Taylor rolled over and opened his eyes slowly. He blinked a few times and struggled to focus. As his eyes cleared, he found himself still confused. He rolled over onto his back when the shocking realization hit him.

He sat up in bed and held up the covers. He was naked. He looked around, Anthea was no where to be seen, but judging by the sound coming from the hallway bathroom she was taking a shower.

Tay jumped up, pulled on his pants, winced as his head throbbed from the hang over that was, hanging over, grabbed his shoes and snuck down the stairs. Glancing left to right he realized either her mother was already gone or she wasn't up yet. The sun was beaming and the birds chirped as he quietly closed the door, pulled on his shoes and ran like hell down the street.

"What the hell did I do?" he asked himself as he felt his stomach turning.

Whether it was from the alcohol or the possibilities of the night before he wasn't sure but suddenly he found himself bent over in a shrub near his old house emptying his stomach.

*          *          *          *          *

"What the hell happened to you?" Maddy gasped as Will got out of the black limo.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"It looks like you spent the entire night out drinking and getting drugged up," she gasped.

Will looked in the reflection of the limo window and noticed he did look pretty worn out.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't sleep well last night," he yawned.

"Shit, come on, we'll have to make you up majorly then," she groaned as she pulled him in through a side door.

After about half an hour of hair and makeup Will looked good as new. Save for the extremely made up look to his face he was pretty much identical to the poster he was supposed to autograph for three hours.

"Three whole hours?" he groaned.

"Yeah, unless the crowds die down but from what security told me they look to only get bigger," she smiled.

Suddenly Will understood why Zac always hated long autograph sessions.

*          *          *          *          *

"Look," Amber yawned as she dropped the morning newspaper on the breakfast table.

"Hmm," Daphne almost growled as she looked up from her bowl of cereal.

"Your old friend Taylor is doing an autograph session," she exclaimed as she pointed to the picture of Will standing next to a poster of him in the Calvin Klein ad.

"Oh my gosh," Daphne almost gasped she lifted the paper then looked at her watch.

"I've gotta go," she yelped jumping up from the table.

"Hey wait I wasn't finished reading that," Amber complained as Daphne rushed off with the paper in her hand.

"Please don't still hate me," Daphne sighed as she tossed the paper on to her bed and threw open her closet door for a last second rush through what to wear.

*          *          *          *          *

Taylor slid into the back door and pulled it closed quietly.

"Maybe if I just get in bed," he thought to himself.

"Hey," Shiye smiled as she came around the corner.

"Fuck," Tay almost whispered louder than he had planned.

"Good morning to you too," Shiye laughed with a confused look.

"What's good about it?" he grumbled as he sat down at the table.

"Bad night?" she asked as she turned on the coffee pot.

"Yeah to say the least," he sighed.

"I'll make you some breakfast, and you'll forget all about it," she smiled as she started shuffling around the kitchen.

Taylor smiled half heartedly. But he was pretty convinced it'd take more than a good breakfast to wipe what he could remember about the night before from his mind. The fact was, it wasn't what he could remember that bothered him, it was what he couldn't.

*          *          *          *          *

"You are so gorgeous," Will heard repeatedly from just about every girl that walked up to him with a poster.

"Thank you," he smiled numerous times.

Once or twice a guy would come up with either a girlfriend or another guy to get the autograph, which always made Will grin widely.

"Just remember, you can flirt with anyone you want just don't be too obvious," he heard Maddy's voice echo in his head.

"Thanks," he smiled as they snapped a photograph.

He glanced over at Maddy who glanced at her watch and mouthed to him that he had about fifteen more minutes left. He smiled to himself. It actually hadn't gone as slowly and painfully as he had expected it to. He actually enjoyed the compliments, and after the two hundredth or so autograph he finally felt he had found the way he would continue to sign his name from then on.

"We're gonna go ahead and cut the line off just a little bit down the way so people won't get upset," Maddy explained before the next person walked up.

"Cut it off where it ends. Don't cut people out," Will exclaimed as she started to walk away.

"That's so sweet of you," a girl and her mother smiled as they heard him while they stood there.

"Oh, heh, well you know it'd really stink to wait in line for anything and then to be cut out and made to leave," Will smiled as he took the poster.

"Can you autograph that to Jennifer," the younger girl asked quietly.

"Sure," Will smiled as he finished signing his name.

"Can we take a picture of Jen with you?" the mother asked.

"Well," Will glanced down to where Maddy was.

"Yeah, I'm not supposed too but hurry up and we can sneak one in," he smiled.

"You're so fabulous," her mother grinned ear to ear.

"Thank you so much," he smiled and shook both their hands.

