Denise started to cry. " Nick, if you only knew what I have been through. If you only knew." Brian looked at her. She went and sat down and sobbed.

Brian looked at Nick, who looked back at him. Brian went over to Denise and hugged her. " Shhh, stop it." Brian said.

" If you knew." Denise said.

" Nicky! Man! You're awake!" Howie said.

" Yeah, man, I'm awake." Nick said.

" You scared all of us. Why did you take them pills? Why?"

" I'll tell you later."

" Hey little man. How you doing?" Kevin asked.

" I'm alive." Nick said.

" You should have saw AJ. He was a wreck. He's still a wreck!"

" Where is he?"

" He's coming. He needs time alone."

" What will the fans think?"

" Nicky, don't worry about them. They'll understand. You just need to tell them why you did what you did." Denise said.

AJ came in, head down, tears in his eyes, walking slowly. " AJ!" Nick said.

" Hey, buddy. How you doing?" AJ asked quietly.

" What's wrong?"

" Nothing."

" You were crying yesterday. AJ, you never cry."

" Yeah, man. I know."

" So, Brian, when is Leigh gonna have your kid?"

" I don't know. Next month? Yeah, that's it." Brian said smiling.

" You're happy, right?"

" Yep! I've got a daughter and gonna have a son."

Nick smiled. He looked over at Kevin, who was standing by the table. " Kev, can you hand me that?" Nick asked pointing to a silver bowl like thing.

" Here you go." Kevin said.

" Don't look you guys. This is gonna be nasty." Nick vomited in the bowl. Everyone turned around. " Okay." Nick was holding his stomach.

" You okay?" Howie asked.

" Yeah."

" You sure?" Brian asked, concerned.

" Yes, I'm sure. The doctor said that it's the pills that are coming up. I'll be doing that for a while."

Brian got a page. " Nick, me and Denise have to go. It's Leigh. I'll see you later. Love you. Bye."

" Bye." Denise said.

" Bye." Nick said.

Brian and Denise ran out the door. They hopped in a cab and went to the airport. The plane to Atlanta was just boarding. He explained to the flight attendant that it was an emergency and had to get on. She let them on and they found a seat.

" Daddy, what's wrong?" Denise asked.

" You're gonna have a brother!" Brian said.

" Oh my God! It's Brian! From the BSB!" a fan said behind them.

" Uh-oh."

" Um, uh, um, ah, can I have an autograph?"

" Sure." Brian took the paper from the girl and signed his name. " Here you go." Brian smiled.

" You're lucky to be sitting next to him. You are like the luckiest girl in the world!"

" Actually, I'm his daughter." Denise said.

" Oh my God! Cool! You are so lucky! We'll, I'm not gonna bother you anymore. Bye."

" Bye." Brian said.

Nick called Brian's cell. " Hey, where you at?" Nick asked.

" On a airplane heading home, then, I'm gonna go to the hospital. I hope this plane hurries up." Brian said.

" Oh. AJ over here is like freaking out. What's up with him?"

" I don't know."

" Can I talk to Denise?"

" Sure." Brian handed the phone to Denise.

" Hello?" Denise asked.

" Hey! How you doing?"

" Good."

" Are you happy you're gonna have a little brother?"

" Yeah. Nick, can I ask you something?"

" Sure."

" Why did you take them pills?" Brian heard Denise and looked at her.

Nick sighed. " I was hoping you weren't gonna ask that. I knew it."

" Nick, why?"

" I didn't want to live anymore."

" Why?" Denise asked. She had started to cry.

" I don't know. I don't know."

" Are you mad?"

" Mad? About what?"

" Not dying, like you wanted to." Brian looked at her.

" No. I realized that I'm needed. I could hear you singing, AJ and Brian crying, everything. I just couldn't take it. It was your song that made me want to live."

" My song? Why mine?"

" The lyrics, your voice, everything. Thank you for singing."

" You're welcome, I guess."

" Anytime."

" Nick, Brian wants to talk to you."

" Okay, bye."

" Bye."

" Nick, what's this about you wanting to die?" Brian asked angrily.

" You know about my family problems. I just couldn't tell Denise." Nick explained.

" Okay, I understand. Nick, we're landing. I'll call you later. Love you. Bye."

" Bye."

Brian smiled at Denise. He gave her a small kiss on the head. She smiled back. Brian was happy that him and Leigh started a family. They got off the plane and found their car. They got in and drove to the hospital.

" Daddy, are you okay?" Denise asked.

" Yeah, why do you ask?" Brian replied.

" You seem scared. What's wrong?"

" It's too early for her to have the baby. She's still got a month left."

" She'll be okay. I know it."

" Yeah, I hope so." Brian started to cry.

" Don't do that. Daddy, come on. Mom will be okay."

" Okay, okay." They parked the car and went in. They got on the elevator and pushed he button for the MW.

" Um, Leighanne Littrell's room please." Brian said to the receptionist.

" Room 257A."

" Thank you. Come on, Denise." Brian took her hand.

They walked into the room. " Brian!" Leigh said.

" Hey, you know it's too early to be having this baby, you know that, right?"

" Yeah, I know. I know."

" So, when did you start?"

" About two hours ago. Brian, the baby is in trouble."

