Chapter 5

Silently, Jennifer sliped into AJ's room. When she heard the Code Blue alarm ring out directing everyone to his room, her heart stopped in her throat. She couldn't consentrate on her work or anything else. Worry for him engulfed her mind and heart until she couldn't stand it. She had to see for herself he made it through in one peice.

"Alex! You're alright," she wispered softly. "God, when I heard what happend I was worried sick! What's wrong? Why can't you tell me what's going on in that head of yours? I know you miss Sarah. God, I know exactly how you feel, but you can't give up. There's so much you have to live for. There's your family, your friends, your life, and...me. I don't know if I can stand living if you give up.

"You shouldn't be in here. It's gorgeous outside! You need to come back to everyone. We care too much to let you throw your life away. Ok, so I have a confetion to make. After I found out who you were, I did some research of my own. You've been through too much to give up now. If you could make it out of rehab bigger and better then before, you can kick this in the teeth.

"Please, don't give up. I love you too much to let you throw your life away like this. Yea, you're probably thinking I'm some desperate chica that's willing to take anything that comes my way. I'm not. I don't know what it is about you, but you've given me something no one else has. Can't you see how special you are?"

Suddenly, Jennifer heard footsteps outside the room. Panicing, she looked around for a place to hide. She wasn't even suppose to be here anymore sence the doctors found his family.

Spotting a closet in the corner, she dived into it and closed the door behind her just as the door to the room opened.

Leaving the doors to the closet opened a crack for air, Jennifer hudled into the farthest corner she could. Slidding down until she was sitting on the floor. Pulling her knees up into her chest, she hugged them to herself willing the other person in the room to leave. Before long, a voice penitrated her thoughts.

"Hi, Alex. It's Kevin. God, I wish you'd came back to us soon. I don't know how much longer I can take this. You're my little brother, and the...well, we can talk about that when you wake up. What am I saying? Alex, I'm going to be a father. Yea, I know. As far as anyone know's I'm not seeing anyone. See, I eloped the weekend before Nicks birhtday. Yea, we haven't been married that long, but she's so special! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I didn't want you think I was trying to upstage you. We were going to tell you after you and Sarah got back from your honeymoon.

"You remember Brian and I telling the rest of you guys about what happend at the camp my father owned? Well, see, there was this girl. She was just a kid back then. I never thought she'd grow up. Yea, she was the one who saved my life after that snake bit me, even though it was her fault to begain with. How did you guess? Well, anyway, it doesn't matter.

"See, she dropped back into my life two years ago. I couldn't believe how much she had grown up. At first we just hung out as friends, nothin' going on betwwen us. Slowly, I started falling for her. The next thing I knew we were married. She's the most amazing woman on the face of the planet.

"She's adopted. Her...well, for a lack of better words, her parents adopted her when she was two. She didn't find out until '99. She finally got the nerve up to go hunt for her biological family. And that's what was going on when we met. You'd love her, Bone. She's got your fire and love for life. She's worried about you like a...sister would be. There's so much you're missing out on. You're Godchild is going to be born before you wake up at this rate. You can't miss the birth of my first kid, can you? Wait a minute, this is you we're talking about. Of course you can.

"You know, you can stop laughing at me anytime now. I know I'm making a fool out of myself, but do you always have to rub it in. Wait a minute, don't answer that.Listen, I've got to get back to Elizabeth. Wake up for us soon, please? We have so much to tell you that you need to know. I just...Come home soon."

Silently, Kevin left the room as quickly as he had come. After waiting for what seemed like hours, Jennifer slipped back over to AJ's side. Quickly glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming, Jennifer leaned over and kissed his hand softly.

"I've got to leave before I'm caught, Alex. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. Get well soon? If not for yourself then for me?"

Like a ghost, she slipped out of his room and down the hall. She felt as though her heart was going to give her away if she wasn't careful.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Tears streamed down AJ's face as he watched Sarah. She was so beautiful. Her smile, her laughter, even her tears. She had ajusted to her life easily. It almost broke his heart seeing her live all over again without him. She was so happy.

Slowly, he closed the book Anya gave him and burried his head into his hands. "Oh, Sarah, what am I going to do? You look so happy. It's as if you don't even miss me. DAMN IT!"

Standing up, AJ started to pase nervously. After seeing how much Kevin and everyone else cared, he was torn. How was he suppose to choose.

'Nana, where are you and Elizabeth? I can't deside what to do myself!' he thought to himself.

"Alex?" Silently, Anya stepped out of the forest.

"God, can't you stop sneaking up on people?" Alex asked, whipping around quickly.

"I heard you're wish. I'm unable to fully grant it, but..." gestering tward the mist, she smiled. "It's ok. He's getting use to how things are around here. You may be able to help him in one way or n other."

Stepping out into the clearing, an older woman smiled softly at AJ. Her eyes filled with love while her silver hair shone iradecent in the light.

"Nana?" AJ asked, not trusting his eyes.

"It's me, Alexander. Don't be afraid. Anya told me you were having trouble, so I came to help." Wrapping her grandson in her arms, AJ's grandmother started rocking him back and forth like she use to when he was a young child.

"Now tell your Nana what's troubling you," she said, softly stroking his hair.

"I miss my life, but I don't want to leave Sarah, you, even Elizabeth."

"Who told you that if you joined Sarah and me you'd be joining your sister?"

"But mom told me she was dead."

"There's more then one way to be dead. You don't have to be dead physically."

"What are you talking about, Nana?"

"Shhh, you'll find out soon enough."

"NO! I need to know now!"

"Baby, you need to consentrate on getting better, not worrying about what your mother did or didn't tell you."

