Chapter One: Lightning Strikes


"Oh, what now? This is the eighty billionth time you've interrupted my show!" Tierja groaned loudly, throwing a piece of bread at her large television screen as the meteorologist popped up for yet another update on the weather. Storms were brewing outside, stirring up whatever it could gather. Mother nature was definitely in a bad mood that night.

"This just in... a tornado warning is in effect for the whole state of Minnesota until tomorrow morning. Should a tornado touch down in your area, go to the lowest protion of your home with a radio. Don't go and try to help family members in other areas, you'll only be putting yourself in danger. Once again, the whole state of Minnesota is under a tornado warning. And now, back to the scheduled programming."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. They always say there's going to be a tornado and it never happens," Tierja rolled her eyes as Whose Line Is It Anyway? came back on. "Damn meteorologists are never right."


Ryan accidently rammed his head into a light fixture

Drew Carey: Hey Ryan, how many fingers am I holding up? holds up two fingers
Ryan Stiles: Uhh, four? How about me? gives Drew the finger


"Oh my God, I love this fucking show!" she burst out laughing, almost choking on her food. "They need to--"

"Hello?! Is someone home? Please, let me in!" A deep voice boomed from behind the door followed by a loud pounding. She jumped, almost spilling her dinner on the floor as she scrambled to her feet. Who in the Hell would be in the boondocks when it's storming outside? It could be the BTK Killer or something! She thought to herself, cautiously walking to the door.

"Who is it?" she asked in a trembling voice, looking through the peephole to see a tall man in a black leather trench coat and cowboy hat, the rain pouring down on him as lightning flashed in the background.

"My name is Kevin!" he yelled over the crashing thunder. "I crashed my motorcycle and my cell phone doesn't have service out here. Could I come in and use your phone?"

"Are you sure you're not the BTK Killer?"

"They caught him two weeks ago."

"Oh..."

"Will you please let me in, ma'am?"

"Alright, hold on," she unlocked the door and deadbolt, opening it just enough for him to jump inside. Rain dripped off his clothes, making a puddle in the middle of the foyer.

"Thank you so much for letting me in. I really appreciate it," he replied, taking off his hat. She could now see his face, and was struck by his handsome features. Emerld orbs shined down at her, a warm smile curved onto his soft lips and a strong, chiseled jaw. His raven locks were pulled back into a small ponytail, a few strands falling over his left eye and a carefully groomed goatee adorned his tan skin. His clothes consisted of the black leather trench coat, matching cowboy hat, a black wifebeater that clung to his toned muscles and loose black jeans. Black motorcycle boots covered his feet.

"Um... you're welcome," she replied softly, cursing herself for deciding to scrub out that day in a pair of baggy boxers and a blue muscle tank.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

"I don't doubt that..." Kevin trailed off, sunconsciously licking his lips as he checked out Tierja. Her short blonde hair stopped just at the middle of her neck and spiked out in the back. Dark brown streaks glowed in the light along with her blue-gray eyes that rested behind tortoise shell glasses. A nose and eyebrow ring glistened a soft blue while her matching tongue ring danced along her bottom lip. A nervous habit. Everything about her seemed to unique and so beautiful, causing the room to warm with desire.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Kevin Richardson," he held his hand out to her.

"Tierja Blackwell. It's very nice to meet you," she managed to speak without stuttering, shaking his hand. A spark flew through her body and she shuddered lightly.

"Likewise," Kevin gazed at her for a few moments longer before realizing he was soaking the carpet with his wet clothes. "Oh shit... do you have a towel or something? I'm dripping all over your floor."

"Yeah, just take off your boots and follow me," Tierja mustered a smile, walking through the living room towards the bathroom. She grasped two large towels out of the closet and turned to only bump into his strong body. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"It's alright, no need to apologize," Kevin chuckled, taking the towels from her. He pulled out the tie holding his locks and began to rub vigorously. His hands ran over a cut by his scalp, causing a sharp sting. "Damnit!"

"Are you alright?" Tierja immediately asked as he pulled the towel off his head. She winced when a trail of blood began to trail down his forehead. "You're bleeding!"

"I must have cut myself when my bike crashed," Kevin wiped away the blood, grimacing.

"Sit down, I'll clean that for you," Tierja pushed him down onto the edge of the large jacuzzi bathtub, grabbing the first aid kit out of the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the peroxide and gauze, dabbling a little of the liquid onto it before carefully placing it against the somewhat deep cut.

"Ouch!" Kevin hissed through his teeth as it bubbled and burned.

"Shh, it'll only sting for a moment," Tierja leaned over and blew softly against the wound. "Is that better?"

"Yeah..." Kevin looked up and their eyes locked for a deep moment. He licked his dry lips, breath catching in his throat.

"We shouldn't... we've just... just..." Tierja lost her train of thought, imagining their lips and bodies entwined in a passionate kiss.

"Yeah, we've just met," Kevin finished her thoughts before finally bringing them together for a deep and breathless kiss. He pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist to bring her closer. Tierja moaned, plunging her fingers into his damp raven locks.

"TIER! WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?! IT'S VIN DIESEL NIGHT, OR DID YOU FORGET AGAIN?!" A voice ehoed through the house, causing the couple to break their heated embrace, panting heavily.

"Damnit... of course Ana comes to disturb the best kiss of my life," Tierja groaned, resting her head against Kevin's chiseled chest. She listened to his heart pound, matching her own.

"Who's Ana?"

"My best fr--"

"Tier! Good Lord, girl did you fall in the bathtub again?" Ana's voice boomed as she ran into the bathroom, stopping short when she saw the two sitting on the edge of the jacuzzi. Her blue-green eyes widened with shock, the lights accentuating her golden blonde curls held up by a thick piece of leather. "Holy shit! Did I interrupt something that could have turned into a porno?"

"Ana, for crying out loud," Tierja groaned, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

"What, am I wrong?"

"Like you and Howie never do stuff like this!"

"That's different--"

"How?"

"It just is!"

"Yeah right--"

"Are you going to tell me who this secret lover is?"

"Kevin Richardson," he finally spoke up, extending a hand towards Ana.

"Ana Lord. Nice to meet you," she shook his hand.

"Babe, did you find them?" a male voice called from the hallway, heading towards the bathroom. An average height Latino with a mop of curly black hair and chocolate brown eyes walked into the room with an impish smile much like his girlfriend's. He stopped short when he saw the man holding Tierja. "Whoa! Kevin, is that you?!"

"Howie! Holy shit, man! It's been years!" Kevin gently placed Tierja down and got up to hug Howie. "I didn't know you were living in Minnesota!"

"Yeah, I moved here a few years ago. Thought a change of scenery would be good for me. I turned out to be right, because I met Ana soon after I arrived," Howie smiled, looping an arm around Ana's waist.

"Of course, because I am the woman of his dreams!" Ana boasted with a grin as Tierja rolled her eyes.

"I still can't believe this coincidence," Kevin shook his head with a chuckle. "We've got a lot to catch up on."

"We've got all night, unless the power goes out again--" just then thinder shook the house and lightning cracked above them. Blackness filled the house, making it impossible for one to see.

"Howie, do you always have to jinx us?!" Tierja groaned. She hated the dark.

"Ooops?" Howie laughed, pulling out the small flashlight on his keychains. He grasped Ana's hand and headed out of the room. "Come on, let's get some candles."

"You okay?" Kevin asked once the other couple was gone.

"I just don't like the dark... you can never see what's hiding in it," Tierja shuddered as he wrapped an arm around her. She smiled gratefully, even if he couldn't see her face.

"I'll protect you."

"Good, I'm holding you to that," she replied, following Howie's small trail of light with Kevin still keeping her close.

"Go right ahead, because I won't--"

"Come on, lovebirds! We don't need you getting lost in the dark!" Ana's voice interrupted.

"She always ruins the moment," Tierja laughed.

"I may ruin the moment, but you still love me!"

"Shut up and help Howie with the candles!"

Chapter Two: Quality Time


"I just love when Howie jinxes us like this... every damn storm, he does it. Do you think he's learned? No!" Tierja replied sarcastically. Her dark irises danced in the soft candlelight that illuminated the living room.

"Are you just going to sit there and let her badger me?" Howie questioned his girlfriend, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you expect me to do?" Ana drawled as if she wasn't phased by any of the passing events nor the heinous thunder and lightening cracking just outside the large window. Instead, her blue-green eyes were intensely focused on the vanilla candle before her, holding her dainty hands just above the flame to watch it dance mysteriously within the light. An amused expression played across her impish face, catching the stranger off-guard.

"Ana doesn't care what happens as long as she has her fire to play with," Tierja laughed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She took a sip of wine from her glass, content just resting in Kevin's arms. "Been like that since I can remember. Little pyromaniac."

"And you let her do that? Play with fire inside the house?" Kevin quickly questioned, glancing down at Tierja's profile within the darkness of the house. Since the power had ceased, Tierja had glued straight to his side. Not that Kevin was in any place to judge. He had been instantly attracted to Tierja and welcomed her closeness.

"I'm not a child," Ana answered, withdrawing from the candle to scoot back onto the couch with Howie. Immediately, she reached for a blonde curl to twirl around her finger, demonstraiting her inability to actually sit still. If anything, she was just mesmerized by the dancing light. She found it almost as calming as water. "And, she's just bullshitting. I'm not a pyromaniac. I just like candles."

"Yeah, she has about a thousand of them in her bedroom and bathroom combined, and that is something I'm not bullshitting about," Tierja replied, placing her hand on the back of Kevin's neck. She felt knots and tense muscles, beginning to massage them. "You can even ask Howie. Her perfect idea of love making is soft music, rose petals, tons of candles lit--"

"I think he'd rather hear about your love profile instead of mine. And what makes you think that Howie has even had the privilage to dip into my erotic fantasies?" Ana interupted with a fixed scowl, unable to sit still as another crack of lightening streaked through the house. The wind whistled wildly against the old home, causing Tierja to shrink backward into the opposite couch. Ana also tensed for a moment, standing to locate something to entertain herself within the house.

"Storms get really bad around here," Kevin commented after a moment of silence, glancing to Howie with question. "Nothing like it was down in Florida half the time."

"You get used to it, just like anywhere else," Howie shrugged, squinting to see what Ana was rummaging around for. "And I don't care what anyone says, a tornado is ten times worse than a hurricane."

"I'll disagree. I'd rather dance with sharp objects whirling around in high velocities with the chance of getting impaled and thrown into a bloody mess than drown in a freaking hurricane," Ana quipped, causing Tierja to frown at the freakishly horrifying image that Ana had planted.

"Did you find anything to occupy yourself yet, Missy? I really didn't need the picture you just put in my head," Tierja asked, taking a long sip of the wine.

"You didn't have to imagine what I said. Though, I would hope for a sharp piece of metal to just pierce my heart to get it over with---"

"Anastacia Grace, don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"Why?!"

"Because I'm older--"

"Baby, did you find anything to keep our minds off the storm?" Howie stopped the argument between them.

"The only thing I found was a Ouija board and a deck of kinky cards for strip poker..." Ana trailed, tossing the cards back into the black closet. She pushed the door shut with her behind, walking to offer the game toward Howie. "And, I may be brazen, but not that brazen to strip down to nothing with a man I've never met in the room. At least, not without a serious dump of alcohol into my system..."

"Let's just play with the Oujia board," Tierja replied, scooting closer to the edge of the couch. Howie pulled out the board, placing it on the coffee table. He took out the white arrowshaped piece and set it in the middle.

"Can I just announce that this goes against all the moral teachings of Christianity..." Ana's sentence stopped halfway when she caught Tierja's deadly glare highlighted by the sweet smelling candles. She quickly swallowed her words, deciding not to jolt the slumbering beast from its peaceful state. She had never met Tierja's full wrath, but known many in psychatric care for just that. So, finally behaving, she settled onto the floor between the coffee table and couch like an innocent child.

"It's just for fun. Not like we're trying to get the Devil like that girl in The Exorcist or something," Tierja sat down on the floor diagonal from Ana, setting her glass and wine bottle next to her. "Then again, there was that time we talked to a serial kill--"

"Who said that he watched me shower and you play with your favorite vibrator - King Tut," Ana tempted, keeping her posture squared as she peeked her beautiful eyes upward to catch Kevin or Howie's reactions.

"Hey, it's a damn good vibrator--"

"Are you trying to elicit a response from us?" Kevin finally interupted, staring at each girl for the longest moment. He shook his head in disbelief, quickly glancing back to Howie for confirmation that he actually dated one of them.

"They are," Howie nodded with a shrug.

"Is it working?" Tierja asked, tracing her fingers along the thick muscles in his knee and lower thigh.

"What kind of reaction are you looking for?" Kevin questioned, glancing down at the enticing woman just beside his legs. He felt his body react from her sensual touch, stiffening dramatically as blood pulsed to all the inappropriate portions of his body. He found the idea of her owning a vibrator slightly thrilling, assuming she was very much into exploring her sexuality. Sometimes the normal routine could be boring. And, with her quirky personality, Kevin thought she was far from boring.

"Maybe something like... I could do things that vibrator can't... or maybe a couple other things. I can't say them with mixed company," Tierja gave a sultry smile, her fingers going farther up before heading back to his knee. She had felt Kevin stiffen from her touch, knowing her goal was close to being accomplished.

"Don't start things you can't finish," Kevin answered, swallowing hard to rid the heavy lump in his throat.

"Especially when you don't know how he'll react--" Ana's voice was stopped short with Howie clamping his hand against her glossed lips. She fidgeted for a brief moment, reaching to pull at his hand. Being the youngest of the group always seemed to have great disadvantages for the bubbling woman.

"Shh, don't interrupt. It's been a really long time since Kev's met a woman who could make him stammer like that," Howie whispered into Ana's ear, his breath tickling her skin. "It means he likes them."

"Sorry..." Ana replied as Howie slowly dropped his hand away from her mouth after she kissed his palm. She tried not to act like his hot breath had thrown her into a tizzy of excitement. So, she sat straighter against the couch, leaning back. She offered an infectious pout, her blue-green eyes catching the flickering glow of the candles. "But you didn't even comment to my shower comment. Very atypical. You're too antsy."

"I can't help that you make me antsy," Howie muttered, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her smooth lips.

"Just one of the many services I offer," Ana quipped, causing him to quickly silence her with another kiss. She smiled against his lips, loving how crazy she drove him. Not many men tolerated her craziness.

"Hey, if you two are finished, we could start playing the game now," Tierja interrupted. She had convinced Kevin to sit on the floor and settled hself inbetween his legs.

"It's not like I make him kiss me that often," Ana snorted, finally pulling away from Howie's closeness.

"Oh no, not at all. Have we forgotten that one time you two got caught in the theater--"

"We've been permanently banished..." Ana trailed with an impish smirk of delight.

"I rest my case," Tierja threw her hands up in the air with a laugh. "You may have known Howie to be tame before, but not after he hooked up with Missy over there."

"Tame is an understatement," Kevin confirmed, surprised to hear just a snippet of what seemed like a steamy event. Howie was always one to travel within the lines of reasoning. He hated to get involved in heated disputes or to draw a lot of attention on himself. He was docile and sweet, completely opposite of the aura exploding from Ana's pseudo-innocent form. "I can't imagine him making out in a movie theatre--"

"Not exactly making out," Ana interupted, reaching up to offer Howie a hand. She hoped he would sit beside her on the floor, but wanted him to at least make the decision. He seemed unsettled for some unknown reason. As if Kevin bursting into the home unexpectedly had caused him to confront his past and present together.

"No, more like close to sex," Tierja replied as Howie settled on the floor behind Ana, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Half naked and all--"

"Do we need to get into what you've been caught doing, Miss Blackwell?" Howie narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I've never been caught in a movie theatre!" Tierja exclaimed.

"Caught be the opperative word," Ana quipped, settling her hands against Howie's hands that wrapped so perfectly around her waist. She quickly glanced to Kevin as Tierja blushed. "Besides, don't think I've corrupted or tainted his innocent soul or something, Mr. Richardson. It was an empty theatre with two old betties sitting right up next to the screen with such heavy cataracts that they probably thought we were two huge cats fighting for a scrap of fish."

"It's alright, there's no need to explain what happened. I can see you've done Howie for the better... he seems a lot happier since the last time I saw him," Kevin replied with a nod, offering his friend a reassuring smile. He had practically barged back into his life and knew it was hard considering past events. "I'm glad you caught hold of him, Ana. I really am."

"You don't even know me..." Ana trailed, tilting her head to the side in retrospection. She felt Howie tense slightly beneath her, sending large warning signals down along her spine. She tightened in response, not sure of why she was getting mixed signals.

"I'm just a good judge of character."

"But you still don't--"

"Hey, how about we start this game? The ghosts are waiting for us," Tierja interrupted, noticing the uncomfortable look on Howie's face. He never talked about his old friends, but she had a feeling there were many bad memories.

"Can I ask any question I want?" Ana quickly asked, leaning up from Howie's embrace. She flexed her fingers, placing the tips of her fingers upon the triangular object as instructed. Her blue-green eyes glittered within the candlelight, showing that her moods and thoughts changed as much as the shifting rains pelting the cozy home.

"Yeah, yeah, you can ask any question you want. Little pervert," Tierja laughed, her fingers next to Ana's. She shivered slightly as the wind pick up strength, shaking the house slightly. "Come on boys, let's play!"

"Alright..." Howie murmured, threading his arms underneath Ana's to rest upon the tool. He made sure his fingers were slightly separated from Ana's touch, somewhat unsure of himself.

"Is something wrong?" Tierja raised an eyebrow as Kevin placed his fingers next to hers.

"With who?" both men quickly blurted as the thunder cracked loudly.

"The both of you. There's this tension... what's going on?"

"Nothing, why don't you let Ana ask the first question," Kevin answered, nudging Tierja slightly to hasten the switch of conversation. He was still a stranger to this new group that Howie formed. As much as he was attracted to Tierja, he was still the outsider. Even if he did share a romantic kiss with the beautiful woman.

"Hmm... which question should I ask..." Ana pondered for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "Aha! If there are any spirits in this room... are you as good looking as Vin Diesel?"

"You are completely obsessed with Vin--"

"So?" Ana quickly challenged, although she deflated when the object never moved with their hands. She puckered her bottom lip with disappointment, causing Tierja to snicker into Kevin's shoulder. Only, Ana quickly straightened to ask another question, knowing it would agitate Tierja to no extent. "Am I going to die a horrifying, bloody, and painful death?"

"Ana! I hate when you ask those--"

"Shh! It's moving!" Ana hissed, watching the piece moved over towards no very slowly. "Damn, I was hoping to get impaled by shrapnel or--"

"You're not funny! Y'know that?" Tierja continued just the same, purposely guiding the piece of the game toward 'no.' She hated speaking about death and destruction, especially when it involved her best friend. Ana had such a morbid fascination with death, which resulted in all the bloody horror movies she watched. But, Tierja wanted to stay far away from the subject.

"What? Should of I just asked for a painful death instead of bloody?"

"Neither, you know I don't like talking about death! It's just not funny and you still talk about it," Tierja frowned as their hands hovered over 'no'. "Someone else ask a question and it better not be about death. I mean it."

Everyone sat in silence for a few moments after Ana was reprimanded and another crack of thunder rattled the house. Tierja jumped in fright as lightening illuminated the room, perhaps even showing a speck of a spirtual presense. She squeaked in shock, spurring Kevin to muster something. "Who's in love in this room?"

"It's moving towards H... D... A... L... our initials, Baby. At least we know we're in love," Ana leaned back and kissed Howie under the chin, causing him to smile softly.

"I didn't have any doubts about that," Tierja laughed softly at Ana's eagerness toward the answer. She found it adorable that Ana was so intriugued by the answer, because Ana had always questioned Howie's adoration and love for her. It wasn't because Howie was unfaithful, but because as outgoing and personable as Ana professed to be, she was still shy and fragile inside, afraid of being left alone in life.

"Yeah, you can hush now-- hey, it's moving again! TB... KR... gee, I wonder whose initials are those," Ana teased, wriggling her eyebrows at her best friend. "You two sure do move fast!"

"You're hilarious," Tierja rolled her eyes, throwing a small pillow at Ana's head.

"TB... Do you realize that you're initials stand for Tuberculosis? Are you sure you want to get involved in someone with a communicable disease?" Ana instantly questioned, glancing toward Kevin as Tierja glared daggers.

"I do not have Tuberculosis! You are something else," Tierja tried to grab another pillow and found none. "At least my initials don't stand for Aluminum--"

"Hey, it just means I make checmical reactions," Ana shrugged, looking up at Howie with a wink.

