***The McLean's***
"ANDI!!!" AJ yelled upon opening the door to the garage. "ANDREA!!!!"
"What the hell do you want Alex?" She hissed walking up behind him.
"What the hell did you do to my car??" he accused pointing his finger at a huge scratch on the side of the passengers door.
"How dare you accuse me!! I didn't touch your damn car!!" she spat.
"Well then who the hell did??"
"Did you ever think maybe your daughter did??"
"Why the hell is it whenever you think she has done something bad, she's suddenly just MY daughter?? YOUR her MOTHER."
"Oh screw you Mr.. Perfect. Suddenly you think you are a damned saint!!"
"Just don't touch my damned car again...Got It?"
"I wouldn't touch that damned piece of shit so don't worry your pretty little ass." she fumed turning and storming out of the room.
"That's what I thought..." he said to himself well after she had left the room. 'What has happened to my perfect life?' he asked himself silently. 'I'll tell you man, you lost your mind some where along the way...Or maybe I just became sane and realized what an Idiot I was.' he chuckled. 'Yet I'm still able to laugh.....maybe I still ain't right in the head.' he thought shaking his head as he hopped into his car.
***The Littrells***
"What are you doing here?" Shawn's voice called out to Marie who had watched his car pull into the drive way. His voice held no happiness to see her at all it was more like she was trespassing. She felt her stomach drop as she watched her stunningly gorgeous boyfriend. 'Wait no Ex now...but even with that frown on his face, he is gorgeous. I just wish that look weren't intended for me.' she thought silently. "Are you having hearing problems? I asked you what the heck you were doing here, now are you going to answer me?" he spat angrily. 'After all don't you have a new boyfriend to go kiss up on?' he thought bitterly.
"I'm sorry Shawn..." she said wishing she could wrap her arm around him and just hold him....or maybe stop staring at him the way she was but she couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Yeah well so am I. Now shouldn't you run along to your new boyfriend?" he said as he walked up the stairs towards her.
"Ok I deserve that...but Shawn I don't have a boyfriend...I want to talk to you."
"What did he dump you? Just like your mother...." he said instantly regretting his last comment as he saw her face fall. With a single swift movement Marie reached up and smacked Shawn across the face, a red spot already appearing on his cheek.
"I have never intentionally made you feel bad Shawn and that is what you just did." she said as tears started to flow down her cheeks.
His feelings of regret quickly vanished remembering the day he had found her in Orlando. "Bull!!" he yelled. "You had NO reason to bring up the fact that in a matter of days you had already replaced me....But that sure as hell didn't stop you from throwing it in my face at the first chance you saw. She winced when she realized he was right. She had said that to hurt him and she knew it. "Now if you'll excuse me..." he said pushing past her to get inside.
"Wait Shawn…" she cried out turning in time to see the door slam in her face.
"I'm sorry…I love you…" she mumbled to herself wishing she could have said that when Shawn was actually there.
***Nick And Nikki***
"Hey Princess what are you doing?" Nick asked as he peeked into his daughter's room.
"I was just coloring Daddy." She said innocently as she held up the picture as proof. "See it's for Mommy."
"You are doing a good job hun. Can I see the picture?" he asked as he walked in and kneeled down next to her.
"Uh huh." She said softly as she held the picture up leaning her back against Nick. "See it's us. Mommy, Conner, You, Mikey and Me." She said proudly pointing to each of the scribbled figures.
"Good job sweetie…" he said kissing the top of her head. "You finished with it?"
"Yup."
"Want to go give it to Mommy?"
"Yeah! Could I have a piggy back ride Daddy?"
"Sure sweetie." He said lifting her on to his shoulders. They walked down the stairs to Nikki.
"Mommy! Mommy!!"
"What have you been up to hon?"
"I made you a picture..." she said holding out the picture as proof.
"Aw thank you sweetie." Nikki said taking the picture and kissing her daughter's cheek.
"What about Daddy? Does he get a kiss maybe?" Nick asked smiling.
"Oh of course daddy gets a kiss." she said as he leaned down to give her a kiss. She quickly kissed his cheek leaving him confused with his lips still puckered as she walked away and put her new picture on the fridge.
"Hey! Now how fair was that?"
"Plenty. Plus your mom is babysitting tomorrow so that we can go on a date." she said grinning at her husband.
"I want to go too!!" Savahanna protested.
"I'm sorry baby girl, it's just going to be mommy and daddy. You get to go see Grandma and Grandpa." Nick said not wanting to give up his date with his wife.
