Five months passed, bringing about several changes. Backstreet made a clean break from Jive Records. They were in the middle of recording their first album for Arista. They were also pleased with the way their own record company was doing. Keeping the record label Jive had helped them start was one of the things they had negotiated when renewing with Jive the first time. Kristen was expecting the Richardsons' second child and Maddy was due to give birth at any moment. Grace had excepted the job with the Music Therapy Association and made some special appearances during this time, but mainly she worked with Kassidy on preparing for her first speaking tour. The MTA had eagerly accepted Grace’s proposal. Kassidy and Grace worked with James to coordinate everything.

Also during this time, Kassidy forwarded pictures of some of Nick’s drawings to her friends. They had sent back their comments along with examples of their own work. Both friends agreed Nick had talent. One friend asked and received permission from Nick to share his drawings with an art gallery in New York. The gallery had hosted a 25 year retrospective of the artist's work the previous year. The gallery owner contacted Nick about showing his work. Nick was shocked, but with encouragement from everyone he agreed.

All of this brought them to the evening at hand. Nick’s show was opening. The Backstreet had spent the last six weeks recording in New York. Everyone was at the opening. The media was in high gear. Even Maddy was there. Though in her last six weeks of her pregnancy, she had traveled with Howie to NYC. She wanted to be with him no matter what. The Backstreet Ladies, as the press dubbed them, were gathered at the back of the gallery while the Backstreet Boys mingled. So many people were complimenting Nick. A smile never left his face.

“Maddy I can’t believe you lasted the whole night,” commented Grace.

“Yeah I’m pretty beat.” Maddy rubbed her rounded belly and said, “For some reason I’ve had a burst of energy the last two days. Leigh why are you looking at Kristen that way?”

“Nesting,” stated Kristen.

“That would be my guess,” agreed Leighanne.

“Hello! Please explain to the pregnant woman in the room.”

Leighanne said, “you are in the nesting phase. You are going to have that baby soon.”

“Well I hope so. It’s been nine months. I’m as big as a house. Tell me something, can you all see my feet? I haven’t seen them in over a month. I never thought I’d miss my feet, but I do.”

Kassidy laughed, “I see them. With the way they are swelling you don’t want to see them.”

“Great my back hurts and my feet are ugly.”

“You’re back hurts,” asked Kristen.

“Yeah off and on since this afternoon.”

“Maddy how dilated were you when you went to the doctor?”

“Four centimeters, yesterday. Why Kris,” asked Maddy.

Her OB in Florida had put her in touch with a colleague in New York.

“OK tell us when your back hurts again.”

“Well it happened just a minute ago.”

“Tell me when it happens again. Grace is everything coming together for your job,” asked Kristen changing the subject.

“Yes. We are waiting for James to lock in the last few dates of the first leg, but everything should be set by the end of the month.”

“Good. If you need any help just let me know. I’m glad we are all going on this tour,” commented Leighanne.

“Thanks Leigh. Yeah they have gone from Backstreet Studs to Men with babies,” laughed Grace.

“Speaking of babies,” started Kassidy. “How are you feeling these days Kristen.”

“I’m feeling good. By the way, when you are going to walk down the aisle and make an honest man of Nick?”

“I don’t know. Let’s get this little one born then we can talk weddings,” stated Kassi patting Maddy’s tummy.

“Thanks Kass. Kristen the pain just came back.”

“Um…Maddy is the pain getting worse each time?”

“Not every time, but yeah it is worse.”

“Let’s get you moved into an office,” directed Kassidy and Maddy started to fuss. “Do it!”

Maddy moved to an office, but grumbled, “Geesh what’s wrong with you guys?”

Waiting until they were in the office, Leighanne replied, “Maddy we think you may be in labor.”

“No! I mean I know the baby a couple of days late, but these aren’t contractions. I mean my water hasn’t bro…Damn.”

They all looked at her and Kassidy said, “Well it has now.”

“Get Howie,” ordered Maddy.

“Grace is,” answered Kassidy.

He was there in no time asking, “What’s wrong baby?”

“We need to get to the hospital.”

“What?”

“Howard I’m in labor!”

“Oh God. OK! OK! OK! What do we do first? What did we put on the list?”

“What’s going on,” asked Kevin as he walked in the room followed by the rest.

“Maddy’s in labor. Howie listen to me. Is the doctor on speed dial on your cell,” asked Kassi.

“Yes, #1.”

“Give me the phone,” ordered Kristen. “Kev help Howie get Maddy to the car.”

Everyone went into action. The bodyguards were there and Carlos had the Limo brought around back. They didn’t need the media adding to Maddy’s stress. They put her in the car. Nick and AJ commented on the seats getting messed up, but quickly shut up when all the women glared at them. Howie was freaking until the next contraction and Maddy grabbed him saying she was scared. He instantly calmed down and told her he wouldn’t let anything happen to them. Kassidy grabbed Maddy’s room key out of her purse, saying she would get her bag and bring it to the hospital.

