A while later, little Tesia stirred slightly while still lying atop her brother’s chest that heaved up and down as he breathed. She sat up some, still atop his stomach, and rubbed her eyes tiredly with her little hands. She was still a little bit sleepy, but hungry more than anything and ready to play again as well.

“J!” She called softly, patting his chest with her little hands. “J!”

A.J. groaned slightly as he felt little hands pat upon his chest. “Hmm?”

Tesia smiled at the slight response. “I’s hungwy.”

A.J. opened his eyes, smiling at the little one sitting upon him. “Hey Beautiful. You’re hungry, huh?”

Tesia nodded her response, her grin widening some more. She giggled when he tickled her sides before getting up with her in his arms like before. “Teddy hungwy too.”

“He is, is he?” A.J. chuckled. “Well, I guess we’ll just hafta find him some food too then, hmm?”

Tesia giggled, nodding once more, her little pigtails bobbing wildly. “Uh-huh. He wan’ peeny butter an’ jelly.”

“Ooh. Peanut butter and jelly! Good choice, Babe!” A.J. enthused as he made his way downstairs. “Yo D.! Yah still here?”

“Yup,” Howie replied, coming to stand at the foot of the stairs. “Figured you’d be up soon enough.”

“Smart man Howie is, T.,” A.J. grinned. “He knows J. too well.”

“Hi!” Tesia chirped upon spotting Howie. “Wan’ peeny butter an’ jelly too?”

“Sure! Long as Alex is making it,” Howie smirked.

“Get your own, man,” A.J. laughed. “You’re not three-years-old!”

“Oh, c’mon Alex. You make a mean sandwich,” Howie chuckled.

Tesia gasped. “No meanie san’wich! No! Makes Daddy ‘panks da meanie san’wich!”

A.J. just about doubled over with laughter at that. “She’s priceless, I’m tellin’ yah D. Priceless!”

Howie laughed as well. “If she’s priceless, then maybe she takes after Nicky.”

“Shaddup,” A.J. rolled his eyes. “It’s bad enough Air-Boy takes after Nick. We don’t need somebody else to too.”

“Peeny butter!” Tesia insisted, squirming some in her brother’s arms, though careful not to drop her new Teddy Bear.

“Yes, yes, peeny butter is on its way,” A.J. assured her as he sat her upon the counter. “Now, don’t move. We don’t want you to fall.”

Tesia sat watching her brother quietly, smiling every so often when he’d make faces at her.

“Alex, if only everybody could see you now,” Howie joshed. “They’d never believe it. The hardcore rebel making silly faces at a toddler.”

A.J. stuck his tongue out at his friend. “Laugh all yah want D., but keep it up an’ I’ma make you change her diaper.”

“And I’ll just leave her for you, because I know you’ll cave when she starts to cry,” Howie responded calmly.

“Shaddup,” A.J. answered, fixing up some peanut butter sandwiches. “I hope yah choke on this D. I really do.”

Tesia frowned. “No choke! Owie no choke, J!”

“I was teasing, Baby,” A.J. told her, handing her a quarter of her sandwich. “There. Eat then, and if you want more you can have another piece, okay?”

“Mm hmm,” Tesia mumbled, as she stuffed the sandwich quarter into her mouth some to take a slobbery bite.

A.J. shook his head handing Howie the sandwich he’d made for him. “You owe me now D. I own you.”

“Shouldn’t this just be payment for buying the car seat and coming over to give you a hand?” Howie inquired. “I mean, car seats aren’t cheap, yanno.”

“Hush Howard,” A.J. replied, shoveling his sandwich into his mouth.

Howie smiled as he ate his ‘dinner’. “Lovely dinner we’re havin’ here, Aje.”

“Well, it’s not like I know what she’ll eat and she said she wanted peanut butter,” A.J. argued somewhat. “Long as it keeps her happy and full, all is fine, right?”

Howie nodded. “Yeah, all is fine. Relax, will you?”

A.J. rolled his eyes. “Stop the press! The man who freaks out when hair numbers fifty-three to fifty-six are out of place, telling me to relax. This is a news story worth reporting folks!”

Now it was Howie’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re such a tool, Alex.”

“Why, thank-you,” A.J. bowed as he gently grabbed Tesia’s sticky hands. “Hey-hey, no stick-i-fying my cupboards.”

Tesia smiled innocently as her brother cleaned her hands up. “Whatta we’s do now J?”

A.J. shrugged. “Anything yah want, Babe.”

“Park?” Tesia asked hopefully.

A.J. glanced out a kitchen window. “Ah…not tonight, Hunny. It’s too dark out to go and play in the park.”

Tesia’s face puckered up as her eyes filled with tears. “I’S GOES PWAY IN DA PARK!!!!!!!!!!!” She screeched loudly. “WANNA GOES PWAY IN DA PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

A.J. and Howie both quickly covered their ears, as the little girl sure knew how to shriek – possibly even louder than some of their hysterical fans.

“Oye vey,” A.J. muttered. “Tantrum number one, here we come.”

