"Hey sweetie, you're probably out right now with Caleb, just wanted to let you know I'll be in later tonight than usual, Rochelle had some meetings that pushed her entire schedule forward and we don't have a lot of time left here in the studio. I'll be home around eleven tonight or so, bye," Ike hung up the cell phone.

For the past two weeks since they had moved out to Los Angeles Ike had been helping produce a new up and coming female artist. Rochelle Moore who had just turned twenty two, actually had quite a bit of potential. With their last album scheduled to hit the shelves late the next month Ike had taken time off with Shiye and moved out to LA. It was a big step for him. To move away from the family. Sometimes a step he wished he had never taken.

"Ike, did you read about the North by North East music conference in Colorado this year?" Rochelle asked as she came around the corner.

"Actually, no I hadn't had the time, why?" he asked.

"Oh, well I was wondering if there was any chance that I might be able to go or do something there?"

"When is it?"

"Uh, looks like it's about a month from now," she said glancing down at the paper in her hands.

"I guess there's time, I'll have Mark call and find out about it," Ike smiled.

*          *          *          *          *

"Nice change of pace eh?" Tay asked as they boarded the American Airlines jet.

"Huh?" Will asked slightly confused.

"Leg room," Tay smirked as he nodded down between the seats.

"Oh, yeah," Will chuckled.

"Hey, you ok?" Tay asked quietly after they got settled.

"Yeah, I'm just bummed that we had to leave," Will sighed.

"Well, I kinda had figured that out by now," Tay replied.

"Was I that obvious?" Will asked slightly shocked.

"Just a smidge."

"Gosh."

"Hey it's cool, besides it's not like we're going to be sitting around the house suffering through moms food," Tay laughed.

"Oh," Will looked over a bit surprised.

"Yeah," Tay grinned.

"I do have some decorating to do in our room," Will smirked.

"Oh man," Tay almost winced.

"Hey, you know you totally took over the studio rooms, I do want a lil say in what I see on my walls late at night," Will replied in defense.

"Who says you're gonna be looking at the walls all night?" Tay laughed.

"Ha, ha."

"Well come on my decorating isn't that bad," Tay replied with an expression of mock pain.

"Oh, no, then how come mom and dad made it a point to zero in on you with the whole 'just because it's bigger and there are more rooms,'" Will started.

"They didn't do any such thing," Tay almost barked.

Will giggled.

"I do kinda miss home," Tay said glancing out the window.

"We'll be there in a few hours," Will reminded him.

"No, no not home, I mean HOME, you know the old place," Tay sighed quietly.

"Why, I mean, Tay one bathroom, and YOUR family, that's worse than the Brady Bunch."

"What?" Tay asked turning around.

"They didn't even have a bathroom," Will smiled.

"How the hell?" Tay started to ask in confusion.

"Well, at least you never saw the toilet," Will snickered.

"Whatever, I swear sometimes you are so weird," Taylor laughed looking back at the window.

"Yeah but you love me," Will smiled as Tay glanced back and winked at him.

Will smiled to himself. He was feeling a lot better than he had an hour or so ago. Their conversation, and playful flirting had lifted his spirits again. He actually was looking forward to just laying around the house now.

"So anyways, what did you have planned if we're not gonna lay around the house?" Will asked.

"Well I kinda had the feeling that," Tay started but got quiet.

Will looked at him quietly and waited.

"I know I hurt you," Tay whispered quietly looking down in his lap.

"I know that the way things happened on the beach hurt your feelings, and the way I reacted to it all," Tay continued.

Will could tell he was struggling to keep calm and collected. But the tremor in Taylor's voice was evident.

"I can't help forgetting how we had to carry on while the MAST was screwing with our brains," he continued slowly.

"It's just, part of me is still comfortable, so totally happy with us being together, and no one else knowing. The comfort in it, almost," Tay searched for the words.

"Makes it better," Will finished for him.

"Yeah," Tay said looking up his beautiful blue eyes welled with tears that hung on the verge of splashing down his cheeks.

"I understand, I really do, having you in secret, so to speak really is thrilling for me," Will said quietly as he rested his forehead against Taylor's.

"Same here, because," Tay yet again searched for the right words to use.

"Ok, the first time, everyone accepted us, well you know almost everyone," Tay started.

"I know, I'm scared too," Will cut in, catching Tay off guard who tilted his eyes up to meet Will's.

"I'm scared that if they find out this time, it won't be the same, that something really bad could happen," Will whispered as he watched Taylor's eyes grow wide as he verbally identified the fears that had been growing inside him from the moment he realized what he and Will had together now, and in the past.

