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Author's Chapter Notes:
Added 1/28. I think you guys will like this one...

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Liverpool, England - 9:02 PM GMT (2:02 PM PST)

... It was then that he noticed the package beside him, still unopened and untouched from earlier.

'Might as well open it. At least I'll have some proper coffee in the morning,' he thought happily.

AJ tore the packaging tape off and opened the flaps of the box to see the contents within it. There were a bunch of packing peanuts on top and once he got past those, his breath caught in his throat.


Inside was something AJ didn't expect to see...sitting on top of another layer of packing peanuts were five pregnancy tests, each marked with a check in green Sharpie. He stared at them for a moment. "Oh, shit. Oh my God," AJ choked out.

Along with those was a piece of paper. AJ picked it up and read it.

Call me.

AJ quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and fumbled with the buttons as he dialed his wife's speed-dial number and hit "SEND".

"Kim."

In that one word, she understood. "You got the package," she said calmly.

"Uh huh." He sat down on the bed.

A moment of silence ensued.

"Alex?"

"I can't believe this," AJ said shaking his head.

"Me neither. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm just...well...shocked." He chuckled nervously. "You're pregnant...we're having another baby." He smiled.

"Uh-huh."

"Oh my God, baby. Oh my God. This is unreal."

"I know."

It finally hit him. "God, I love you so much. We're having another baby!" he yelled and grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you okay with this? This is what we both want, right?" Kim asked him hesitantly.

"Yes, baby. Yes! I can't believe this! I can't believe this! I love you so much! Oh my God!"

"I love you," Kim said.

"God, I wish you were here. I wanna hug and kiss you all over." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Does anyone else know?"

"Nope."

"Can I tell everyone, like, right now?" he asked with excitement.

Kim laughed. "Sure."

"Hold on for one second, babe." AJ quickly sent a mass text to the fellas and their crew:

EVERYONE: EMERGENCY MEETING. MY HOTEL ROOM. NOW.

"I sent everyone a text to come to my room. We'll tell them together."

"Sounds good."

"Where's Jordan? Is he around?"

"He's upstairs playing in his room."

"Oh. Has he noticed anything weird going on with you?" he questioned again.

"No, I don't think so."

"Good, I want this to be a surprise."

"Me, too," Kim agreed.

A few minutes later, everyone gathered in AJ's hotel room, chattering excitedly.

"AJ, what's up with this?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, man, what's up?" Q, one of their security guards questioned as well.

"Okay. Baby? I'm gonna put you on speakerphone, alright?" He did. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah."

AJ took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Everyone, the reason I called you all in here is because Kim and I have an announcement to make. Go ahead, baby."

"I'm pregnant!" Kim yelled.

"We're having another baby!" AJ added and grinned.

"AJ got it past the goalie!" Nick yelled. The room erupted in cheers and many hugs and 'Congratulations!' were exchanged. AJ ended up crying as everyone hugged him, he was feeling so many emotions at once and just tried to take it all in.

"Congratulations, man. You deserve it. You both do," Brian said as he embraced AJ.

"Thanks, Rok. You know, if I didn't shave, my beard would be running right now."

He laughed and took AJ's phone to talk to Kim as it was Leighanne's turn. "Congratulations to both of you. This is wonderful news."

"Thank you. I'm very happy," AJ said.

"Alex?" Kim asked, still on the phone.

"Yeah, babe?"

"I gotta go, okay? I love you so much, baby. So much."

"I love you, too. Wish you were here."

"Me, too," she said with a sigh.

"Alright, everybody, Kim's gotta go now. Say bye."

"Bye!" everyone said.

"Bye, guys. I love you, Alex."

"I love you, too. Bye, baby." He gave her a kiss through the phone.

"Bye." He hung up and tossed his phone on the bed.

"So, how did you find out?" Howie asked.

"Um...you know that 'package' I got?" He gestured to the cardboard box and the packing peanuts scattered on his bed.

"Yeah." he said and came over and looked inside it. "Wow. Some 'coffee,' huh?"

