"This is Guiliana Rancic for E! News on set of the video Schizo, the new, second single from singer Audrina Littrell, who is standing here with me to take a few minutes to talk about her tour and the recent events in her life. Audrina, you look amazing, as usual."

Audrina smiled at Guiliana, thanking her. "But I couldn't look good without all my stylists and make-up, so thank them for making me look amazing," she chuckled, Guiliana looking her up and down. "It's all them!"

"Now, the single, as I stated previously, is entitled Schizo. Do you care to tell us a little about the song itself, the video?"

"Actually, it's kind of a knock-off of this song that I loved awhile back called Lucky 4 U, about a guy who basically says the woman has multiple personalities and breaks up with her. I took it to the plus side of a relationship and wrote it based on the love aspect, the physical aspect. You know, the woman who is gentle suddenly becomes the dominatix; the woman who is meek and humble is suddenly demanding and stubborn. It's how a woman can play the role, but suddenly turn into this different person when it comes down to the rawness of relationships, of sex."

"And you portray this as what you're dressed as now -"

Audrina looked down, grinning. "I like to call this the vamp ..."

"Vamp, it is," Guiliana chuckled, "if you can pan down her legs and see how high these heels are ..."

JC shifted in his chair at the hotel, sighing deeply as he studied the woman gracing the screen. The deep red corset she wore cinched in at her waist, pushing her already very evident breasts up and out, they nearly at her collarbone; hair, a strawberry blonde (she had dyed it back to her natural strawberry, rather than just blonde), was teased and sexed up; she wore boyshorts, she turning and he seeing the bottom curve of her ass and black fishnets that disappeared beyond the thigh high leather stilletto boots that he knew would be off as soon as the shoot was over. It was a one day shoot in between days for touring, they back in New York before going to Chicago later that night on Johnny's private jet.

Of course, it wouldn't be very interesting for him. In fact, it'd probably be boring since she, along with everyone associated with her, had been giving him the silent treatment after their confrontation three days ago.

The bruise around his eye had ballooned to double it's size once morning came, lid swollen shut and the cut on his cheekbone from her ring still stinging from the skin being split open. Though it had been three days, it was still bruised and the media was having a field day with it, saying that he got into a physical altercation with the same man he had seen her kissing (though it was not known in the media about that, just that they were together) after she and him were spotting entering and leaving the hotel room that night and the next morning (the man, who, for all he cared, could have been named Dipshit, had come to visit her the next morning before the press appeared so it was said that had slept together since no one saw him leave in the first place). That, though JC swung, Dipshit had hit him and his bodyguard had pulled him away before he could retaliate.

Right. He'd fight for some things (love, family, trust), but he'd never fight a man over a woman. It was the woman's decision, and acting all macho was not going to win her over in the long run.

But he would have fought for Audrina. If he had let himself.

He had given up all hope for reconsciliation between the two of them the day before when he approached her to apologize and she looked right through him as if he didn't even exist. Aubrey was behind her, using her own blue eyes as ice, making him shiver at just the thought. Aundrea, luckily (that little firecracker), was nowhere to be seen so his face (and dick) were safe.

For now.

"Now what about all those tabloid rumors about you and JC suddenly not getting along and hating each other? Is there any truth in that? Is the tour affected by any of the media coverage?"

He turned his gaze back to the tv at the mention of his name, seeing her standing there, shifting her weight back and forth. The shoes were already killing her. She looked as if she were choosing her words wisely, finally looking at Guiliana and responding.

"After you are with someone for so long, it does get a little grating on your nerves. There is always going to be that respect between each other for the music we have brought to the table for my album, for his upcoming album if he decides to use the songs we had written while working on mine, for knowing each other for so long. But, it has been a long few months, with all the tabloids, all the media frenzies going on that we have treaded onto thin ice with each other. He's giving me my space, I am giving him his own. After this promotional tour, he'll be going back to LA to work on his album and I'll be going back to Kentucky to spend some time with family before going overseas and doing a European tour."

"So the rumors about the two of you hating each other -"

"Are not true," she said, shaking her head. "It's like ... being with your best friend nonstop for 24/7. You need your space to stretch, otherwise you're going to go crazy. And we did."

