~A week later~
Alec opened the door and smiled at Brian. "Come on in, everyone's all ready out back."
Bri stepped inside the house. "Thanks Alec." he handed her the drinks he had brought and headed out into the backyard, finding everyone all ready outside. "Hey all."
"Hi B." Jenn said, smiling at him.
AJ lowered his shades. "Hi bro, Lis not coming?"
"She's a bit tired, her and her friend are ordering pizza and watching movies." B explained.
D nodded. "I still can't believe Nick left her pregnant and alone."
AJ took a drink of his beer. "Well remember D, he does believe the kid's Rok's." he glanced at B. "And why you didn't out and out tell him the truth is beyond me."
"I was helping Lis okay?" Brian answered as he sat down in the grass.
"I'd think you'd be helping her more by keeping her husband with her, but hey that's just my little wacked idea."
Brian stared at AJ. "What are you getting at Bone?"
AJ shrugged. "Maybe all along you wanted Lis. I mean you didn't give a damn when Nick left and you were so against us finding him."
"Come on bro, that's not fair!" D said, playing his usual role as peacemaker.
"It's not? Let's examine the facts, Nick leaves, loses his wife and his baby. Who swoops in and plays hero, gets his best friend's wife and plays daddy? If it isn't Mr. Brian Littrell, so tell me Rok was Nick ever really a concern for you or what?"
Kevin looked at AJ. "I don't think that's right AJ...Bri's just trying to be a friend, right Rok?"
Brian cleared his throat. "You actually think I want to take Nick's place?"
"Well if I recall correctly you weren't overly enthusiastic over us bringing Nick back home. And you did go straight after Lis, I don't know what else to think."
"AJ tell me you don't believe the garbage coming out of your mouth." Kev stated, not believing what he was hearing.
Brian clenched his fists. "Don't tell me that Bone, you know Nick's my brother."
"Really? Hmm let me see who got the better end of the deal," AJ said getting in Brian's face. "Nick who's alone, dejected and thinks you and Lisa had an affair and are having a baby or you, who instantaneously inherits your best friend's life. Hell you've got his wife, his child, his house...did you take his place in his bed yet?"
Brian reached out and punched AJ, sending him wheeling backwards as AJ touched his jaw. "You son of a bitch can't handle the truth can you?" and before anyone could intervene AJ jumped Bri and started beating him up.
D and Kevin looked at each other for a minute before pulling the two men apart. "Stop it you two, this isn't right." Kevin said, holding Bone back.
"You're right Kev, this is sick!" AJ said, sitting back down next to Jenn.
Brian looked around at the group. "I'm sorry Alec, I think it's best if I go."
Kevin nodded and walked his cousin inside the house. "Don't let him get you down Bri, you know AJ's imagination."
Brian nodded and stopped before they reached the door. "But what if he's right?"
Shan took the last slice of pizza and leaned back against the pillows on the floor. "You really sure about that?"
Lis looked up from where she was going through the video collection. "What? I don't think having long hair is going to be helpful during labor."
"Yeah but it took you forever to grow it back out after you cut it the last time, but hey it's up to you. Are you going to put Far and Away in yet?"
"Yeah it's in the vcr hit play." Lis crawled back over to the cushions and sat down. "This is fun, huh?" she asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
"Pigging out? Hell yeah."
"I meant hanging out Shan." Lis said, stretching her legs out.
"Well that too." Shan laughed.
"What?"
Shan grabbed a pillow. "How big do you think you're gonna get?" she asked laying it across Lis' stomach.
Lis looked at the pillow, which was huge. "Not that big I hope." she laughed nervously.
Shan smiled. "If you get that big it might be hard to manouver around you."
"Oh thanks. Very supportive Shan!" Lis shook her head and grabbed her drink.
"Sorry! You know I was thinking, if you wanted I could move to Florida, help you out."
Lis set her coke down. "Why would you want to do that?"
"I don't know, like I said California wasn't that great. And you never know what could happen out here."
Lis smiled knowingly. "You mean with you and B?"
"Well he is single right?"
"As far as I know." Lis answered, "Anyways are we going to watch Tom Cruise or are we gonna gossip all night?"
Shan picked up the remote. "Let's watch Tommy."
Nick balanced the pizza box and the six pack in one hand while he knocked on the apartment door with the other. He stood there waiting, ignoring the group of people further down the hall that kept glancing at him and whispering. Finally he heard the sound of footsteps and the door opened and E smiled at him. "What's all this?"
"Let me in and I'll explain." he answered.
"Okay," she moved back and let him in, closing the door behind him. "So..."
"I thought I'd buy dinner tonight, you said you were free and I figured pizza was as good as anything."
"True." she disappeared into the kitchen and Nick followed, setting the box down on the kitchen table.
Nick sat down and opened the pizza box. "Man I'm starving."
E sat down and grabbed herself a beer. "You're always starving. Now really, what's going on with you?"
Nick busied himself with cutting a piece of pizza before answering. "I decided to take a year's lease on the apartment...and I saw a lawyer today."
E groaned. "Nick..."
"What?" he groaned back.
"Don't mock me, I just think you're taking everything too fast. Take some time, think and then take your butt back to Tampa and your wife and your baby."
~ 3 hours later ~
Shan shut the video off and saw Lis asleep in the corner. Quietly Shan stood up and took all the leftover popcorn and drinks to the kitchen and turned the lights off. When she came back Lis was awake.
"What are you doing Shan?" Lis asked sleepily.
"Cleaning up, then I'm gonna head back to the hotel." she explained.
"Give me 5 I can drive you."
"No I all ready called a cab, so soon as he comes I'll be out of your hair. So go back to sleep I can lock up."
Lis sat on the couch and tried closing her eyes. Everytime she did she swore she heard Nick's voice. "Shan?"
She looked up from putting her jacket on. "Yeah?"
"Is...oh never mind."
"No, what?"
Lis opened one eye. "Is it crazy that I swear I can hear Nick's voice?"
"Not crazy Lis, everyone knows how much you want him to come home."
She nodded, everyone but him knew that. And he probably never would. "Maybe I'm just too hopeful..." the sound of a car horn interrupted them, "That's probably your cab."
Shan opened the door. "That it is, do you want me to stay?"
"Nah, you're tired, I'm tired go back to the hotel and I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll call you about noon. Get some sleep okay? You look like hell." Shan called as she shut the door.
"Thanks Shan!" Lis yelled sarcastically and got on the couch. It was comfortable and she really didn't feel like going upstairs to bed. The bed only made her miss Nick more, she sighed and pulled the blanket over her, these pregnancy hormones were wreaking havoc on her she concluded as she closed her eyes.
