The one, Tesia Lenore McLean had been looking for, turned to look at the doorway. “I thought you were told to stay in your room until dinner?”

The child sniffled. “Got hungry.”

The one who had previously sent the child to their room, checked their watch. “Ah. It’s about time to eat anyway.”

The child watched as the one they wanted got up, and smiled at whom they considered an intruder.

A.J. smiled at the woman whom he had been making-out with until caught red-handed by a ten-year-old. “Use the studio as long as you want. But that one track, don’t touch it; it’s perfect.” He smiled at her still, then turned back to Tesia. “Let’s go back upstairs, and have dinner. Just the two of us, okay?”

Tesia nodded through tears, then ran over to hug him tight. It just wasn’t fair she’d had to wait so long to see him, then had gotten into trouble shortly after she had arrived. Not her fault she was so damn jealous either. She couldn’t help that – she had missed him too damned much to even try to help that.

A.J. hugged her back. “Okay. Now, enough with the tears; you’re my big brave girl, remember?” he gave her a warm smile and kissed the tip of her nose. “Come on now, let’s head up. I’m starved.”

Tesia giggled some as she wiped her eyes and quickly took hold of his hand. “Can we have pizza J? I love pizza!”

A.J. laughed as they headed upstairs. “Sure. I’ll call and get us a pizza delivered. I’ll send Marcus to pick up some movies while we wait too. How’s that?”

“Awesome!” Tesia exclaimed. “Wanna see Finding Nemo and The Chipmunk Adventure! You don’t have any Chipmunks movies here. You really need to get some!”

“Yeah, I’ll have Marcus get those movies, if you want,” A.J. said, then paused, letting his mouth drop open. “What?”

He thought a moment, but then remembered her comment about the movies. “Oh, yeah. I need to pick up a few. I’m behind on my Chipmunk skills,” he laughed.

Tesia gave her brother a weird look. “You gotta weird mind J. Now, c’mon!” She tugged on his hand, dragging him up and into the kitchen. “Hey, wanna know something? I can recite lines from the Chipmunk Adventure! I can sing some songs too! Know it by heart - well, almost.”

Once in the kitchen, A.J. picked her up and set her upon the counter top. “Then sing,” he smiled at her, as he stood with his arms crossed.

Tesia can feel her excitement building up. “Kay.”

She took a deep, nervous breath, then belted out a few lyrics to Girls of Rock ‘n’ Roll perfectly. “Sun goes down, I’m just getting up. I’m headin’ for the city lights. Radio blasting on the way to the club; Gonna rock this town tonight!…You’re living in a man’s world, they tell us. But we ain’t gonna buy it. The things they’re trying to tell us now…”

A.J. leaned back against the fridge, smiling softly, his arms still crossed, as he listened to her sing.

Tesia just kept on singing her little heart out. “‘Cause we’re the girls of rock ‘n’ roll. Whoo-hoo! Yeah, we’re the girls of rock 'n’ roll. Rockin’, rockin’, rockin’ ro-oll.”

She paused for a breath, then continued. “Whoah-yeah. The getting’s up and I’m ready to go. My guitar is in my hand. There’s nothing more that I rather do, than play in a rock ‘n’ roll band. What we have is what we will be hearing. Heading for the top, Don’t you know? We’ll never stop believing no-ow!”

She paused once more. “‘Cause we’re the boys of rock ‘n’ roll! You better believe it! Yeah, yeah, yeah! We’re the boys of rock ‘n’ roll! Rockin’, rockin’, rockin’ ro-oll…”

After one last pause, she finished her song. “We are the girls, we are the girls, we are the girls of rock ‘n’ roll. We are the boys, we are the boys, we are the boys of rock ‘n’ roll…”

She stopped singing and looked over at her brother expectantly. “All they do is have a music break now an’ sing that they’re the boys or girls of rock ‘n’ roll over an’ over.”

A.J. laughed at her. “I know the song, Baby. Your version is much better. That was really good. Who taught you that?”

Tesia beamed, basking in pride. Her face was positively glowing as she answered him. “I did. Daddy will let me have anything, but singing lessons. I listened to you an’ Brian an’ everybody else an’ learned on my own.”

“That’s great. I would have never learned without lessons. You can take a few here, if you want,” A.J. smiled at her, before picking up the phone..

Tesia's eyes went huge, as she nodded speechlessly. Oh, it was what she wanted! More than anything! Singing would bring her closer to her brother. Maybe – just maybe – she’d even get to be the Boys opening act!

She continued to grin happily, as she swung her feet while still sitting upon the counter. She loved sitting on the counter – which was something she wasn’t allowed to do back home in Orlando. She hummed a bit, then started to sing again, too happy and excited to keep it contained any longer.

“I, I, I, I like you very much. I, I, I, I think you’re grand…I like your lips. I like your eyes. Do you like my hips?…”

A.J. was listening to the phone ring, as he waited for someone at the pizza place to answer. Once someone finally had, he placed his order, then hung up and sat down in a near by chair.