"You better stop while you're ahead," Howie compromised.

"Alright, alright... Tier, why don't you ask a question?" Ana relented, sulking back into his arms.

"Hmm... is this the worst of the storm we're going to see?" Tierja asked, praying that the object will point to yes. She hated tornados.

Only, their hands all settled upon 'No.'

*~*~*

"Kevin? Can I ask you a question?" Tierja asked. They had finished the game, a little nervous at some of the answers. The couples had relented to sitting on opposite couches, talking softly over the cracks of lightning and crashes of thunder.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"What's really wrong between you and Howie? I can feel it, I just don't know what it is. Please tell me, because I never knew he had friends in Florida until tonight."

"Tier... it was the past. It's not a big deal."

"Obviously it's a big deal to Howie--"

"You're going to ask me until I give in, aren't you?" Kevin sighed heavily, tugging on his ponytail. All he wanted to do was forget what he had done, but knew it wasn't going to be easy, especially if he persued a relationship with Tierja.

"You've got it. Just tell me. Please?"

"Alright... it was about five years ago, and Howie was still living in Florida. We have three other friends down there. Brian, who's my cousin, Nick and A.J. We've known each other since ninety-three, and were really close. That is, until one day when I heard this rumor that Howie had been sleeping with my then girlfriend. I just snapped and before I knew it, I was at Howie's house. We were screaming at each other, him claiming he didn't even touch her and all of a sudden I was on top of him delivering punches. I broke his jaw, gave him two black eyes, cracked his nose... it was bad. Our friendships all disentegrated after that, which was my fault," Kevin swallowed the lump growing in his throat. "Howie moved out of state, Brian went back to Kentucky, Nick moved to Tampa, A.J. moved to California and I was just... floating around. I was lost without the guys, but I no matter how much I apologized, none of them would forgive me. I guess seeing Howie tonight and acting like nothing happened would fix things..."

"He didn't..." Tierja couldn't even muster the appropriate words to finish the sentence. She swallowed quickly, pulling away from Kevin's comforting embrace. She tucked her brunette streaked locks behind her ears before pushing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. Immediately, she began to play with the tongue ring in her mouth, trying her best to step lightly over the confession. Only, per usual, Tierja could only think of Ana's best interest. "He didn't do it do he?"

"No, it wasn't Howie. Some other guy I worked with at my old job did... but by the time I confronted them about it, she dumped me anyway. I lost my best friends because of that cheating whore," Kevin looked down at his scraped hands from when he crashed his motorcycle. He had been hoping the impact would kill him, but to his astonishment, he didn't.

"He's faithful through and through?"

"He's the most faithful man I know."

"So, it's you he's reacting to, not Ana?" Tierja repeated, just making sure she understood the facts as plainly as possible.

"It's all about me being here. It has nothing to do with Ana. I can tell he loves her a lot, and he'll treat her like a queen."

"Good..."

"Does that change how you feel about me? I'll leave if you want me to... I wouldn't blame you, either--"

"I can't throw you back out into that storm!"

"It would make Howie happy--"

"Stop talking like that. I'm not letting you leave until this storm is over. Do you hear me?"

"What about after the storm?" Kevin asked after several minutes of silence. He dropped his gaze to his hands again, knowing that he still had no right to interfere with Howie's new life. The man had been overjoyed when he stepped into Tierja's household that night, till he realized that Kevin was the victim underneath Tierja's tender care.

"I honestly don't know right now..." Tierja began to chew on her lip, a habit she developed from Ana. She was so confused on what to do. "I care for you a lot, Kevin. I can tell you that much, and I can see myself dating you. But Howie... he's been my friend for over three years, and I can't stand to cause him any pain--"

"I understand, Tierja," Kevin was quick to interupt, wanting to hasten the explosion of pain into his heart. He had felt nothing for another woman since the betrayal. Tierja was the first to actually stir a desire within the depth of his entire being. He should have realized as much when he saw Howie, however. Their friendships were cursed and tainted from the very beginning. And, whenever any of them stumbled upon another by rare coincidence, Hell ensued.

"Kevin, I don't want to hurt you. There are things I feel with you that I have never felt before--"

"I understand, Tierja. Really, I do. I shouldn't expect you to choose me over a friend," Kevin repeated, wishing he had died when he crashed. At least Howie wouldn't be miserable and he wouldn't be falling for a woman he couldn't have.

"Kevin--"

"Okay! Howie can only be so entertaining in the dark with candles! Someone else occupy my time!" Ana called loudly, infamously interupting a deep conversation that Tierja had intitiated. Only, true to Ana's innocent nature, she didn't realize what she had done. Instead, she was only trying to elicit some kind of reaction from Howie. A reaction that she was used to instead of the gloomy man she had met three years ago.

"What did you have in mind, Missy?" Tierja sighed heavily, turning her gaze towards Ana's voice. She knew the girl meant no harm, but she did have the worst timing.

"I..." Ana blanked for a second, furling her blonde brows in confusion. She hadn't exactly expected a response from Tierja and Kevin. She glanced back to Howie with depression, her shoulders slumping forward. "I... don't know..."

"Has the storm let up yet?" Howie finally spoke, getting to his feet and walking over to the picture window.

"No, it's probably just beginning," Tierja answered, watching Ana's usual impish streak deflate quicker than a party balloon changing between extreme temperatures. She found it disheartening.

"It's been going on for so--"

"What's that noise?" Kevin interrupted, hearing a long wailing sound coming through the rain, thunder and lightning.

"Nothing good. That's for sure," Ana murmured distractedly.

"That can't be the siren..." Tierja stood and went towards the front door.

"What siren?" Kevin repeated with alarm.

"The tornado--" she was cut off as she opened the door, a loud siren going off.





This chapter was done with the help of my best girl, Anastacia. Thank you so much!

Chapter Three: Mother Nature Strikes


"Shit, shit, shit! Ana, grab all the candles and flashlights you can. Howie, gather some blankets and the radio. Bring everything downstairs!" Tierja ordered, still standing with the door open. The sky was a dark green, swirling in dangerous circles. She saw a hook shape and knew that the worst was yet to come. A tornado could touch down at any moment and they needed to be prepared.

"What the Hell is going on?" Kevin looked up at Howie in utter confusion.

"Think about it, estupido! Green skies, gusts of wind, siren wailing... A TORNADO IS COMING!" Howie snapped, running downstairs with his arms full of blankets and pillows.

"Tier, close the door! We have to get down into the basement!" Ana yelled towards Tierja, juggling all the items in her hands. "Come on--"

"Holy fuck, it's about to touch down! I can see it from across the fields!" Tierja exclaimed, glued to the spot as she watched the black cloud swirl down towards the ground, ending in a point. Everything in the tornados path was sucked into its vortex, the noise as loud as tweny trains speeding along the same track.

"TIERJA! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" Kevin tried to bellow over the noise, but his efforts were fruitless as she continued to watch. He turned to Ana, who was scared stiff. "GO DOWNSTAIRS, I'LL GET HER!"

"BE CAREFUL!" Ana nodded, forcing her legs to run downstairs. Kevin rushed towards Tierja, who continued to watch the tornado makes its destruction, the path coming closer to her house.

"TIERJA! TIERJA!" he finally was able to grasp her upper arm, spinning her so they were looking eye to eye. Debris was flying all around the yard, some of it piling inside the house. "WE HAVE TO GET TO SHELTER!"

"KEVIN, IT'S COMING! IT'S COM--" Tierja was halted as a wooden 'For Sale' sign from the neighbors down the road slammed into the back of her head. Kevin's eyes grew wide with terror as he heard a sickening crack from the impact, blood pouring down her neck and back. She pitched forward into his arms, a dead weight.

"Shit! Tierja! Tierja, can you hear me?!" Kevin shouted, trying to rouse the young woman. She gave no response. He hefted her into his arms, slamming the door shut before scrambling towards the basement. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to concentrate on her light breathing against his thin shirt. He closed the basement door and locked it before rushing down the stairs, following the trail from the flaslights and candles. Ana immediately looked up and sighed with relief, only seeing Tierja resting her head on Kevin's chest within the dim lighting.

"Thank God you're both--"

"Ana! Ana, something's wrong with Tierja! She's hurt! I was trying to get her to close the door and something hit her head!"

~*~*~*~

"What do you mean something's wrong with her? What in the Hell happened?!" Ana exclaimed, rushing towards Tierja after Kevin laid her on the couch. Blood covered his shirt and part of his upper arm.

"I was trying to get her away from the door when this 'For Sale' sign flew into the doorway and hit her in the back of the head. I heard a crack and she fell into my arms. She told me earlier that you were a paramedic. You can help her, right? You can wake her up!"

"Damnit," Ana groaned, her entire body tensing with disbelief as she stared down at Tierja's unresponsive form. She had handled dozens of car accidents and various traumas, being exposed to more death and destruction than most walking the streets of Minnesota. Only, her friend was the one in distress. Usually, the medical field always told their members to act like a family member instead of a medical technician when it came to family illnesses and accidents. But, Ana didn't have that choice as the walls of Tierja's house started to quake with the approaching tornado. Quickly, her mind settled into that of a medical practitioner as she stripped her body of the baggy t-shirt, tossing it toward the basement floor. She then grasped Tierja's dead weight, easing her down onto the hard surface for adequate first aid. She withdrew her hands to find them seeped with blood, causing her to cringe as she demanded someone grab the first aid kit. "Damnit, Tierj, didn't we always say that I was going to die a bloody mess?"

"How bad is it?" Howie asked, coming back with the first aid kit and a towel he found in the same closet.

"It's not good, that's for sure," Ana replied dryly, wiping her hands free of blood. She grasped the kit and opened it up, pulling out gauze, tape and alcohol pads. "Bee, get a garbage bag so I can throw all the bloody stuff away."

"What are you doing?" Kevin questioned shakily, just collapsing on the couch in front of Ana's pseudo-trama room. He could feel Tierja's blood seeping through his thin set of clothes, making him visably tremble with disgust. The warmth of her blood made his stomach curl, but he couldn't turn away from the fiery young woman working on the floor below him.

"I'm not letting her die on me," Ana stated softly, more engrossed in her mental thought processes than Kevin's words. Adrenaline dumped down into her raging veins, alerting her senses to even the tiniest shift in the room. She concentrated on Tierja, leaning over her first to listen for breathing. She held her ear just above Tierja's mouth, assuring herself of the warmth breath entering and exiting Tierja's mouth. Sighing with relief, Ana gently lifted the back of Tierja's head, quickly working to secure thick amounts of guaze and dressing over the bleeding wound. "Airway... Breathing... Circulation..."

"Do you need anything else?" Howie asked quietly, setting a trash can next to Ana's side. He looked up at the blood soaking Kevin's shirt and swallowed hard. Ana always told him stories when she came home from work, but seeing was a lot different than hearing, and he wasn't a fan of blood.

"No," Ana stated flatly, securing the roll of guaze around the back of Tierja's head to stop the bleeding. She bunched her sweatshirt behind Tierja's head, laying the older woman back down. Then, Ana fumbled in her pocket to retrieve her penlight, something she never left home without. With quick percision, she flashed the light into Tierja's eyes as the lights started to flicker. It was hard not to notice the odd dialation between both eyes, causing her to frown. She tossed the penlight down, craning over Tierja to check behind her ears. Sure enough, brusing was starting to occur just behind Tierja's pierced ears. It was a tell-tale sign of a skull fracture. Retracting, Ana started to call for Tierja to respond, but nothing happened. Growing frustrated, Ana rubbed her fist over the middle of Tierja's chest to start a sternal rub, which caused many patients to flinch with pain. It was the only way to rouse them sometimes. "Tierja! Let's go!"

"Ow... don't... stop, that hurts! Just stop doing that!" Tierja burst, her eyes popping open and closed as the light invaded. She groaned loudly, placing a hand to her forehead in hope to alleviate the pain. "Oh God, my head... what happened?"

"Don't move," Ana barked softly, reaching to grasp Tierja's hands. She took an internal sigh of relief, but maintained an extremely calm exterior. She leaned over Tierja, just somewhat thankful that she was moving her extremities. "What's your name?"

"Tierja Holly Blackwell. Ana, why are you--"

"When's your birthday?"

"November 15th."

"Who's the president?"

"George W. Bush."

"Who am I?"

"Anastacia Grace Lord. Your boyfriend is Howard Dwaine Dorough and the other man there is Kevin Richardson. Any other questions, Missy?"

"Yeah, what the Hell were you thinking standing outside when a tornado is touching down? I shouldn't have even saved your ass!" Ana seethed with sheer disgust, finally allowing her emotions to fall past her cold and calmed exterior. Her blue-green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, immediately wiping her face with her forearm, since her hands were still covered in Tierja's blood. The wound was deep, but could easily be sutured. Now she'd just have to watch, knowing the woman already had a concussion and skull fracture. Not that the medical team could do much for a skull fracture. But, if the brain swelled too much, there was risk for permanent damage. She was almost like a ticking time-bomb.

"I don't know why. Alright? I just couldn't stop looking at it, and that was stupid," Tierja reached up and wiped away the tears that had escaped Ana's eyes. "I'm really sorry, Missy. You've saved my ass one too many times, and I know that much."

"Just lay there and don't move, alright?" Ana answered stiffly, pushing Tierja's hands away from her face. She was furious with Tierja's stupid actions. Being on the trauma field every day of her life was startling, especially when she had to imagine throwing her best friend into a body bag. She shivered with disgust, unable to keep that thought out of her mind. "And remember how much I hate you at this moment."

"You never were one to be sentimental at moments like these," Tierja laced her fingers across her slim stomach. "Ana... how bad is it? And you better be honest with me, I can always tell when you're lying."

"You have an open wound along your occipital bone of your skull. I don't think you have any spinal injuries, because you're moving and you can feel everything, but I can't be sure without a CT Scan or MRI... But, you've got bruising behind your ears, which means skull fracture. And, I know for sure you have a concussion. I just have to watch for brain swelling," Ana rattled off.

"So, in English I have a skull fracture and concussion. That would explain the tremendous pain in my head," Tierja closed her eyes for a moment, willing some of the stabbing pain away before looking up at Ana again. "Is there anything down here I could take? Tylenol? Acetamenophin?"

"Real smart, Acetamenophin with an open wound. You'll bleeding right out on me," Ana muttered, reaching to grasp the bottle of Tylenol. "Take two of these every four hours and don't you dare fall asleep. Once whatever happens out there happens, I'll get my shit and radio for ambulance transport."

"I don't know medicine," Tierja held out her hand for the two pills and swallowed them dry. She listened to the raging tornado outside and shuddered. The weather was always the one thing that made her think about moving somewhere else. "Are Howie and Kevin okay? They made it down here?"

"Yeah, they're down here," Ana answered, glancing up to see Kevin and Howie anxiously waiting. Only, she really didn't have the patience to sit and speak with them, nor act like everything was fine. She was furious with Tierja's actions and needed to calm her adrenaline-ridden system. She always seemed to separate herself after serious traumatic events. She had to analyze the situation within her mind and evaluate her needs as a medical provider. Ignoring emotions only caused an eruption of post traumatic stress disorder, especially among those in Emergency Medicine. She had to calm herself and scrub her hands. "So, talk to them, but don't go to sleep."

"Where are you going?"

"I've got blood all over my hands," Ana held them up for Tierja to see, swallowing her emotions until she was able to get some sort of sanctuary. "I'll be right back, and like I said, don't go to sleep. That's very important to remember, y'hear me?"

"I hear you," Tierja sighed as Ana stood up and walked into the small bathroom, closing the door tightly.

"Where's she going?" Kevin murmured, kneeling down to Tierja's form. He thought nothing of reaching to clasp his hands tightly around hers. He had thought that Tierja was dead.

"She detaches her emotions when it comes to medicine so... basically, so she doesn't go crazy," Tierja brought his fingers to her lips for a soft kiss. "She's in the bathroom washing her hands and just dealing with me being hurt. She'll be fine..."

"Are you okay?" Howie questioned, kneeling down to her other side. Tierja had been his closest friend when he moved to Minnesota. And she had introduced him to Ana. He was forever grateful for her, considering her his best friend. So, to see her injured was painful for him, especially when Ana severed ties with the group.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't believe how stupid I was by watching that damn tornado. I've seen Twister enough, you would think I didn't have to. I am so sorry for scaring all of you," Tierja placed her hand on Howie's knee. "I guess Karma decided to bite me in the ass hard this time."

"Damn, Tier," Howie sighed heavily, rubbing her hand.

"I know, I know, I know... everything's going to be fine, though. I have the three of you to make sure I don't fall asleep, the storm is almost over soon and after this I promise to never watch a tornado touch down again."

"It's not going to hit the house, is it?" Kevin whispered like a small child, listening to the howling wind and crashing objects outside the house.

"A tornado is very unpredictable," Tierja turned her gaze towards Kevin, feeling bad for the man. He had never gone through a storm like this, while Ana, Howie and herself were practically used to it. "But this house has never been struck in the hundred years it's been in my family."

"Oh..."

"Wow, this has to be a first. Mr. Big Shot Kevin is actually afraid. I think I've seen everything," Howie snorted in disgust. He had bit back on his words the entire night and couldn't do it anymore.

"Why don't you go check on Ana?" Tierja announced, shaking Howie's hand for a moment. She could feel the tension rising within the room as the tornado neared and it wasn't just the tension from her head injury.

"He knows it's the--"

"Damnit, Howie, please? Don't do this right now. Go check on Ana, I'm getting worried about her. Please, Howie."

"She's fine--"

"How do you know?" Kevin questioned flatly. "You've pulled away from her since you got here."

"Yeah, well, seeing a man who kicked your ass for no damn reason is cause for--"

"DAMNIT, HOWIE! Check on Ana right now!" Tierja yelled, immediately closing her eyes as the pain drilled deep into her head.

Kevin allowed the silence to filter through the system, before speaking lowly, "Seeing me isn't any cause for turning from your girlfriend, unless you really don't want to be with her in the first place--"

"You don't know jack shit about my life here! You don't know how I feel about Ana! Even if I told you everything, you wouldn't give a shit because you only care about yourself and how it all affects you! Why else would you have even thought of accusing me and Sharon having an affair?! I WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND! WHY WOULD I HURT YOU LIKE THAT IF WE WERE FRIENDS?!"

"Howie, please," Tierja groaned, her head spinning from the rising level of voices. She felt sick to her stomach, unable to handle the rising pressure.

"You lost me and the guys because of you're so full of yourself and you think it's all about you! It's not and it never was! You ruined it all! YOU RUINED IT ALL!" Howie continued, not hearing Tierja's plea.

"So, that's why you left Florida?" Ana questioned solidly, finally appearing from the bathroom. She had heard the arguments through the bathroom door and knew she couldn't maintain any kind of peace. When she left the bathroom, she caught the entire conversation, unable to move from 'you ruined it all.' Howie never talked about why he left Florida, only that it was unpleasant. He said coming here was the best decision in his life, but how so, if Kevin had ruined everything in Florida? How could this be the best decision if it was a mistake to begin with?

"Ana, wait. You heard me wrong--"

"No, I heard you quite right. You had always told me that moving to Minnesota was the best decision of your life. How can that be if Kevin ruined everything? Wouldn't that mean you had it Florida?"

"Ana--"

"Don't talk to me, alright?" Ana stated, shaking her head in disbelief. Her voice never raised higher with distress, just her darkening blue-green eyes emmulated her disgust and disatisfaction. She always asked Tierja if Howie loved her and the point seemed quite clear. She was the ruined section of Howie's life. The second resort to Howie's existance. If things hadn't crashed, then Howie wouldn't have wanted her. She was second best to whatever he had in Florida. Sometimes, Ana knew things were too good to be true. Too bad that Howie was one of them.

"Ana--"

"If you keep talking to me, I'm going to throw you outside with the tornado and hope it brings you all the way back to Florida. Don't talk to me if you know what's good for you," Ana threatened, glaring at Howie with hatred.

"I don't want to sound pitiful during this lovely argument, but c-can someone get me a bucket? I think I'm going to be sick," Tierja moaned, her stomach flip-flopping and churning.

"Hold on," Ana gritted, reaching to snatch the nearby trash basket. She set it down to Tierja's side quick enough so Tierja's stomach contents could explode into the pink plastic. The men cringed with disgust, but Ana just rubbed Tierja's back in compliance. "I hate to break your heart, Tierj. But after this shit is done, I'm going to be on duty. So, once I get a hospital transport for you, I'm gone, alright?"

"Okay," Tierja managed to speak before heaving a few more times, pushing the basket away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath. "God, I hate puking."

