"Hey you two, is Cass here?" Jonathan asked as he and Nicole walked up to the front lawn where Coreene and Devon were still.
"Actually, her and Nick took off somewhere, but, there they come now," said Coreene pointing down the street.
"Good," said Jonathan. "Will you wait inside for me?" he asked Nicole, kissing her on the cheek.
"Sure," she said, forcing a smile. She walked inside, followed by Coreene and Devon.
Cassandra and Nick got out of the car and walked over to Jonathan.
"Just the two people that I wanted to see. Hey, cool fish!"
"Thanks," said Cassandra. "You needed to see, us?"
"Yeah, I need romantic advice, and I thought that you two would be perfect to ask."
"Don't we feel special!" said Nick.
"You should," said Jonathan.
"Okay, what's up?" Cassandra asked.
"Well," started Jonathan, "I want to surprise Nicole with something romantic tonight. What do you suggest?"
"Let me take this one," said Nick. "Make dinner for her. Set up a small table with a white table cloth and two lit, white candles. Give her a single rose of white. You want to stick with the white theme, of course. With very soft, classical music. Got it?"
"Yeah, wow, think you guys could help me?" Jonathan asked.
"Well we're supposed to have the whole dinner thing tonight at our house, but we could help you right now and help you set it up, and be back just in time for our dinner party," said Nick.
"Cool, let's go over to my house and get set up," Jonathan said.
"Nick-" Cassandra said giving him a look.
"Yes Sweetie?" he said innocently.
"Never mind," she said and followed the two of them over to Jonathan's house.
Three hours later, it was just about time for the dinner party. Mercedes went into the fridge and got the cheesecake and put it on the table in the backyard.
"Our perfect cheesecake!" Mercedes said to Cassandra giving her a high five.
"Oh of course, as usual," Cassandra said.
"Give it up you two!" A.J. said walking outside followed by Isabella.
"What?" Mercedes said to him.
"Just give it up!"
"So," said Cassandra, "you're saying that you don't want any? Oh well, more for us-"
"No, no! I didn't mean that! It is just so perfect in every way! It just blows my mind!"
"We thought so," said Mercedes. "The only way to get through to A.J., is through his stomach."
They all laughed, but stopped when everyone else appeared in the doorway, and walked towards them. They all took a seat, except for Jonathan who took Nicole's hand.
"I have a surprise for you!" he said to her.
"What is it?"
"Just come with me," Jonathan said giving Cassandra and Nick a look. They both smiled at him and he took Nicole out of the house, and across the street to his house.
"Where'd they go?" Emalia finally asked.
"Jonathan made his own surprise dinner for her," Cassandra said.
"Oh," said everyone else.
When Nicole walked into the house, she couldn't believe her eyes. In the center of the living room, was a small table with a white table cloth and two lit, white candles. Just how Nick had described it to Jonathan. He pulled out a white rose from behind his back and handed it to her.
"Oh thank you. Jonathan, what-"
"This is my surprise. I made it all by myself." They walked over to the table, and Jonathan pulled out the chair for her. He sat in the seat across from her, but this was all wrong to her. This wasn't right. She knew that she had to tell him, but every time she tried to say something, no words came out.
"I'm gonna run out for a second," Mercedes said to Brian. "Can I have the keys?"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to go to the pharmacy quickly. I just need some aspirin that's all."
"I'll go. You stay here-"
"No, Brian, I'll be fine!"
"I don't want you to go alone!"
"Thank you for being so concerned, but I'll be fine. It's right down the street."
"But-"
"No buts! I've driven before, and that's final!"
"Okay." Brian reluctantly gave her the keys, and she kissed him on the cheek.
"I'll be right back you guys."
Mercedes went out the front door and into the car. She pulled out of the driveway, and started down the street.
After about two minutes of driving, Mercedes felt a sharp pain in her stomach. "Ouch, ouch!" she said. She put one hand on her stomach, and tried to breath deeply. "This isn't it, I know that it's not time, but it hurts!" She looked down for a second, but when she looked back up she screamed as she saw another car heading straight for her.
"Where is she?" Brian said a while later. "She's been gone for over an hour." Brian got up from the table and walked into the house. He heard the phone ring, and went over to answer it. "Hello?" he said.
"Mr. Littrell?"
"Yes?"
"This is Dr. Reynolds. We have your wife here in the hospital-"
"Oh my God!"
"She was in a car accident, and she's gone into a slight coma."
"A what? Oh my God! No! Oh God, I'll be right there!" He slammed the phone down. "This is all my fault!" He ran out back. "No time to explain! Nick and Cassie come with me, and Nick bring your car keys!" Nick knew never to question Brian when he got like this, so Nick, Cassandra, and Brian ran out to Nick's car and rushed over to the hospital.
When they got there, they ran into the hospital as fast as they could, and ran up to the front desk
"My name is Brian Littrell. My wife, Mercedes, was just brought here-"
"Mr. Littrell, this way please," he heard a voice behind him say.
"Oh God, Dr. Reynolds this is my best friend Nick and his wife, Mercedes cousin, Cassandra. How is she?"
"Well we expected her to be awake by now-"
"So?"
"Not well." The three of them followed the doctor down the hallways.
"What about the baby? Is the baby all right?"
"Clam down Mr. Littrell."
"Please, call me Brian."
"Okay, Brian, then you can call me Derek. So far the baby is fine-"
"What do you mean so far?"
"The baby will be fine as long as she doesn't go into labor anytime soon." They walked into the room where Mercedes was. Brian gasped when he saw her so helpless. "Talk to her. Maybe your voice will bring her out of it."
Nick put his arm around Cassandra and she held him close to her as Brian walked slowly over to the bed. He took Mercedes hand and squeezed it, tears filling his eyes.
"Mercedes? Honey? It's me, it's Brian. Oh God, this is all my fault." He kissed her hand, his tears falling onto her hand.
All of a sudden, Brian was snapped out of his trance by a bunch of beeping and machines going crazy.
"What's going on?" Cassandra asked starting to panic.
"What's happening?" Brian asked starting to panic as well. He felt his heart race so fast it felt like is was going to explode. Brian saw a handful of doctors and nurses rush into the room and push him out of the way. "What's going on?" he yelled.
Dr. Reynolds burst into the room. "We have to stop this!" he said.
"Dr. Reynolds, Derek, what's going on?"
"She's going into labor!"
"Nicole, our romance is so perfect! It seems just like this candle lit dinner."
"Yes but what happens when the candles are blown out and dinner is over?"
"You tell me," Jonathan said with a grin.
"Jonathan, I have to tell you something."
"Yes, my love?"
"Burke sent me a note. I went to his house to confront him. I didn't expect to-"
"To what?"
"I-I slept with him. I didn't mean to, it just, kinda, happened."
Jonathan sat there. His eyes wide. "Jonathan?" she asked. He didn't say anything. He got up slowly and blew the candles out. The room went completely dark.