"But, Nana, how can I even think about going back if my own mother lied to me? How am I suppose to trust anyone..."

"Now wait one minute young man! Who said anything about your mother lying to you?"

"But you just said..."

"I never said your mother lied to you. All I said was there was more than one way to look at someone being dead."

"I...I don't understand."

"Just because someone's dead, doesn't mean that their gone. In your mothers case, your twin sister's been dead sence you two were born, but she's still there."

"Yea, she's with us no matter where we go. Mom explained it all to me. She's in our hearts even though she's not phsyically with us anymore."

Sighing, his grandmother shook her head. "You and your mother need to have a serious heart to heart. How do you plan on having one if your stuck with me and Sarah? Once you deside, you can't change your mind, no matter what."

"But how am I to choose? I don't want to leave Sarah, or you," he added as an after thought. "But I don't want to leave the guys or mom. Papa and I are the only ones mom has left."

"If you deside to stay here, your mother will be fine, she's a strong woman. Wherever you end up, you need to be there for yourself and not anyone else."

"But if I go back, where will that leave me?"

"If you're worried about love, there's someone very special waiting for you." Smiling, his grandmother reached down and picked up Anya's book. Handing it to AJ, she let the pages fall open until he was staring into jennifers tear filled eyes. One thing was for sure, she was in love, but was it too late?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Kevin, Nick's gone again. What are we going to do?" Brian looked paniced. His best friend was acting like someone he didn't know anymore.

"Look for him! He can't be that far."

"No kidding. In fact, I'll garentee where he is."

Kevin looked at his cousin puzzled. "Where?"

"The bar across the street. Ever sence Alex disapeared on us, Nick spends all his time in the bars. It's worse then Alex before he went into rehab. Kev, we've got to do something."

"You mean like what we did with Alex? We were real helpful then."

"WHAT?!? We ignored Alex had a problem 'til it was almost too late!"

"Yea, but now we know what needs to be done. Alex needs everyone he can get right now, and Nick doesn't relise how importent his is to our brother."

"What's going on with you Kevin? You've never acted this...upset about any of before. What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm just worried about the two youngest members of our "family". Is there anything wrong with that? If so, let me know so I can change for you."

"Whoa, slow down, cuz," Brian said, placing his hand on Kevins forearm. "Something's buggin' you. Come on, you've always been able to tell me what's been goin' on sence we were kids. Why change now?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand. You've always trusted me be before 'cause I could. Even when you had the biggest crush on a girl six years younger than you..."

"That's not funny!"

"It's not ment to be. I'm trying to make a point here. You're being so touchy that it's like if anyone comes too near you,  you bite their head off. Whatever it is, I'm not going to be..."

"I'm going to be a father, ok, Brian? I'm going to be a father and that's all there is to it. Do you have a poblem with that?"

"How?" Brian asked with a blank expression.

"See, it's called I had sex. When a guy and a girl have sex, the sperm from the guy..."

"KEVIN! That's not what I ment! How could you be a father if you haven't even had a girlfriend for over 2 years? Have you beendoing the one night stand thing again? You have, haven't you?! Kevin, you promised..."

"No, no,no. It's not what you think Bri," Kevin chuckled. "Fuck it, I wanted to tell you when she was here but..."

"Kevin, is everything ok? Has there been any change?" Elizabeth walked into the waiting room. Her pale face showing tell-tale signs of the late nights and worry that had been plegging her for the past few nights.

"Baby, are you sure you should be here? What about..."

"I'm fine, Love. It's just a touch of morning sickness. Before long I won't have to deal with it."

"But, what if something happens? I don't want to loose you or the baby."

"Nothing will happen. We're both fine...unlike Alex. Are you possitive there hasn't been any change?"

"Nothing. I told you I'd call you if he even breathed differently. Why don't you..."

"Hey you two, you're not the only ones here you know. Or did you forget about short little Brian over here?" Brian asked smiling. For the first time in a very long time, Kevin was happy.

"Sorry, Bri. Umm...I'd like you to meet my wife, Elizabeth Danielle McLean Richardson. Baby, you remember Brian."

"Hey, Rok. Still terrorfied of tarantuals?"

"How did you know...?"

"It's me, Tizzy-Lizzy," Elizabeth said laughing.

"Lizzy? How in the...What in the...What the FUCK?!?"

"It's a long story, sit down, Bri, and we'll tell you all about it.

For hours, Kevin and Elizabeth caught Brian up on everything that had been hidden from him. The entire time, Brian sat there, engrosed. Now and then intergecting to ask a question or have something clerified for him. Never before had he seen his cousin so entergetic or inthusiastic about anything. Anyone who saw him could tell without a doubt that Kevin Scott Richardson was forever in love with the woman he held in his arms.

Just as Elizabeth and Kevin finished telling Brian everything there was to tell, Howie bursted into the room. "Kev, Bri, we've got the biggest Backstreet problem in the history of Backstreet!"

"Whoa D, slow down. What's going on?" Kevin asked, trying to calm a hysterical Howie D.

"It's Nick. He just got majorly busted."

"How? What's wrong? What did Nick do? Howie, talk to me!" Brian begged, his heart dropping through the floor.

"Nick is in jail for DUI."

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kevin nearly screamed jumping to his feet. "What do you mean, DUI?"

"Apperently, Nick was driving to another bar when he ran a red light in front of a cop. When the officer pulled him over he could smell the booze on Nick before he even reached the drivers side of the car. They've found more then alcohal in Nicks system. Nick's been doing more then just drinking."

"How much more?"

"You name it, it's a 90% garentee it's in his system. Guys, Nick's in big trouble. He's drinking, doing drugs, and broker then AJ when AJ and his mom had to move in with his grandparents."

***

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