"At least it's not projectile," Ana quipped, unable to shrug the feeling of Howie's eyes locking onto her form. She tensed dramatically, moving to brush back Tierja's locks. "But, you'll be okay, Tierj."

"I just wish I could sleep. My head hurts so bad," Tierja whispered, blinking back a few tears as she tried to concentrate on Ana's fingers through her hair and Kevin's fingers laced through her own.

"I know you want to, but not yet, okay? Stay awake for another half hour and then you can take a small nap," Ana encouraged, pressing a kiss to Tierja's forehead.

"I should have told you to go into directing horror movies instead of being a Paramedic," Tierja tried to joke, causing Ana to roll her blue-green eyes with annoyance. It was easy to see that the tensions of the nearing storm and Howie's words had coiled around Ana like a crushing compactor of despair. She tried to act as if nothing were wrong, but Tierja knew better, even with a head injury.

"Then I would have to move from Minnesota to go to a big city to get my name in lights, leaving your ass here to fight the tornados. Of course, your fighting has to do with standing at the door with your jaw hanging open..." Ana trailed, rubbing her fingers along her temples to dull the sounds of the howling winds. She knew the storm was approaching faster than before, hearing various objects crashing against the side of the house. Ana almost hoped that the tornado would swallow her whole.

"I didn't mean to get hurt, alright? I can only say I'm sorry for being the idiot I am so many times before it's meaningless," Tierja sighed heavily, closing her eyes to fight back the tears threatening to escape. She didn't want to have her skull cracked. She didn't want to have Kevin and Howie fighting. She didn't want Ana and Howie to be fighting. She especially didn't want to be in her basement while a tornado outside was causing damage to her house.

"I know you didn't mean to get hurt, but you also know that I'm never going to let you live this down."

"That much I know despite my stupidity."

"I figured," Ana mused, trying her best to make light of the dangerous situation. She inched backward from Tierja's still form, pressing her back against the couch. Despite the heavy layered darkness within the basement, Ana maintained keen eyesight upon Tierja. She had no desire to glance around the room to catch sight of Howie. Frankly, she wished he would disappear.

"Ana? Could you get me a blanket? I'm f-freezing," Tierja shuddered after a few minutes of tense silence. A cool wind had crept into the basement, easily going through her thin tanktops and boxers.

"Yeah," Ana answered quickly, boosting herself from the cool floor. She immediately reached out for the wall, following it toward the washroom where Tierja kept a thick pile of blankets for any visitors that might spend the night.

"Howie, will you go and make sure she doesn't fall or anything? It's so dark," Tierja glanced over at him, wincing slightly as her head pounded from the small movement.

"She doesn't want--"

"Please?"

"Tier, it's not a good idea."

"It wasn't a good idea to not tell her the real reason you left Florida, either. But I think her safety is a little more important."

Howie thought to comment to her statement, but his thoughts were wiped by the sharp crack exploding against the nearby wall. He jumped in shock at the loudness, deciding that it really wasn't safe for Ana to be by herself, especially when she was near the edge of the house that the tornado was tumbling toward. His heart hammered dramatically within the depth of his soul, pushing him toward the washing room. He didn't want to admit his own foolishness, but overreacting with Kevin had been his first downfall. To say that Kevin had ruined everything with Ana nearby was so foolish. He truly did love the woman and thought that moving to Minnesota was his best decision. But, Ana had heard the exact opposite. Biting down on his bottom lip, he stepped into the washing room. He could only hope that she would listen and not push him into the eye of the tornado.

Only, Ana's mind was far from his position within the room. She carefully moved toward the blankets, which sat right underneath a large window. She dared not to peek outside, but willed her arm to reach for at least one blanket. Then, a large branch slammed heavily into the window, shattering it instantly. Fragments of sharp glass rained down upon Ana, causing her to stumble backward with the blanket and fall. She felt several fresh cuts start to seep with blood along her arms and the stinging pain of a gash along her cheek. "Damnit," she cursed, unphased as she scrambled to her feet while the wind howled into the room.

"Ana, grab the blankets and get out of there! The tornado is right next to the house!" Howie burst through her distracted thoughts. She turned and looked at him, shocked that he would even think of talking to her. "Come on!"

"I told you not to ta--"

"ANA! HOWIE! GET OUT OF THERE, THE TORNADO IS COMING AT THE HOUSE!" Kevin's bellow interrupted her protest.

"Damnit, Ana! C'mon!" Howie seethed, reaching to yank Ana into his arms. He thought nothing about the blankets, only Ana's well being. He quickly hoisted her into his arms, running back to the center of the basement as a terrible crackling could be heard from behind. Without warning, a huge gust of wind blew Howie forward, tumbling him and Ana into the center of the room. He landed hard on Ana's body, just cowering slightly as a forceful vaccum entered the home while the tornado bowled directly into the structure, ripping away huge chunks of foundation and threatening to suck the occupants into its circle of Hell.

"Not my house! Damnit, its ruining my house! All my things are getting--" Tierja screamed as a folding chair flew over her head, exploding through the washroom door.

"That's why you have insurance!" Kevin hollered through the storm, actually covering Tierja's form with his body. He reached for a blanket that was mere inches from their bodies, wrapping it tightly around them for some sort of protection. He could feel a hot sweat breaking through the pores of his clammy skin as his heart nearly lept to his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, just praying for a miracle.

"Don't let go, Howie! Hold on!" Ana cried out in panic, gripping to Howie with all her strength as tbings flew around the couples and crashed into various places.

"I've got you!" Howie shouted back, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Make it stop! God, just make it stop!" Tierja wailed, burying her face in Kevin's shoulder as his body protected her from the storm.



Thank you again for the help, Anastacia. I appreciate it so much!

Chapter Four: The Aftermath


Everything was still as the clouds turned back to a dark gray. The tornado was gone, leaving a devistating trail of destruction in its wake. Howie blinked a few times, feeling something heavy on top of him and Ana. Stretching, he heard a clatter and saw it was a piece of plywood that had created almost a shield from other debris flying around the basement. He groaned, rubbing his head. "It's over. Thank God it's over--"

"Just get off me," Ana demanded, achingly pushing Howie away from her body. She stumbled away from him, scrambling up from the broken glass, wood, and various objects of Tierja's once-beautiful home. She shivered violently as she reached to uncover Kevin and Tierja, finding her best friend still sobbing underneath Kevin for protection. Sighing, Ana stooped, not really realizing she was covered in deep cuts and gashes from the glass. Instead, she gingerly raked her fingers against Tierja's tender forehead. "Tierj, you're fine. It's over."

"It's over? The tornado is gone?" Tierja whispered, looking up to see Ana with cuts on her arms and shoulders. "Oh my God! Ana, you're bleeding--"

"I'm fine. Are you and Kevin alright?"

"We're okay..." Kevin answered shakily, helping Tierja into a sitting position. Carefully, he folded the trembling woman in his arms, not realizing that he was shaking, too. The natural disaster had been way too close for comfort. He had never expected to be placed right in the middle of death so fast. But, he swallowed hard, reminding himself that they were okay. "Where's Howie?"

"Who cares," Ana dismissed the question, taking out her undamaged penlight. She gently guided the woman to look into the light so she could check her vitals. "Tierj, did you hit your head or lose consciousness as the tornado came through here? How do you feel?"

"I have a pounding headache and I'm nauseous, but that's it. And you should care about Howie," Tierja reprimanded, reaching to grasp Ana's wrist. She tugged the young woman down to eye level, making sure Ana understood. She swallowed hard to ignore the blood dripping from Ana's gashed cheek, just wanting Ana and Howie to be okay. "He saved your life Ana."

"I've got to get you out of here and get a radio back to the guys. I'm definitely on duty for Emergency Care..." Ana countered, loosening Tierja's sharp grip on her wrist. "Providing my truck isn't completely totaled..."

"It's going to be difficult getting to your truck," Kevin spoke up, looking towards where the door of the basement once was.

"What do you--"

"We're kind of trapped in here at the moment," he nodded towards the blocked entrance. Beams, sheetrock, and foundation covered their only way out. All the windows were filled with debris from outside and in.

"Well, I've got to get Tierj to a hospital and I've got to see how bad our city is hurting for Paramedics. I don't have a choice to be trapped," Ana gritted with frustration, never admitting to the fear of being buried alive. She boosted herself from the cluttered floor, bumping directly into Howie. She winced with pain at her aching muscles, briefly glancing upward. She mumbled, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but you need to get those cuts cleaned up," Howie handed her the battered first aid kit that had been laying on the floor three feet away from them. "Have Tierja help you. Kevin and I will get everything out of the doorway."

"I'm fine," she gritted, hating that she even resorted to talking to him.

"Ana, please just listen to him. You need to save your strength for when we get out of here," Tierja spoke up, breaking the potential argument.

"I..." Ana swallowed her bitter words, just taking the mangled first-aide kit from Howie's hands. Despite her injuries, her entire body flared with an intense anger, wondering why he wasn't more distraught with her attitude. If anything, she just wanted some type of reaction.

"No matter what you're thinking, coming to Minnesota really was the best decision of my life. If I hadn't come here, I never would have met you and my life wouldn't be as great as it is with you in it. Damnit, you misunderstood what I said to Kev--"

"Bullshit, I heard what you said. You made it perfectly clear that ruined it all, so you must have had it great in Florida and I'm only second best--"

"How could you possibly think that your second best when I just risked my own life to make sure you weren't torn apart by that damn tornado?!"

"I didn't ask for your help."

"I protected you because I love you!"

"How could you even begin to love something that's second best in--"

"Ana," Tierja called meekly from Kevin's arms, just wanting the bickering to halt. The distress in Ana's voice not only made Tierja's heart ache, but her head as well. She almost thought about strangling Kevin for ruining the perfect relationship, but then she reminded herself that Howie was just as much at fault for the destruction. But, now, Tierja's main goal was getting out of this godforsaken place and getting help.

"Thank you for protecting me, but just leave me alone," Ana demanded from Howie, pulling her tender arm away from his grasp, only to muffle a yelp of pain.

"Kevin, will you go and help Howie clear all that crap that was once part of my house while I clean Ana's cuts?" Tierja looked up at Kevin, hope sparkling in her weary eyes. "And maybe talk to him while you're at it?"

"What do you want me to talk to him about?" Kevin sighed, glancing back at the growing distance between Ana and Howie's hearts. He felt horrid for pushing Howie into the argument, knowing that had sparked the confusion in the young woman. He never would have asked Ana to question Howie's love, because she seemed important in his life. But, he couldn't help but comment when he noticed Howie's aloofness.

"Everything that happened in the past. I know you're sorry about what happened, and if you can try to make amends... maybe Howie and Ana will be okay again. Will you try? Please?"

"Maybe they'll be okay?"

"No, they won't. This isn't all your fault, but you had a big part in this and it needs to be fixed."

"I'll try."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me," Tierja reached up and ran her shaking fingers through Kevin's dusty locks.

"Is it alright if I stay at the hospital while you're there?" Kevin asked, thinking slightly ahead. If anything, his motorcycle had been completely trashed from the crash, not to mention probably crushed from the tornado. He had no where to go.

"Of course you can stay with me. I was going to ask if you wanted to since you don't really have any place to go without your motorcycle," Tierja replied, thankful for him asking.

"I'll look into getting it replaced once I know you're okay," Kevin answered, gently helping her sit on her own. He knew that the possibilty of him staying in Minnesota was probably lower than Howie's love life at the moment. He had caused a rift in the trio of friends, which meant he needed to move on. But, he brushed the thoughts away, quite aware that Ana was standing just near them, waiting for a distraction to get away from Howie.

"So you'll talk to him?" Tierja asked quietly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She didn't want him to leave her life, but could also feel the guilt radiating from his emerald eyes and knew he was going to leave as soon as he could.

"Yeah, I will."

"Thank you, then."

"For what?"

"For making a lasting impression in my life."

~*~*~*~

"Tierj? C'mon, it's time to wake up," Ana gently shook Tierja's shoulder. She had finally let the woman sleep for about fifteen minutes while Howie and Kevin worked on getting the beams, rocks and furniture out of their exit.

"No... Tierj wants to sleep," Tierja whined, pullimg the blanket over her head. All she wanted to do was sleep. The throbbing pain and nausea went away when she swimmed in the dark clouds of the unconscious.

"If I let you sleep, then there's a damn good chance that you'll never wake up. So, if you don't want your name on a tombstone while you're in your twenties, I suggest you wake your ass up," Ana contradicted, reaching to pull the blanket away from Tierja's face. She hated having to soothe Tierja from a painless slumber, but it needed to be done. If she was losing Howie, she sure as Hell wasn't losing Tierja, too.

"Alright, I'm up. I'm up," Tierja groaned, opening her eyes. The pain flooded back harder than ever and she wished Ana could do something to make it go away. Tears prickled beneath her eyelids and she blinked them away. "Has anyone come by the house to check for survivors?"

"Not that I know of..." Ana trailed, leaning back against the couch again to rest her weary back. She knew it'd be a long haul once she was freed from the wreckage. Tornados were horrifying when it came to the destruction of human lives. She just prayed that she wasn't loading up a ton of body bags in the beast's wake. "Of course, we're in the basement underneath a pile of rubble, I doubt anyone could hear us at the moment. But, you'll be to the doctor's soon enough and I'll be working my ass off to save lives."

"Oh... yeah... I think I'm going to move closer to the Twin Cities. Less chance of tornados," Tierja sighed heavily, moving to sit up. She couldn't just lie there like a block of wood while they were all trapped.

"Don't you dare," Ana quickly warned, pushing her back down. "You've got a head injury, dumbass. That means resting and not provoking any more swelling. God, your naseous enough as it is."

"I hate laying down like this, I feel useless--"

"Well, at this moment, you are useless."

"Thanks," Tierja rolled her eyes, laying down on the thin carpeted floor. "Can I have more Tylenol? My headache is getting worse."

"Yeah," Ana consented, reaching for the battered first aid kit. She attempted to open the crushed container, but found that it wouldn't budge. Growing quickly irritated, she slammed it against the littered floor, causing it to pop open. She ignored Tierja's sharp wincing from the sound, retrieving the Tylenol. She handed the medication to Tierja and then grasped four-by-fours of guaze to pad away the bleeding from her arms, shoulders, and cheek.

"You haven't even taken care of your own injuries? Anastacia Grace," Tierja groaned in disappointment. Ana always cared for others before even thinking of herself, which could prove fatal in some cases in their past.

"What?" Ana grimaced, wincing when she touched the large gash within her cheek. She immediately withdrew the tainted guaze soaked with her own blood. She realized that someone at the hospital would be sewing stitches into her delicate flesh, making her shudder. She hated the idea of needles in her own flesh.

"You should have been taking care of yourself while I was sleep--"

"I'm fine, Tierj."

"Will you at least let me help you? Cleaning all those cuts by yourself--"

"I'm fine, Tierj. Just sit back and rest," Ana quickly interupted again, tossing the soaked guaze onto the floor. She reached for another, planning just a quick patch up to her cheek, hating that it wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Damnit, Ana--"

"I want you to rest, okay? Do you want me to go into detail about what happens when a head injury likes yours can kill? Because it will happen if you don't rest, and I'll be damned if I lose you."

"Anastacia--"

"Tierja! Enough, okay? Do what you need to do and let me do what I need to do. I'm trained in first aid and moreso than that. My few lacerations aren't a big deal. Your head injury is. So, please, lay back, because you've been the constant in my life. And, if I lose my constant along with my lover, I can't guarentee that I'll be in the state of mind to continue living. Got it?" Ana spoke freely, her voice low and forbidding as the stress rose within her aching body.

"Got it..." Tierja whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. "You're only going to lose Howie if you let yourself. You don't know what happened in Florida."

"And I could really care less about it," Ana retorted, biting down on her bottom lip as she dabbed the cuts with an alcohol pad.

"No, you need to know this--"

"And you need to rest."

"Ana, I can rest and talk to you about Howie."

"You know, I think you might be as winded as a freaking tornado," Ana growled with discontent, throwing aside yet another bloodied alcohol and reaching for another. She didn't want to talk about the issues concerning her love life. The issues that had been ruffled by the high vilocity of winds. She had made a mistake with Howie, pure and simple.

"When it comes to your stubborn ass, you bet I can be," Tierja argued, glaring at her best friend. "Now shut up and listen good."

"Tierj--"

"It was about five years ago. Howie and Kevin were still living in Florida with their three other friends. They had known each other for over ten years and were really close. But then one day Kevin heard a rumor that Howie had been sleeping with his then girlfriend Sharon. Kevin lost it and stormed over to Howie's place. They started screaming at each other, Howie claiming he didn't even touch Sharon let alone sleep with her. All of a sudden Kevin attacked him, breaking his jaw, giving him two black eyes and cracking his nose. It was really bad. All the friendships fell apart after the fight, which Kevin blames himself for. That's when Howie moved out here to Minnesota, where he met you. The best decision of his life, remember?"

"It wasn't the best decision of his life, remember? He's the one that said Kevin ruined it all. How could this be the best decision of his life when whatever was in Florida had been so perfect for Kevin to ruin? He wouldn't have come to Minnesota if Kevin hadn't fucked up in Flordia. I'm second best. I'm what he settled for since Florida had been such a waste. Best decision of his life, my ass," Ana mumbled with hate and disgust. She stopped working on her wounds, glancing up briefly to see the men actually managing to clear debris away for a chance to escape. And, for once, she actually started to wonder about Howie's faithfulness. Had he been sleeping with Sharon?

"Don't even start that shit, Ana. Did you ever think maybe you totally misconstrued what he meant? He lost his friends because of Kevin, and that's what he meant by ruining it all. He was single in Florida, in case you forgot," Tierja frowned, knowing she didn't have Ana's attention. She reached over and pinched Ana's thigh.

"OUCH! Damn, Tierj."

"Listen to me! He was single in Florida, but don't you even think about Howie sleeping with that slut Sharon. It turned out she was sleeping with one of Kevin's co-workers at the recording studio."

"If she was such a slut, it doesn't mean that she didn't get Howie into her bed, too," Ana contradicted, immediately rubbing her twinging thigh.

"But he didn't sleep with her! Kevin told me he didn't."

"Why do you care so much, Tierj?"

"Because I hate seeing my two best friends split away for no damn reason. You love each other and you're letting the past get inbetween! Why?" Tierja moved to sit up again, agitated with Ana's attitude.

"Because as much as you hate to admit it, the past sometimes does have a way of altering the future," Ana answered, moving to settle Tierja back into a laying position. "Now stop moving or I'm finding duct tape and sealing you to the floor."

"Do you love Howie?"

"Tierja--"

"Do you love Howie?"

"Stop it."

"No. Do you love Howie?"

"It doesn't matter."

"The Hell it doesn't. Do you love Howie?"

"I don't know--"

"You don't know? You've been with Howie for three years and you always told me how much you loved him. Now you don't know?"

"Yes--"

"How about you tell me the truth? Tell me what your heart feels instead of what your brain is thinking."

"The heart feels nothing. It's just a pump that pushes blood around to every other portion of your body--"

"Goddamnit, Missy! You know exactly what I mean and it's not the medical bullshit."

"So what if I love him? What does that matter when he won't even look at me the same with Kevin in the room? He's so damn hostile and won't even touch me... And it's only been a few hours... With the way Kevin connected to you... I just can't stand to get hurt again, alright? He obviously had something better in Florida. Something better that didn't include me or my love," Ana gulped, quickly looking away from Tierja's battered form. She sought for a way to escape the hard conversation, but she was boxed in by the rubble. She was stuck.

"That's not true!" Tierja reached up and made Ana look into her eyes. "Howie's trying to deal with Kevin here. Have you even thought of how hard it is for him? And instead of trying to help him, you're pulling away from him. He needs you to hold him and tell him it's going to be alright like you have before. He loves you, Ana. More than his own life and you know that from when the tornado hit."

"He just came into the washing room because you told him to--"

"He covered his body over yours when my house was hit. You could have been hurt a lot worse if he hadn't done that."

"He was blown onto my body, not by choice."

"He could have easily rolled off, but he didn't. Did he?"

"Because he was terrified of moving--"

"NO, it was because he didn't want you to die!"

"I wasn't going to die!"

"And you know that for sure? YOU KNOW THAT FOR SURE?"

"Stop it, Tierj. You're hurting me," Ana immediately whimpered, making Tierja aware that she was gripping Ana's tattered arms and digging her nails into the bleeding flesh.

"And you're hurting me the way you're acting towards the man you love who loves you a million times more," Tierja whispered, releasing her grap.