Howie groaned as well. “Just – stick her in a corner or something, Alex. That might work.”

A.J. sighed heavily as he lifted Tesia down off the counter and carried her over to a corner in the kitchen that was away from everything.

Once set upon the floor Tesia immediately fell to the ground and began to kick and scream and writhe about like mad. “I’S GOES PARK!!! I’S GOES PARK!!!!!!”

“Tesia we’ll go tomorrow, alright?” A.J. tried to reason with the screaming child.

“ESIA GOES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!” Tesia shrieked, clobbering his ankles with tiny fist that were flying about in fury. “ESIA GOES DA PARK NOW!!!!!!!!”

A.J. yelped and backed away, not wanting for his ankles to be clobbered again. “She’s a mean punch for someone so small.”

“Maybe if we wait it out she’ll eventually grow tired of it?” Howie suggested with a slight shrug. “I never seem to be around when my sister’s kids throw tantrums.”

A.J. ran his hand over his face. “I guess we can try that.”

Howie nodded and led his friend out of the kitchen and into the living room. “Trust me. I’m sure she’ll grow tired of screaming eventually when she realizes she’s not getting the attention she wants.”

“She’s gonna drive me crazy, I can just feel it now.”

“Alex, she was fine until now. You two were getting along great. But she’s three and she wants to go to the park – didn’t you ever throw tantrums about that at her age?”

“I dunno. You’d hafta ask Momma,” A.J. shrugged, though unable to hide a sly smile. “An’ even if I did, I’d never tell.”

Howie laughed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

A.J. flashed him an impish grin. “Well, whatcha expect? It is me after all.”

Howie shook his head as the screaming continued on in the kitchen. “They definitely broke the mold with you.”

“Damned straight!” A.J. exclaimed, knowing Tesia couldn’t hear him over her incessant screeching.

Half an hour later a small face peeked around the wall and into the living room where two fifths of the Backstreet Boys sat still. The little one watched as they continued to ignore her presence, until she finally spoke.

“J?”

A.J. looked over at the doorway and smiled softly. “Hey T. You come to play?”

Tesia nodded quietly, as she cautiously padded her way over to her brother, her new Teddy Bear clutched tightly once more.

A.J. smiled as he lifted her up onto the couch. “What do you wanna play, Hunny?”

Tesia shrugged, not sure anymore. “Esia ‘nuggle?”

“You wanna snuggle, huh?”

Tesia nodded again, watching her brother closely, looking for any sign that would signal she may be getting a spanking soon.

“Alright. C’mere,” A.J. smiled, opening his arms for her to climb into, as she was still next to him on the couch.

Tesia cocked her head sideways eyeing him warily. “No ‘pankin’?”

“No Baby. No spanking,” A.J. assured her. “J. won’t spank you – that’s your Daddy’s job. And I’m not Daddy, now am I?”

Tesia shook her head, as she crawled into his arms. “You’s brudder, nots Daddy, silly.”

“See?” A.J. smiled, kissing her forehead. “Brother’s don’t spank. Least, not this one. Just don’t ever give me reason too, okay?”

“Kay,” Tesia agreed readily. She snuggled into him as Howie flicked the television onto the Disney channel so that she could watch cartoons. “Ooh!” She squealed. “Fwankin’!”

“Franklin?” A.J. repeated, then glanced up to see what was on his television. “Oh…you like Franklin, huh?”

Tesia nodded like mad. “Uh-huhs! Fwankin cool!”

A.J. nodded approval as she attempted to sing along to the theme song as best she could.

“Aye it Fwankin. Comin’ overs to pway! Gwowin’ a wittle every day. Here he come withs alls his fwiends. Dey gots stories to tells to you,” Tesia sang as she bounced about in her brother’s lap. “Aye it Fwankin, comin’ over to pways. Aye it Fwankin. He comin’ to my house. Aye it Fwankin. He comin’ to yer house. Aye it Fwankin.”

A.J. and Howie both chuckled as the song ended and the cartoon started. Yep, she was definitely like her brother.

“Think the fellas will love her?” A.J. asked Howie, only to be shushed by the child snuggled in his lap.

“Absolutely,” Howie nodded smiling. “With her green eyes and brown locks and impish grin identical to yours, who could resist her?”

“Definitely not me,” A.J. smirked.

“Shh! Fwankin on!” Tesia shushed them. “I’s a watchin’!”

“Okay, okay. We’ll shh,” A.J. told her, shushing her in return. “Shh!”

Tesia giggled and gave his cheek a sloppy kiss. “Wuvs J.”

A.J. felt his heart soar at hearing those two words. “I love you too, T.,” he told her, knowing he meant it with every inch of his soul. It didn’t matter they’d only just met that day, she was just too cute too resist! He held her close as they continued to watch Franklin, though he glanced over to smirk at his best friend every once in a while just because.

Howie made sure to return A.J.’s smirk every time it was flashed, as he could tell just how happy the small girl was making his friend. In fact, he’d never seen him happier, and A.J. usually liked to try and look at things on the bright side – unless he was in a cynical mood.