"My God," Tay whispered as a tear dove from his right eye and hit Will on the right hand.

"Taylor, I feel everything you feel, I sense when you're sad and when you're happy, just as I can tell when you're scared."

Taylor squeezed his eyes shut, a few more tears leapt from his eyes.

"We're gonna come up against some tough stuff soon, I can feel it," Will sighed.

"I can't guarantee how everyone will react, I can't say it will be easy, I won't lie and say we'll be accepted by everyone and that everyone will feel the way they did before," Will whispered as he felt Taylor's body tremble slightly.

"But, Jordan Taylor Hanson," Will said as he lifted Taylor's face with his hand under his chin.

"I can guarantee one thing," he whispered.

"You will always have me," Will smiled sweetly as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Taylor's.

Neither of them were sure if the light feeling in their minds, the rushing feeling in their chests or the sudden weightlessness was from the plane lifting from the runway, or the love they shared in their hearts. But one thing they were both sure of. Things, even as seemingly calm as they were at that moment, were about to change.

*          *          *          *          *

Hey guys," Zac smiled as Tay and Will walked through the glass doors of the airport.

"Man it's really good to have you both back," Zac beamed as he gave them both hugs.

"Man, you ok?" Tay smiled in question.

"Yeah, I'm great, it's just been so fucking boring at home," Zac replied.

"How's everyone?" Will asked as he took Taylor's luggage and put it in the back of the van.

"They are ok, haven't heard from Ike in two days, but you know he's real busy with Rochelle," Zac said as they climbed in the van.

"Heh," Will audibly chuckled to himself.

"What?" Zac asked glancing back as he put the van into gear.

"Nothing, just you in this van," he smirked.

"Yeah, ok shut up," Zac slightly growled.

"Why didn't you come in my Beamer?" Tay asked.

"Yeah, right like mom would let me take that out," Zac laughed as he pulled out onto the road.

"I don't mind Ash driving it, hell he drove it out to California last time," Tay replied in Zacs defense.

"Yeah, that's Ash, not me," Zac laughed.

"I still don't know why you didn't get the convertible," Will sighed.

"Yeah, I mean come on, the Z3 is cool, but the convertible roadster is cooler," Zac grinned.

"Yeah, but you can't fit equipment in a roadster, especially a convertible," Tay defended.

Will grinned to himself as he watched both of them argue about Taylor's car.

*          *          *          *          *

"You guys just got home all of two days ago, I can't understand why you're going back out again," Diana exclaimed as Tay and Will finished packing their luggage.

"We're gonna go visit Ike and Shiye, do some stuff in LA and then we'll be back," Tay smiled.

"Besides I thought you'd appreciate my checking up on the old man," Tay smiled.

Diana smiled and shook her head as she gave them both a hug.

"I can't believe you're ok with being left behind again," Diana exclaimed to Zac as she left the room.

"Daphne is gonna be in tomorrow so I'll have the next few days with her," he grinned from ear to ear.

"So she managed to get some time away from that science project everyone calls N'Sync," Will laughed.

"Yeah, no shit," Zac laughed.

"Zachary," Diana called out from the hallway.

"Sorry," he replied.

"Anyways, yeah she's gonna stay here till Sunday," Zac smiled.

"I know you're happy," Will laughed.

"Well, tell her we're sorry we missed her but maybe we can catch her in New York," Tay whispered as he grabbed his suit case.

"I thought you were going to LA?" Zac asked confused.

"Yeah, we are, but we're going to New York after that," he smiled.

"Does mom know?" Zac asked.

"Nope, neither does dad and I'd like to keep it that way," Tay whispered as he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh hey, no problem dude, I won't say anything."

"Great."

*          *          *          *          *

"That was almost creepy," Tay replied as they picked up their luggage.

"Yeah," Will replied quietly as they made their way through Los Angeles International Airport unnoticed.

"Shit," Tay blurted slightly as the shoulder strap began to slip.

"I got it," Will smiled as he caught it with his hand.

"Here, duck down lemme put it over your head on the other side," he exclaimed as he hoisted the strap high.

"Comfortable?" Will asked as he adjusted the strap on Taylor's shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks," Tay smiled as he turned and looked at Will.

Before Will could react their eyes were hit with a flash bulb.

"Whoa," Will exclaimed covering his eyes as Tay blinked repeatedly.

"What the," Tay exclaimed glancing around.

"Who," Will started to ask but saw no one around them with a camera.

"Um, let's get going," Tay said as Will removed his hand from around his shoulder and hurried to keep up.

*          *          *          *          *

"Hey you, I swear what's up, you haven't answered your phone for the past two hours," Shiye tried not to whine into the phone.