"Well the line is cut off at the end where you asked but it's gonna be a little bit longer than half an hour now."

"That's fine, I don't want people thinking I'm a jerk or anything."

Maddy smiled halfheartedly.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Give it a few more months, once you're exhausted and it's been three hours, you won't care and you'll want to get the hell out," she sighed.

"Maybe so, but I still will be nice about it," he grinned as he signed another poster.

"Oh, and don't let security keep sending the ones who got here too late away, let them come up to the side ropes if they want to take a picture or anything or wave or something," he finished another autograph.

"Alright," she sighed as she walked back down the line.

"You'd think she'd be happy to do what I ask her," he said to a girl standing at the table who giggled.

"You're paying her right," the girl asked.

"Yeah, percentages baby, it's all about percentages," he grinned.

"Hey dude can you autograph these for me," the teen behind her exclaimed as he stepped up.

"Oh, man I'm really not supposed to," Will started as he watched the guy's face drop a little bit.

"You weren't just wearing these were you," Will grinned.

"Oh naw man," the guy laughed.

"Hand 'em over, shit if I get caught, hey girls," he called to the girls in line.

"Yeah," they all chirped.

"Stand around the table, I can't be seen signing these," he grinned as he held up a pair of briefs.

The girls laughed and helped block Maddy's view from down near the end of the line. After a moment he finished the autograph and balled up the briefs.

"Now get out of here before someone sees and tries to take them from you," he laughed as the guy hurried off down a side isle.

"You're really cool," one of the girls laughed.

"Yeah he is," a familiar voice cut through the small group.

Will looked up slowly as Daphne gently stepped between two of the girls in front of the table.

"Hello Taylor," Daphne said calmly.

A few of the girls looked at each other and mouthed his name and glanced around.

"Long time huh?" she asked.

"Yeah," he muttered as he continued to sign the other posters.

"Would you?" she asked as she handed him a poster.

"Sure," he replied not looking up and began to sign the poster.

"To: The Bitch, Rot in Hell. Will Quest."

A few of the girls gasped as they read it out loud. Daphne found herself half wincing half smiling.

"Great, I'll be sure to give that to Amber, I'm sure she'll love it," she smirked.

"Next," Will exclaimed as he looked up.

"Hi," the girl beside Daphne smiled brightly.

"Hello," Will grinned totally ignoring Daphne.

Daphne slid off to the side of the table while the last of the remaining girls at the table glanced at her nervously.

"Is she an ex girlfriend," one of them asked.

Will laughed.

"No, far from it, but yes I do know her very well, at least I thought I did at one time," he replied signing the poster.

"Why did she call you Taylor?" another girl asked.

Before he could answer another girl spoke up.

"You dated Taylor Hanson, I know that but yeah why did she call you Taylor?"

"Actually Taylor is my middle name, it's what I went by before me and Taylor Hanson were an item," he explained.

"Oh, so like," the first girl tried to understand.

"I started going by Will so we wouldn't get confused about who was talking to whom," he finished.

"Oh, ok," they all smiled.

"Thanks so much girls," Will sighed, now obviously not in a good mood, which was evident to everyone around him.

"Thanks a lot for bumming him out," one of the girls frowned at Daphne who was still standing off to the side.

Daph didn't react, she remained quiet.

Will stood and waved at a few people, and walked down the rope and shook some hands then turned, and with Maddy and two security guards headed towards the back employee hall. Daphne turned and followed behind them.

"I'm sorry Miss," one of the security guards began to exclaim as Will glanced back.

He wasn't sure if it was because it was Daphne, or if it was because of the look on her face that he spoke up.

"Chuck it's cool, she's an old friend," Will sighed as the security guard looked a bit puzzled. The five of them continued down the hallway.

"Well he can't hate her too much, she left with him," one of the girls out at the table exclaimed as they all watched Will and the rest of them disappear down the hall.

"She looked so familiar," one of them exclaimed as they turned and walked off into the department store.

*          *          *          *          *

"You don't look so well," Zac frowned as Taylor walked into the house.

"Yeah well, who the fuck cares?" Taylor growled.

"Whoa, hey man I'm not trying to crack on yah," Zac defended himself.

"I'm sorry," Tay sighed as he walked up the hall and into the bedroom.

"What's up dude, you look really wiped out?" Zac asked as he closed the door.

"I don't know man," Taylor lied, afraid to even confide in Zac.

*          *          *          *          *

"I'm really sorry," Daphne started out as they got into the limo.

"Maddy," Will asked as she almost began to get into the limo with him.

"Yeah," she stopped and replied.

"Can you sit up front with," Will glanced outside the limo trying to ascertain who was driving.