"Yeah," he sighed.

AJ went around hugging and excepting well wishes for awhile before everyone left, except for Nick. Some of the guys offered to go out and celebrate, but AJ politely declined. He needed to be alone to process the last half hour, to take it all in.

"Are you sure you don't wanna go out with us? Free alcohol for the daddy-to-be! Again!" Nick said.

"No thanks dude. I need to step back and take this all in. It feels like a whirlwind just went through here."

"Alright. Congrats again, man. I'm so happy for you and Kim."

They hugged again. "Thanks."

"Have you decided how you're gonna tell Jordan?"

AJ hadn't thought of that. "No, uh...we haven't told him yet. I think we should wait until after I get home."

"That sounds good. I'm sure he'll be a great big brother."

"Yeah," AJ smiled at the thought.

"Alright, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Nick."

He reached for the door knob and turned around. "Hey, Alex?"

"Hm?"

"I hope I can be as happy as you are someday. You've got a beautiful, loving wife, a strong, healthy little boy and possibly another one on the way. You're an amazing husband and father just like Brian and Howie. I look up to the three of you so much as my big brothers and I want what you guys have and I know that will come in time. Even though you're going through a lot of personal issues right now, maybe this is exactly what you need to put things into perspective and to turn things around for yourself. Just think about that." With that he turned the door knob and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

AJ stared at the door Nick had just closed for a moment and sat down on the bed. It didn't take long before a few tears ran down his cheeks and he let it all go. All of the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, the anger, and the sadness that had plaguing him for so long had resurfaced for a moment but he soon realized that they were tears of joy more than anything else. He hadn't felt this happy in what seemed like forever.

AJ pulled himself together and picked up his phone to call Kim.

"Alex? What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"I just need you right now. To hear your voice," he said, feeling the knot in his throat return. "I love you so much. I'm so damn happy."

"Awww, baby. I love you, too and I'm happy that you're happy. That doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. I'm ecstatic. Thrilled. Shocked. Scared."

"Me, too. When did you take those tests?"

"On Sunday night. I realized that I missed my period for April and I put two and two together. I took quite a few and they all came out positive, obviously. I packed then up and shipped them out to you as fast as I could," she explained.

"How far along do you think you are? Oh." AJ said suddenly remembering the night of baby number two's conception. "That was a great night..."

"Mhmm. Sure was. You've still got it, baby, even when you're delirious with fever." Kim smirked.

"Hey, I was only hot for you that night and I always will be. Just remember that."

"Of course."

AJ sighed happily. "God, I want you so bad right now," he admitted and gave a throaty chuckle.

"Mm, me too. Just wait until you get home..."

"I don't think I can. I miss you," he pouted.

"I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder," she mused.

"That, and being extremely horny," AJ added bluntly.

"Alex! If you were here, I'd smack you!"

"I know," he said with a laugh. "So...how do we break the news to our first-born?"

"I was thinking that we should wait until you get home."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. I knew there was a reason I married you."

"We'll sit him down and explain to him that he's going to have a little brother or sister in nine months' time."

"Yeah." AJ smiled.

"There's something else in that box, too, you know..." she said, leaving him hanging.

AJ grabbed the box and dug through the bottom layer of packing peanuts. "Oh really? I wonder what it could be?" he questioned already knowing what it was, or so he thought...

"Wait a minute...this isn't coffee!" AJ exclaimed.

Kim laughed. "Nope. I was serious about you taking Airborne, you know."

Yep, Kim had packed two boxes of Very Berry Airborne along with the pregnancy tests and note. "You're just full of surprises tonight, aren't you?" AJ asked while examining the box.

"Uh-huh. I looked it up online and it's very easy to use. You just take it as needed, like when you guys do a few shows in a row or if you're doing a lot of traveling and can't rest as much."

"Or if one of the fellas gets sick and I don't wanna catch it. Where was this last week? Oh, well."

"Exactly."

"Hm. I never thought of it like that before. I'll definitely keep it in mind. Thank you, baby."

