Nick saw Kate fall to the floor, the gunman not caring so much about her anymore, but what was going on the other side of the building.
Kate fell hard, her eyes shut, her body limp. Nick wrestled himself out underneath security and grabbed onto her and dragged her underneath him; wrapping his big arms around her, protecting her and trying to wake her up.
"Shit get out, get out, get out!" The gunman yelled to his henchman as they all went running down the corridor.
Everyone in the studio looked around at each other, confused.

~TEN MINUTES LATER~

"Kate, wake up, wake up," Nick said over and over.
My eyelids lifted slowly, at first terrified, but then realizing Nick was the one holding me. I smiled up at him and looked around curiously. A doctor was sitting next to us on the floor taking my pulse.
"You passed out," he softly replied.
I snatched my hand from the doctor and quickly wrapped my arms around Nick's neck and just sobbed. He stroked my head gently.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well the Canadian police put like a bomb thingy, I dunno what it was, but anyway they blew open the door. When it was reported that the gunman dropped you and they had no hostages the police started sneaking inside. The gunmen didn't want to be reprimanded, so they took off. I don't think they had any intentions of killing anyone, because they would of."
I sighed with relief, yet still a bit unsure that they hadn't caught the guys.
"Well you're fine and set to go Ms. McBride," the doctor said to me. Nick helped me stand up as he held onto my waist tightly. Security was going to take us back to the hotel, a car was already pulled around.
We went out the back way, the five guys and I, plus some of the publicity people that I worked with and some people from management; all of us huddling under a series of security guards.
When we stepped outside the sun was bright in my eyes, but what was even more bright was the flashes of the cameras. Every newspaper and news station west of Toronto had to be there. Nick held onto me tightly as we moved through the crowd. Reporters yelling questions left and right.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

"Holy shit, that's Kate!" Mark yelled as they all stared up at the NBC screen in the office. The channel was on twenty four - seven on a big screen right in the middle of the office so the paper could keep up on up to the minute news. Kaylee went running down the corridor and looked up at the screen. There was Kate, huddled underneath Nick as they tried to reach their limo.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Gunmen held all of them hostage in the studio in Vancouver," Mark muttered as he tried to turn the sound up. Everyone in the office was now staring at the television, their mouths dangling a mile long.
Kaylee tapped her long nails against the desk, a smirk forming in the corner of her mouth.
"This is so perfect," she muttered to herself as she walked back to her desk and was immediately on the phone.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

If we hadn't already been shoved into a limo a few times this trip, we were literally thrown this time. Nick ending up on Howie, me ending up on A.J. and Kevin on the floor. We ended up seating six people in a four seat bench because they didn't have time to get two limos. Brian ended up on Kevin's lap and me on Nick's the whole way back to the hotel. We all looked around at each other in silence. My face was stained with black tears from my run mascara. Nick held onto me tightly, almost killing my stomach.
A.J. and Howie stared out the window as Brian looked down at the ground. Kevin had his head back and eyes closed and Nick's chin rested on my shoulder, burying his face in my neck and hair. We all sighed in disbelief at what had just happened.

~AT THE HOTEL~

The hotel was surrounded by the Vancouver police, only letting in guests that had proof they were staying there. Our rooms were searched through, making sure everything was okay.
We were escorted into the hotel by security and straight up to our rooms for a meeting.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

