Krista woke up to the bright sun shining through the curtains. She sighed, happily. The man she loved was curled up next to her and, of course, the most important thing, is that she didn't have any morning sickness for the seventh day in a row. She closed her eyes again for a few more minutes and when they reopened, she spotted Aj gazing down at her.
"Hey," she started. "How long have you been awake?"
"Just a few minutes,” AJ yawned. “I like watching you sleep."
Krista grinned, lazily. "The feeling's mutual, McLean."
"How do you feel this morning?" He asked, concerned for her health.
"Great,” she replied. “One week of no morning sickness. Looks like this little guy is starting to like me."
"Good.” AJ chuckled. “Cause I was starting to wonder. You hungry?"
"Absolutely starving." She told him.
He gave her a peck on the lips. "Me too. Get dressed and we'll go get some breakfast."
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A little while later, the couple walked into the hotel dining room and spotted Howie and Christine sitting there.
"Hey guys!” AJ greeted. “Mind if we join you?"
Christine smiled. "Sure. Go ahead."
Aj and Krista both sat down. Krista picked up her menu. "Okay, little one. What are we hungry for today?"
"I want a baby,” Christine whined, turning towards her fiancée. “Howie, honey, can we have one?"
"Baby, we can have a whole houseful,” Howie laughed. “But let's get married first. One thing at a time." Krista forced a small smile, looking down at her hands. Aj, noticing her discomfort, put an arm around her. "Well, as usual, I like to be different so we're doing the opposite." The four shared a laugh.
Krista looked up and noticed Katelin, her dad, and his new girlfriend having breakfast a few tables away. "God, could Kate look any more miserable?"
"Why?” Christine followed her gaze. “What's going on?"
"That's her father's new girlfriend," Krista explained. "She's like twenty eight or something and Kate's not real happy about it." Christine nodded. The waiter came over to take AJ and Krista's order.
"What can I get for you?" he asked.
AJ glanced at his menu. "I'll have a ham and cheese omelet and a glass of orange juice."
The waiter nodded and then looked at Krista. "I'll have a cheese omelet, with bacon and some French toast. Also, a glass of water and some orange juice." She looked up and saw three wide pairs of eyes staring at her. "What? I'm eating for two."
"Wow,” AJ laughed. “You could almost give Nick a run for his money."
"I'll have to try one day."
He hugged her. "That's my girl!"
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Katelin picked at her food miserably, not really listening to the conversation between Adrienne and her father, Mike. Mike cleared his throat. "Katelin, honey, is something wrong? You're barely touching your breakfast."
Katelin shrugged. "I'm not really hungry, that's all." Truth was, she was to angry to eat. Angry at her father, angry at his money-grubbing whore, angry at her sex-fiend boyfriend, and angry at her blanket-stealing best friend who caused her to get only about two hours of sleep the previous night.
"Where's Nick this morning?" Adrienne asked.
Katelin shrugged but didn't answer. Mike kicked her under the table and shot her a look that clearly said 'shape up or else.' She tossed a fake smile in Adrienne’s direction. "I'm not sure where he is. I haven't seen him since we got back from dinner last night."
Adrienne nodded and shot a quick glance at Mike before looking back at her breakfast. She nudged him as she picked up her fork and went back to eating. Mike took the hint. "Katelin, there's something that Adrienne and I need to tell you." Katelin looked up at him expectantly so he continued. "Last night, after dinner, I asked Adrienne to marry me.”
Katelin's eyes widened the fork fell out of her hand and onto her plate. "What did you just say?"
Mike grabbed Adrienne's left hand, which had been in her lap the whole time, and showed Kate the huge sparkling diamond. "We're getting married."
Katelin jumped up angrily, knocking her chair over in the process. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? TO 'HER'?!" The restaurant became silent and all eyes fell upon her. She glanced around and noticed that everyone in the place was staring at her. She quickly turned around and ran out of the restaurant, right past Brian and Nick, who had arrived just in time to see Katelin's outburst.
"What was that all about?" Brian asked, turning towards Nick. Nick shook his head and ran out after her.
Katelin pushed the elevator button repeatedly, willing it to arrive faster, as she spotted Nick coming out of the restaurant. "Come on, come on." Nick was getting closer so she turned to her right and spotted a stairwell a few feet away. She ran towards there, trying to get away from him. Nick cursed under his breath and took off after her.
Katelin was crying and it was slowing her down, allowing Nick to catch up to her about three flights up. He grabbed her around the waist. "Get off of me, Carter," she screamed.
"Shut up before the whole freaking hotel hears you," he growled.
Katelin squirmed in his arms while he walked into the hallway and waited for the elevator. "Don't touch me, Nick!" She cried. He clamped his hand over her mouth until the elevator arrived. When they arrived at their floor, Katelin ran to their room and tried to slam the door on him, but he was too quick for her and pushed it open. He grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the bed. "Now what was that all about down there?"
She sat down on the bed and ignored him. Nick softened and knelt down in front of her. "Baby, what's the matter?"
"I'm still not talking to you," She glared at him.