"I'm not acting like anything. I did my best earlier today, trying to hold him and talk to him. He just brushed me away. He didn't want me."

"And when you're trying to deal with things, you run to him? You don't push him away?"

"That's different--"

"How is that different?"

"Because it just is, alright?"

"It's not alright, Missy. Not at all. You can hide behind your fancy medical terminology, but I know the truth. You're terrified of needing him as much as he needs you. You're looking for any excuse to dump him and when you finally found one, as stupid as it is, you're shocked because it's tearing your heart apart. You break away after a hard day at work, sobbing because you found people dead in a car that you couldn't help. But, you're still carrying that weight around. All those people in your heart, Ana. It's not healthy. You need someone to hold you and comfort you."

"That's why I have you--"

"Sometimes I'm not enough, Ana."

~*~*~*~

"Howie, can I talk to you about something?" Kevin asked after an eternity of silence. The men had been working on the fallen debris for over an hour and were barely making a dent. Sweat poured down their necks and backs, soaking their shirts. Kevin had promised Tierja he would try to work this out with his estranged friend and he wouldn't break that promise. He had missed Howie and wanted thing to be right again.

"I always thought you were better talking with your fists," Howie replied dryly, pulling away a large piece of sheetrock away from the doorway.

"You know, you were a lot more timid in Florida. You'd think living in Minnesota would soften you even more," Kevin grunted with distaste, knowing he shouldn't be overly critical of Howie's attitude. After all, Kevin had accused him of the darkest treachery - adultry. It wasn't fair for Kevin to expect miracles after three years of hate brewing between them. If anything, Howie had more of a right to criticize him.

"Well, I have you to thank for my new attitude," Howie rolled his eyes, tossing a hunk of wood behind him. It barely missed Kevin's shin, causing the older man to jump with surprise. Howie smirked.

"And is this how you got Ana attracted to you? Attempting to murder her with blunt objects?" Kevin exclaimed, just narrowing his dark, thick brows with disgust. In Florida, Howie had been reserved, quiet, and never attempted to strike a physical or verbal argument. He was cautious, always thinking before making choices. But, now, he seemed impulsive, almost violent.

"Ana never blamed me for the things you did. She never would, either, because she knows I'm not that kind of person," Howie turned and glared at Kevin. "We knew each other for over ten fucking years. One damn rumor that involves me with Sharon and you automatically believe it."

"What do you want me to say, Howie?" Kevin asked blankly, removing another piece of heavy slate to find just a peak of sunlight. He knelt down slightly on the already broken stairs, preparing to further clean around the small opening. "I can't explain myself fully for what I was thinking. I noticed all the signs in Sharon. I knew she was doing someone... Then she makes one comment about how handsome you are... I was ready to blame anyone for her decite. I just needed something to go on."

"So you go against one of your best friends... that's nice, Kevin. Really nice," Howie moved to where Kevin was working and began pulling away various material. "I had looked up to you, you know."

"Howie--"

"Why didn't you try talking to Sharon first? Would that have been so hard? You were my brother, and I loved you like one. You hurt me in more ways--"

"I'm sorry, Howie. I truly am."

"I just want things to go back the way they were," Howie sighed heavily as the worked on the passage, sunlight coming through even more.

"You want to move back to Florida?"

"No, I mean... the connection we all had. Do you remember that? It was like we were all separated at birth or something," Howie tried to explain. "I've made a life here, and the guys have done the same wherever they are now. But I want it to be where one of us calls and we make a spontaneous ruinion or something."

"We can do that, D."

"Can we, Kev? Do you think we could start over?"

"Why not?"

"It's been so long--"

"But you were right, D. There is a connection we all have, and it will never be broken."

"I don't know how to contact any of them," Howie stated, crouching further into the hole to clear a somewhat larger opening that someone could crawl through. He took a deep breath, trying to gather his wits as the pain and fatigue of clearing heavy lumber started to attack his already stressed muscles and body. Though, despite the pain, he was somewhat thankful that he could speak to Kevin openly, even if he couldn't speak to Ana.

"I still talk to my Aunt Jackie... I could have her get Brian's number and we could call him," Kevin suggested, stooping down to Howie's level, muffling a groan of pain from his aching muscles. "It's worth a try, don't you think?"

"Okay..."

"I really am sorry, Howie... I missed you and the guys a lot. And I'm sorry for causing your trouble with Ana--"

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Kevin questioned with a short gasp of air, never expecting Howie to cut the conversation so sharply. He narrowed his emerald eyes with question, waiting for Howie's answer. "I'm honestly sorry about Ana..."

"What's happening between us is not your fault. I should have told her the past at the very beginning, but I didn't. I was too ashamed about it and I thought she would believe that rumor as well... if she leaves me now, it's no one's fault but mine."

"Where'd you meet her anyway?" Kevin continued with an open forum, deciding to leave Howie's fears out. He figured Howie would work through his pain of Ana's potential dismissal after considering why he cared about Ana so. If anything, Kevin had learned quickly the inner workings of his friends, even if they had been apart for several years. Howie loved to analyze.

"When I first moved to Minnesota, I didn't have any friends until I started my new job at a bar called Bentley's. Tierja was the head bartender and we hit it off right away. She's a great friend... anyway, one night Ana came in and Tierja introduced us. I've been infatuated with her ever since, and I love her more than anything," Howie replied softly, the passage getting a little bigger.

"So, now we can get some killer drinks mixed when we hang out with the boys," Kevin chuckled, pulling a heavy log away to cause several clumps of cement to fall. He winced as one connected with Howie's knee, but said nothing because Howie said nothing, just continuing to clear away the debris. He focused on the hole, wanting it big enough for him to fit through instead of making Ana venture out first. "So, what'd you think when she told you she was a Paramedic?"

"I knew she would be telling me nasty stories and that she would practice her first aid skills on me when she was bored," Howie replied, pushing away more chunks of cement. "Both of those things have happened more than once in the three years we've been together."

"So, it's pretty serious?" Kevin murmured, glancing down at his younger friend to see him tenderly rub the knee that had obviously been bruised. He waited for a moment, until a pile of rubble folded into his lap. Grimacing slightly from the chalky dust he inhaled with a sharp sneeze to release, he continued with his work.

"Yeah, I was actually thinking of proposing soon, but with the way things are now... I don't know," Howie sighed heavily, throwing pieces of lumber behind him. "I still want to marry her, but I don't know if she wants to marry me."

"Proposing?" Kevin laughed softly in surprise, quickly looking back to Howie with confirmation. He had always heard Howie speak of wanting a large family and a loving wife, but never had a woman to share the gift with. All the men in the group seemed to harrass him about his daydreams, but that's all Howie had wanted. The right woman for a beautiful family. Who would have guessed that he'd find the right woman in Minnesota... Who would have guessed that Kevin had found the right woman in Minnesota, in the middle of a tornado. "She doesn't seem like your type..."

"Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'Opposites attract'? That's how Ana and I are," Howie sent Kevin a short glare before going back to work. "And who is anyone to say what my type is but me?"

"D, I didn't mean it like that... No offense or anything... I just... I didn't know what attracted you to her in the first place. I missed out on three years of your relationship. I just wanted to know the good with the bad... I wanted to become your pal again... Somehow, I figured talking about Ana would pass the time..."

"I know... and I didn't mean to snap at you," Howie stopped his work again, glancing back to his old friend. "I'll admit one thing. I did miss all of us being friends, even after the whole Sharon situation. We had all been friends for so long... you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know..."

"Do you think we could go back to what it once was, Kev?"

"I think we can give it a damn good try. If you can at least try to promise me one thing."

"Promise you what?"

"At least try to talk to Ana. I mean, I don't know her that well, but I know enough to see that she really cares about you. When I had you all up against the wall, she was doing her best to draw you back. There's obviously something there if you were thinking about proposing. Besides, three years and a terrifying tornado where you cover her with your own body to make sure she isn't impaled... That's quite a history to just let some old asshole come in and spoil it. Right?"

"Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to her, or should I say, I'll try. When it comes to Ana, it's a little difficult--"

"Just promise me you'll try."

"I'll try, Kev."

"Howie?" Kevin spoke after a few minutes of going back to work.

"Yeah?"

"Are we friends again?"

"I--"

"Guys, why are you screwing around with that? I can get through that hole, grab the radio from my truck, and get the other guys here for Tierj. Besides, I can probably work from the outside to clear a little more so it'll be safe..." Ana trailed, obviously keeping her presence as the worst timer. Her dark blue-green eyes concentrated on the somewhat narrow hole instead of the sweaty men. She couldn't take seeing Tierja in so much pain. They needed help and they needed it now.

"Ana, I don't want you getting--"

"I'll be fine and it's my choice if I'm the one to go. The longer we wait for that hole to get bigger, the worse Tierja's head injury is going to get. The worse her injury gets, the closer she is with death. There's not much of an option, Howie."

"Kevin, tell her!" Howie exploded with worry, quickly stumbling up from the pile of rubble. His knee buckled slightly, but he maintained his presence over the exit. There was no way that he was letting her go out there. They had no idea what anything was like. Not her. Anyone but her.

"Howie, she does have a point. If we wait any longer, we could lose Tierja and anyone else on the outside who needs help. She'll be fine--"

"How do we know that for sure? I don't want her to get hurt!"

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Ana murmured darkly, reaching into her dusty jeans to withdraw the leather band that had been holding her curls originally. Quickly, she tossed the long honey curls that Howie loved to run his fingers through into a messy ponytail. Silently, she gestured for the jean jacket Howie was wearing. She needed something over her already tattered arms to protect her from going through the short tunnel.

"Ana, please... be careful," Howie sighed heavily, shrugging off the jacket. He helped her put it on, timidly placing a hand on her unbattered cheek. "Before you go, I need you to know how sorry I am. What I was yelling at Kevin about had nothing to do with--"

"Howie, don't."

"But it's true! I love you more than anything and I don't want to lose you after we get out of this house."

"Maybe you'll loose me in transition," Ana stated lightly of the grave situation, knowing very well that the tunnel could cave while she was scooting through. She faced these decisions every day during the messiest times of work. Every time she crawled into a mangled car to retrieve a patient or cross an icy lake to rescue someone submerged beneath the ice. It was part of emergency care and an adrenaline rush that no one would ever understand but her peers. So, she tilted her chin high to get his hand off her cheek. Then, stooped down to the clearing, assessing the sides for just a moment. "And, you might want to get your knee looked at."

"Ana--"

"Someone check on Tierj while the other stays here by the entrance in case something happens," Ana ordered before venturing slowly through the tunnel.

"Which do you want to do?" Kevin murmured, noticing Howie fall into a deathly silent posture while crumbling debris could be heard from the tunnel. He squeezed his eyes closed for the longest moment, unable to even decide whether or not he willed himself to watch Ana's battle. Unfortunatenly, he had no idea what Howie was thinking at that present moment, which meant he couldn't reassure him of anything.

"Which do you want to do?" Kevin murmured, noticing Howie fall into a deathly silent posture while crumbling debris could be heard from the tunnel. He squeezed his eyes closed for the longest moment, unable to even decide whether or not he willed himself to watch Ana's battle. Unfortunatenly, he had no idea what Howie was thinking at that present moment, which meant he couldn't reassure him of anything.

"Go and stay with Tierja. I'll watch the tunnel," Howie mumbled, keeping his eyes locked where Ana had disappeared into.

"Howie, she's--"

"Tierja needs you more than she needs me. Go."

"I meant about A--"

"I don't want to talk about that anymore. Just go. If you're my friend, go and be with Tierja so I can sort through everything in my head."

"Okay..." Kevin consented as a sharp howl exited from the tunnel. He cringed as he heard a tight sling of curses errupting from what he assumed was Ana's usually innocent mouth. Only, neither man said anything as she openly bitched about a sharp pipe cutting into her upper thigh. It was her way of coping with the pain, arguing with the inanimate object as she perserveered. Knowing Howie didn't want to crumble in front of him over Ana's behalf, Kevin turned, sliding down the broken steps to check on Tierja as Ana had first instructed.



Anastacia, you kick ass! Thank you so much for the help! I appreciate it so much.

Chapter Five: A Way Out


Kevin sighed heavily as he made his way towards what was once the den where Tierja lay, battered and broken from the vicious winds. Howie was still back by the small escape route, listening to Ana shuffle through and yell at inanimate objects to keep herself calm. All anyone could do was pray that she got to the outside and radio for help. He only wished that she was on the trek after making amends with Howie, but knew life was never that simple.

"Tierja? Are you awake?" Kevin called softly, kneeling down next to her on the cement floor. The bruising had moved to circle her ears in the front and back, creating heavy bags under her weary and pained eyes.

"For now," Tierja answered meekly, slowly allowing her eyes to open from a resting state. She instantly winced when she was greeted with the bright lighting, moving to tenderly cover her face for protection.

"Hold on a minute," Kevin stood up and grabbed a blanket. He walked over to the opening where the sunlight was coming from and covered it. "Is that better, Sweetheart?"

"Much. Thank you," Tierja sighed, pulling her hands away from her face.

"How are you doing?" Kevin questioned, kneeling back down to Tierja's side. He didn't know what to say to make sure she was okay, but at least she was talking. For a moment, he wished that Ana had let him or Howie travel through the tunnel, but it was pointless to long for a change in the immediately past. So, without much thought, he reached to fold her small hands within his two large ones. Within the short amount of time, Kevin had grown overwhemlingly affectionate toward this woman. The terror of the evening had forced him to analyze his entire life in such a short period.

"I think I've been better..." Tierja licked her dry lips, feeling Kevin's warmth flowing from his hands into hers. She couldn't deny her feelings for him, and knowing that he had inadvertantly broken up her best friends caused a huge conflict in her mind. It wasn't helping her headache. "How's the escape route going?"

"We got a path... But Ana decided she was the one going through instead of Howie or me."

"What? You let her go in there?!" Tierja exclaimed, immediately regretting it.

"What do you mean I let her go in there?" Kevin cringed, feeling Tierja's lengthy nails imbed into his hands. "I'm not the one semi-dating her!"

"She always has to be the tough one," Tierja closed her eyes with a groan of frustration, pulling her nails out of Kevin's hands. "Did you talk to Howie?"

"Talk to him about what?"

"What I asked you to talk to him about... the past?"

"Oh!" Kevin groaned, finding his thoughts more centered on Tierja's well being. "Yeah, I talked to him. We're okay or at least I think we're okay..."

"At least you both talked," Tierja bit on her bottom lip. "Kevin?"

"What?"

"I-I'm not going to die, am I? Ana said people who don't get medical attention right away could--"

"You're not going to die," Kevin instantly chided, reaching to cup her chin gently within his thumb and forefinger. He leaned over to make sure their contrasting eyes connected, giving her a handsome smile. "Why do you think Ana's ripping through that hole as we speak? She's going to pull some serious strings when she finds her radio and gets help. You're going to be just fine. Absolutely just fine. Then you're going to fix the serious mess I made with Ana and Howie... Y'know, after you get painkillers."

"But I'm just so scared..."

"It's okay to be scared. Hell, I'm scared, but I know we're all going to be okay. God planned for us to meet and I won't let you be taken away from me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I just... I feel this connection with you. Something I haven't felt for a very long time."

"I feel it, too."

"Really?" Kevin whispered faintly, allowing his fingers to gently trace along the edge of her cheekbone. He couldn't allow his fingertips to part from her flesh, fearing that she might turn cold without him. Since stepping into her house that evening, Kevin finally understood what his mother said when she spoke of love at first sight.

"Mm-hmm. It happened right when you showed up on my doorstep," Tierja kissed his fingertips as they grazed over her pale lips. "We barely know each other, but there's one thing I do know and it's that I need you in my life."

"I won't leave, okay?"

"You promise?"

"I promise," Kevin complied, taking her index finger to draw an 'x' across his heart.

"Please kiss me," Tierja demanded softly, her chin trembling.

"Okay," Kevin whispered, knowing in his heart that he could deny her nothing. Allowing her to rest her hands back against her chest, he eagerly leaned over her resting body. Licking his lips in anticipation as he neared, softly, almost as if they were exchanging a whisper, he pressed his lips against her own.

"Mmm... thank you," Tierja smiled softly as their lips parted from the sweet and passion-filled kiss. "You're definitely living with me when... well... whenever I get a place to stay."

"Aren't you jumping the gun a little?" Kevin laughed, slightly amused by her ambitious plans.

"I've always been a speedy one in the relationship. Besides, where were you going to stay once I get discharged from the hospital?"

"I... I wasn't really sure..."

"That's why you're going to stay with me," Tierja reached up and cupped his stubbly cheek. "That is, as long as you want to."

"I have nothing left in Florida."

"Well now you have something here in Minnesota."

"Yeah," Kevin smiled with appreciation. "You."

"Oh, Kev..."

"Just rest, okay?" Kevin soothed, reaching down to kiss her once more.

"Don't let me sleep too long," Tierja sighed, closing her eyes. The throbbing headache was getting worse.

"Never in a million years."

"We may have just met tonight, but... I love you," Tierja whispered before falling asleep.

"I think I'll wait until you're awake to say it back," Kevin chuckled softly, brushing his fingertips against her forehead to ease her into a more comfortable slumber

*~*~*~*

"Just had to be the adrenaline junkie, didn't you, Lord?" Ana chided herself, breathing heavily as she fell forward when a sharp clutter of debris collapsed from inside the narrow tunnel. She had yanked her legs forward just in time to avoid being pinned, but her heart still galloped as if she might have been trapped. She glanced backward to see the entire tunnel filled with debris that could have crushed her legs flat. Fresh tears of relief started to fall down her grubby cheeks, finally realizing for the first time in years that maybe she didn't actually want to die. She had always placed herself in the scariest of situations while on duty as a Paramedic. Everything others were terrified to do, Ana did without a single thought about her well being. Now, her wreckless behavior had landed her in a collapsing tunnel in search of help for her friends trapped in the demolished home. She was bleeding severely from the large gash in her right thigh and her lacerated cheek and arms from the exploding window were burning with the dirt and grim invading the soft tissues. But, it didn't seem to matter as she pushed forward, burying her face slightly into Howie's jean jacket to inhale his cologne that always seemed to soothe her fears. Like she told Tierja, she had a damn long day ahead of her once they were out of this mess.

As she shuffled through the various debris, snippets of her last conversations with Howie and Tierja echoed in her tired mind. Her heart knew what Tierja had said was true, but her mind just wouldn't allow her to admit it.

It's not alright, Missy. Not at all. You can hide behind your fancy medical terminology, but I know the truth. You're terrified of needing him as much as he needs you. You're looking for any excuse to dump him and when you finally found one, as stupid as it is, you're shocked because it's tearing your heart apart. You break away after a hard day at work, sobbing because you found people dead in a car that you couldn't help. But, you're still carrying that weight around. All those people in your heart, Ana. It's not healthy. You need someone to hold you and comfort you.


"Too bad I'm letting go the one person who could do that," Ana muttered to herself, looking up to try and find some kind of opening.


Don't let go, Howie! Hold on!

I've got you!

Remembering the horrifying night, tears continued to rain down Ana's tender cheeks, blotting against Howie's dusty jean jacket that was meant to protect her through the tunnel. Howie had done everything in his power to assure her safety when the tornado touched down upon them. She distinctly remembered something slamming down hard against their backs causing Howie to muffle a yelp against her ear. Yet, he said nothing about the pain when he was clearing away the debris, as if it were a simple price to pay for her safety. Only, remembering the night caused her to become foolish as she reached for a piece of rubble to pull her up to the expanding light. Instantly the piece of rubble pulled from its spot in the damage, causing several more to fall in Ana's face as she slipped backward in the tunnel. There was a sharp rumbling as debris continued to cave behind her, sharply cracking as she curled into a ball for protection. She felt a few distinct pieces slam against her already battered body, but continued to cover her head for protection. "DAMNIT!"

"ANA?!" Howie instantly hollered into the blocked tunnel, his voice becoming muffled through the heavy debris.

"I'M FINE!" she shouted back, unable to even face his voice as she waited for the tunnel to calm.

"BE CAREFUL!"

"It would be better if the tunnel would stop falling around me," Ana muttered, continuing her trek through. The opening had to be coming soon, she had been moving for what seemed like forever. Glancing back up, she saw what looked to be sunlight, her heart leaping up into her throat.

"Please, please, please, please," Ana begged God, pulling herself upward toward what she hoped was the outside world. She hated being closed in tight quarters despite that's all her occupation really consisted of. She just wanted out so she could get Tierja help and get away from the entire situation.

The light became stronger as she came closer, hope soaring through her battered body. She reached up and felt a warm breeze graze over her fingertips. "Please, God, please!"

