CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Luci? Are you okay?" Allie asked two weeks later from her bedroom around 10:30 while she got ready to go out as she listened to Luci nearly hack up a lung. She had been like this since the day after everyone had gone to the beach. Her fever hovered around a hundred degrees, she coughed practically none stop, when she wasn't coughing she was sneezing, and to make it worse she wouldn't see a doctor. Neither of the guys had stopped over, but Allie, Nick, A. J, and the rest of the Backstreet Boys were going clubbing, even though Allie and Nick had to force A.J. to come. Allie wasn't really sure what had happened between Luci and A.J. that night at the beach, but Luci could barely say a word without coughing and A. J. was barely talking to anyone.

"Yeah." Luci replied, from the couch which she, and her Little Mermaid sleeping bag, had taken hostage the day she had gotten sick, and only left it to go to the bathroom. "Daddy left for Japan today, Al."

"I know. You told me this morning." she assured Luci. Mr. Wilson had going to Japan for three weeks on club business. Allie walked out of her room and into the living room. Luci's skin was pale and sallow looking, but other than and her coughing and sneezing you couldn't tell Luci was sick. She had made a point of showering every day, which amazed Allie. When she was sick all she wanted to do was sleep, and never leave her bed. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Allie inquired, reaching down and feeling Luci's head. It was still burning up.

"Just go and have fun." Luci told her, before breaking up into another fit of coughing.

"I really wish you would see a doctor." Allie sighed, as Nick opened the door.

"I really wish you would just leave me alone." Luci answered in the same tone.

"What's wrong?" Nick pressed, kissing Allie on the cheek as A.J. walked in the door.

"I have a cold." Luci responded, before Allie could. "I am fine."

"No, your not." A. J. piped up. "We could hear you coughing all the way down the hallway."

Luci moaned before coughing again. "She has a fever, and can't stop sneezing and coughing. I wanted to stay here with her..." Allie explained, letting her voice dropped off.

"Have you been to the doctor?" Nick inquired, and Luci shook her head, unable to talk.

"I'll stay with her." A.J. volunteered, waiting for Luci to object, but she simply sighed, and pulled her sleeping bag tighter around her shoulders.

"Is that what you want, Luc?" Allie questioned. She really wanted to go out with Nick and the guys, but felt bad about leaving Luci.

"I don't care. I just want to sleep." Luci muttered, laying her head on her pillow. "If your staying just be quiet."

A.J. nodded, as Allie asked, "Are you sure you don't mind? I'll stay."

"No. He said he'd stay. Let's go Allison." Nick stated firmly, grabbing Allie's coat and pulling her out the door.

"I thought it was just allergies." A.J. teased, sitting on the lovseat, next to the couch.

"So did I." Luci replied, stretching. "Can you please be quiet? I really want to sleep."

"Sure." A.J. whispered.

~+~+~+~+~+~

Three hours later, A.J. still sat on the loveseat watching ESPN2, while Luci fell in and out of fitful sleeps, when the phone rang. A. J. looked at Luci, to see of she was awake or not, and when he saw she wasn't he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is Lucinda there?" came a formal voice that A.J. couldn't place.  He looked at Luci once again, wondering if he should wake her, but his questions where answered when she opened her eyes.

"Is it for me?" she asked, motioning to the phone, and A.J. nodded.  'Who could be calling at 1:30 in the morning?' she thought as A.J. handed the phone to her. "Hello?"

"Luci?" inquired Madeline, the Wilson's maid, her voice cracking slightly.

Luci felt panicky. Madeline never showed sadness. Never in the 13 years had Madeline had been working for the Wilson's had Luci seen her cry or portray any emotion near sadness. "Yes. What's wrong, Maddy?" she prodded.

"I...Your father...he...his plane...it had...engine problems...and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean around 10:30.  They...just...They just found his body, Luci. He is....dead." Madeline stated, trying to keep herself posed for the sake of Luci. Mr. Wilson had not only been her boss, but a friend.

"My...He's what?" Luci replied, in shock.

"Dead. I'm so sorry. They just called. He died instantly so he didn't suffer. I'm so sorry, honey" she responded.

"Dead?" Luci whispered, closing her eyes. A.J.'s mouth dropped. "Can I call you later Maddy? I need to think."

"Sure sweetie." Madeline replied, before hanging up the phone.

Luci turned the phone off and opened her eyes to stare at the TV before she began to cough again.

Once she was done, A.J. asked. "Luci? What's wrong?"

Luci jumped, like she just realized he was in the room, but stared at him. "My dad is...dead." she answered, wondering why this was happening to her. God had already taken everyone but Allie, or was Allie next? What the hell was God doing to her?

"Omigod" A.J. exclaimed, walking over to her and hugging her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder and let the tears fall. She was an orphan.

"He was going to Japan for club business. His plane crashed around 10:30 in the ocean. They just found his body." Luci explained, feeling as if her world had crashed around her. "I...I didn't even get to tell him I loved him."

"I'm sure he knew, honey. I'm sure he knew." A. J. ensured her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"But I didn't get to tell him. I told you A.J. I told you that everyone I love ends up dying. Why does this happen to me? What did I do that was so bad?" she cried, holding him like their was no tomorrow.

"It's not your fault. My grandfather died. Kevin's dad died. Howie's sister died. Kevin and Brian's grandfather died, Everyone dies, Luc, we had no control over it. It's not your fault." A. J. informed her.

Luci sighed, and thought about that. Finally she replied, "A.J. I think I'd like to go to bed okay? And sleep on everything."