"With what's his name? I need to talk to Daphne in private."

"Sure," Maddy smiled and closed the door, which caught Will off guard.

"Something wrong?" Daphne asked glancing at his face.

"Yeah, I just didn't think she'd be too thrilled about me asking her to do that," he muttered.

"Why not? She's your agent."

"Yeah, well that didn't stop her from huffing and puffing all morning every time I asked her to do something for me."

"Ah, hey geeze," she cut herself off.

"What?" Will asked looking over at her.

"Can we say foundation?" she asked with a chuckle as she ran her finger across his jaw line.

"Yeah, I know I didn't sleep well last night so they got out the stucco this morning and plastered me with it," he sighed.

"Shit, you musta looked pretty bad," she exclaimed as she rubbed her fingers together.

"Yeah, it would have been more like 'Calvin Klein invites you to meet the star of their new movie 'Night of the Living Dead Super Models,'" Will smirked.

"Hah," Daphne chuckled.

"Anyways, what brings you into this neck of the woods," Will asked.

"I wanted to apologize for everything," she sighed looking down in her lap.

"I was wondering when I'd hear from you," he replied.

"I've been really busy, the whole shit with Maximum magazine," she groaned.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that on Entertainment Tonight," Will exclaimed as he cracked the window and lit a cigarette.

"Oh God you're not," she moaned as she fanned the air.

"What, oh, yeah," he muttered looking sheepishly at the pack in his lap and the cigarette in his hand.

"Sorry, your voice," he exclaimed as he threw the cigarette out the window and fanned the air.

"I can't believe you're doing that again," she sighed.

"Yeah well, you know," he started in defense.

"I'm sorry, it's not my place to jump on you," she replied quietly.

"It's ok, I let Ashton get away with it all the time," Will sighed.

"Kutcher, shit so it is true?" Daphne asked almost in shock.

"Is what true? My God what's going around now?" Will asked.

"Honey, don't you read the rags?" she asked.

"No, I don't, I tend to refrain from touching the very articles that destroyed my life as we know it just a few short months ago," he replied coldly.

"Good point," she muttered in reply.

"So?" he asked.

"There are like photos of you two all over the place like every week something new is printed," she explained.

"So now everyone thinks me and him are fucking too," Will growled turning towards the window.

"Well?" she sighed.

"Well I'll tell you, no we aren't everything was purely plutonic," Will started as she cut him off.

"Was plutonic?" she asked.

Will groaned.

"We haven't done really anything major," he sighed.

"Ah, ah," Daphne suddenly yelled smacking herself.

"This isn't my business. Damn it Amber. You're fucking contagious," she yelled as she looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry," she sighed.

"No it's alright," he replied as he put his arm around her.

"You should have seen the looks on their faces when I called you Taylor," she laughed.

"Yeah, I noticed, they were really puzzled by that," Will laughed quietly.

"Guess who I talked to yesterday?" Will smiled.

"Hmm?"

"Zac," Will grinned as Daphne sat up and turned to face him.

"You're kidding?" she almost whispered.

"Nope," he smiled.

"Well," she almost yelled.

"He's hanging in there, he's still single and from the way he's been acting on the phone, I'd say it's a safe bet to say he might come up to see me," Will grinned.

"Have you asked him?" she asked quickly.

"Not yet, but I don't think he'll turn me down."

"Well ask him, ask him, then you two can just bump into me and everything," she almost giggled.

"Miss him huh?" Will laughed.

"Yeah," she sighed and grew quiet.

"Listen I don't totally understand how it all happened, but," Will started.

"He was being possessive, and I was trying to be independent, when it all boils down to the fact that I'd be dependent on him if he asked me too. I was just too fuckin' stubborn to realize it," she sighed.

"You two are like two peas in a pod. Your own stubborn personalities were the very things that broke you up," Will exclaimed quietly.

"Yeah," Daph muttered as she rested her head back against his chest.

*          *          *          *          *

"Did I hear Taylor earlier?" Ike yawned as he walked into the living room where Shiye and Caleb sat on the floor.

"Yeah he was here earlier, but he left, he was kinda," she searched for the expression.

"Hung over?" Ike asked.

"Well yeah, but worse than that," she replied as she wiped Caleb's mouth.

"He's gonna run himself into the ground if he stays out all night drinking and smoking like that," Ike yawned as he got a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, well you know Ike, you really could make things easier on him," Shiye blurted before she realized it.

"And how do you figure?"

"Well, hmm let's see you could stand up to your parents more, you could back Taylor up when he doesn't want to go out with that Hell Beast," she continued.