"What about the rumors of his altercation with the man you have been seen around with?"

"Absolutely, 100% fabricated. Completely false. He did get into a fight ... but it was with Aundrea and they were ... wrestling around. She swung her arm to put him in a headlock and hit his cheek and a little of his eye with her hand that she wears that big-ass ring on. That's why it looks so bad. The ring caught skin and broke it open, bruising the bone beneath it. He would never, ever fight someone unless he felt it was to protect."

He stared at the screen, wide-eyed. Since when had she been such a good liar?

With a sigh that signalled his aggravation with not only the world around him, but he, himself, he reached for the remote, clicking the television off and turning on his side. Shutting his eyes, he willed all thoughts to go away, all mental images of the woman gracing the back of his eyelids to disappear. They didn't, he sighing angrily and putting his head into his pillow, a scream that would have rattled the walls just bounced back into his face. The one thing he had thought he was doing right was doing the same, coming back and hitting him in the face.

The madness had to end.


It was an exceptionally good day. It had been six days since the whole thing with JC had gone down, and since, day by day, the weight seemed to have slowly lifted off of her shoulders. She still felt slightly horrible, Aubrey and Aundrea both leaving her the day before to fly back to LA to have yet another meeting with the rest of Danity Kane for their own tour, in return, Brian and AJ coming in to visit and spend a few days with her through to the Oklahoma tour date, where they would both fly back to Orlando to start filming the video for their next single.

"Look at you, all advertising and pimping out the Boys," AJ chuckled as she walked onto the stage, taking in her Backstreet Sister t-shirt that Brian had gotten her a long time ago, it slightly small on her, showing the slight hint of midrift, jeans unbuttoned and folded down. She kicked her flip flops off towards the end of the stage, bobbing her head side to side to rid it of kinks as AJ stepped up to her, studying her face. "You all right?"

"It's a good day," she said, the echoing of the door bringing both she and AJ to look backward, JC appearing in the door, disheveled and looking more irritable than he had the day before. He plopped down in a seat far away from them, phone at his ear. "Well, it was."

"Don't think about it, all right?" AJ put his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Remember how they said emotion is the best way to portray a song? Well, use what you're feeling, and sing the song. Soundcheck is meant for rough cuts. Belt it out, girl; make people states away feel what you're feeling."

"All right. Then our song?" She toyed with the microphone as the band behind her began playing the song roughly, tinkering with random notes. "I haven't sung it with you, yet so it's gonna take a bit for me to remember how we harmonized."

"It's all gravy, babygirl," he grinned, taking a step back. "Now sing. Get angry, damnit!"

She nodded. In all of her songs, she expressed whatever emotion it was when the song was written. This one was actually written with Brian, so she wasn't really feeling much except happiness that her brother wanted to be more than just a vocal on the album. But now, as she stood there, with her support system beside her (Brian backstage talking to Johnny) and the main person this song was suddenly aimed at, she felt pissed. She felt the anger boil in the pit of her belly, the tension in her fingers as she fisted the microphone at her side, felt her feet begin to twitch in the antsy way she was when she wanted to storm off. This was what the song needed. She always felt it was too happy, but now, now she had something to be angry at, something to give the song it needed.

She took another look over at AJ, his arms crossed with a grin on his face. He knew her body language, knew exactly where this was going to go. "Wait, cut the music!" He put his hand to hers, stopping her before she sang, turning to the band. "The song is angry, right? It's a story directed to someone from a scorned lover. Let her tell the story and come in on the second verse. Let's see how this sounds."

"J," Audrina looked at him, confused, "that's not how -"

"Trust me on this, Drine. Just, trust me." He lifted her hand with her microphone, still feeling the tension and smiling, "now sing."

She nodded slowly, still not understanding as she stood, looking at him as she brought the microphone closer to her mouth and taking a deep breath, preparing herself to sing. She hoped he was right.

It was good while it was - whatever it was
Whenever you said it
And you really believed, if you came back to me
That I would forget it
But lately, you've been praying

Things you wish you didn't say - can't take it back
Things that can't be erased - can't take it back
You're crying this time, wish you could rewind
But that's a price that you pay
And that's that.
You can't take it back!