"But I want to go with you daddy."
"You can't baby. It's a mommy and daddy thing. What if daddy gets you something special if you stay with Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Ook...Only if I can bring Mikey too..."
"You'll have to ask Grandma ok?"
"Ok." she agreed.
"Now go on and clean up your room alright?"
"Ok..." she said as he set her down and she ran up to her room.
"You are such a softy!" Nikki laughed poking his tummy.
"What?"
"She has you wrapped around her little pinky. I can't wait to see when she is a teenager." she laughed
"But she is my baby girl..." he persisted.
"You are never going to be able to tell that girl no." she teased as she planted a small kiss on his lips. "But that's alright because you'll be the one to hear her whine when you finally DO tell her no." she said as she walked away.
***The Dorough Residence***
"Papa, can we go see Aunt Polly?" James asked as he followed behind his father.
"Not today Jay. I'm sorry." Howie apologized to his youngest son.
"Well then can you do something with me?" he asked smiling at up at Howie brightly.
"I don't know, Where is mommy? Papa is kind of busy today." he replied shuffling through the papers in his hands.
"But you promised Papa." the 7 year old whined.
"Ok, ok. What would you like to do?" he asked as he turned around and scooped his son up into his arms.
"Could we go to the studio?"
"What exactly do you want to do in the studio Lil man?" Howie laughed as he watched his son. He looked so much like himself when he was younger. A head full of black ringlets and big dark brown eyes.
"I want to learn to be just like you Papa!!" he stated proudly as he grinned his famous grin that was sure to get him whatever he wanted.
"Well then I'll see how much I can teach you." he smiled back at his son as he walked towards the studio. 'Just like his Papa...' he thought proudly.
***The McLean's***
"Where did you you go this time Alex?" Andrea asked as AJ entered the dark living room.
"Why does that matter?" he replied
"Because you are never home!! Damnit I just want my husband back!!" she yelled out in frustration.
"I was working alright? I was working on some paper work.
"Why can't you spend time at home? Why couldn't you do paperwork here?"
"The paperwork is at the offices and if I weren't to work how the hell else am I going to keep your ass in the latest fashions? You know someone does have to work around her and since it obviously never will be you, It has to be me!!" he yelled knowing what he was saying was completely untrue but also knowing it was her insecurity. She had never wanted people to see her as a gold digger because she wasn't one.
"How dare YOU!!! That's it!!! THAT IS IT!! I'm SICK and TIRED of this!! I'm sick of you making me feel worthless!! I want DIVORCE!!!" she screamed as she stomped up the stairs.
"Fine get out of my house!!" he yelled trying to fight the tears back. 'She is just saying that...She still loves me...' He thought to himself. 'But what do I care? I mean all we do is fight right? It's for the best.'
"Don't worry; you won't ever have to see me again if me again if we're lucky ." she hissed as she came down the stairs dragging a large suitcase with her.
"Whatever...I'll be stuck seeing you when to try to get as much money and crap out of me as possible."
"No, I don't want anything of yours. I told you when we got married I wanted one thing...but I doubt you even remember what that one thing was cause it's obvious I don't have it anymore. Good Bye AJ McLean." He winced at her calling him AJ. She never called him AJ because she fell in love with Alex the real person and while AJ maybe a great guy, Alex was 10 times better. She knew him as his fans didn't she truly knew Alex. He watched sadly as he watched her walk out the door and probably out of his life forever. He grabbed a photo album and flopped onto the couch. The album contained pictures from their gorgeous wedding.
~%~FLASHBACK~%~
"I am going to shower you with jewels and diamonds and anything you could possibly ever want!" AJ whispered into Andrea's ear as they slowly swayed to the music of their first official dance as husband and wife.
"Alex, there is only one thing I really want from you..." she said gently kissing his neck.
"What's that Andi?" he asked curiously.
"Your heart...Your love." she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I promise you will always have my heart...and all my love." he whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head lightly.
~%~END FLASHBACK~%~
AJ sat up looking around the room for some sign that the fight had been a bad dream but realized it wasn't when he spotted the ring Andrea must have taken off upon decided to divorce him. At that moment he wanted so badly to call her but he had no clue where she was. He glanced at the album in front of him and spotted a picture of him carrying Andrea in his arms down the stairs both laughing. He slowly let the tears come to his eyes and once they started they came out in huge sobs that choked up in his throat as he realized no matter what, those fights weren't worth losing her. He cried himself to sleep right there too grief stricken to move.
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