"Shiye, this subject is over," Ike exclaimed as he turned around and returned to the kitchen.

"No, it's over when I say it's over," she gritted as she stood up.

"Listen to me you spineless turd," she snapped as she backed him against the counter.

"I don't care how mean or threatening you think your mother or father can be, but I can promise you one thing, I can be three hundred fold meaner, so if you don't start backing up your brother you'll have to look out for me, and believe me Mister," she paused.

"You don't wanna fuck with me," she snapped as she turned away and returned to Caleb in the living room.

Ike exhaled and wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead.

"Holy moley," he muttered.

*          *          *          *          *

"Ashton, this is," Will tried to introduce as he interrupted him.

"Daphne Catanelli," Ashton grinned from ear to ear.

"Don't tell me," she groaned.

"Maximum," Ashton boomed as she said it out loud and began to shake her head.

"Dude, ok the article was bullshit alright," Will cut in.

"But the photos weren't!"

"Yeah ok, God you are a horn-dog," Daphne laughed.

"Hey, that's a compliment, you're one happenin' kind of chick," Ashton smiled.

"Thanks, let me tell yah," she laughed.

"So this is where I've been staying since the night the lights went out in Milwaukee," Will smiled.

"Say what?" Daphne asked confused.

"You know," Will almost began to explain when he threw his hands up in the air.

"Oh, hah, yeah Man from Milwaukee, yeah ok," she chuckled.

"Don't worry," Ashton almost whispered as he leaned over.

"I don't get half the jokes he tells," he finished which caused her to almost start laughing again.

"Huh?" Will asked in confusion as he turned around which caused both Ashton and Daphne to start laughing.

"Fine laugh at me," Will pouted in mock sadness.

"Aww come here," Ashton cooed in a deep baby voice as he wrapped his arms around Will and began to nuzzle his ear.

Daphne stared in contained shock.

"Ok, ok knock it off you big," Will paused.

"Puppy dog," he finished wincing as Ashton started to bark and growl at him.

"Doesn't he have something to chew?" Daphne started.

"Don't you go there," Will cut her off causing her to laugh.

"Listen boys, it's been great hanging out but I have to be somewhere at one," she exclaimed standing up and preventing the eminent leg humping Ashton was about to inflict upon Will's left leg.

"Oh, ok," Ashton said totally breaking away from the whole dog thing he had been at for nearly a solid two minutes.

"Will, I'll call you about," she paused.

"Yeah I know, ok," he smiled.

"Oh, plotting a blind date for me huh," Ashton exclaimed folding his arms over his chest.

"Well that just won't work Missy, 'cause I've already seen yah," he yelled almost at the top of his lungs causing Daphne to wince.

"Ever heard of Ritalin?" she asked with a chuckle.

Will laughed as they walked her to the door.

"Take care babe," she smiled as she hugged Will and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey where's mine?" Ashton whined as she started through the door.

"I'll see you later, Tiger," she laughed as she scratched his stomach.

"Grrrr," he replied through his teeth with a wide grin.

"Down boy," she heard Will exclaim as the door shut.

"Those two," she laughed shaking her head.

*          *          *          *          *

"Hello," Taylor sighed as he answered his cell phone.

"Hey you," Daphne grinned.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Guess who I just saw?" she asked.

"The Queen of England," Tay guessed off the top of his head.

"Nope, but you're close," she chuckled.

"Fergie?" Tay asked sitting up.

"Nope you goof, Will. I just finished hanging out with Will and," she caught herself.

"Will and,?" Tay asked suddenly.

"And he's doing good," she dodged.

"Daph, you're not telling me something," Tay exclaimed quietly.

Daphne groaned.

"Ok alright, he's living with Ashton," she tried to finish.

"Then it's true," Taylor sighed his heart dropping in his chest.

"No, no shush, don't say that. He still loves you," Daphne tried to console him.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to see me," Tay whispered so quietly Daphne almost couldn't hear him.

"I want you to come up here, in advance, I want you to bump into him," she explained as Taylor sat up in bed.

"You mean like, set it up where you know he's going to be and have me run into him?" Tay asked quietly yet full of excitement.

"That's right kiddo," he heard her smile.

"You think there's a chance for us, again?" he asked.

"It's tough to say, I think that is in your hands, all you have to do is decide if he's worth trying for," she finished.

Tay sat there quietly. The events of the past day and night running through his mind. Everything he stood to lose and gain sat before him in his mind.

"Taylor?"

"Yeah, he is," Tay concluded as tears ran down his cheeks.

"He's definitely worth trying for," he exclaimed as he stood up and pulled his suit case out of the closet.


On to Chapter Fourteen

Back to Chapter Twelve

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