"I'm sorry, I noticed it was dead so I just hooked it back up to the charger, what's up," Ike replied with a smile.

"Will and Tay are gonna be staying with us for a few days, they just called from the airport."

"Oh great, that'll be fun, think Cristy can babysit Caleb and we can take them out to dinner?" Ike asked.

"Yeah, I already asked her, she said it'd be no problem."

"That's great, ok I'll be out of here probably by seven or so, where do you want to meet?"

"How does The Bistro Garden sound?" Shiye asked glancing over at the closet as she began to think about what clothes she would wear.

"Sounds great, so I'll see you guys there around seven thirty, seven forty five?"

"That'll work, love you," she smiled as they hung up.

"Finally, I can put you to use," she grinned as she retrieved a new sleek black dress she had bought the week before.

"Oh, I love being not pregnant," she giggled as she smiled at her once again slender figure.

*          *          *          *          *

"Well, we'll come there first, and drop off our luggage and change cloths, then we can all go together," Tay exclaimed into the cell as they drove up Wilshire Blvd towards a short cut Taylor had bragged about to get to Beverly Hills in traffic.

"Oh, yeah I liked their food last time," he grinned over at Will.

"Ok, see you in about fifteen or so, bye."

"So what's the plan?" Will asked.

"Dinner with Ike and Shiye, then I guess we can go hang out or do something afterwards," he grinned.

"That's a red light," Will laughed as Tay stamped the breaks.

"Thanks," Tay blushed.

"Hey," Will poked Tay in the side.

"Hey, stop, what," Tay laughed looking over.

"Come here," Will smiled as he leaned closer.

"Oh, ok," Tay smiled his eyes sparkling.

The car behind them honked their horn. Will opened his eyes in the middle of the kiss and looked out the windshield.

"Babe," he whispered through the kiss.

"That's a green light," he laughed quietly their lips still pressed together.

"Oh," Tay stuttered slightly as he shook his head a bit.

"Sorry, I'll wait till we're parked before I do that again," Will smirked.

"Yeah, we can do that later," Tay laughed as he waved at the person behind them and pulled off down the street.

*          *          *          *          *

Shit," Ike thought to himself as he looked at his watch.

"7:35pm"

"Can we run over that again just one more time?" Rochelle asked through the microphone.

"Um, Chelle we're gonna have to call it a night, I've got dinner plans, Taylor's in town with his, friend and I haven't seen him since," Ike started.

"Just one more time, I promise, I wanna finish up these backgrounds so we can move on to something else," Rochelle almost pleaded at Ike through the glass window.

"Ok," Ike sighed as they started play back.

Ike punched his cell phone and waited.

"No Service."

"Crap," he muttered as he tried again.

"I'll be right back I'm gonna go use the phone," he said as he got up to leave.

"We're sorry, all circuits are busy now, please try your call again later."

"Damn it," Ike snarled as he hung up the phone.

He walked back into the studio and picked up a few loose things and put them into his brief case.

"7:45pm"

"Hey, Ryan," Ike called out as a man passed the doorway.

"Yeah," he stopped and replied catching the door frame.

"How's traffic looking?"

"Depends on where you're going."

"Gotta be up near Beverly Hills in fifteen or less," Ike winced.

"Oh, yeah um did you see the Ten Commandments?" Ryan asked.

"What?"

"You know the Charlton Heston movie, The," Ryan started as Ike cut him off.

"Uh oh yeah ok, what?"

"Remember the scene where Moses parted the Red Sea?"

"Why do I get the feeling?" Ike started.

"Yeah, well you'll need that ability to get through traffic in less than fifteen minutes.

"Shit," Ike moaned.

"Yeah, it's bad, there isn't any real quick way."

"Hey, Chelle, you're gonna have to finish up with out me, I'm running late," Ike called out during a short break in the music.

"Oh, I," she started as he rushed out the door.

*          *          *          *          *

Taylor tapped on the empty cocktail glass in front of him, his chin in his left hand. Will absent mindedly traced his fingers around the embroidered design on Taylor's left sleeve.

"Um yeah, hey, can I have another?" Tay asked as their waiter passed by.

"Sure."

"Where is he?" Shiye frowned as she glanced at her watch.

Will winced slightly as his stomach growled catching Taylor's attention.

"Hey, lets go ahead and order," Tay exclaimed.

"Alright," Shiye sighed staring down at her place setting.

"He'll be here, he's probably stuck in traffic," Will tried to make Shiye feel better.

"Yeah," she smiled half heartedly.

*          *          *          *          *

"No service."

"Mother fucker," Ike growled at the phone as he threw it into the passenger seat.