Everyone but Nick and Kassidy hopped into the Limo with the couple and it took off. Nick and Kassidy went back inside to explain the situation. Luckily the opening was almost over. After 30 minutes, all the guests were cleared out and the couple was free to leave. They hailed a cab and stopped at the hotel on the way to the hospital. By the time they arrived at the hospital, the group of friends had been moved to a private waiting room with guards posted. The bodyguards were all there too.

“Nick promise me when we have kids we will not let this circus happen,” Kassidy said as she pulled up short outside the waiting room.

“I promise baby. I like the idea of us having kids.”

“Me too, but let’s get this Backstreet Jr. into the world.”

“Deal,” stated Nick, pushing open the door they stepped into the chaos.

Six hours later, Howard Dwaine Dorough Jr. was tucked in his mother’s arms. Both parents had managed to survive the birth. Although, Howie truly believed Jr. would be an only child, because of Maddy’s oath to never let him touch her again. The new little family was left alone to rest and get acquainted.

“Pooh that was pretty amazing,” stated AJ as they road the elevator to their room.

“Yes it was. I’m so happy for them. AJ what are you doing,” asked Grace, when AJ put his hand on her stomach.

“Just imagining what you'll look like, but that won’t be for awhile.”

“It will happen soon enough,” replied Grace.

The next day all of Backstreet went their separate ways. They had agreed to take a week off while Howie and Maddy spent time with the baby. Only Nick and Kassidy left New York. They flew down to their home in the Keys. They had found the house the week after Kassidy moved to Florida.

The realtor had never encountered house hunters like Kass and Nick. She had lined up several houses for them to see. After visiting the second house, she realized she only needed to stay put at the front door. She tried following them around and telling them about the houses. It didn’t work, because they would separate and go in different directions. Their paths would cross, but they would explore alone meeting back up at the front door. With one look, they would turn to her and say, “next.”

However, it was just as easy to know when they found the one they wanted. They separated at the front door, but after a few minutes Kassi squealed. Nick and the realtor ran to her. She was in the master bathroom. She grinned at Nick and he looked around with a smile. He then extended his hand and led her to the back of the house. Kassidy looked out at the water behind the house and hugged Nick. They separated again and the realtor took her post at the front door. Finally, the couple was standing in front of the realtor. They wanted the place. Nick had provided her with a general idea of what they were looking for and Kassidy gave her the price range they had agreed on.

She followed them as they walked through the house together. She pointed out features here and there, but mainly listen to them talk about how they would decorate. It was a modest sized log home with two bedrooms and two baths. The main room played up the log cabin design. The main living space included a fireplace and the kitchen to the side of the room. A sunroom ran almost the entire length of the house in back and was perfect for dinning and relaxing. The bedrooms were on either side of the main room. The guest bedroom was smaller and opened onto the sunroom. The master bedroom came out even with the sunroom on the opposite end. It also opened onto the sunroom. The sunroom itself opened onto the back yard. The house was situated at the end of dead-end street. The backyard was flanked by trees and privacy fences. It opened to a dock. They would have their privacy and the water. In other words it was perfect for Nick and Kassidy.

The couple arrived from New York in the late afternoon. The first thing they did, after putting food away, was head for the dock and watch the sun go down. Wandering back in, they fixed dinner. After making love Nick was spooned behind Kassi, rubbing her stomach. She smiled, because she knew what was going through his mind.

She whispered, “I want one too.”

“Let’s get married,” he also said in a hushed tone.

She turned to face him and asked, “when and where?”

“Do you want to try to make it a church thing?”

Kassi thought before she replied, “No. The press would find out.”

“Then where?”

“Here.”

“Here?”

“Yeah. Everyone we would invite know about this place already, just not the exact location. Also they wouldn’t talk.”

“True. When?”

“How about between when you finish the album and the tour starts?”

“Cool then we can honeymoon all tour,” said Nick kissing her.

“I like that idea.”

“So when do we start trying for kids?”

“I think as soon as we are married. What do you think?”

“Definitely. Now are you talking about on the honeymoon too?”

Again Kassidy paused, “yeah, but that means I go off the pill for the two months prior to the wedding. So you better stock up on latex products.”

“Why two months prior?”

“The doctor always said it was best.”

“Oh OK. I will definitely stock up,” stated Nick. “However right now…”

As his voice trailed off, he kissed her again. He moaned as she welcomed him into her body. They rocked together whispering. Their lovemaking was slow and gentle. Nick buried his face into her neck as he felt her pulse around him and moaned his name. He buried himself as deeply as possible when he released. They drifted off to sleep still joined.

The next few days were spent making love, relaxing in the house or on the water, and planning the wedding. They had to wait until they got back to New York to nail down the exact date, but they decided how they wanted the actual wedding to be. Unlike with her wedding to Kevin, Kassidy was actively planning this wedding. Before she had helped with the planning, but differed to Kevin’s wishes on most things. She realized she had been waiting to marry Nick from almost the day they met. This was her wedding and truly the man she would spend the rest of her life with.