She saw the triumphant grin on AJ's face as the music picked up, the heavy beat of the snare cueing the verse as she shook her head, laughing as she sang, AJ's hands turning her to face where the crowd would be, the bitterness in her voice evident, only making the song better.

You say you didn't mean to hurt me
Do you think I believe you and your games?
You say you're goin' through hell
And you're trying to sell that you're gonna change
Face it, I'm not playing

Things you wish you didn't say - can't take it back
Things that can't be erased - can't take it back
You're crying this time, wish you could rewind
But that's the price that you pay
And that's that
You can't take it back!

It was good while it was
Whatever it was
Whenever you said it
And did you really believe
It wouldn't come back to me
And you wouldn't regret it?

Things you wish you didn't say - can't take it back
Things that can't be erased - can't take it back
You're crying this time, wish you could rewind
But that's the price that you pay
And that's that
You can't take it back!

Can't take it back
No, no, no, no
Can't take it back

The music continued to play as the band tinkered with tuning, she biting her lip as a laugh escaped, turning to look at AJ, his eyes set on hers and dragging out into the seats. "Aren't you glad you trusted me?" He grinned, nodding towards JC slightly as her eyes wandered, seeing his uncomfortable form, scratching at his head absently and trying to keep his eyes anywhere but on her. "C'mon, next song."

Audrina nodded, watching AJ as he walked towards the end of the stage, picking up the microphone and turning it on, tapping it to test it's sound and twisting it with his wrist in entertainment. She had always gotten along best with AJ, compared to Nick and Howie, even Kevin. There was an understanding between the two that she didn't think she really understood. He was like one of her best friends when her brother joined the Backstreet Boys, the one she went out with, the one that was the first shoulder she cried on when JC left her.

In many ways, without Brian, her saving grace would have been AJ. Of course, the support of Aubrey and Aundrea was astounding, that being a major reason as to why she loved them so much, but it was always good to have a guy's input, a guy's understanding. It reversed for him, too. When he started having trouble with alcohol, she was his little counselor; when the drugs started, she was the first know to know that he had dabbled in cocaine at The Call video shoot and liked it. She tried to talk him out of it, but never judged. She would have loved to take credit for getting him to finally face his demons and going to rehab, but that credit went to his own sanity, Kevin's beating down the door and telling him to his face 'I want nothing to do with you, you are nobody to me; you are dead to me' and his mother. She was the one he called daily for the 30 days he was at Promises, the one he called the day he got out, asking for her to come and be his support.

She was the one he called crying to when he made the mistake of sleeping with someone from AA when he was engaged to Sarah. She was the moral support after he told Sarah what had happened and was the permanent house guest for the first three weeks after the engagement broke.

And that was how 'Happily Never After' came about. They had been sitting at her home in front of the piano, he holding an acoustic guitar and just shooting the breeze when he had gotten sentimental on her. They spoke about the group, about how he made mistakes and he was so glad to have her in his corner with all of them. The engagement came up and he finally, after 5 years, he told her what happened with Sarah, starting with how she stood in the middle of their foyer, engagement ring in hand as she told him she didn't want to be in that lifestyle anymore, and let the ring drop from her fingers, picking up her things and leaving him there, speechless, though not surprised.

She pulled the stool from in front of the drumset towards the middle of the stage, AJ following suite and sitting down. Licking her lips, her eyes caught JC's and her stomach churned. "I can't do this," she said softly, AJ looking at her in confusion. "I can't ... I can't do any of this."

"Don't be silly," he said, voice low, microphone dropped into his lap so no one heard their conversation. "Piece of cake, D. A piece of cake with icing and those marachino cherries on top that you love so much. He followed her gaze, frowning. "It's not about him, is it?"

Deadpanned answer. "Maybe."

"... You're not serious. Audrina, c'mon now; that relationship is dead in the water, he made that clear. You have to move on. I know how much that relationship meant to you; I know what that relationship entailed that your brother doesn't, but I've gotta tell you, why are you dwelling on something that could possibly hold you back from something that could be so much better than what you already had?"