Clearing away the remaining litter cluttering from the hole, she found a bright light pouring against her face that actually caused her to squint. With much needed strength, she gripped the tilted Earth and boosted herself up. Only, what she was greeted with when lying on the muddy ground was nothing short of a catastrophe. Large chunks of debris littered around Tierja's collapsed house, along with huge chunks of lumber crushing her vehicle. Ana sat amongst the rubble in a slight daze, wondering if this really was her hometown. "God help us..."

~*~*~*~

"ANA! ANA, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Howie bellowed into the collapsing tunnel. He hadn't gotten a response from her for what seemed like forever and was beginning to panic.

"I'M..." Ana's voice stalled for just a moment, gently easing herself off the ground when she heard Howie's frantic yell. She stood for a moment to gather her thoughts, but Howie quickly called out again when she didn't respond. Slowly, she moved along the sunken house, which was close to her turned and crushed truck. She wanted to find some kind of opening peering down into the house, but didn't know if she could be so lucky. Instead, she became sidetracked and moved toward her mangled truck. Cursing at the expensive and new piece of equipment, she crouched toward the ground to figure out how to get inside the truck to locate her radio.

"ANA! DAMNIT, ANA, ANSWER ME!" Howie shouted, his voice reverberating through the shambled house, jerking Tierja awake from her short nap. Kevin's head snapped up from the slightly damaged health book he was skimming through.

"Baby, go see what's wrong," Tierja replied, the headache pounding harder than ever before. Kevin nodded and got to his feet, jogging over towards Howie's voice. Dear God, please let us know that Ana made it... though... Tierja's prayer trailed off as the pain became intense and she passed out.

"Howie, what's the matter?" Kevin questioned with worry as he jogged over to the frantic younger man. He eased himself to ripped carpet, attempting to clasp Howie's trembling shoulder.

"Ana hasn't answered me for at least fifteen minutes and I just heard a lot of the tunnel collapse! What if she's trapped in there? I'll have to live knowing she thought I didn't love--"

"Howie, have you thought maybe she hasn't answered because she's outside?"

"I heard her scream," Howie was quick to reply, unable to believe that Kevin might be right. The guilt for his foolish words continued to remind him that Ana might actually be dead within the tunnel from the heavy pieces of stone, wood, and other metals. Gasping sharply, he started to dig heavily into the pile of rubble. He was determined to reach his trapped love one without a single iota of help from God. He furiously crammed his already beaten hands into the sharp pieces of debris, causing blood to flow from the torn flesh of his tender hands, never even recognizing the pain signals screaming from various locations of his battered body. He could only think of Ana, the thought of wanting to propose, and having to lay an engagement ring on her sleek, black coffin.

"Howie! D, stop, you're killing your hands!" Kevin wrapped his arms around Howie and pulled him away from the tunnel just before a large pile of lumber fell right where they had been. "She's not in there, I know she isn't!"

"You've been in here! You don't know! You don't know where she is! I've got to get her! Now! I... I don't care! Get her back!"

"Howie, stop!" Kevin grunted in shock, actually falling against the ground as Howie fought. They hit hard against their backs, only seeming to drive Howie's pain and fear into further escalation. "D! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Let me go! I NEED TO GET HER BACK--"

"Howie, she's too smart and strong to get stuck in some tunnel! Just stop, freaking out is not going to help anyone in this situation!" Kevin struggled to keep Howie pinned to the ground.

"You don't understand!" Howie started to sob, actually fighting harder to get free from Kevin's strong grip. He beat hard against Kevin's chest with his bloody, torn, and beefy red hands. "She doesn't know! She thinks I don't love her! I can't live with that! I can't! I didn't mean what I said! I didn't mean it at all! I want her back! Now! The world doesn't need her like I need her! God doesn't need her like I need her!"

"Howie! Stop!" Kevin grunt, afraid he might be inflicting further damage on his friend as he slammed him hard into the ground. "This is ridiculous!"

"Just let me go! Why won't you let me go?! I need to get her back now!" Howie burst, kicking and squirming like a child having a tantrum.

"Because clawing at all that shit in the tunnel is going to hurt you and not help Ana--"

Kevin's scolding was immediately haulted by a sharp splintering above them. It took only moment for heavy debris to fall inward on the den, causing Kevin to release Howie for some kind of cover. Only, what surprised them most was when Ana appeared above them, leaning over the enterance she made with the already splintered wood. She looked absolutely beaten as she held made sure to hide any of the wounds she recieved climbing from the tunnel and actually climbing into her battered truck just to find her somewhat mangled radio. "Guys?"

"Ana! Ana, you're alright! Oh, thank God!" Howie stood up, wiping away the tears with his forearm.

"I got a call into the guys. Shit's really bad all over the place. They say their ETA is ten minutes. I managed to find a bottle of water in my truck... Figured you could use it..." Ana fumbled to explain, throwing down the bottle without really addressing Howie's concern. She didn't want to say she was fine, because Howie would be quick to correct her. The pain coursing through her body was unbearable from the caving and having to slide through the broken glass of her truck just to locate a damn radio. The deep gash in her right thigh was bleeding profusely, making her slightly lightheaded. Now, she just practially slumped against the thick wood looking down upon the other three, just trying to maintain conciousness. "Is Tierj okay?"

"Yeah, she was just taking a short nap. I'll wake her up," Kevin jogged over and kneeled down to Tierja once again, shaking her shoulder gently. "Tier? Sweetheart, wake up. Ana made it through the tunnel!"

"You..." Tierja swallowed hard at the violent shaking, reaching to grasp Kevin's hand. "Stop..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I was shaking you that hard," Kevin apologized quickly. "Ana made it through the tunnel! Help is going to be here in ten minutes. Then you'll be on your way to the hospital with painkillers ready."

"Major painkillers," Tierja sighed with soft relief.

"Tierj, you okay?" Ana called, closing her eyes tightly against the pain raging her weak body.

"I-I'm fine, Missy!"

"Staying awake would be key, Tierj. Just ten minutes, okay?" Ana instructed, slumping further against the wood. As strong as she had been throughout the whole ordeal, she was growing weaker by the passing moment. She tried to remind herself to stay awake, but it seemed somewhat impossible with the dark splotches invading her heavy mind. Then she had to remind herself that she'd be on duty all night, which just seemed to make her weaker.

"I can hang in there... are you alright? You sound different," Tierja asked, concentrating on Kevin's fingers linked through hers to keep awake.

"Well, I'm all the way up here and you're down there. It's going to sound different," Ana shurgged off the question, taking a few deep breaths.

"Ana?" Howie questioned, sitting himself just below the hole she was positioned at.

"Oh, I got your jacket..." Ana reminded herself, figuring that's what he was inquiring about. Holding her breath, she eased it off her heavy body, praying nothing had broken her from the rubble. Though, not paying much attention, she let the ripped jean coat tainted with her blood stains fall against down to the den as she wearily collapsed back down against the wood for support.

"What are you doing? Keep that jacket on," Howie grunted, throwing it back up towards her. He had been wondering how she was really feeling, but she yet again ignored what he meant.

"But you asked for it," Ana bit back a yelp as the material whacked against her injured thigh.

"Ana, put it on," Howie demanded, bracing a hand against his back and the other on his aching knee. Only, when he flattened his palms against each area, he immediately winced with aggravation. Withdrawing his hands from the tender areas, he noted the heavy creases of blood pooling under chunks of ripped flesh. Frowning, he settled his hands into his lap, just wishing he could touch Ana one time.

"Why?" she was quick to question, unable to even muster the strength to pull the jacket from her throbbing leg.

"Because I asked you to, now please do it."

"I--"

"Ana, please."

"Fine..." Ana gritted her teeth and slowly slipped the jacket back on, holding in her cries of pain.

"Ana--"

"You could tell me why, y'know..." she heaved, unable to keep the fresh tears from pooling.

"I don't want you to get cold--"

"Not that... why you said what you said. About losing it all in Florida--"

"Lord! We're here!" a male voice suddenly interupted, stopping Ana from proceeding with a question that had plagued her heart since the tornado. It sounded like thunder as the three ambulances approached with deafening roars, her good companions rushing out with stretch boards and bags of medical equipment. "Damnit, Lord! What the Hell did you do?!"

"What's wrong with her?" Howie immediately shouted upward with panic.

"Hold on, Howie! We're getting to you guys!" the paramedic called back, obviously hiding whatever happened to Ana.

"Ana! Ana, what's wrong?"

"They're coming down in a minute, Howie. Just hold on," Ana called, the black dots increasing in number right before her eyes.

"Ana, listen to me," Anthony, one of Ana's closest companions, called. Although, it seemed distant in her mind as if he were several miles away. There was a bright light that envaded her eyes as he continued to talk. She squinted against the light, focusing on his lips as she continued to struggle to hear him. "We need to get you loaded into a stretcher. What happened? Can you tell me that? Do I need to be holding C-Spine?"

"No..." Ana trailed, floating away from the conversation until someone grasped her severly lacerated leg. She immediately yelped with fresh pain, reaching to grasp the hands that insisted on meddling with her affairs. Focusing heavily on Anthony's pudgy face, she scowled. "I'm fine, okay? I'm going on runs, but you've got to get Howie, Tierj, and Kevin out of that den. Tierj got hit in the head by a piece of debris in the tornado. She's got a severe concussion with a laceration to the back of her skull. I think its fractured. Kevin's okay from what I can tell... And Howie's favoring his back and knee. Get them out. Help me get them out."

"Ana, c'mon, this is stupid. We need to think of you, too. Paramedics first oath about being on scene. We take care of ourselves before the patients, because we're nothing to them if we're dead."

"I'm fine," Ana insisted, reaching to get to her feet. She walked several feet toward an ambulance intent on grabbing a stretcher and disappearing into the den, but immediately collapsed hard onto the ground.

"Ana! Damnit!" Anthony cursed as he rushed towards Ana. "Josh, Billy, start making your way through the hole she made to get to the others!"

"ANA! ANA, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Howie's voice floated from the den, hearing the alarmed voices that included Ana's name. He had known something was wrong. He should have gone through the tunnel instead of her.

"Howie, just hang on! We're going to get you out of there!" Josh replied instead, pushing the stretcher with Billy behind him carrying the medical bags.

"What's wrong... with Missy?" Tierja questioned, hearing Kevin shout about the tunnel being half collapsed. She squinted hard against the light fluttering about the room, trying to concentrate. She heard the distant rumble of ambulance sirens, causing her to smile with slight relief. Until she heard everyone practically screaming Ana's name along with thick streams of heavy curses.

"I don't know, Baby. I'm sure she's alright. Maybe she just passed out a minute because she never let herself rest," Kevin craned his neck, trying to see what was going on above them. He could hear two paramedics stumbling down to help them and he sighed. The nightmare was almost over.

"No wonder she's hemorrhaging like crazy," Billy cursed as he and Josh finally managed to reach the bottom of the den. Ana had collapsed heavily above ground, completely unresponsive to any verbal or physical stimuli. She was bleeding profusely from several wounds and had to be immediately loaded into one of the ambulances. Anthony had been shouting about possibilities of internal hemorrhaging when he heard the tunnel collapsed against her. It just seemed surreal that one of their best could be injured on her day off. Ashen, Billy stumbled against a thick pipe covered with blood, cringing at the very sight for a moment. He was the newest EMT on the crew and did the job on a volunteer basis until he was accepted into the paramedic program.

"Hemorrhaging? What? What's wrong with Missy? She's hurt bad, isn't she? Damn her for always being the brave one. Don't curve around my questions, Billy. You better tell me right now!" Tierja attempted to scramble to her feet despite her furiously throbbing head injury.

"Tierja, don't even start and sit your ass down. Ana's told you better than that," Josh commanded, which instantly caused Tierja to settle. His deep baratone voice was threatening as he motioned for Billy to assist Tierja. Being the eldest paramedic and a fatherlike figure to Ana, he knelt down to Howie's pale form. Gently, he reached a gloved hand out to assess the deep wounds on Howie's hands. "Howie? Hey, I need to know what else is wrong with you so I know if I need another stretcher."

"Ana... where's Ana? I need to see her," Howie mumbled, looking up at Josh like a lost child.

"She's got a few injuries that need to be taken care of. She'll be alright. You've got to tell me what's hurting, Howie."

"My back... my knee... my hands. They all hurt."

"We'll get another stretcher," Josh sighed, hollering back up to the other crew members for the necessary items to be lowered from the hole Ana had created. He then glanced back to Howie, noticing his skin was growing clammy as he continued to pale. Fearing he might faint, Josh leaned toward him to catch his eyes. "You're going to be okay, son. I promise. We're getting you out of here in ten and to the hospital to be looked at. You and Tierja are going to be just fine."

"I don't care about myself, I care about Ana! She could die and it'll be all my fau--"

"Don't you even blame yourself, d'you hear me? She's not going to die, she's heading for the hospital right now to be taken care of by the best doctors," Josh interrupted, gently cleaning out the wounds on Howie's hands.

"She thinks she was a mistake..."

"That's all she ever was," Josh chuckled, not really understanding what Howie meant. "Such a goofball when it came to training. But, when it mattered, she was always focused on saving lives. And, she'd be quite pissed at this old timer if I didn't make sure you and Tierja got the ultimate first aid."

"She wasn't a mistake. She never could be," Howie whispered, tears spilling down his pale cheeks. If Ana died, she would never know how he really felt, or how sorry he was for hurting her. He never did anything but love her with all of his being.

"Haul down that stretcher when you get Tierja up and be damn careful!" Josh barked toward Billy as Tierja was strapped hard onto the stretcher for safe keeping. He watched as the unknown man quietly followed Josh and another paramedic that had climbed down to help assist. Waiting until Tierja disappeared safely, he turned back to Howie. "For once she won't be taking a late shift with this disaster, Howie. You'll have all night to spend with her while you two are soaking up all the attention of the nurses and doctors. Okay?"

"She's going to be okay, Josh? Can you honestly tell me that she's going to be okay?" Howie whispered, looking back up at Josh as the man finished cleaning his cuts and checked out his injured knee and back.

"You know better than to ask me that question, Howie," Josh chided with a click of his tongue, noticing the severe bruising along his spine and the fluid accumulating on his knee. Frowning, Josh hollered for another stretcher pronto. "I can't honestly tell you she's going to be anything. You saw what she looked like--"

"If she dies, there's nothing left here for me. If you guys don't take care--"

"Howie, we're doing our very best and I'll be damned if we lose her. Don't be thinking like that," Josh interrupted as another stretcher and paramedic came down the makeshift escape.

"How can I not be thinking like that when you guys--"

"If things go like I'm hoping they're going to go, you're just going to have one severely pissed off woman because she can't go back to work for a few weeks while she's healing up. But, you'll be able to fix that all right up with some tender loving, right?" Josh attempted to soothe, hating that he was going against his code of ethics by instilling what could be false hope. But, he had to get Howie out of this den in some kind of stable state, otherwise Ana would never forgive him, dead or not.

"Yeah... right..."

"Good, so come on, I'll help you into the stretcher and you can finally get the Hell out of here," Josh looped an arm around Howie's waist and helped him to his feet. He ordered the other paramedic, Erik, to bring the stretcher near them so Howie didn't have far to walk.

"Did you see her up there?" Erik was quick to comment, helping Howie ease down on the stretcher before helping to strap him in appropriately. Like most inconsiderate EMTs, he spoke over Howie as if he didn't exist. "You could actually see her femur when Anthony stripped off her jeans--"

"Erik, not helping," Josh hissed, placing an oxygen mask over Howie's mouth for a moment to clear the dust out of his lungs from the debris. "He can hear, you know."

"Yeah?" Erik questioned, obviously oblivious to even who Howie was as he helped pick up the stretch to load the last patient into the last ambulance. "We're all betting that there's severe internal hemorrhaging, y'know, if her femoral artery didn't spurt everything out before she hit the ground--"

"For the love of God, shut up!" Josh groaned, quickly climbing inside the ambulance. "This man right here is her boyfriend!"

"Oh God, she is going to die and it's all my fault," Howie began to sob, covering his face with his wounded hands.

"Damnit, Howie, he doesn't know--"

"God, it's all my fault..."



Thank you so much for the help, Ana. Couldn't have done it without you!

Chapter Six: In God's Hands


"She's right in here, Mr. Richardson. Just call me if you need anything," Nurse Conners instructed Kevin as she led him to Tierja's hospital room. Everything had been a whirlwind since the group had arrived at the hospital. There was no word on Howie or Ana, but one could only pray for the best since it was in God's hands from the very beginning.

"Do you know that damn doctor shaved a square into the back of my head just so he could put stitches in my scalp?" Tierja was quick to fume quietly when Kevin slipped into her softly lit room. She was sitting primly in an upward tilted hospital bed, resting her aching head against the pillows. A steady dosage of pain medication flowed into hand while mixing with another medication to decrease any chances of cerebral edema. It seemed to perk her up, though, slowly as the pain started to recede, although the doctors warned her she would feel awful for several days because of the severe concussion. "And I cracked my skull up, but they can't even super-glue the damn--"

"Can I just be thankful that you're okay?" Kevin breathed with an interruption, leaning down to brush his lips against hers. She still had the heavy bruising around her face and her eyes were dark with aggravation and pain, but Kevin couldn't have pictured a lovelier woman.

"But I have a bald spot in the back of my head because of that eejit of a doctor," Teagan pouted, pointing to her lips for another kiss. He immediately complied to stop her whines and protests, which seemed to work like a charm.

"Maybe so, but if it wasn't for that eejit of a doctor--"

"I know, I know. I'm just glad you're here and I have a nice stream of painkillers going through my blood at the moment," Tierja ran a fingertip over the gauze that went around her head.

"Yeah, don't touch that," Kevin commanded, reaching to take her hands away from the bandage. "We don't need any infections."

"They'll want to shave more spots into my hair if that happened," Tierja linked their hands together, his bandaged in some areas from digging the tunnel. "Were you hurt at all?"

"They just cleaned some of the scrapes on my hands and gave me a tetnus shot just in case..." Kevin trailed with a lopsided smile, gently easing his fatigued body onto the side of her hospital bed. "And I got a few stitches from when I crashed my bike."

"At least you're allowed out of bed," Tierja reached up and pushed away a few stray hairs that had fallen in front of his beautiful emerald eyes. "The only thing I can do is get up to go to the bathroom, and I have to call the nurse for help."

"Damn all the bad luck in the world," Kevin chuckled, so thankful for the significant change in Tierja's mental status. He had been so worried at her house when she continued to sleep, fearing she might slip into a coma without ever getting to say goodbye.

"The only thing I'm glad anbout right now is that you're spending the night here," Tierja smiled softly, taking his hand and tracing shapes on his palm with her forefinger.

"I am spending the night right here in that God awful chair right there," Kevin continued to jib, just to keep the smile on Tierja's face. He knew she was still uncomfortable, but wanted to make the best of the situation.

"You're a little smartass. That's what you are," Tierja concluded with a slight nod, but was still smiling. She pulled on Kevin's hand. "Lay down next to me."

"This bed is entirely too small for that. I'll fall off, take you down with me, then you'll hit your head and we'll be back to the entirely same situation all over again."

"No, no, no... I got a way we can do this," Tierja slowly stood up.

"Tier, get your ass back in be--"

"Lie down on the bed and I'll crawl on top of you. I need to be held, Baby... please?"

"Your nurse is going to kick me out of this room. Now sit down--"

"Lay down first and then I'll sit down."

"Tierja, I'm not--"

"Kevin, please. I don't think I'm asking too much," Tierja held onto the railing to keep herself upright.

Kevin was about to protest, but Tierja's dampened face made him question his thoughts. Tierja had almost died that evening. It was by the miracle of God that she managed to survive the severe head injury while the tornado passed through the entire house. Sighing heavily, he eased himself back onto the bed, taking her hands into his own. Carefully, he eased her back into the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist for safety. "I just need you to rest, Tierja. Okay? We need to get you better."

"I'll rest, I promise. I just need to be held right now," Tierja reasted her head against his chest, listening to the soft beat of his heart. She had a heard the paramedics yelling out Ana's condition and she knew it wasn't good. If she couldn't her any news for awhile, she wanted Kevin to hold her and say it was going to be alright.

"Okay," Kevin consented, making sure to keep her wrapped head gently cradled.

"Kevin?"

"Hmm?"

"Is... Is Ana going to be alright?"