Tesia hopped down off the counter then, and went over to her brother, and climbed into his lap. “What’ we doin’ tomorrow?” She asked. “And when’s the pizza gonna get here?”

“Listen Tesia, you know I love you more than anything in the world, and I wanna spend as much time with you as I can. But, I also need to work to have food and you know how much I love to sing, so sometimes I have to do that,” A.J. tells her softly, taking a deep breath. “And Erin…Tesia, I like her a lot more than I have liked a woman in a long time; and I wanna get to know her and spend time with her too. I love spending time with you, but I need to be with her sometimes. Please understand.”

Tesia sighed heavily and looked down. “You’re gonna be with her tomorrow then, huh?”

“I need to spend some time with her tomorrow, yes. I will spend some of my day with you too. While I am working with Erin on her album, you can go shopping with Marcus. I know, security, yuck; but he’s all I got.” A.J. smiled as he stood up slowly, setting Tesia back in the chair behind him. “I need to make a quick phone call, okay? Stay here. The pizza guy will come to this door; he should be here soon.”

He left Tesia alone then, heading into the next room to dial Erin’s number, as he had seen her leave while his sister had been singing for him. He shook slightly as he listened to her phone ring and ring and ring.

Later on, after the pizza had arrived and been paid for, brother and sister sat in the kitchen on the counter stools, each munching on a slice of pizza. They were both eating silently, as they were each enjoying their slice of hot pizza immensely.

Tesia gave her brother an innocent smile, while secretly smirking to herself. “He didn’t see…” She murmured aloud quietly, referring to how she’d kept his change and taken a few extra dollars out of his wallet while he’d been in the next room. She spoke the next part louder, “When’s Marcus bringin’ the videos?”

”Whenever he gets back. I don’t control Marcus, so I don’t know,” A.J. said finishing up his slice of pizza.

Marcus walked in the back door then. “Sorry about that McLean. A lot of people renting movies tonight.”

A.J. grinned up at the man, who had saved his backside more than once. “No worries man; it’s all good. So…” He looked back over at Tesia. “Let’s go up and watch them in the theater; bigger screen.”

Tesia's eyes lit up. “Awesome!”

She slid off her stool, leaving a bit of a mess, and grabbed his hands to try and drag him out of the room. “C’mon! Let’s go watch ‘em!”

Marcus handed A.J. the bag with the movies in it, and laughed as Tesia dragged her brother from the room and into the hallway.

Once remembering where she’d seen the theater, Tesia dragged her brother inside. Once there, she grabbed the movies from him, and popped in The Chipmunk Adventure, as it was her all-time favourite.

“Sit!” She ordered her brother. “And no leaving me here alone for nothing! Not even to pee!”

“Why? ‘Cause it’s dark? Yah aren’t scared, are yah?” A.J. said laughing, as he sat down in a huge recliner.

“No, Jerk!” Tesia answered. “Why would I be afraid of the Chipmunks?”

Despite her brace façade, she climbed into A.J.’s lap, as she was afraid of the dark, but didn’t like to admit it. She was quiet, until the movie started. “Ooh! I know the beginning off by heart!”

A.J. smiled wrapping his arms around her. “Yeah, okay.”

“Shh!” Tesia hissed, then began to recite the lines in sync with the characters. “Has anyone seen my tie? … You’re wearing it Dave … Thanks Simon … Don’t forget your mittens! It’s cold in Europe! … Thanks Theodore … And don’t forget your tour book. I’m marking all the great places you’ll wanna see … Thanks Simon … Hmm. Sock, pants; Am I forgetting anything? … ME! … Alvin, we’ve been over this a thousand times. This is a business trip and it’s just not practical … Please Dave! I need a little culture in my life! The Eiffel Tower, the 16th Chapel, the Louver in Rome! … The Louver is in Paris, Alvin … You see!?! I don’t even know where the Louver is! Please! Take me with you Dave!”

A.J. sat there quietly, looking at the screen, but not really seeing the movie.

“You like the movie, J?” Tesia asked suddenly. “I love it!” She paused and looked up at him. “Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout? Please not Erin!”

“No…Just thinking about a few things; nothing for you to worry about. Work related things; shows and such,” A.J. smiled, then looked back up at the screen. He had lied. Erin was all that was on his mind. Her touch, the feel of her lips, her body, and her voice echoing through his head.

Tesia shook her head, not believing him for a minute, but went back to watching her movie quietly. Though, she did sing along to her favourite songs. Eventually, she fell asleep cuddled up in his lap

While sleeping in her brother’s lap, she began to have a nightmare about how she had been treated back home by everyone that knew her. She’d never told her brother she didn’t have any friends – none at all – no one liked her – even when she was nice. Part of the reason she had an attitude problem, was because she figured since no one liked her when she was good, why should she ever bother to begin with? She thought it better to scare them off to begin with, rather than end up being the one hurt in the end.

A.J. still sat there watching the movie until it was over. Once it was done, he turned off the screen and carried Tesia to her room, putting her to bed. He tucked her in, making sure her Teddy Bear was with her, then headed off to his room for the night.