"I just want you to stay healthy, you've still got a couple more weeks until you fly home. You don't need anymore stress besides the obvious."

"I think I've used all of my sick days for this tour already, anyway," he joked knowing full well that 'sick days' didn't exist in Backstreet Land. You have to be sick enough to not be able to perform which usually meant that you were so weak that you couldn't get out of bed or in AJ's case recently, being put on bed rest until the doctor says you're good to go.

"Right. All the more reason to try a different approach."

They were both silent until AJ spoke again. "Hey, Kim?"

"Yeah, babe?" she replied casually.

He cleared his throat softly and began to sing what he co-wrote the day after they first met at Brian and Leighanne's wedding:

I open my eyes, I see your face
I cannot hide, I can't erase
The way you make me feel inside
You complete me, girl, that's why
Something about you makes me feel
Baby, my heart wants to reveal
I'm down on my knees, I'm asking you
So, these three words I wanna hear from you

Yes, I will, take your hand and walk with you
Yes, I will, so these three words I promise to
Yes, I will, give you everything you need
And someday start a family with you
Yes, I will, take your hand and walk with you
Yes, I will, baby I promise to
Yes, I will, give you everything you need
And someday start a family with you

Oh, yes I will

This is no ordinary love
And I can never have enough
Of all the things you've given to me
You're my heart, my soul, my everything
Every night I thank You, Lord
For giving me the strength to love her more
And more each day I promise her
As long as I hear those three words

Yes, I will, take your hand and walk with you
Yes, I will, so these three words I promise to
Yes, I will, give you everything you need
And someday start a family with you
Yes, I will, take your hand and walk with you
Yes, I will, baby I promise to
Yes, I will, give you everything you need
And someday start a family with you

I stand beside you, in everything you do
Wherever you go, whatever you do
Baby, I'll be there
As God as my witness
I will carry this through
'Til death do us part, I promise to you

Yes, I will, take your hand and walk with you
Yes, I will, Baby yes I promise to
Yes, I will, give you everything you need
And start a family with you, baby
Yes, I will
Yes, I will
Yes, I will, I promise you
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be all right
I will...


"That was beautiful, baby. You know I love it," Kim said as she wiped her tears away. Out of all the songs ever created, "Yes I Will" was her favorite song to hear AJ sing. Not just because he wrote it for her, but because it represents that he knew she was 'the one' from the moment he laid eyes on her. She didn't find it creepy at all that he wrote that after he first met her, it made her feel special that she had such a profound effect on him. It was fate, or whatever you want to call it that brought them together.

"I love you. I can't to see you," Kim said.

"Same here, baby. I'm so proud of us, but you're gonna be the one doing all the hard work. I just helped the process along."

"True. I made an appointment with my gyno (OB/GYN) for Thursday at 2:30 to get an ultrasound done and go over my diet and stuff, get some pre-natal vitamins."

"I wanna be there with you so badly. I don't wanna miss any part of this, not for one second. I would be on the next flight out of here if I was allowed, you know that," AJ said honestly.

"Of course, Alex. You have a responsibility to the guys, the crew, and the fans and I can't jeopardize that for you. I could never do that."

"Yeah, but family comes first before work. Always. I wanna come home. 17 days..." he said hoping that the 23rd would come sooner.

"Yep. I gotta go, Jordan needs me. I love you."

"And I love you. And Gumby."

"What? No, we are not calling our unborn child 'Gumby,' Alex," Kim said, laughing.

"He or she has gotta have a nickname, Kim! I was 'Big Al' and Jordan was 'Belly Bean,' it's practically a family tradition by now. Can we name it, please?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Yay! 'Gumby' it is, then."

"Alex! Nevermind, I really gotta go. Love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

AJ hung up and sighed. He stared at the wall for a few moments before he called another number.

"Hey, Kev? It's Alex."

"Hey! How are you?"

"I'm doing great, really great. Actually, Kim and I have some news to share with you..."
Chapter End Notes:
Song Credit: "Yes I Will" by the Backstreet Boys. AJ actually co-wrote that song in real life. :)

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