"I can walk faster than this," he sighed resting his forehead against the steering wheel.

*          *          *          *          *

"Did you want to order dessert?" the waiter asked as their plates were removed.

"Yeah, I'd like to get the Chocolate Mousse with cremé broulé," Tay exclaimed without even looking at the dessert tray.

"Must've had that one before," Will smiled.

"You want one too?" Tay asked.

"No, I'm really full."

"You can have some of mine if you want," Tay grinned.

"I'll just have coffee," Shiye exclaimed standing.

"I'm gonna go to the ladies room, I'll be back in a few," she exclaimed as she walked off.

"She is majorly bummed," Will exclaimed as he looked off over the railing behind her chair into the street.

"Yeah, Ike never was late like this before," Tay replied as he stared at Will.

Will glanced over, noticing that Taylor was staring and smiled.

"Look at you," Will giggled.

"What?"

"Looks like I'll be driving us back tonight," Will smiled.

"I'm not drunk," Tay defended.

"No, but you're not sober," Will smiled tweaking his nose.

"Don't tweak my nose you," Tay laughed as he grabbed at Will's nose.

"Ow," Will yelped.

"Ow, what do you mean ow," Tay laughed as Will wrestled his hand off his nose.

"I tweaked your nose, I didn't mug your face for it," Will groaned rubbing his nose.

Tay laughed and stopped playing tug-o-war with Will and rested his chin in his hand again and stared at him. Will smiled and looked over at him with a grin. They both winced as bright light hit their faces momentarily.

"Was that another flash?" Will asked covering his eyes.

Taylor glanced out past the railing into the street as he saw a car had pulled out and its headlights must have hit them in the eyes.

"No, I think it was just headlights."

"Speaking of which, get a load of that," Will laughed as he motioned for Tay to turn around.

As Tay turned two girls off to their right squealed and came over.

"Oh my God I knew it was you," one girl exclaimed.

Tay's head snapped back around to look at Will. Who also was just as shocked.

"Hey," Tay faked a smile and turned to face them.

"You are so gorgeous," one of them almost drooled.

"Thanks, um ok we're trying to eat dinner, so," Tay started.

"Who's he?" one girl asked pointing at Will.

"If you don't mind I'd like some privacy," Tay finished ignoring her question.

"Right, what are you on a date with this guy or something," one of the girls giggled sarcastically.

Tay glanced over at Will. He was tipsy, and angry and pretty much willing to just tell them they were right that he was and he was sick of them bothering him. But the look in Will's eyes helped sober him a bit.

"Don't Taylor, not here, not now, not this way," came right out of Will's eyes into his heart.

"Actually no, he's here with me," Shiye exclaimed not to quietly as she came around the corner.

"Oh and who are you?" one of them snipped.

"I'm his sister in law, and that is my brother Will, so why don't you two just run along before," Shiye began.

"Oh whatever, right," the other girl said rolling her eyes.

"Listen Missy, I don't really care what kind of scene I make, if you don't back the fuck off I'm gonna wipe the floor with your face, now get the hell out of here," Shiye growled at the blond who backed off slightly.

"Oh yeah, and we'll sue you," the brunette chimed in.

"Is there some sort of trouble?" a man in a nice black suit asked as he walked up.

"Yes, this girl is harassing me," the blond exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, mam where is your table?" he asked the blond.

"I, um well you see," she stuttered as everyone realized they didn't have a table.

"You'll have to come with me," the man said as he began to usher them away from the table.

"She was harassing us, we were talking," the brunette started.

"Thank you but you will have to leave now," the man exclaimed as two larger men took them by the arms and led them out.

"I'm very sorry for that, please accept our deepest apologies, as our thanks for your company for the evening we would like to take the bill off your hands," the man smiled as he handed Taylor his card.

"I am the owner, and if there is anything else you need don't hesitate to ask," he smiled as he returned to the depths of the restaurant.

"Bet you wished you had ordered that bottle of Dom Perignon huh," Tay chuckled.

"Here you are," the waiter exclaimed as he set Taylor's dessert down.

"That looks amazing," Will almost blurted as he eyed the Chocolate Mousse.

The silence at the table was broken by the high pitched voice that seemed to be complaining out side on the sidewalk.

"That asshole," they all heard clearly.

Taylor sat up slightly and noticed it was the two girls that had bothered them earlier.

"Hey, hand me that spoon," Taylor laughed as he pointed to an over sized soup spoon that sat near Shiye.

"Taylor what are you?" Shiye started as she watched him take a large gooey scoop of Chocolate Mousse into the spoon.

