"Because you're my bud, I feel so comfortable around you. I love you. I
felt like I had to do this," he explained.

"Had to?" I questioned.

"Nick called me this morning. I was worried he'd hurt you again and I
thought 'We use to be together. I could just make this time forever," he replied, "I really better be going. I'll seeya around," he got up and walked away.

Nick and Hunter were still standing there stunned.

"Two guys in love with me. What's a girl to do?" I laughed to myself seeing Nick out of the corner of my eye.

"Mommy! Nick's my daddy!" Hunter ran to me almost in tears.

"Oh, I know sweety. He'll always be your daddy," I puled him up into my
lap, "Dan just has some problems to work out and he thought I would be the best solution, but I didn't feel the same."

"He asked you to marry him?" Nick asked joining me and Hunter on the
couch.

"Yeah," I said looking at the ground, "But I'm already taken and that's how things should be," I kissed him lightly.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Hunter said rubbing his stomach.

"I'll take him to get some food," Nick volunteered.

"Yay!" Hunter cheered jumping off my lap.

"Go get your stuff together," I said shoeing him off. Nick kissed me gently, but it got passionate, "I want you," I whispered to him.

"I'll call Brian to baby sit. We need to catch up a little more," he grinned. We kissed lightly again.

"I love you," I said as Hunter came charging at us.

"I love you too," he smirked picking up Hunter.

"Bye mommy, we'll be back!" Hunter called and waved.

"Bye," Nick smiled.

I looked in a window to the studio. Turn and Kat were singing their hearts out. "I wish their mother could see this," I whispered, "Ashley you'd be
so proud," I said looking up. I wish I could see her again. Her kids are so
wonderful. I remembered when the kids found out I was going to have a baby. Turn sang to my stomach every night and Kat told stories. When ever they had an audition they rubbed my stomach for luck.

They actually wanted Hunter to join the group, but I declined the offer for them. Hunter was a soloist. He had an amazing voice an I didn't want anyone to think his mother was a slut. Now that Nick was back, Hunter could join or go by himself. It was his choice. I watched them until someone tapped me.

"I'm back," Nick pulled me into his arms.

"That was fast," I smiled and kissed him.

"Bri said to drop them off after practice," Nick grinned.

"Where's Hunt?" I asked.

"He's already over there," Nick smiled.

"Well, Turn and Kat have about ten minutes left so it won't be too long,"
I grinned.

With our arms around each other we waited for the kids. They finished up and we headed out.

"We're almost done recording," Turn said proudly.

"Yeah, 2 mores songs and we're set!" Kat added in.

We picked them up a McDonald's meal and dropped them off at Brian's
house.

"Ali, where are we going to live?" Nick asked pulling into my driveway.

"Anywhere you want," I yawned getting out of the car.

"You still tired?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm good to go," I said slyly locking the door.

We made love for hours. It was very special for both of us. It had been 4
years since the last time and this time there was no guilt of having kids
there. We had done it right this time. After a while we were both exhausted and fell asleep.

The next morning me and Nick threw some clothes on and got in the car to go pick the kids up and go out to breakfast. The long sleep hadn't worked.
I was still tired.

"Ali, could you drive? I"m so tired. You were an animal last night," he
laughed throwing me the keys.

"Sure, I"ll drive," I replied a little embarrassed and yawning. We sat in the car for a minute. I kissed him passionately.

"I love you," he grinned.

"I love you too," I put my hand in his hair, "And no matter what happens I will always love you," I said seriously. Nick seemed confused.

I puled out and started on the way over. My tiredness completely consumed me and I drifted off into a light sleep.

"ALI WATCH OUT!" Nick yelled. I snapped up and saw a car right in front
of us. The wheel was stuck and I looked at Nick for comfort. But he was just as scared as I. The last thing I saw was Nick's face and I know he saw how terrified I was.

Crash.

Nick woke up to Brian and AJ sitting on chairs beside his bed.

"Nick, you're up!" Brian jumped up.

"What happened?" he moaned in pain.

"Ali fell asleep at the wheel, you two were in an accident," AJ explained looking at the ground.

"Ali, I have to go see her, where is she?" he asked panicked. He tried to
get up, but he was in too much pain.

"Nick, you can't see her," Brian stopped him. Brian burst out in tears and sat back down.

"Why not?" he asked confused by Brian's sudden outburst.

"Nick, Ali died in the crash. The doctor said she wasn't in any pain. It was an instant thing. I'm really sorry Nick," AJ explained trying to sound
strong.

"Where are my kids?" he asked swallowing hard. He pushed AJ's words out of his head. He didn't want to face the truth.

"At Ali's hou....well, your house now. Howie and Kevin are with them. They
already know. Turn was out of control. He had to be taken home," Brian
said as he composed himself.

The room stayed silent for a few minutes. Nick thought hard about how
things were going to be. A flashback of my face just before the crash entered his head.

"But she was just here this morning!" Nick yelled finally breaking down,
"I have to go home. Can one of you get a nurse. I have to go," he said getting antcy.

"Nick, you can't leave yet. The doctor has to check you out," AJ said to calm him.

"Guys, I have to quit the band. I need to be with my family. They need me," Nick sighed. He felt sick. I wasn't there anymore.

* 2 Weeks Later *

"Is this all?" the salesgirl asked.

"Yes ma'am," Nick replied taking his sunglasses off. He was in the same
grocery store where he'd found me. He looked at the magazine rack, "Carter quits because girl makes him," a teenybopper magazine's headline read.

"Hey, you're Nick," the girl's eyes glistened.

"Yeah, that's me," he sighed. Nick was always ina bad mood now. The world hated him for no reason.

"I still believe in you," she said thoughtfully as she saw how upset he was.

"Thanks...none of this is true. The tabloids. My fiance died in a car wreck. My family needed me," he replied. Nobody liked him anymore. The fans
thought he thought he was too good for them. Only the guys knew the truth.

"Then why are you here? Your family is in LA," she asked confused.

"I have 3 kids. Ali was the guardian of 2 and one is actually mine. They're at home right now with Brian. He's been helping me out a lot lately," he
explained.

"I"m really sorry. These tabloids are always wrong," she smiled nervously.

"This is this only time I've EVER wished they be true," he told her.

"I'm Kelly. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll listen," she told him sweetly.

She wrote her number down on his receipt.

"I might take you up on that. Thanks for listening," he smiled slightly. He
grabbed the bag of groceries and glanced over at the fruit section," I found her right over there," he pointed out.

"You're brave for coming back," Kelly replied, "I actually saw you two. She was beautiful. That little boy that was with her, he looks like you, you're
lucky," she ginned.

"Thanks, I better be going, my kids," he said feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah, call me anytime," she told him. He waved and left. He drove down
the same street where I had died. He pulled over and got out sitting ontop
of the hood of his car. He began talking to the wind.

"Al, you here?" he asked as the wind stopped. It picked up with a quick
hard breeze, "I really miss you Al. Its hard without you here. You always made me so happy, and now all I do is mope. I tell ya, I'm losing the kids. Kat called Brian Dad. Hunter stays in my room all day, sleeping in your place. Turn doesn't talk much anymore and he's lost his passion to sing. He quit too. Ali, I love you so much. Can you please, just come back?" the wind immediately stopped, "I guess that's a no," he looked at he ground, "Al, since we can't be together right now, I just want to ask two favors,"
he started looking up at the sky, "Help me watch over the kids, and second, wait for me. I have to go on, but if its possible please just wait for me. I'll come home in a little while."