A.J. nodded, and pulled away from her, then helped her up. "That's a good idea." he agreed, as she wrapped her arms around him once more.

"Thank you A.J. I love you" she whispered in his ear, without thinking. She pulled back from him with a frightened look on her face.

A.J. smiled down at her and brushed a piece of hair away from her face. He was ecstatic. "I love you too Luci." he responded.

"Just....just don't die on me." she muttered, walking away.

A.J. sat down on the couch totally contented, even though he knew he shouldn't be.

~+~+~+~+~+

Around 4:30, Nick and Allie walked in the apartment, to find Luci not on the couch and A.J. in her place, asleep with a goofy smile on his face.

"You don't think they...." Allie muttered, turning to face Nick.

"Had sex?" Nick finished, smiling at her, coyly. "I doubt it. The dork's probably dreaming about it, though. It's an idea we might try, too." He raised his blonde eyebrows at Allie.

Allie shook her head and was about to respond, but A.J. awoke. "I heard that Carter." he retorted.

"Good for you." Nick responded, walking over to the loveseat, pulling Allie with him.

"Where's Luci?" Allie questioned, as Nick pulled her into his lap.

"She went to bed around 1:30." A.J. stated.

"How is she?" Allie prodded.

"Um..she's still sick, but Madeline, her maid, called right before she went to bed."

"What did she have to say?"

"Well..Mr. Wilson went to Japan on business-"

"I know that."

"Let me finish. Around 10:30 his plane started having engine troubles, and it crashed into the ocean. They found his body right before Madeline called. He was dead."

"Oh God...How is Luci?" Allie cried, horrified.

"She's upset. I talked with her, and she said she wanted to sleep on it." A. J. explained.

"Damn it! I knew we shouldn't have left. I should have been here for her!" Allie exclaimed.

"Ssshh!!" A.J. hissed. "You going to wake her up. You couldn't have done anything. I had it under control."

"Thank you so much." Allie replied, quietly, getting up and hugging A.J. quickly before returning to Nick's lap. "Do you think I should go talk to her?"

"No, don't wake her up." Nick advised, wrapping his arms around Allie, and yawning. "Speaking of sleep that sounds pretty good right now."

"I don't think so...Maybe I should wait until Luci gets up..." Allie thought aloud, leaning back against Nick.

"Allie, it won't make a difference, just go to bed." A.J. commanded. "You don't mind if I crash on the couch do you?"

"Only if you'll make room for Nick." Allie teased.

"What?! I am not sleeping on the couch with him." Nick cried, with mock disgust. "Why can't I sleep in your bed?"

Allie sighed. "Fine...but no sex, okay buddy?" she demanded, getting up.

Nick laughed. "It's better than sleeping with A.J. " he teased.

"Ha ha funny. It's not like I wanted to sleep with you either." A.J. shot back.

"Will you two shut up?" Allie interrupted, "Or else Nick will have to sleep out here."

"Fine." both guys agreed in unison, but not before sticking their tongues out at each other.

Allie yanked Nick up from the loveseat, and walked toward her bedroom. "Wake me up when Luci gets up, okay?"

"Yup." A.J. replied, even though he had no intention too. "Good night. Oh yeah. Guess what?"

"What?" Nick prodded.

A. J. smiled proudly at Nick. "She said she loves me."

Allie turned around and smiled at A. J, looking both slightly surprise and happy for him. "That's great, A.J." she praised.

~+~+~+~+~+

The next morning all four were woken up at 10:30 by the ever so lovely phone. "I'll get it." Allie called groggily, but the phone stopped ringing before she could lean over Nick and get it.

"Five more minutes, Kevin. Just let me sleep 5 more minutes. Then I'll get up. We won't be late for sound check." Nick mumbled, sleepily, rolling over, and pulling the covers over his head. Allie laughed as she got out of the bed and walked into the living room, to find A.J. still asleep on the couch, with Luci's Little Mermaid sleeping bag over him, and Luci lying on the loveseat.

"Who was on the phone?" Allie asked quietly, placing herself in the armchair next to the loveseat.

"You don't need to be quiet. I've been out here since 8:30 and he hasn't woken up." Luci stated, looking at A.J. "It was one of my Dad's lawyers. He wants me over there at like 12:30 to go over what I want to sell and the will and everything. I take it A.J. told you already, that Daddy died, right?"

"Yeah. Don't they give you any time to grieve or anything?" Allie inquired, before Luci began to cough.

"I'm still kinda in shock. Would you mind going with me? The guys'll probably want to come, too. I'll kind of need some moral support." Luci requested, as Allie wondered if she could handle everything, with her being sick and all.

"Sure, Luc. I wouldn't mind." Allie replied. "So your okay with everything?"

"Sure...I'm in shock you know? It hasn't really hit yet. I was in so much shock last night I told A.J. I loved him." Luci stated, playing with her hair.

"I know. He told us that too. You meant it right? I think he's really fallen for you." Allie pressed, watching A.J.

"Yeah, but I'm afraid, Al? What if he breaks my heart, or I break his? Or one of us dies? What then?"

"You'll just have to take it as it comes, Luc."

"I'm tired of taking things as they come."

"What can you do though?"

Luci shrugged. "Where is Nick?" she inquired, looking around.

"Still in bed."

"What bed?"

"My bed."

"Allie...no way."

"NO! We didn't do it!"

"Okay...I better go get ready. Okay?"

"Yeah." Allie responded, watching her go. She wondered if Luci really was in shock or if she was hiding her feelings.