He stood across the street. The same trench coat he'd worn for two days dangling on his body. He'd heard about the hostage situation and knew Kate was there. He watched, through a pair of dark glasses as she went inside, carried by the blonde boy.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Once we were in the room my cell phone went off. I was unwilling to answer it so A.J. took it from me.
"Kate's cell," he answered it.
"Hello tattoo man," Kaylee hissed down the line.
"Kaylee?" He asked shocked.
"Awww, you know me," she replied.
"Yeah well my name's A.J."
She rolled her eyes on her side of the line.
"Well, A.J. is Kate around?" She casually asked.
"She's busy, can I take a message?" He asked.
"Busy won't do, I need to talk to her, it's business talk, don't worry," Kaylee reassured him. He sighed, he had to give her the phone because if she was telling the truth, Kate still had some unsettled business with the Times.
A.J. handed Kate the phone apprehensively.
"Hello?" Kate mumbled as she curled up on the bed.
"You know you really need some waterproof mascara," Kaylee teased.
Kate sighed in annoyance.
"What happened out there Katie?"
"Okay, who all saw it?" Kate asked.
"The whole office and every major news station in North America."
"Great," Kate muttered.
"Yeah not to mention those innocent fans that Nicky told he wasn't dating a news reporter," she snickered.
"Why did you call?" Kate asked, huffing.
"Well just to see if you were okay." She batted her eyelashes.
"Well read the story on it Kaylee if you want to know, I'm sure you'll be printing it very soon," Kate shot as she hit "end" on her cellphone and tossed it on the end table in Brian's room.
"Okay people, get together, we're having a meeting," someone from management announced.
Nick lay beside me, his arms hadn't been removed from my body since I fell to the floor unconscious. He held onto me like kitten, his body twice my size, protecting me from the world.
"Okay, well we've obviously canceled that performance. But I'm afraid we're gonna have to give a press conference."
I sighed, I didn't feel like organizing any press release right now.
"If we don't the media's not gonna leave us alone. We need to answer all their questions in a controlled environment so they'll go away. And I think you've got a lot of panicked young girls out there worried to hell about you. Your fans need to know you're okay. They've got a lot of questions and no answers right now."
All the guys sighed. They didn't feel like doing a thing right now, especially talking to the media.
"If you don't the media's gonna make up their own stories. You know that's what happens when you don't answer questions."
Nick looked down at me just as his cell phone went off.
"Honey are you okay?" Jane yelled into the phone. Ohmigod, he'd totally forgot that his mom, dad and brother had been there. They had been escorted out of the building and not able to see him after the incident.
"Yeah I'm fine mom," Nick sighed as he excused himself from the meeting so he wouldn't disrupt. He went outside the hotel room to talk to her.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

I laid on the bed and listened to everyone ramble about what they were going to do. I felt naked without Nick's arms around me as I zoned while staring out the window.
Brian sat down next to me and put his hand on my arm.
"I'm glad you're okay Kate. You had me scared there for a while," he softly replied.
I turned around and looked up at him.
"Are you feeling okay?" He questioned.
"Yeah I'm fine, just still a little shaken, that's all," I answered back.
I sat up and looked at him.
"Are you doing okay?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.
He nodded, a frown forming on his face.
I reached over and draped my arms around him, he embraced me tightly, burying his head in my neck.
"It's just with all this with Felicia and now this, I'm just not doing to well," he quietly whispered as a tear escaped from his eye. He wiped it quickly and released me.
"I'm just glad you're okay," He smiled gently as he got up and walked away. I watched him walk away with hurt written all over his face.
Nick came back into the room as they all continued on with the discussion.
"Oh and Kate, why don't take the day off hun," Bob from the management company said as he smiled at me. I looked up at him and nodded as Nick sat back down and embraced me once again.
"My mom and dad want to see us tonight," he whispered trying not to interrupt the discussion.
"Tonight?" I asked a little shocked. I'd just had a really crappy afternoon and I now had to deal with Jane tonight?
"Yes, they want to meet us for dinner," he said frowning. He knew that the last time I'd seen Jane was the night that Kaylee played that false tape and she still probably believed it to this day. In her eyes her son was sleeping with some media-stricken bloodsucking vampire who wanted nothing but inside info. I sighed, but whatever made Nick happy was what I'd do. I was willing to do anything for him because I loved him so much. Even face his skeptical parents.
"Okay," I agreed, trying to smile.
"Really, you're okay with it?" He asked, shocked.
I nodded, trying to look enthused.
"They're only in town for two days, so that's why we had to do it tonight," he replied as Howie told him to be quiet.
"Well we're going to call the local newspapers and the major ones and let them know the conference will be scheduled for six this evening and will only last a half hour. We still want to give you the night off you were all looking forward to. It's five-fifteen now, so I suggest you all get dressed how you want and we'll throw this together real quick."
We all sighed.

~THAT EVENING~

The boys sat around the table, their eyes scanning the audience of media personalities. Everyone who came had to go through security clearance, but the boys were still unsure. Nick sipped at his water as he chatted on and off with Brian and A.J. Kevin and Howie sat down at the other end discussing what, if anything, they would do tonight. I sat off to the side watching my co-workers run around and organize it. Every time I tried to get up and help they'd shove me back in my seat. It was two minutes till the conference would start as I approached the guys.
"You guys, just remember to tell your fans that you're all okay, that's really important here. Also remember you don't have to answer any questions you don't want to. Okay?" They all nodded.
"Good luck," I said to Nick as I leaned down and kissed him gently.
I sat down on the sidelines as the cameras started rolling and they all warmly said hello to the crowds of people in the room. NBC, ABC and CBS correspondents were there sending the footage via satellite to their sister-stations in the United States. I sighed as I knew Kaylee and everyone back at the office was watching. It was only three there, right in the middle of their work day as I'm sure Kaylee was basking in her glory, just waiting for something to happen to me. I sat back as the first round of questions were fired at the guys.

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