"Huh?" Kevin deadpanned for a moment, not really expecting that question to be voiced so suddenly. If anything, Kevin had tried his damnest to locate information on Ana's condition, but he wasn't family. They couldn't release anything about her well being if they wanted. Besides, the entire Emergency Department was flooded with injured victims of the tornado. It was chaotic downstairs and he had barely found out that Howie had been scheduled for X-rays and MRIs.

"I heard what Billy and Josh were shouting to each other about Ana. It didn't sound very good--"

"Sweetheart, I tried so hard to get information on her down in the Emergency Room, but they couldn't tell me anything. I'm not family. Howie's getting all these X-rays done and it's crazy down there with tornado survivors."

"What if she died? And she's laying in one of those body bags in the ER without me there to hold her?" Tierja voiced, frowning at the thought invading her already clouded mind. Painful tears started to spring to her aching eyes, causing her to sniffle hard.

"Hey, now I don't want you talking like that," Kevin gently cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. "I barely know Ana, but she made it through that tunnel and I don't think she would just give up once she made it to the hospital. You've got to be positive at a time like this, Baby. You've got to pray."

"Praying doesn't help... I haven't done it in years, why would it do anything now?"

"Because God listens to everyone, no matter when you started praying. And, if you don't have hope, I don't know how you survive day to day. Let alone allow Ana to go off every day with the job she has..."

"It's not that I don't have hope..." Tierja trailed off, biting her lip as tears spilled down her cheeks. "He'll really listen to me if I pray for Ana to be alright?

"Yes, He'll really listen."

"Will you pray with me?"

"Yeah, I can pray with you."

"Thank you," Tierja fumbled with her hands. It had been so long, she had forgotten everything when one was to pray.

"It's not formal, Tierja. Pray however you're comfortable praying," Kevin tried to explain, reaching to take her hands into his bandaged ones. "Talk to Him like He's your best friend, okay?"

"So I can talk to Him the way I talk to Ana?"

"If you're comfortable with it."

"Just no cursing, right?"

"Yeah, no cursing," Kevin laughed, gently kissing her head as she started.

~*~*~*~

"Mr. Dorough, if you don't calm down I'm going to have to sedate you," a male nurse warned Howie as he struggled to get out of his bed, demanding for one thing. Ana.

"You need to bring me to Ana right now and I don't care how you do it! If she's dead tell me so I can go kill myself!" Howie grunted underneath the pin, flailing his arms and uninjured leg.

"Mr. Dorough, I don't even know who this Ana is. Please! We've got to get you settled before we hear back about the MRI's. All this excessive movement is just going to injure your back and knee further!" the male nurse continued to grit, fighting against Howie's strength. He hadn't really been prepared to recieve Howie from the MRI and CT Scan, not realizing that Howie had become overwhelmed with his girlfriend's sudden disappearence from the scene of the disaster. If anything, he had just been prepared to wait for necessary guidelines in Howie's care, but that seemed of least importance. "Mr. Dorough, please! I'll get an order for restraints!"

"Ana Lord, she's one of the paramedics! My girlfriend! I need to find her, let me go!" Howie ignored the man's threat, continuing to fight against him. He was going crazy and had to find out what was wrong with Ana. Or if she was even alive. He had heard the things Erik said and a deep fear was growing to consume his common sense and sanity.

"Look, I'll make you a deal! You lay down in this bed and let the pain medication do its work and I'll have one of my friends to find some information about Ana Lord while we just talk. Okay?"

"You promise?" Howie stopped struggling for a moment.

"I'll go talk to another nurse right now and come straight back. You've just got to promise to stay in this bed for me. I can't have you doing any more damage to your back or knee. Okay?"

"...Okay..." Howie relented, laying back on the bed.

"I'll be right back," he answered, leaving the room for a moment.

Seeming somewhat satisfied, Howie slowly eased his battered body back onto the stiff mattress. He exhaled a slow, painful breath as he just stared at his practically mutilated hands. That had been the first treatment the doctor insisted on, debriding and cleaning every single wound within his hand and providing stitches for some of the deeper lacerations. Then each hand had been bandaged in snow white gauze as antibiotics and a tetnus shot had been delivered. Now, Howie was just waiting for the results on his knee and back. Although, Ana seemed far more important at this moment. Heavy tears started to roll down his forlorn face, just remembering the odd signals Ana had been displaying as she lay atop the den waiting for the paramedics. He was convinced that he should have done something. He was the only one there to protect her anymore.

"Do you mind if I call you Howie?" the male nurse slightly panted, jogging back to the room after he asked one of the nurses to search out any patient by the name of Ana Lord.

"No, that's fine. What should I call you?" Howie sniffled heavily, wiping away his tears on the hospital gown they made him wear.

"The name's Drake."

"Okay, Drake. What did you find out about Ana?"

"I asked Nurse Collins to check out the patients database for Ana Lord and she'll page me once she finds it," Drake replied, walking over to Howie's bed after catching his breath.

"Don't you have other patients to take care of instead of worrying about me?"

"That's the beauty of nursing, Howie. I have other nurses taking care of my patients while I stay with you. Besides, you need it more than they do," Drake answered with a lopsided smile, collapsing into the chair beside Howie's bed. He stretched his long legs out for a moment, obviously looking pleased just to take a seat for once in the entire day.

"You don't have to st--"

"If I didn't want to or didn't care, I would have just strapped some restraints on you and given you a sedative without a thought of your girlfriend," Drake interrupted, pouring himself and Howie cups of cool water. "Here, you're probably dehydrated."

"Ana said there are very few nurses that really care about their patients anymore. They either lose focus of patient care over money or they have burn-out. She's ran into a couple of nasty ones," Howie commented softly, greedily drinking the water to adequately reduce the thirst burning against his dry throat.

"You said she was a paramedic, right?" Drake recalled, reaching to fill Howie's water without another thought.

"Right, she worked with Josh Waters, Billy Conner and Erik Madison," Howie replied, quickly drinking the water to get another refill. He hadn't realized how thirsty and hungry he was after being trapped for so long.

"They call her AJ Lord? The Adrenaline Junkie?"

"That's Ana, alright."

"She's crazy," Drake suddenly laughed, recognizing immediately who Ana was from their little town of Minnesota's medical department. It was almost like a homegrown family, everyone knew everyone and everyone knew everyone's business. "She's done things half these male nurses would never attempt to do in the Emergency Room Department. One of the best we have working out on the community!"

"Yeah, she really loves her job..." Howie trailed off, past rescues Ana had told him about flashing through his stressed mind. "She always told me that since she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a paramedic."

"But you're the one that probably hates the job, right?" Drake questioned, leaning forward to refill Howie's glass again. He seemed to focus on Howie's inner being, knowing that the other physical portions would come when the doctors were able. "When she's in the medical field, we're the ones to always praise her heroics. I mean, what she does to save lives is the most amazing things. But to see her hurt or have to hear about what she's done to risk her own life? You end up scolding her for being so foolish, because those other lives mean nothing compared to what she means to you? That has to be horrible."

"It's hard... but she loves it, and I don't want to take that away from her. I only pray that she's careful and saves all the lives she can, even if it's hard for me," Howie replied softly, drinking the water as his stomach grumbled loudly.

"Hungry?" Drake guessed.

"Yeah, didn't realize it until now."

"That's what Dietary's for," Drake promised, leaning to grasp the phone from Howie's table. He hurriedly punched in the code, asking for a tray to be brought to Howie's room. Then with a short thank you, he hung up the phone and settled back. "They'll have it up in a few short minutes for you."

"Thanks, but... isn't food from the hospital rumored to be really bad?"

"Depends on the hospital," Drake laughed. "And, if the junk is good enough for your girlfriend to eat, don't you think you could do the same?"

"Well... yeah... that's true," Howie agreed, offering a crooked smile as he finished off yet another glass of water. As Drake refilled it, there was a soft knock on the door and a orderly walked in with a tray of steaming food.

Drake rose to grab the tray, thanking the orderly with a polite smile. He then moved Howie's bedside tray over his lap, sitting the tray down. He then pulled off the tops, sitting himself back down in the chair to let Howie gobble the meal down. "So, how long have you been with her?"

"Three years," Howie mumbled with a mouthful of food, forgetting to be polite. "I met her when I moved here from Florida."

"Damn, you went from Florida to Minnesota? You're crazy," Drake chuckled, pouring more water for himself and Howie.

"Meeting Ana made the move all worth it. I was going to propose to her soon, but..." Howie stopped eating for a moment and sighed heavily.

"I'm sure she's going to be alright, Howie. But I know right now she would want you to keep eating so you get more strength for when you visit her."

"You don't understand..." Howie trailed, pushing the plate of half eaten food away. His stomach clenched violently, almost as if daring him to take another bite without getting ill. He glanced back down to his heavily wrapped hands, just shaking his head in disbelief. The guilt seemed to rush back two-fold, causing him to clench his eyes shut as if trying to erase the worry.

"What do you mean?"

"Ana and I fought while the tornado was on the ground. She thinks that I don't love her, but that's not true... God, I love her more than my life. I'm just so afraid that if she doesn't make it... she'll leave thinking no one was here to love her. That she didn't mean a thing to me. She's my sun, stars and moon. I need her..."

"Oh..." Drake trailed, just glancing down at the floor for a moment. He really didn't know exactly what to say to make Howie feel better. That had to have been a tough situation, especially now that Ana was in some undisclosed portion of the hospital. Struggling, Drake tried to recall all the conversations that circulated about Ana, wondering what he could say exactly. "Did you know that Billy Conner's is one of my good friends?"

"You know Billy?"

"Since high school, sophomore year. Then we met up again when I started working here. He's a really nice guy, and he'll definitely make it into the paramedic program," Drake replied.

"Did he talk about Ana a lot?"

"Well, yeah, all the time. Whenever you're on Ana's team, it seems impossible not to talk about her. But one thing really stuck out..." Drake trailed, leaning forward in the seat to make sure Howie was paying attention. "You see, Ana's squad has this special history together. Since Josh has always been a fatherly type, anyone who comes into the team gets a St. Michael pendant to wear while they're on duty. St. Michael is the patron saint of EMTs and Paramedics, so Josh thought it was a good idea to wear these pendants so they'd always be protected on duty. And, whenever they get called out, each person on the team kisses the St. Michael medallion so he or she will be protected. Only, Billy told me that Ana always pulls out this silver locket with her boyfriend's picture inside and kisses it before she kisses the St. Michael Medallion. And, when he asked her about it, Ana said that Saint Michael may be the protector of everyone in Emergency Medical Services, but she has a special angel to watch over her and love her every time she steps out of the ambulance."

"She does that? Really?" Howie whispered. He never knew that Ana and the other paramedics had this routine, or that she did the opposite with the locket he gave her for their six month anniversary.

"Yeah, that's what Billy told me... she really loves you, even if you had that fight."

"But..."

"Trust me and she's always bitching up a storm to Josh that you haven't popped the question in three years of dating," Drake continued with a kind smile. "She may be a hardass when it comes to work and trying to vent from work, but she needs you. Even if she won't admit it outwardly."

"She wants me to propose? And she needs me?"

"All girls want their boyfriends to propose, Howie. Even if they're more of a tomboy like Ana, they still want to get married, have kids and get that house with the white picket fence. And of course she needs you. She loves you."

"I--"

"Oh shit, that's my pager," Drake yelped, pulling the small, vibrating device off the hem of his scrubs. "Howie, I'll be right back. She found the news on Ana."

Howie watched wordlessly as Drake slipped out of the room in a jagged run, obviously anxious to recieve word on Ana. Only, Howie had no time to think of the possibilities when an unfamiliar doctor stepped into his room. She was a tall woman with a lean frame and slightly sharp facial features, but her gray eyes were warm and nuturing. "Mr. Howard Dorough?"

"Yes, but please call me Howie. You're my doctor?"

"Dr. Sheridan," she nodded, walking over to gently shake his hand. "I see Drake has been taking care of you."

"Yes, ma'am," Howie answered, noticing another doctor with ruffled scrubs standing just at the threshold of his doorway.

"That's Dr. Jackson," Dr. Sheridan was quick to explain, noticing Howie's slight apprehension. "He has to speak to you about some other matters. But he let me come in first so I could talk to you about your results."

"Alright..." Howie trailed off, preparing himself for the medical terms and then the translation. It was routine when he talked with Ana about work and he was used to it.

"I took a look at your MRIs and thankfully there's not too many issues we need to deal with. First off, examining your back, there was no displaced tissues or issues with any trauma to the spinal cord. Simply put, you just have some deep bruising along your back from whatever piece of debris that hit. But, that doesn't mean it isn't any less painful. It's just going to take some rest, ice, and pain medication to alleviate the symptoms. But, looking at the MRI of your knee, I noticed a mild tearing of your LCL and stretching of the opposite ligaments," Dr. Sheridan laughed lightly when Howie's face contorted into a look of displeasure. "You sprained your knee and made a tiny tear into one of the ligaments, Howie. This just means we're going to get a brace for your knee and require you to be on crutches for a few weeks before offering some rehabilitation. No surgery is required, just rest. And I know that the crutches will be difficult because of the hand injuries, but we'll try our best. So, after Mr. Jackson speaks to you, I'll finish writing your orders, wrap your knee, and you can consider yourself discharged. Any questions?"

"Um... I don't think so. Thank you for coming by so quickly, I know the hospital is busy with so many survivors," Howie offered a small smile, shaking Dr. Sheridan's hand once more before she left the room and Dr. Jackson took her place.

"Do you know an Anastacia Lord, Mr. Dorough?" Dr. Jackson was quick to ask, glancing down to Howie without a lick of emotion in his facial features.

"She's my girlfriend. Are you her doctor?"

"Yes," Dr. Jackson answered, setting her chart down on the nearby nightstand. "Miss Lord has you listed as her power of attorny and as her next of kin. You are aware of that, correct?"

"Yes, we did all that when we moved in together. What's her condition, Dr. Jackson?" Howie replied, wanting to skirt around the legal talk and just know that she was alive.

Dr. Jackson stared at Howie for a long moment as if he were judging the young man. But, whatever he thought was quickly put aside as his facial features were once again cast in expressionless stone. "To start out, Miss Lord had several lacerations on her arms that were either just cleaned and bandaged or sutured because of the depth and the laceration along her left cheekbone was sutured closed. A paramedic explained that she had been crawling within a tunnel that collapsed against her, so we did some scans to discover internal bleeding that was evacuated from her abdomen with a large syringe. Also, some debris must have collapsed against her right thigh, because there was a severe laceration that ruptured her femoral artery along with a femur fracture that had to be fixed with screws and plates in the OR."

"I'm sorry, I don't know a lot of the medical terms. That was Ana's job. Could you please translate that for me?" Howie replied, feeling slightly confused.

"I'm sorry. There were a lot of cuts along her arms that had to stitched and a cut on her cheek that had to be stitched. She had some bleeding into her stomach area that had to be removed with a needle. And, she had a cut along her thigh that caused a very important artery to bleed severely. But, the bone in her thigh was also broken from the debris that fell when she was in the tunnel. So, I had to take her into surgery to repair the bone and close the artery."

"Oh... so, she's going to be alright?" Howie spoke aftwer a few moments, letting the news sink in. Ana was alive. He would be able to let her know that he loved her in every way and would never let her go.

"After several weeks of rehabilitation with the fractured femur, I would expect so. She's in Room 1006 on the Orthopedic Unit. I just transfered her from PACU, so if you visit her after being discharged with Dr. Sheridan, I suppose she should be somewhat alert."

"No problem, take care of yourself," Dr. Jackson replied, exiting as quickly as he entered.

"Good news, I hope?" Dr. Sheridan called as she entered with some supplies, Drake tagging along behind her with a wry smile.

"The best news I've heard in awhile," Howie replied, actually smiling. He leaned over and shook Drake's had. "Thank you, Drake. You didn't have to do that--"

"Anything for the man that actually somewhat tamed the Adrenaline Junkie," Drake interupted, shaking his head as if it really were nothing at all.

"Actually somewhat being the keywords there," Howie chuckled softly.

"Yeah, well, it's a start."

~*~*~*~

"I still don't understand why I have to be in this wheelchair," Tierja grumbled as Kevin pushed her down the hallway with Howie slowly crutching alongside them. They had all been given permission to visit Ana once she was settled and alert. "I can walk, it's Howie should have the wheelchair. It's so hard for him to crutch with his hands all cut up."

"You had a head injury, Tierja. You should be damn lucky that they're letting you out of bed. And consider yourself even luckier that they're actually letting you out of here in a few hours with a discharge," Kevin chided, shaking his head in disbelief at Tierja's utter defiance. She had become utterly fiery since the medications had started to work within her body, only causing Howie to grin wryly, which made Kevin think this was only the tip of the iceburg.

"I know all of that, but what the Hell does a head injury have anything to do with a wheelchair?" Tierja turned to see Howie slightly grimacing as the pressure built on his hands. "Howie, this is ridiculous. You need to get in this wheel--"

"It's your wheelchair," Kevin was quick to interupt, glancing back to Howie for a moment. "But, it might be smart to get you one, D--"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Howie shook his head as they turned down the hallway that would lead to Ana's room. "My hands are going to hurt either way."

"But what happens if your stitches rip?" Tierja was quick to comment, turning slightly in her wheelchair. Though, it provided unneeded pain against her skull, which caused her to turn back. She slipped further in the wheelchair to sulk at her predicament. "Ana's going to be furious if you hurt yourself anymore, Howie."

"Tier, I'm fine. Ana will be furious if you hurt yourself any further," Howie retorted, slowing down to read the room numbers and they reached 1006. "Here's her room."

Kevin watched as Howie automatically paused at the threshold of the dimmed room and Tierja actually put her hand against the wall to stop Kevin from entering with the wheelchair. He stumbled back from the abrupt stop, but managed to keep his hands tight against the handles of the wheelchair. He waited for a moment while Howie and Tierja kept silent, making no move to enter. Finally, growing slightly irritated, Kevin cleared his throat. "Are we going inside or what?"

"Just wait a minute, Sweetheart. It's going to be hard for us, seeing Ana all hurt and vulnerable..." Tierja trailed off, reaching back to squeeze his hand.

"Staying out here isn't going to make it any easier," Kevin commented. "Besides, D, you were so worried about her. You need to get in there to see she's okay."

"I know. I know..." Howie took a deep breath, carefully crutching his way into the room.

Kevin glanced to see Tierja release her hands from the wall, allowing him to wheel her in behind Howie. Of course, no one was really prepared to see Ana in such a state. Even Kevin could see the drastic change from the impish woman that had been joking about the Ouiji board in Tierja's living room. She had paled dramatically from the severe loss of blood, almost allowing the group of friends to trace the outlining of her light blue blood vessels. Wraps of gauze were secured around her arms and underneath her right eye from the shattering glass. A heavy blanket had been draped over her body to circulate the warmth, blocking the friends from seeing the heavy bruising from the tunnel collapsing. But, Ana always hated to have her legs covered with a blanket when she wasn't sleeping. So, Tierja, Howie, and Kevin were able to view the starts of the large immobilizer strapped to her broken leg. Tierja had been so startled that she actually gasped. And it depressed Kevin, because she actually did look dead.

"Didn't really get impaled... Damnit..." Ana called out jokingly to Tierja, realizing her best friend was in the room. Slowly, she parted her blue-green eyes to see Tierja settled in a wheelchair with a light dressing of gauze around her head. She offered the weakest remanents of a pained smile, glad to see Tierja was well.

"Oh, Missy..." Tierja shook her head, smiling softly to reassure Ana as Kevin wheeled her closer to the bedside. She reached over and took Ana's bandaged hand into hers very carefully. "You know I don't like your jokes about being impaled and all that gory stuff you see in those horror movies you love so much."

"Randy told me I was close to getting impaled with that huge ass needle they dug into my stomach to get out the blood," Ana attempted further, allowing Tierja to bring her hand to her lips. She briefly glanced toward her IV pole to see a fresh bag of blood draining into her system. She then just lay extremely still, trying to forget about the pain searing through her body. She didn't want alarm to Tierja.

"You're lucky you're lying in this hospital bed or else I would kick your ass for talking about that stuff," Tierja warned, trying to ignore the blood flowing into Ana's IV. "They need to give you a new nickname. The Crazy as Hell Adrenaline Junkie."

"I had to do it," Ana stated simply, gently easing her free hand to her throat to feel the silver locket. Carefully, she brought it into her hand, rubbing her thumb against the smooth back. "I had to make sure you guys would be safe..."

"We're all very grateful, but wish you didn't have to be in this condition just to make sure we would be safe," Tierja watched Ana play with the locket Howie gave her and hid a smile. Her best friends were going to get back together, she knew that for sure.

