've got that meeting with the Burger King people in a few days," Phil said, ignoring the boys' antics.

"You know, I always liked McDonalds better," Carlisle put in.

"Hey, they're paying us to be their spokespeople. I think we can fudge on rather we like a Whopper better than a Big Mac, don't you?" Jasper asked.

Carlisle grinned and rubbed his thumb and middle finger together. "All in the name of the mighty dollar, right?"

"Exactly," the other four said.

The plane touched down and a limo was waiting for them on the tarmac. "Dude, I could so get used to living like this," Emmett said as he jumped into the limo.

"We are living like this, dipshit." Edward told him.

"You, my friend, are a buzzkill. We need to find you some pussy, pronto."

Edward shook his head. He had decided one thing…he was not touching another woman until he could get his hands on Isabella. He thought back to their conversation in her car that night…

"So, what are you going to do about it," he asked, desperate not to let her know how deep his feelings ran.

She blew out a breath. "Nothing, at least, not now. I'm with Mike, Edward. And that means I can't screw around with you. He means more than that, he deserves more than that."

"But you don't love him," Edward stated.

"No, I don't."

"Do you love me?"

She shook her head. "I don't know you, Edward."

"Yes you do. You know me better than anyone else."

"That doesn't say much, and the fact remains, I just caught you screwing some girl in the coat closet when you had just broken up with your fiancée, and even then, you weren't sure. You need some help, Edward. You need to see into yourself, make you happy with you before you can be with anyone long term. And…if I'm honest with myself, I'm afraid to be with you. I don't want to give my heart over to you only to have it stomped on by you when you tire of me."

"I would never tire of you, Bella. I…you're unlike any woman I've ever met."

"And when that wears off, when you've found out all my secrets, when you've peeled me back, layer by layer until you know me inside and out…will you leave me?"

"I would never leave you," he promised.

She sighed. "I can't trust that, Edward. And I can't just up and leave Mike. Our life is too public right now, especially with this whole faked tape thing…I can't. I can't break up with him, it'll look like it's because of the tape. Just let this run its course."

"And then you'll be with me," he asked hopefully.

She blew out a breath. "No, then I'll be by myself for a while, see how I really feel. Hopefully, during that time, you will have been alone too and you can see how you really feel about things."

He hadn't been happy about that, but what could he do? She'd been busy in Nashville and doing around, she had been seen all over the country with Mike too, much to Edward's chagrin.

They arrived at their hotel and were given strict instructions on what time to be ready for their limo to take them to the MTV studios the next day, and all five of them fell into exhausted sleep.

PAGE BREAK

"Hello, everyone! I'm Carson Daly and we have a GREAT new show for you all. Today, we have special guests, the boys of BREAKDOWN!" The crowd went wild as he grinned. "Not only are the B-Boys coming in, but they're bringing us fresh new music! Hot off their set at LAX and the filming of their newest video, "I Want It That Way", they're bringing us the video to watch!"

The roar was crazy as Jasper, Edward, Emmett, Carlisle and Jake came in. They all shook hands with Carson and sat upon stools that had been put in place for them to sit on.

"Now," Carson said. "Word is that this video is the brainchild of you, Edward, and Bella Swan, the same Bella Swan that's dating your arch nemesis, Mike Newton, correct?"

Edward smiled. "Well, Mike's band is our nemesis, that much is true, but I hold no ill will toward Mike or any of the boys of Head of the Pack."

"Yeah, we just know our music is better than theirs," Emmett said, causing another uproar of cheers from the crowd.

"So, it's safe to say that you aren't worried about Bella spilling secrets to them?"

"Nah, Bella's cool," Jake interjected. "She's not the type to be spilling gossip."

They showed the video then, after which, they took questions from the audience and finally they were free…let loose on the streets of New York.

"It's early," Emmett said as they climbed out the limo back at the hotel's back entrance to avoid the mad rush of people hoping to get a peek of them. "Let's all go out tonight."

"I can't," Jacob said. "I…I made plans to go home, visit my family this weekend. I'm flying out in a few hours." What he didn't say, was that was a ruse and he was, in fact, going to meet Nessie, who was doing a photo shoot down in Miami. They had plans to meet and spend some time together in secret.

"I don't feel like going out," Carlisle said, hiding the smile. He and Esme were going to relax in separate bathtubs and perhaps have a lovely bout of phone sex once Foster went to bed.

"Well, count me in," said Jasper. "I'm dying to check out the New York nightlife…" he trailed off and Emmett's eyes followed Jasper's line of vision.

Emmett's eyes grew wide as he saw her.

"Hello, Jasper," she said, her words sliding over him like honey. Gone was most of the southern accent she had most of her life, in it's place, sophistication and a hint of smugness.

"Miya?"

She smiled as she came forward.

"How did you know I was here?"

Her smile grew. "It wasn't that hard to find out if you know how to get your way. And I do know how to get my way."

He swallowed hard and she walked to Emmett, hugging him. "Hey, Em."

"Uh, hey, Miya, what's up?"

She shrugged. "Not much, just felt like visiting an old friend."

For some reason, Emmett felt sure it wasn't him she was here to see. "Jazz, man, can I have a word with ya?"

But Jasper was already under her spell, just like he always was when Miya was in the room. He could do naught but what she asked. "Later, Em," he said as he held out an arm for Miya. "Shall we go up to my room? Talk a little bit?"

She nodded. "See you boys later," she called as he led her to the elevators.

"What the fuck was that?" Edward asked, blinking. He'd heard stories about women that just shut off your brain. They were called sirens or succubus, but he'd never actually met one. For one brief instant he was jealous of Jasper and wanted to rip him away from the woman so that he, Edward, could have her. He shook his head to clear it.

"That, my friend, was Miya. And she's…she's not good for Jazz," Emmett said.

"Yeah, but, she's just a woman, right? Edward's got a ton of them," Jacob said.

"Fuck and you, bro," Edward growled, causing Jake to grin.

"Yeah, but…he ain't never had one like this. She's…she's like his kryptonite."

"Are you seriously comparing a woman to Superman's weakness?"

"Same basic concept applies," Emmett said with a grimace. "He can't handle being with Miya. It's gonna fuck with his head. And that won't be good for us or him."

"We'll be here for him," Carlisle said finally. "Don't worry so much, Emmett. I know he's your best friend, but he'll be fine. He's a big boy."

Emmett blew out a breath. "I guess so." He looked at Edward. "You wanna go out tonight?"

"I shouldn't…" Edward started.

"Ed, man, please? Dude, I need to get out, get Jasper off my mind. Because, yeah, he's a big boy, and yeah, he's going to go up there and do her and then get fucked up, but I can't worry about him, not yet. Let's go get our drink on, find some pussy to tap, something."

Edward blew out a breath, the need to be good warring with the need to relax and have fun. Finally, he said, "Okay, let's go out, Em."

Emmett grinned. "Thanks, man, seriously."

"Alright, let's go. We'll meet up in a few days in Nashville, right?" Edward said.

They all nodded.