Her eyes teared up, she looking down at her fingers and shrugging dramatically. "I don't know. All I know is him. I don't know anything else."

"That's because you've never given anyone else a chance. Look, after tonight's show, we're going out, you and I. I'm gonna get you to let loose, let your hair down for once. Maybe we'll find someone that's worthy of you crying over ... though no one is worth crying over."

"Alex, I don't know ..."

He reached up, swiping a tear that had fallen off of her cheek and sighing deeply. "Sing this with me."

"Sing what?" She looked at him quizzically, eyes immediately watering up more when she realized what he was singing.

I can see that you've been crying
You can't hide it with a lie
What's the use in you denying
That what you have is wrong?

He stood there, looking at her expectantly. "My part is yours. Sing it. Loud. Hear what you're singing. Now."

She shook her head, sighing deeply. "AJ -"

"Damnit, just sing it!"

"All right, all right, damn!" She listened to him say the first line faintly, picking up on it and beginning.

I heard him promise you forever
But forever's come and gone
Baby, he would say whatever
It takes to keep you blind
To the truth between the lines

"I honestly don't know what it is with you two, but you always seem like you're on speed or something," Brian laughed as AJ began to serenade her himself with a song he hadn't sang since their Homecoming, turning back into seductive AJ-mode, lifting his shirt and rolling his belly, Brian shaking his head in disbelief as his sister lapped it up.

"Do the floor hump! Hump the floor, hump the floor!"

AJ laughed as he handed her his microphone, dropping to the floor in a fluid motion and rolling his hips all the way up to his belly in the sexual act that drew many screams from their fans when he did it (it rare now, though not completely forgotten about), a giddy squeal escaping Audrina's mouth as AJ laughed. "I think I broke my pelvis on that one," he mumbled as he got up, stepping high with both legs to stretch. "Not doing that again for a while."

"Right," Brian chuckled. "Bone. Not humping things. Right."

"Yeah, this is true," AJ shrugged. "I am full of energy now though."

Audrina stepped behind the keyboard, tinkering with the chords of one of her own songs, AJ going off into one of his random moments, still serenading anyone who would listen, Brian stepping up to his sister and eyeing her. "What now?"

He sat down next to her on the bench, watching as her fingers danced gracefully over the keys. "You okay? Like, really okay?"

She missed a note, slamming her hands down in frustration and beginning the song over again, only to mess up. "God damnit!" She beat the keyboard in aggravation, Brian stopping her hands from hitting it anymore. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!"

"I take it as a no," he said softly, she glaring at him. "Ah, a definite no."

"D?"

She looked up at AJ, he approaching quickly. "What?!"

"I'm ..." he saw the look of irritation and frustration written on her face, stopping himself. "I'm going to go get us some lunch." He disappeared quickly, jumping off the stage and walking down towards one of the exits, staying clear of JC as he still sat, eyes glued on the scene in front of him.

"Well, talk to me. Five minutes ago, you were dancing and acting like a fool."

"Five minutes ago, I had AJ keeping my mind off of it."

"Well, think of AJ then."

"He's not here," she mumbled, pulling her fingers from the keys as Brian looked her in the face. "I feel as if I'm bipolar. One minute, I'm fine. Another, I'm all 'fuck him, fuck whatever we had. Fuck the six years we had together' and then, then the next minute, I just want to curl into a ball and cry."

"That's normal, Aud. It's normal to feel like that after a break-up ..."

"Two years after it actually happened?"

"Well, maybe you need closure. Maybe you haven't been able to move on because you haven't been able to say what you want to say. Maybe there hasn't been anyone to move on with yet. But it'll come. You'll find someone. You'll have your say, I promise."

"Brian? Johnny's looking for you!"

Brian turned his head, glancing back at the stage manager and nodding. "All right, I'll be there." He turned to his sister, her eyes still settled on her fingers, she breathing heavily. "You going to be all right?"

She inhaled, steadying the hyperventilating sobs she was trying to keep away as she nodded. "F-fine."

