CHAPTER ONE

October 2000

Mags sat on the grass going through the mail, as she watched Tyler dash around the backyard, chasing their daschund, for some reason AJ had named Tobi Wan Kenobi.  'It's a good think I didn't let AJ pick out Tyler's name' Mags thought as she came to a package of pictures, that had AJ's name on it.

"Must be your 1st birthday pictures." Mags informed Tyler. He stopped, and smiled at her, before continuing to on his mission of trying to capture Tobi. It was so obvious that Tyler had inherited AJ's devious, but cute grin.

Mags opened the package to find that they weren't the pictures of Tyler's part, but instead when, BSB was touring in Europe, for Millennium. They had just gotten off the US leg of the tour. At the moment they were in the studio, working on their 3rd album.

Mags was at the middle of the pictures, when she saw AJ with what she assumed was a fan. When she got to the last picture she gasped, and dropped the pictures. "Bastard," she muttered, as Tyler walked up to her pulling Tobi by the collar. She quickly scooped both of them up, along with the pictures. She deposited the dog in the house before getting in the car and driving to the studio.

She and Tyler practically flew through the studio. She saw Mandy and Leighanne outside the door of where the guys were.

"Hey-" Mandy started.

"Watch Tyler for a minute please." Mags interrupted, handing him to Leighanne and walking through the door. When she saw AJ, he had a cigarette in his mouth, He knew she hated it. She had thought he had stopped, but she had thought wrong.
None of the guys saw he until she was standing in front of them. Once she stood opposite of AJ, he noticed her, and quickly shoved the cigarette under the table.

"Hey baby. Where's Ty-" he began, but Mags interrupted him.

"I see you've done more than smoke behind my back." Mags accused, slamming the last picture onto the table so hard it shook. Her voice was level, but full of anger.

"Huh....?" AJ inquired, before looking at the picture. He glanced down and groaned, as he muttered "Shit."

"AJ, I've always known that you were flirtatious, and I accepted it. I never....thought you would do...this." Mags replied, staring straight into AJ's eyes.

"I....it's....you don't.....it's not what it se-"AJ tried to explain, but was once agan cut off.

"Oh...but it is, It seems you and your ex-girlfriend Marissa make-out in Europe. God knows what else. It's cheating, and I know you know that." Mags responded.

"Where is Tyler?" questioned Brian, trying to end their fight.

Mags didn't want it to end, but she answered him anyway. "In the hallway with Mandy and Leighanne. Keep him out there." She told him. her eyes never leaving AJ's. Brian quickly got up and left.

"Can I explain?" AJ asking knowing how stubborn Mags could be.

"Uh...do you want us to leave?" Howie questioned uncomfortably.

"There's no point. We all know AJ can't keep his mouth shut." Mags replied coldly, as AJ began to fidget in his chair. "You can explain, but I really don't care.

"She kissed me first?" AJ offered lamely. He felt like he was on trial. A trial he would undoubtedly lose. "Plus I missed you."

"Oh My God, AJ, why are you lying to me! What did I do? Why couldn't you just have told me?" Mags yelled. She so badly wanted to hit him. She wanted it more than anything else, but she couldn't. She couldn't do it because of Tyler. Mags felt tears welling up in her eyes. 'I can not let him see me cry. I will not cry. I will not give him the satisfaction.' she thought.

"I didn't want to hurt you." AJ responded. "I love you."

Normally hearing those 3 words made Mags want to melt. Now hearing those words she wanted to beat the hell out of him even more. "Love? AJ, if you loved me you wouldn't have done this. I can NOT believe you would even think of saying that." Mags whispered, her gaze on AJ's eyes still not wavering.

"It's not like I slept with her. We kissed a couple times." AJ protested, immediately regretting it. He was waiting for Mags to hit him. He wanted her to hit him. It would mean she wasn't as hurt as her eyes portrayed.

Mags snorted, and shook her head in disbelief. "I give up." she muttered, and walked to the door. Just as she was about to open the door, she turned back around slowly and walked behind AJ, bent over and whispered in his ear "I always knew we weren't meant to be." She then returned to the door, walked out of it and slammed it.

"What did she say? Huh?" Nick begged. He was on the far end of the table they were sitting at, and was unable to hear what she had whispered.

AJ turned to Nick slowly, his eyes wide as the words sunk in "She said....that...that she always knew we...we weren't meant to be." he answered stunned.

Suddenly the door flew open, and an enraged Mandy entered. "How could you do this to her?" she screamed at AJ. Mandy turned to Nick next "And you let him! You are all going to hell!" She exited the room as quickly as she entered. She ran down the hallway where Mags and Tyler were standing by the elevator.