"Taylor don't you dare," she snickered covering her mouth as Taylor took his thumb and pulled the spoon back.

"Fucking bitch, I can't believe Ike married her," the blonde could be heard.

"What?" Shiye almost growled turning around in her chair.

"Oh my god," Will giggled as Tay stood and leaned over the table.

"Eat this bitch," Tay yelled as he took his thumb and pulled the spoon back and flicked the huge glob of mousse through the air out the window.

"Oh my god, what the hell?" the brunette could be heard squealing.

"What is all over my neck?" she screamed.

"You missed the blond," Shiye said turning around.

"I wasn't aiming for her," Taylor almost howled with laughter as he fell back in his chair.

"Well I will," Shiye snapped as she took her hand and scooped a handful out of the bowl and flung it out the window.

Impact was signaled by the blond's sudden scream accompanied by the sound of the mousse splattering across her face.

"Ha," Shiye laughed proudly turning around to face their waiter.

"Oh, I um," she said sheepishly holding her mousse covered hand behind her back.

"I'll get you some towels and, how about another chocolate mousse," the waiter winked.

"Towels would be nice, but we don't need another dessert," Shiye replied.

"Hey speak for yourself, we never got any of it," Will complained.

"It's ok babe, we'll get another," Taylor grinned as he instinctively leaned over and kissed Will on the mouth.

Shiye's eyes grew wide as she realized that Taylor wasn't aware the waiter was still standing right beside them. She looked up at the waiter with an expression on her face that pleaded for him to forget he saw it. The waiter winked at her and walked away quietly.

"That was so worth it," Will laughed as they sat there going over how funny it had been.

"Shiye I'm surprised at you," Taylor laughed as she wiped her hands on the damp towels the waiter brought back a few moments later.

"And here is your replacement ammo, I mean dessert," the waiter laughed as he handed Taylor the boxed mousse. Everyone giggled momentarily.

"Thanks," Tay smiled as he handed the waiter a fifty dollar bill.

"Thank you," the waiter grinned as they all got up to leave.

"Tay and I are gonna drop you off at home and go back out for a while," Will exclaimed as they walked towards the car.

"Taylor," a girls voice could be heard.

Tay turned and saw a younger girl, possibly in her mid teens walking with two older people who must have been her parents.

"Yes," Tay smiled.

"Oh wow, I thought that was you, this is so cool, I didn't know you were even in California," she smiled sweetly.

"Well we just got in today," he smiled.

"Oh well that's so cool," she smiled as they began to walk off.

"Oh, alright well take care," he smiled.

"You too," she waved.

"See now that's the kind of fan I'd like to run into more often," Tay smiled as he got into the car.

"We could only be so blessed," Will smiled.

"Yeah, tell me about it, I mean sure we appreciate anyone buying the albums but, just because they do doesn't give them the right to be jerks when you don't want to talk or something," Shiye exclaimed from the backseat.

"I agree, I wish a lot of them would realize that," Tay yawned slightly.

"You sure you don't wanna just hit the sack?" Will asked.

"No not at all it's just the drinks, I'll be ready to go once I can shake off this drowsy feeling," Tay smiled through heavy lids.

*          *          *          *          *

"Drive safe guys, Tay you've got my spare," she smiled as she closed the door.

"Tire?" Tay asked confused.

"Key silly," Will chuckled as he put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

"Oh, yeah," Tay laughed.

"So where to?"

"I'm hungry," Tay laughed.

"After dinner and everything?" Will asked in shock.

"That was," Tay started.

"Barely an hour ago," Will laughed.

"How about we swing by a Jack in the Box?"

"Oh boy, yeah but you're not gonna barf blood everywhere," Will laughed catching Taylor off guard.

"Oh, shit, I forgot, from Eternal Night," Tay laughed.

"Yeah."

"No, no blood puking for me, I just want a burger or something," Tay yawned.

"Hopefully you'll wake up," Will muttered.

"I'm sorry I'm so sleepy," Tay yawned again.

"God, keep it up and," Will stopped to yawn.

"See, now you got me doing it," he finished.

Tay laughed.

"How about the one down on Wilshire?" Will asked.

"Yeah, that's cool," Tay smiled.

"Actually I've got a better idea," Will smirked as he remembered the chocolate mousse in the back seat.

A bit later on as they cruised down Hollywood Boulevard Will glanced out up to his right and smiled as the Hollywood sign sat illuminated against the dark outline of the mountains.

"Time for a lil romance," Will whispered quietly to a sleeping Taylor as he ran his fingers through his hair waiting for the light to change.


On to Chapter Three

Back to Chapter One

Chapter Index

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A Love Incognito is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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