"I'm fine, Tierj," Ana promised, trying to provide herself with some kind of comfort as she rubbed the locket. She could feel the indentation of Howie's lovely enscription against the back, which caused her to inhale deeply. Pain flared and she winced with regret at the memory.

"I know," Tierja nodded, reaching up to smooth back a few curls that had fallen in front of her eyes.

"Good..." Ana trailed, allowing her eyes to close with Tierja's motherly intentions. She already knew that Tierja was patronizing her. Tierja didn't have the heart to disagree with Ana when she was in so much physical pain. So, Ana sidetracked her thoughts away from the pain. "How are Kevin and--"

"You can ask them, they're in the room."

"They are?" Ana's eyes snapped open and she scanned the room, finally settling on Howie and Kevin's forms.

"Hey," Kevin was quick to respond when Howie remained silent within the room. He stepped alongside Tierja to see Ana, thinking about how to appropriately respond to the young woman. He thought about kissing her cheek and thanking her for her bravery, but decided against it. He had barely known her for an entire day and didn't know exactly how she would accept the affection with the pain spoiling her tolerance. So, Kevin just reached down to affectionately squeeze her hand. "And I'm just fine. Just a few stitches and a wrap on my hand because of the cuts. And one huge ass tetnus shot."

"I was asleep for that," Ana teased, smiling appropriately at the older man as he reached to settle his hands gently against Tierja's shoulders. She could already tell that something special had happened between the two, but decided not to spoil it for once. Swallowing a ball that had formed in her tender throat, she glanced to see Howie loitering almost in the threshold of her doorway. He looked extremely unsure of himself, causing a knot to form within her already painful stomach. Slowly, she eased herself up into a semi-sitting position, releasing the pendant to hold her aching stomach. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry for fighting, but she couldn't exactly ignore what he had said before the tornado. As much as she hated to admit it, he had broke her heart. But, like usual, her thoughts focused on his well being. "Are you okay, Howie? Your back and knee?"

"Yeah... I'm alright, I guess. They're just bruised and strained," Howie replied, slowly crutching his way towards her bedside. He wanted to lay next to her and bring her into his arms, saying how sorry he was for the words he didn't mean. But he knew that a touch from his was the last Ana wanted, so he knew he had to talk to her. "Ana, I need to apologize--"

"Howie, we don't need to talk about this--"

"Yes, we do. I said something that I didn't mean and it hurt you. I don't regret a single day moving here, because I have you. Ana, you're the reason I wake up every morning. The reason I breathe. You're my everything and I don't want to lose you because of what I said."

"I wasn't hurt," Ana attempted to cover, shifting her eyes away from Howie's pained form. Her eyes started to burn with tears at the mere thought of his words, so she quickly closed them. Howie had been the last person she thought of when she passed out near the ambulance. She wanted to tell him that she needed him forever and always, which made her heart throb from him saying he lost everything important from Kevin. Though, Tierja had been right, again. Ana had been looking for an excuse to break away from Howie, because they were getting closer as each day passed. And, she was scared. She carried so many ghosts within her heart, afraid to let someone heal them. Swallowing painfully, she subconciously reached to grasp her pendant, rubbing her thumb across the lettering to soothe her emotional hurts.

"I think I've known you and loved you long enough to tell when you're lying," Howie saw right through the cover up, carefully sitting down in the chair next to her. He reached out and took her free hand into his. "Ana, I love you. I need you. I didn't mean what I said before the tornado. I was so uptight about Kevin being there that I lost my mind for a moment and hurt the one thing that's important to me."

"Then why say it if you didn't mean it?" Ana questioned softly, still refusing to gaze into his dark eyes. All the muscles in her body seemed to tense directly underneath his stare and the feeling of his hand hold hers. Only, to tense her body caused large waves of pain to rush along the nerves of her already beaten body, causing her to whimper slightly. She didn't want to talk about this in front of Tierja and Kevin. She didn't even want to deal with it openly.

"I don't know why I said it. All I know is that I didn't mean it and I could never mean it. I don't want to lose you, Ana."

"I really don't want to talk about this..."

"Listen, I think I'm going to take Tierja back to her room. The doctor wants her to rest until she gets discharged in a couple of hours," Kevin spoke softly, grasping the wheelchair's handles.

"No, Kev--"

"Ana, I know you may feel it's not my place to say this, but you and Howie need to talk."

"I'll be back in a little bit, Missy. Please just hear the boy out. He nearly killed his hands because he had thought you were trapped in the tunnel," Tierja blew Ana a kiss as Kevin scooted her out of the room.

"Were you discharged?" Ana questioned, trying to skirt around the topic that Howie was aching to reach. She downcast her eyes to her gauzed hands, deciding to ease them back against her tender abdomen for comfort. Mostly, she just wanted Howie to stop touching her hand. Whenever he touched her, electricity seemed to spark throughout her body. But with their hearts being distanced, it only caused an ache to settle over her other pains.

"Yes, but that's not I'm trying to talk about--"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I want to because I don't want to lose you!" Howie burst, running a hand through his wold curls. "I love you, Anastacia Grace! I'll always love you. I want to marry you. I want us to have children together! You're the one woman I want to spend the rest of my life with!"

"Howie..." Ana whispered after several moments of silence had lapsed from his outburst. For the first time, she actually glanced up to catch his watery brown eyes. All his emotions seemed to flow out from those final words, actually demanding that she say something in return. Only, she found no words to reverberate from his statement. She was actually shocked.

"I need you, Ana. More than anything in this world. I can't lose you... I can't," Howie sniffled, reaching for her hand one more time.

"Howie, don't," Ana stalled, withdrawing her hand from his grasp. She hated to see him so downtrodden and afraid of life. She was convinced at points that her heart would bleed because of his suffering. Only, Howie mistook her rejection of his hand, causing him to slump forward in shame. Sluggish from the morphine and sedation, it took her a few moments to realize her mistake. Frowning, she reached to flatten her hand against his rough cheek. It was her way of showing endearing affection - to touch his face. Many occasions, she would simply lay with him, running her fingertips gently across his face almost like a misting of her adoration. "Please, Howie, no..."

"Don't leave me, Ana. I need you so much," Howie whispered, pressing her hand closer to his cheek with a gauzed hand. The simple act of affection was a good sign but he was still scared.

"I can't exactly leave. I don't have two good legs to run away with," Ana attempted to joke, although she knew halfway through her sentences that Howie wasn't exactly cheered by the news.

"Are you going to run away when you have two good legs again?"

"That's a long while away."

"Ana--"

"I'm not leaving," she interrupted softly.

"You're not leaving?"

"No... I can't keep telling myself that you didn't have a life before me. I mean, you had to have friends, lovers, family, a home... You had to have a terrific life in Florida... I couldn't have expected you to be automatically happy when you moved here. You had every right to say that Kevin ruined everything you had. I just wish I wouldn't have to think about myself as second best..."

"Then don't. You're not second best in my life. You're the best thing I've ever had, Ana. I still have my family, but I'm nothing without you."

"Howie--"

"You'll never be second best. Never. D'you hear me?"

"I hear you..."

"God, Ana, I love you so much. You couldn't be anything but the best for me."

"Okay," she accepted after a brewing turmoil within her brain. Exhaling slowly, she decided to give Howie the benefit of the doubt. He had been so devastated when the tunnel initially collapsed. She had heard him still calling through the darkness of her surgery, screaming for any kind of answer. His fear had actually sent ripples of disbelief down her spinal nerves. Slowly, she moved her thumb across his cheek to soothe his fears. She had to trust what Tierja said - she needed Howie. "...And I really didn't want to throw you out into the tornado..."

"I had hoped you didn't want to," Howie actually laughed, closing his eyes as he felt her soft touch. He felt a huge relief lift off his shoulders and he was convinced once more that Ana was the one.

"Yeah, I needed something to cover me. You were my little hide out," Ana answered with a sly grin, thankful that he produced some type of laugh. She always felt rejuvenated that she could bring someone a smile, but more so when she saw Howie's handsome smile because of her silliness.

"I'll always be your little hide out, hopefully it'll happen at different times besides when a tornado strikes," Howie leaned over and kissed her unscathed cheek.

"Was that a sexual innuendo?" Ana questioned with an obvious amusement crossing through her cloudy blue-green eyes. The smallest reminents of a smirk drew upon the corners of her light rose colored lips. She was absolutely exhausted from the surgery, but found it far more comforting to keep a sweet conversation with her boyfriend. Since arriving at Tierja's home to discover Kevin, he had pulled away as if she were diseased. She lacked in his affection and needed his attention to soothe her pains.

"Even if I said it wasn't, you would still think it is," Howie laughed again, tracing her unmarked skin with a fingertip, followed by a sweet kiss. He wanted to give her as much attention as he could since their brush with death.

"But I would like to know your opinion," Ana murmured against his lips, gently reaching to rub the back of his neck with her free hand. She could feel him leaning against the bed for support as he continued to offer the best of his love, wondering if it was hurting him.

"It's an innuendo," Howie admitted after a moment of silence, kissing her once more. He didn't even feel the warning sharps of pain in his hands as he continued to put his weight on them. "Is that alright?"

"With all the innuendos I throw at you, I doubt one of yours could be considered heinously sinful," Ana answered, frowning when she glanced down at his hands. Shifting slightly with a large grimace of pain, she removed a pillow from behind her back. Gently, she helped Howie lift his hands to rest upon the pillow after motioning for him to move the chair closer to the bed so he wouldn't have to lean.

"I'm still learning from the master," Howie smiled after getting situated, pressing a few kisses onto her neck. He made sure to pay special attention to the spot that made her shiver with delight.

"We are just going to be two pitiful souls for the next few weeks," Ana commented, tensing her shoulders as the excitement raced down her spine. She felt like firecrackers were exploding within her body as her mind reflected back to Howie saying he wanted to marry her. Though, the thought actually caused a rosy blush to hint along her cheekbones, which only seemed to entice Howie further. It was almost as if the tornado never happened and they weren't even in her hospital room.

"We can still do some things... just not everything. I'm content just kissing your sweet, little neck," Howie smiled at her reaction. He had to propose to this woman as soon as possible, and knew who to talk with to plan it all.

"Well, I'm definitely not."

"You're not?"

"No..." she trailed with an impish smile.

"Uh-oh. What's that smile for?"

"I love you kissing my neck, but I love kissing you more," she explained, reaching to depress the button that released morphine into her system. "But... I'm wondering if you're not hurting right now and should at least try to go home, if we even have a home, and rest..."

"I don't want to leave you alone with the hos--"

"You know better than to finsih that sentence. I know almost every single person on staff. I want you to go and get some rest. You'll need it for when I finally go home," Ana interrupted, bringing their lips together for a soft kiss.

"Why will I need it for when you come home?" Howie questioned, frowning with obvious displeasure at her suggestion. He had no will to actually travel to their lonely home without her, especially if it had been destroyed. He wanted to stay by her side, because he was still frightened at the possibility of losing her during the night. He could see the pain etched in her exhausted face, though she refused to comment. He needed to stay.

"You're going to be taking care of me because I won't be able to walk much--"

"I don't want to be alone tonight. Can I please stay here?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ana stated flatly, glancing to him with disbelief. It wasn't that she didn't want him there, because she actually needed him more than he realized. Only, she knew the pain would become worse as the post-op medications and anethesia dissipated from her system. Her pain tolerance was wide, but she didn't want to cry in front of him.

"No... I don't want to be that far from you after all that's happened. It'll be too hard to go back to our place. What if it's not there? I need to stay here with you, Baby. Please?"

"Howie, you're not going to be comfortable--"

"Drake will bring a cot in here for me."

"Howie..."

"Don't you want me to stay?"

"It's not that..."

"What is it, then?"

Ana glanced away for a moment, just exhaling slowly as if that might treat the pain elevating in her body from the stress. She had been so independant in her life and didn't want Howie to think she might be weak. She hated to lean on others for support, knowing that most of her life had been surviving on her own. "I just hurt a lot..."

"And you don't want to show it in front of me. Right?" Howied guessed, gently bringing her head back so he could look into her eyes.

Ana swallowed hard, "...Right..."

"Showing pain doesn't mean you're weak. I would be worried if you didn't," Howie kissed her furled forehead.

Ana blinked back hard tears at Howie's sweetly sentimental words. She felt him ease into a standing position, actually moving to rest on the side of the bed. She wanted to comment that he needed to watch his injuries, but Howie's presence seemed to indicate that he wanted to take care of her instead. She immediately bit down hard on her bottom lip, trembling slightly. "It hurts so much..."

"I know, Baby. I know it hurts," Howie whispered, running his hands through her locks as he continued to place loving kisses on her forehead and the bridge of her nose. "But day by day the pain is going to be less and less. I'll be here to help kiss the pain away."

"Okay..." she murmured, succumbing to Howie's love as she gently rested against him as to not aggravate any troubles.

"I love you, Ana. So very much."

"I've always hoped."

"And now you'll never forget."

"I love you, too, y'know?"

"I know. And I also know something else."

"What?"

"That we'll always be together."

Chapter Seven: Moving On


"I can't believe how close they were able to make this house look like the old one," Tierja sighed happily, standing in the master bedroom as she placed her clothes in the dresser she was able to salvage from the rubble. It had been three months since the F4 tornado had hit the small Minnesota town just outside the Twin Cities and everything was going well for what seemed like the first time in Tierja's life. Her fractured skull had healed perfectly and she felt no pain except a slight twinge when it rained.

"That's what happens when you fork over a small load of insurance money for rebuilding," Kevin teased, carrying in one of the last boxes from the moving van they rented for the day. After the horrifying night in Minnesota, Ana and Tierja constantly teased Kevin that he'd be running out of the state faster than Lance Armstrong could bike the Le Tour de France. Only, Kevin had one important reason for staying around for three months and what he planned to be long after - Tierja.

"Mama always said to keep insurance on the house," Tierja shrugged with a sheepish grin, turning to wrap her arms around his waist after he placed the box on the floor. "You can still turn back and head for a state that doesn't have tornados."

"Is that your way of asking me to leave instead of moving in like you originally intended?"

"No, no, no. I'm only teasing you," Tierja shook her head, leaning up on her tiptoes to brush their lips together. "Of course I want you to move in."

"You sure?" Kevin teased further, hyperextending his neck so the kiss was minimal. He had learned quickly how to manipulate Tierja's behaviors.

"I'm more than sure," she grunted, trying to make herself taller to get a better kiss. "I hate being short!"

"It's such a useful weapon."

"You ain't funny at all, Mr. Richardson."

"I'm hilarious," Kevin promised, leaning down to sweep her into a passionate kiss. He allowed his tongue to gently caress hers as she shivered with delight. Yet, as soon as she went to curl her arms around his neck, he straightened. "Let's get this house put together."

"But I want to have some fun," Tierja whined with a pout, hands on her slim hips.

"Putting the house together is going to be fun."

"What are you, Suzie Homemaker?"

"You've got something against that?"

"Maybe--"

"Come on," Kevin rolled his eyes, grasping her hand and pulling her downstairs to the living room. Various pictures, paintings and posters were stacked on the furniture they had already arranged.

"Did I mention how much I'm against working? I'd rather be lazing around watching TV while you figure out where everything goes!" Tierja squawked with surprise, bumping heavily into his back when he stopped suddenly. Growing agitated with his insistance, she reached to pinch his behind, causing him to jump. "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

"Alright," Kevin shrugged, still rubbing his behind from her pinch as he moved out of the way.

"Did I mention a large bonus if you do all this work?" Tierja sighed heavily, glancing at all the items that still needed arranged within the house. It seemed to be taking forever just to be settled.

"I'll give you a better bonus if you help me," Kevin stood next to her, placing a hand on the small of her back. "You pick out where things go and I'll put them up. How does that sound?"

"What kind of bonus?"

"You'll find out once we're done."

"Do you think you're talking to some child or something? I feel like my father's trying to give me a cookie," Tierja tormented, pushing two photographs deep into his abdomen.

"Oof! But I have something better than a cookie," Kevin managed to grin, looking at the photographs for a moment. One was of Ana and Tierja, obviously at their high school graduation. The girls were in their royal blue caps and gowns, celebrating in their own way. Ana had leaped onto Tierja's back with a whoop of victory frozen time time, throwing some 'Rock On' signs. The other was when they were toddlers, walking on the shore of what looked to be a large lake hand in hand as the sun made their innocent hair glow like angels.

"You okay?" Tierja questioned when she noticed Kevin's concentrated stare glaze over as he studied the photographs. Picking up two more, she walked over to peer over his arm, instantly smiling at what were her favorite photographs. "That's my goofball, 'rocking on' to her Meatloaf and Mac Cheese..."

"You two have been friends for a really long time," Kevin smiled softly, looking at the other ones in her hands. "It reminds me of how my cousin Brian and I once were."

"Yeah, we've got history," Tierja agreed, taking the photographs from Kevin's hands. She motioned to the hammer and nails, which he obediantly picked up. She then motioned to where she wanted to hang them, following behind. She didn't know whether to make a comment about Brian and the rest of the friends Kevin had broken up in Florida. It seemed like a still sore subject between Howie and Kevin, although they were coming to terms with rebuilding their friendship from the ashes like a glorious phoenix. Kevin had also been doing a little extra bargining on the phone with his cousin, although Tierja stayed away from that business. Both she and Kevin had mighty tempers and were fierce whenever discussing disagreeing view points over their loyalties.

"It's always good to have a best friend like that. Now if Howie or I drive you crazy, y'all can get together and complain," Kevin teased, carefully hammering in the nails and placing the pictures where Tierja wanted them until she smiled happily. The house was really starting to feel like her old one once again and she couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than Kevin.

"Oh believe me, it'll be happening often--"

"Excuse me?" Kevin questioned, turning back with the hammer slightly raised in a defensive position, expecting Tierja to say that he would only drive her crazy in love.

"Love, Baby! Love! Just don't hit me with that hammer, I already got my head cracked once and that was enough!" Tierja yelped, falling into his trap as she covered her head.

"I doubt I'd crack you over the head with a hammer. Lord knows I'd hear you bitching if they shaved away your hair again," Kevin chuckled, tapping the next nail into place. "Besides, I know you were going to say that I drive you crazy with love and Howie just drives Ana absolutely crazy with annoyance."

"Yeah... that just about covers it," Tierja cautiously pulled her hands away as he put up the last picture. "Are we done now?"

"Is the funiture empty?"

"Uh... maybe?"

"Try again?"

"Damn. Alright, let's do my Monets and Van Gogh," Tierja sighed with slight aggravation, picking up the three paintings she had inherited from her father. She looked around the living room and smiled. "There, there, and there."

"Alright," Kevin laughed, hammering the nails where Tierja had pointed. He found her irritability in housework adorable, especially when she did her best to con away from the chores. She seemed to have a knack for pulling off a semi-innocent routine, which always ended up tainted by a smart comment. Kevin had found it just easier to laugh at her, which seemed to aggravate her further. But, for once, he did as he was told, then stretched his body for a moment, deciding that maybe now was a good time to reveal her bonus before she exploded. "There's something I want in here that's in the kitchen on the counter. Go grab it, Babe?"

"First you want me to put the house together and now I have to get something in the kitchen?" Tierja frowned. This was not a part of their deal in her mindset.

"It's just some tiny thing for right here, right now that's going to put a smile on your face."

"It is? What is it?"

"Go and get it. You'll find out."

"It better not be a stupid painting of dogs playing poker..."

"Hey, that's a good piece of art!"

"It'll be a good piece of firewood if it's in the kitchen," Tierja threatened, walking through the living room towards the kitchen.

"And I'll need to replace the glass in the windows in five...four...three...two...o--"

"OH MY GOD! KEVIN!"

Kevin grinned at the sound of the shrill scream of delight, setting the hammer and nails down on the mantel. He wiped his hands against the back of his jeans just in time to recieve Tierja's flying body. She lept hard into his arms, staring at the black velvet box as she pressed a fierce kiss to his lips. "Would you like to know what its for? Or are you just impressed that I managed to afford a ring with two diamonds?"

"I am impressed, but I want to know what it's for! Kevin, it's such a beautiful ring!" Tierja burst, crushing their lips together once more in excitement. She was so surprised when she walked into the kitchen to see the small box sitting on the table, revealing a breathtaking ring just for her.

"Yeah, I have a slightly feminine quality when it comes to you," Kevin approved, moving to ease his body down onto the lazyboy with Tierja curled in his lap. Gently, he plucked the ring from its bed of fabric, twirling it gently within his fingers. He had purchased a silver ring with two pink diamonds embedded into the silver in the shape of hearts. "But, surprise, surprise, this is a promise ring."