"Drine," Brian stood quickly, grabbing his sister and standing her up. "Breathe. Slow. Breathe, come on!"

She pushed him away, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Brian," she gasped. "I kept myself from crying and now I'm paying for it. Just, go see what Johnny wanted. I'll be fine."

He stepped away a little more, hand still outstretched within touching distance of her as her hand held at her chest, the other at her belly as she closed her eyes, slowing her breathing herself. "Do you want oxygen?"

"No."

"Drine -"

"Brian, seriously, just go!"

"Fine, all right," he held his hands up in surrender, taking another look at her before disappearing behind the curtains. "Call me if you need me!"

"I won't!"

"Yeah, yeah ..."

She was growing more and more angry by the minute. Her breathing wouldn't calm, there were bursts of light going across her eyes, signifying the migraine fast approaching, and JC still sat there, eyes on her like nothing was wrong. Here she was, fighting to keep herself sane, trying to keep her mind off of him and moving on while he sat there, feeling as if she were egging her on somehow. She saw a familiar look in his eyes, one that he had always given her when he was concerned, suddenly snapping. She had had enough.

She gasped as her breath finally slowed, stepping to the stage and glaring at him, he already taken aback. "Fuck you," she snapped, voice bellowing through the ampitheatre. "Fuck you and your crazy games that you're playing! Fuck what we had, because it means shit to me anymore! You're a liar, an asshole and the worst human being possible! You're going to die alone and depressed because you never let anyone in, and when you do, I'm going to laugh! You're worthless, a piece of shit, nobody! You're dead to me, you don't even exist! You're gone, you're invisible!"

AJ, who had heard the commotion from just outside the entrance as he walked back frmo getting his wallet in her dressing room, appeared back, hearing her going off, eyes widening. "Oh, fuck," he mumbled, jogging quickly to the stage, hoping to stop her before any more damage was done.

"You suck as a person, you suck as a musician and you sucked as a boyfriend! You never cared about me, you only got me because you wanted me in bed! That was it, right? I was just another notch in your bedpost, another hole in the belt! No one will love you, not once I'm done! You're a waste of space, a waste of time -" She stopped when AJ's arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her and throwing her over his shoulders, she crying out in protest. "Let me down, damnit! I'm not done!"

"Ah, I think you've said all there is that needed to be said," he said softly, holding tightly to her rear and behind her legs as he attempted to carry her out, "and then some."

Audrina gave up her struggle as AJ fumbled with the curtains, hollering for her brother as hot tears fell down her cheeks, she weak from her verbal attack and the breathing she had finally caught up on, heart falling to her inclined feet by AJ's head as she caught the devastated look on JC's face, she dropping her head in defeat and letting her brother yell at her as it all fell upon deaf ears.

She felt her body being set down in a chair in her dressing room, mute Brian going off on a tangent. It was as if she were watching a silent movie, going back and forth between her brother and close friend, both yelling and animatedly talking. Nothing was settling in her brain. The only thing she focused on was the look she saw before she disappeared behind the curtain, closing her eyes painfully as the migraine appeared like a Jack-In-A-Box, it's "Ha, here I am!" pounding against the spot just above her eye, she hanging her head as the tears began to fall the sob silencing both men. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I'm so sorry ..."

Arms enveloped her quickly, the familiar hug of her brother's enveloping her and comforting her as she fought her sobs, AJ's hand running up and down her back gently. "I was just angry, I wanted my closure, I want to be happy ..."

"Get her some water and some aspirin, all right?" Brian's gaze met AJ's as he nodded, getting up and disappearing for only a few moments, Brian pulling away as he pried her fisted hand open, setting two pills in her hand, waiting for her to put them in her mouth, handing her the water shortly after. "Better?"

She closed her eyes, another sob escaping as she dropped her head, Brian hugging her once more. "No ..."

He closed his eyes as he rested his head to her shoulder, rocking her back and forth to coax her to calm down. He knew she had a headache, saw the look in her eyes she always got when it came, but he knew there was more behind that look, knew that it would take more than two painkillers to fix the damage that had been done.

He met AJ's gaze, they both thinking the same thing: it would take a miracle to even repair what had already been destroyed.