Nick grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do to apologize. I was a jerk, I know."
Katelin turned to look out the window and was silent. "He asked her to marry him," she whispered, finally. Nick pulled her towards him and kissed the top of her head. "Kate, you didn't expect him never to fall in love again, did you?"
She shrugged. "I never thought that this would happen. I could get used to her as his girlfriend, not as his wife."
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Brian spotted Krista, AJ, Howie, and Christine after Nick went after Katelin and went over to them.
"What the hell was that all about?" Aj asked.
"I have no idea,” Brian shrugged. “Nick just went after her."
The five watched as Mike Taylor walked over to them. "Can anyone tell me what room my daughter is in?"
"Yeah. Room 816." Krista answered.
He smiled. "Thank you." He motioned for Adrienne to follow him and they walked out.
Nick let Kate cry on his shoulder for a few minutes until she pulled away. He looked at her, with a slight smile on his face. "Better?" She nodded.
Nick placed his hand on the side of her face and pulled it towards him. "Nick," she whispered just before their lips met.
"Hmmm…" He asked with his eyes closed.
"Nothing, " she answered right before she pressed her lips against his forcefully. The kiss was not gentle. It was not soft. Every emotion that had built up in her over the last twelve hours was released in that kiss. Katelin maneuvered herself so she was straddling Nick's lap, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, and kept kissing him while Nick started rubbing his hands up and down her thighs under her short skirt. Mike and Adrienne waited patiently while the elevator made its way up to the eighth floor.
Katelin reached for the buttons on Nick's shirt and started undoing them, while she moved her lips to his neck.
'Okay, this is wrong, Carter,' his mind screamed at him. 'She's upset and she's not thinking straight.'
"Make love to me,” Katelin whispered in his ear.
The elevator stopped and Mike and Adrienne stepped off and made their way down to Katelin's room.
Nick's mind was reeling. Less than twelve hours ago she was telling him that she wasn't ready. In that amount of time, she had done a complete 180. He slipped her shirt off her shoulders, revealing a skimpy tank top. Every thought in his mind was telling him that this was wrong but his body was responding differently.
Mike and Adrienne reached room 816. Mike turned the knob to the door, pleasantly surprised to find that it was unlocked. He pushed it open and walked in, Adrienne right on his heels.
Katelin's hands slid down to the buttons of Nick's cargo pants. She undid them and slipped her hand in. Nick moaned in response.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"
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Ang walked into the dining room right after Katelin's father and future stepmother walked out. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Krista, completely ignoring her boyfriend.
"Good morning, Ang." Brian said.
Ang looked over at Krista. "Do you hear something?" Krista giggled.
Brian rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm. "Come here. I want to talk to you."
Ang reluctantly got up and followed him to a secluded table in the corner. She sat down across from him and folded her arms across her chest. "So talk."
Brian took a deep breath. "Okay, I want to explain what went on last night. Don't interrupt me until I'm done." Ang nodded so he continued. "I invited Leigh to come with us because I knew she was in town and I thought it might be fun to see her. When everyone wanted to leave, I offered to take her back to her hotel so she wouldn't have to go by herself. When we got there we were talking for a little bit and..and then she kissed me-"
"You kissed her?!" Ang exclaimed, drawing the attention of almost everyone else in the restaurant.
"I told you not to interrupt me,” Brian groaned. “As I was saying, she kissed me. Yes, I returned it." He saw Ang's face contort in anger so he quickly moved on. "But, as soon as it started, I ended it."
"Ang, I love you,” he told her, grabbing her hands in his. “I'm totally, head-over-heels in love with you. Leighanne means nothing to me like you do. Can you forgive me?"
Ang sat in silence for a second, looking down in her lap. Finally, she looked up and Brian saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "I love you, too, Brian." Applause erupted from the surrounding tables and Ang and Brian blushed profusely.
Brooke and Kevin chose that exact moment to join the group for breakfast.
"What's going on?" Brooke asked as she slid into the chair next to Christine.
Chris pointed to Brian and Ang. "The lovebirds kissed and made up."
"What'd you two do last night?" Aj wondered, looking at Kevin and Brooke.
"Nothing much. Had a nice dinner and then just hung out here." Kevin answered.
"So, how are you feeling this morning?" Brooke asked Krista
Krista grinned. "Great!"
"I can see that,” Brooke laughed seeing the amount of food in front of her. “Hungry much?"
Krista stuck her tongue out at her. “Shut up.”
"How'd your parents take it, guys?" Howie asked Krista and AJ.
AJ smiled. "My mom was so excited. She absolutely loves Krista." He put his arm around her and she smiled, tentatively.
Kevin glanced at her. "What about you, Kris?"
"Well…uh…actually,” Krista shifted uncomfortably. “I haven't told them yet."
AJ stared at her, wide-eyed. "Why not? Don't you think they'd like to know they're having a grandchild?"
'No,' Krista thought. She smiled at her boyfriend. "Of course. But I want to do it in person."
Aj laughed. "By the time you actually see them, unless they're blind, it's not going to take them long to figure it out."