" Everything will be fine."

" Mr. Littrell, we are taking her into delivery now." Dr. Johannsen said.

" Okay." Brian said.

" You'll need to put these on." Brian was tossed some hospital scrubs. He put them on.

" Denise, stay out here. Don't go running off."

" Okay. Good luck mom!" Denise said.

" Thank you honey." Leigh said.

Denise sat outside the delivery room. She got a magazine and saw a picture of *NSYNC on it and put it down. She saw a pay phone at the end of the hall. She pulled out some change and called Kevin. " Kevin? Can I talk to Nick?" Denise asked.

" Sure." Kevin said.

" Hello?" Nick asked.

" Nick, it's me. Denise."

" Hey, how's your mom doing?"

" I don't know. They just got in delivery. It'll be a while."

" You sound scared. What's wrong?"

" The baby is in trouble. Nick, I don't think Brian is ready for a baby. He was crying earlier."

" He's always crying. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

" So, how you doing?"

" Well, I can get out of the hospital this weekend. I have to come and live with you, Brian is in charge of my meds."

" I know."

" How you holdin' up?"

" I'm good."

" You excited?"

" Yeah. Nick, I have to make another phone call."

" Okay, I'll see you soon, bye."

" Bye."

Denise hung up and then picked up the phone again. She put in more money. She called Nicole. " Answer the phone, answer the phone, answer the phone."

" Hello?"

" Is Nicole there?"

" Yeah. What?"

" What a bad last few days I've had. Nick was dying, Leigh's having her baby now, Brian's going nuts, I'm freaking out."

" Nick was what?"

" Dying. He took a bunch of pills. He's okay now. Thank God. I saved him. Don't ask."

" I'm not gonna. So, you excited?"

" Yeah." Denise heard a baby cry. " Look, I have to go. Call you later."

" Bye."

" Bye."

Denise went and sat down. She saw the door open. Brian came out with a baby in his arms. Denise stood up. " Hey, say hi to your new baby brother." Brian said.

" Aw, he's so cute. Hi!" Denise said. " What's his name?"

" Nickolas. We named him after Nick." Brian smiled

. " How's mom?"

" She's fine."

" Told you. Can I hold him?"

" Sure." Brian gently gave Denise her new brother.

" So, you're my new brother, eh? I'm gonna teach you to sing, write, and keep you away from your daddy's fans." Denise said. Brian smiled. Nickolas yawned and Denise laughed. She handed him back to Brian. " When can I see mom?"

" I'll come and get you. Okay?"

" Okay." Denise sat down and sighed. She was happy. She had Brian's cell in her pocket, she forgot it was in there. It rang and she jumped. " Hello?"

" Denise? It's AJ. Where's your daddy?" AJ said.

" He's in with mom. He came out with the baby. He's so cute!"

AJ laughed. " What's his name?"

" Nickolas. Daddy and mom named him after Nicky."

" Cool. Well, the doctor is sending Nick up there now with an IV and Kevin. They left right after you called. So, they should be there soon."

" Okay, I should tell Kev where we are at. Just so he doesn't get lost."

" Yeah, I better let you go then."

" Okay, bye."

" Bye. Oh, tell your mom and daddy we said hi."

" Okay, bye."

Denise called Kevin. " Hello?" Kevin asked.

" Kevin, it's Denise. We are at the hospital on 45th street. Push the MW button on the elevator and the waiting room is right there. If no one's in there, wait and one of us will come out."

" How's your mom?"

" Fine."

" Baby?"

" Fine."

" Name?"

" Nickolas, named after you know who."

" Nick. Did you get to see him?"

" Yeah, daddy brought him out."

" We're landing now. So, I better go. On 45th street, right?"

" Yeah, big hospital, you can't miss it."

" Okay, bye."

" Bye."

Brian came out. "You can go in and see your mom." Brian said.

" Nick and Kevin are coming now. They should be here soon." Denise said.

" Okay."

Denise walked in the room. " Hey."

" Hey honey." Leigh said.

" How are you?"

" Just fine."

" That's good."

" Did you see your baby brother?"

" Yeah, he's cute."

" Nickolas Gene Littrell. Nice name, eh?"

" Yeah. Perfect."

" What's wrong?"

" Nothing."

" You seem upset."

" No, it's nothing, really."

" Okay, but if you need to talk, I'm right here. We can have woman to woman talks."

" I know. Um, Kevin and Nick are coming soon. They should be here."

" Okay."

Denise looked out the window and saw Brian and Nick. Nick was in a wheelchair. " In fact, they're here now."

" Great."

" Nick's in a wheelchair with an IV."

" Tell your dad to have them come in."

" Okay." Denise went out of the room. " Hey."

" Hey, Denise." Nick said.

" Um, mom said to come in."

" Okay." Brian said. He pushed Nick into the room.

" Hey." Nick said to Leigh.

" Hey. How are you?"

" Good but not great."

" I know. Why are you in a wheelchair and have an IV?"

" Kevin and the doc don't want me walking for a while. The IV is just for a few days. Then, I have to come here and get it taken out."

" Oh."

" I heard you named the baby Nickolas."

" Yeah, it was Brian's idea."

Nick looked at Brian. Brian smiled and nodded. " Cool. I like that name."

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