"A promise ring? What does it promise?" Tierja whispered in awe, watching the diamonds catch the sunlight perfectly.

"I know that we've only been together for three months, but I'd really like to make a commitment to you today, Tier. I love you so much, I think I might have loved you since I pounded on your door during the storm. You're someone that's so special in my life and I honestly know what Howie meant about dropping everything just to move to Minnesota for a chance at starting over. You're my chance to start over. And, I'd like to promise you that I'm always going to remain faithful, and someday I would love to make an everlasting commitment of engagement followed by a beautiful marriage."

"E-engagement and marriage?" Tierja squeaked, covering her mouth as her eyes misted with tears. Kevin was the perfect man her mother had always said she was going to meet if she was patient, and now she knew he truly was the one for her. "Oh, Kevin..."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes!" she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him repeatedly, each one followed by a 'yes'.

"Told you it'd make you smile," Kevin chuckled with approval, slipping the ring upon her left, fourth digit as she continued the wild kisses.

"You've made me the happiest woman on Earth! I think we need to celebrate and break in the new bed upstairs," Tierja smiled happily, pulling out of his lap. She grasped his hands and began dragging him upstairs.

"I might need to make a permanent arrangement with the jewelers if this is the way we're always going to celebrate when I buy you jewelry!"

~*~*~*~

"Bee, this isn't fair! You know I don't like surprises," Ana protested as Howie carried her down the hallway with a blindfold hiding her blue-green eyes. They had just finished getting everything settled in the new house and Howie was insisting on giving her a surprise. She was more worried that he would harm his back or knee, but he would hear nothing of it as he entered their bedroom.

"I know, that's another reason why I'm doing it," Howie chuckled, nuzzling her neck for a moment before carefully laying her down on the soft matress. The room was dimly lit with her favorite scented candles - vanilla - all around. A vase of two dozen roses were perched on the nightstand and petals were scattered on the hand-sewn comforter and all over the carpet.

"You're just trying to make up for the fact that after only three months of dating, Kevin gave Tierj a pre-engagement ring, and we've been dating for almost four years and you haven't even let me get the kitten that I wanted," Ana contradicted, tensing slightly before realizing he had settled her onto the bed. Slowly, he pushed her down from the sitting position she attempted, cause her to furl her brows with confusion. But, nevertheless, she complied with his physical cues, leaning back against the pillows. She only fidgeted slightly with the brace that was strapped to her right leg as a reminder of her ever-progressing rehabilitation from the nasty femur fracture she suffered from the tornado. Once she was somewhat comfortable, she slowly inhaled to catch the smell of vanilla. Smiling with approval, her fingertips traced over a velvet material, wondering exactly what he was doing.

"I'm not trying to make up for anything. I had this night planned for a long time," Howie chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose. He watched her lay there for a moment, still amazed that someone as beautiful as Ana could actually be his and his only. He just had to make it official. He crawled off the bed and grabbed the jar of cherries sitting in a small bowl of ice. He popped it open and pulled out a single fruit by its stem, holding it by Ana's mouth. "Open up, Babe."

"You're making me nervous," Ana was quick to answer, moving to sit up. She had played that game far too many times during the slow days at the emergency medical services station. The men were known for their barbaric tortures that they made the rookies devour without the slightest hint till it was halfway down their esophogus.

"C'mon, this is Howie you're with. Not Billy, Erik, Johnny or any of the guys. You can trust me," Howie soothed, settling her back down on the bed. "You won't be eating anything gross."

"That's what I get for letting them kick me off the team for more than six months for rehab... Start to think of everyone as the team..." Ana sighed, slowly complying with Howie's wishes. The last three months had been extremely hard for the young woman, because she had to actually learn to rely on others with her physical impairment. Not to mention the fact that she had to continue to be immobile for at least another month before the crutches could be permanently lost. It just seemed tragic at some points because she hated not being able to work, though Howie seemed to relish in it.

"Everyone needs a break and I don't think your doctor would allow you to work with that huge immobilizer on your leg," Howie replied, letting the sweet cherry drop on her tongue.

"No..." Ana mumbled, closing her mouth around the small fruit. She decided not to bother Howie any further with her worker's compensation stories. She was being paid well for not working for the time being and Howie was happy. She could bear with the torture awhile longer. So, clearing her thoughts, she then reached for the stem, tugging it free from the cherry so she could chew. She smiled with obvious approval, recognizing the food immediately. "One of my favorites, Bee."

"I know. Thought you would like it," Howie chuckled, giving her another one. As she was eating he reached over on the nightstand and grabbed a small box that laid next to her vase of roses. He pulled out the item along with a rose from the vase and tied it on there with a velvet ribbon that was around his wrist. He held the blossoming, dark red bud under Ana's nose and she inhaled deeply.

"And Rico Sauve continues the perks by giving his three year girlfriend a rose," Ana teased, recognizing the scent though she was honestly more confused than ever.

"If the girlfriend would stop being a smartass, Rico Suave would take off the blindfold," Howie retorted with a groan of annoyance.

"Sorry?" she instantly pouted with an honesty sincerity that offered her twist of rare innocence.

"Yeah, that's what I had thought," Howie cracked a smile, kissing her softly before reaching back to untie the blindfold.

"Mmm, I'd rather have more of those kisses..." Ana trailed with approval when Howie withdrew the blindfold. She attempted to lean up to bring him back against her, but stopped when she became too aware of her romantic surroundings. Their creamy white and soft blue bedroom glowed with the beauty of her vanilla scented candles dancing around every inch of the room. Red and white rose petals were scattered about the floor with a tender care that Ana hadn't been exposed to. She then glanced to the blooming roses in the vase, causing her to just rest a hand against her heart for a moment. Finally, she decided to look at her boyfriend, awed at how handsome he looked underneath the warm basking of her flickering candles. "Howie..."

"Surprise," Howie smiled, caressing her cheek with another kiss. He placed the rose into her hand, making sure the thorns didn't prick her.

"You... You didn't have to do this..." Ana murmured, still somewhat speechless as she held the rose underneath her nose once more. Her blue-green eyes warmed with obvious delight. No man had ever cared enough to treat her so special. Mostly because they never cared about what she wanted. She may have offered a hard, tomboy exterior, but Howie saw deeper into her soul that longed for a beautiful love story.

"I did it because I wanted to. Because I love you," Howie kissed her once more, setting her hands a little farther up the rose, the ribbon brushing against her fingertips.

"Well, obviously, no one as neurotic as you are about cleanliness would dare sprinkle petals on the floor and bed if you didn't honestly love someone," Ana approved, not really understanding why Howie was moving her hands along the rose. Instead, she was more focused on him, sitting up to offer him a kiss of thanks. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

"You may if you would stop looking at me and look down at the rose, Sweetheart," Howie replied, growing impatient and wanting to see her reaction. To feel her wrap her arms around his neck and say 'yes'.

"Only you would bitch about your girlfriend looking at you too much," Ana scowled for a moment, glancing down at the blooming bud with question. Only, her scowl immediately faded when she noticed the pure white ribbon wrapped just beneath the petals with the smallest trinket of devotion. Gently, Ana brought her fingers over the white gold ring, awed with the beautiful dark blue-purple sapphire nestled within the white gold and surrounded by the sweetest glistening diamonds. And, immediately she pushed the rose back at Howie with horror, never expecting him to do this now. "You are not!"

"I am, too," Howie chuckled, pushing the rose back at her.

"I told Tierj that I wanted a purple sapphire for my engagement ring... And you just happen to have a purple sapphire ring hanging from a rose? ... Howie, I swear to God this isn't funny! If you're just joking around or something, I'm seriously going to walk on water, grab my crutches, and beat you senseless!" Ana sniffled in surprise, still attempting to give him back the rose as her hands started to tremble.

"This isn't a joke," Howie placed the rose back in her hands and gently cupped her cheeks to make her look into his eyes. "I love you so much, and I know we're meant to be together forever and beyond that. I can't ever let you go. Anastacia, what I want to ask is... will you marry me?"

"...I just wanted a kitten..." Ana whispered after a lengthy amount of silence, unable to keep the tears from falling down her creamy peach cheeks.

"Is that a yes?"

"No, it's a cute little hairball--"

"Ana!"

"What?!"

"I'm trying to be all romantic with proposing and you're talking about a kitten!"

"Sorry..."

"I shouldn't be too hard on you, because... well..." Howie bent down and scooped up something from the floor, placing it in Ana's lap.

"Howie!" Ana cooed in surprise as a small kitten curled tightly within her lap. She was the sweetest longhair with mixture of white and gray fur, purring excitedly as Howie scratched her beneath the chin.

"I went to the animal shelter and there was a litter of kittens that had been abandoned by their mother. I saw this little cutie and knew she was the one for you," Howie smiled as the kitten looked up at Ana and mewed softly.

"She's adorable," Ana agreed with delight, gently scratching the kitten's back to elicit a strong purr. She continued to stroke the kitten, allowing her to gently lick at her fingertips before curling asleep within Ana's lap. Leaning over, she gently kissed Howie's cheek. "Thank you so much for putting up with me."

"It's all out of love," Howie merely shrugged.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"What's the question for?" Ana laughed softly, rubbing the kitten's ear as she dozed peacefully in a little furball. She glanced back to her boyfriend with the softest smile, handing him back the rose from which her engagement ring still dangled from. If anything, this had turned into a memorable wedding engagement that neither would probably be able to explain without a few laughs. "I think we should call her Mattie."

"She looks like a Mattie," Howie nodded with approval, untying the ribbon to hold her ring inbetween his thumb and forefinger. "But what about my other question? Y'know... marrying me?"

"Well, I wanted to name her Mattie for, y'know, Matrimony?"

"That's what Mattie means?"

"I was hoping," Ana confirmed, watching Mattie struggle to hop down from the bed. She smiled at the precious bundle as Mattie hurried out from the bedroom, obviously in search of the kitten food Howie had already placed in the kitchen. She then turned back to Howie, biting down on her bottom lip with a shyness that seemed so unlikely. "Ask me again?"

"Ana, I love you so very much. I want to spend the rest of our lives together," Howie smiled softly, taking her left hand into his. "Will you marry me?"

"Of course. You're my angel," Ana agreed, smiling softly as a blush rose to her cheeks. She couldn't have asked God for a better man to love and protect her. She had felt a connection with Howie since the very beginning when Tierja forced her to come to the bar for a drink. And three years of dating was well worth the effort.

"And you're mine," Howie smiled as he slipped the delicate ring onto her fourth digit, which sparkled and shined like her beautiful eyes.

"You knew exactly what I wanted," she breathed, staring down at the dark blue-purple sapphire with appreciation. She leaned over to press her hands gently against either of his cheeks, smiling at the feeling of the cool white gold mixing against her skin and his. Her entire body tingled with excitement, realizing that she was finally taking steps forward in her life instead of backtracking. Howie was giving her the opportunity to claim a future of happiness.

"Of course I did... but I had to confirm it with Tier. She knows all the girly stuff about you that you keep from me at times," he smiled, brushing their lips together.

"But you like surprises," Ana laughed, bringing him closer for a deeper kiss of delight. It just seemed surreal that he finally proposed. She had always harrassed Josh into bullying Howie into popping the question, but things always had a way of working.

"Now that we're going to be married... our life is always going to be full of surprises," Howie gave a wink, kissing her once more.

"There's one thing that'll never be a mystery, though," Ana commented with a soft purr, gently easing her arms around his neck.

"Oh, really? And what's that?"

"Well... I could say two things..."

"Stop stalling and spill it, Baby."

"First, that there's no way in Hell you'll ever have to question if I love you or not."

"Duly noted, and the same goes for you," Howie kissed the tip of her nose. "What's the second thing?"

"That I'm always going to know how to turn you on," she laughed with her radiantly impish smile.

"Amen to that!"

Ana laughed at his reaction, "I love you way too much."

"I love you even more."

"It only took you three years."

"I wanted to make it special?"

"It was very special, just don't tell me the night is over."

"Oh no, it's definitely not over," Howie pulled her into his arms, laying them back against the soft pillows. "We've got to celebrate the engagement."

"The brace--"

"I found the sheet your doctor had given you. Those sex positions that won't bother your brace?"

"You mean you raided all my things until you located it!"

"I wouldn't call it raiding. It was strategically searching!"

"Told you that in three months we'd be a pitiful couple."

"We're not pitiful--"

"Just in desperate need," Ana teased, leaning forward to capture his lips against hers. Gently, she eased herself into a more comfortable position within his arms, gently biting against his bottom lip to entice him further.

"Not desperate, persay..." Howie trailed off, connecting their lips again. He brought his hands up to tangle in her curls, deepening the kiss.

"Then, persay, what is it?" Ana humored, gently tracing her hands against his chest in attempts to unbutton his camp shirt.

"Very, very, very... needed? A needed need?" Howie rambled, his body shaking with anticipation as she began unbuttoning his shirt.

"A burning need?" Ana continued to tease, slipping her hands against his bare skin to slide away the material for her kisses. She had to admit it had been a long while since they had made love. Her pain tolerance had been minimal, but three months of healing made it somewhat easier. Besides, she continued to remind herself that Howie was a gentle lover.

"Ay, yi, yi... mi amor," Howie breathed, moaning softly at her gentle touch and kisses. She always got him speaking Spanish when they were showing this kind of affection and while making love. He knew it drove chills down her spine.

"It's been that long, huh?" Ana rasped with approval, knowing it usually took a few more minutes to revv Howie into Spanish.

"Si. Te quiero..." Howie's eyes fluttered as he brought their lips together once again and when they let go he found his shirt ripped off. "¿Y tu?"

"Me too what?" she laughed, leaning back against the bed to adjust a pillow underneath the brace.

"It must be the same for you, because you managed to take my shirt off while we were kissing," he rolled his eyes, carefully covering her body with his and began showering her neck with kisses. "Stop being a smartass, I'm trying to woo you!"

"Mmm, that'll do it," Ana shivered with instant delight, gently raking her fingernails against his back.

"Good," Howie shivered as well, feeling her nails run down his skin. "I love you, Baby. So much and always."

"Y tu," Ana simply replied, allowing them to fall into unbridled passion that not only christened their new house, but their new future as well.

Chapter Eight: A Few Surprises


"Mattie! Come here, Mattie! Oh, you're so adorable, I don't even care if I'm allergic to you!" Tierja cooed, picking up the small kitten as she ran into her arms. Howie and Ana had come over the next night to celebrate their engagement. Kevin was on the deck grilling up steaks and hamburgers, the mouth watering smells floating into the house.

"You could always go for the shot to decrease the symptoms," Ana teased lightly, watching Tierja hold the kitten as she sneezed sharply. Only, the kitten became startled, immediately launching off Tierja's lap and underneath Ana's outstretched legs for protection. Gently, Ana tapped against the couch to catch Mattie's attention. "C'mere, baby."

"You know I hate shots," Tierja frowned as Mattie jumped up into Ana's lap, curling into a ball. The kitten was incredibly sweet, but still skittish around new people. "Besides, I'm trying to talk Kevin into getting a puppy. A dalmation or something."

"Those get to be big dogs," Ana commented with a slight shiver as Mattie turned onto her back. Ana seemed to oblige the request, scratching the kitten's fluffy stomach. But the idea of a dalmation in Tierja's home was slightly unnerving. She hated big dogs after being attacked by one when she was younger. The bite almost caused a series of painful rabies shots, something she didn't even want to think about again. "Why not a hotdog?"

"A hotdog?" Tierja raised an eyebrow.

"Y'know, one of those weiner dogs or whatever they're called."

"Oh, you mean a daschund... That dog is too small. If not a dalmation, maybe a beagle or jack terrier. I don't know, all I know is that I want a puppy since I am allergic to cats."

"A tiny puppy, okay?"

"Ana, that dog had an awful owner that trained him to attack--"

"Tier, please?"

"Anastacia Grace--"

"For a newly fiancee'd woman that you never thought was going to get married in her life?" Ana hoped, motioning toward the beautiful purple sapphire resting on her left hand. She wiggled her light blonde brows toward Tierja, hoping to ellicit a smile or laugh. It had always been the joke between the girls that Ana was far too rough to get married. More so, if the marriage wasn't done while jumping out of an airplane or bungee jumping, then there was no way in Hell she'd complete it.

"Oh, you drive me crazy. You know that? Crazy," Tierja groaned, breaking a smile. "We'll get a smaller dog and see how it goes. I still have to convince Kev, you know."

"Convince Kev what?" Kevin asked as he walked in from the deck for a moment. He had given Howie grilling duty.

"Nothing, I just-- Kev, what's what in your arms?"

"What do you think is in my arms?"

"Are you for real?! Kevin!" Tierja scrambled to her feet and squealed when she saw a fawn colored pug puppy dozing in Kevin's arms.

"Tierja!" Kevin teased with his own squeal, allowing Tierja to take the small puppy into her arms. She had been squawking about Ana's kitten for two days now, saying they needed their own pet to christen the house. And, he knew there'd be no peace until she had a puppy.

"He's so adorable! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Tierja covered Kevin's cheeks with kisses, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The puppy woke up from all the commotion, yawning softly with a little yip.

"You're welcome," Kevin smiled, biting back a sarcastic comment as he scratched the top of the puppy's head. "What are you going to name him?"

"Hmm... I think I'll name him..." Tierja lifted the puppy up so they were nose to nose. "Spunky."

"Spunky?" Kevin laughed.

"Spunky! Because I can tell he's either going to have the same personality as me or the exact opposite... it's cute!" Tierja smiled as Spunky lapped at her nose.

"Uh-huh..." Kevin trailed, just shaking his head with amusement.

"My little Spunky," Tierja sang, cuddling him like a baby. "Thank you so much, Kev. This means a lot to me."

"I know it does," Kevin promised, leaning to kiss her cheek. "But, just remember's he's a puppy, not a baby. I don't want to see little frilly dresses or anything like that on our hardcore pug. Alright?"

"Hardcore pug," Tierja snickered with a nod. "You know what I can see?"

"What?"

"You dressing Spunky in a little leather vest and helmet like the tough biker his owner was before he crashed into my life."

"No helmet..."

"No helmet?"

"Yeah, kickass leather vest, no helmet--"

"Well, he would need the helmet, just look at his smushed face!" Ana interupted, wrinkling her nose at the look of the puppy.

"Hey, he's got a cute smushed face!" Tierja stuck out her tongue, walking over to plop down next to Ana on the couch. "And he won't get big!"

"It still looks like he's hit one too many walls in his short life span. It's called brakes," Ana quoted with a smirk, which caused Tierja to scowl. But, the doorbell chimed to avert Tierja's attention, causing Ana to boost herself up with the crutches. "I'll get the door, maybe it's another dangerous motorcycle man."

"You've got your own man grilling--"

"Food's ready!" Howie announced, walking into the living room. "Who's at the door?"

"I have to answer it first to find out," Ana retorted, crutching to the front door as the bell rang again.

"Such a smart woman you have," Ana heard Kevin laugh when Howie snorted.

"Damn straight," Ana mused to herself, balancing herself as she slightly fumbled to open the door. But, when she triumphed over the door, she shuffled slightly to stand in the threshold of the doorway. Only, whoever she might have been expecting was nothing compared to what she found. On Tierja's porch were three men, varying in personality and style. The two blond men were dressed in jeans and light t-shirts, looking clean and mannerly. Though, Ana was quick to center on a dark haired man with tattoos etched all the way up his bare arms. "What? Did your motorcycle crash into these boys' porshe?"

"Excuse me?" the shorter blond questioned with confusion.

"Kev, these guys are here to kick your--"

"Cuz? Nick? A.J.?" Kevin's jaw dropped when he stood behind Ana.

"I thought Aunt Anne said you started seeing a brunette woman with glasses? She's going to kick you so hard when she finds out you're two timing a woman that she thinks is absolutely fantastic--"

"Me and Kevin?" Ana snorted with a wry laughter, leaning back to get out of the way. "You definitely have head trauma from an accident..."

"Guys, this is Ana. She's Howie's fiance," Kevin interrupted any other confusion caused by the impish woman standing behind him.

"So, Howie's really here?" the rough man covered in tattoos questioned openly, actually pulling the expensive sunglasses from the bridge of his nose. His face was emotionless just for a moment, as if he were deciding whether or not Kevin was telling the truth. Though, after a few moments of gazing at Ana, a devilish smile crossed his handsome face. "He's finally got damn good taste..."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Ana asked, furling her eyebrows.

"With AJ, that's a compliment," the shorter blond spoke up with a wry grin, causing the taller one to snicker as AJ turned to smack them upside the head.

"So, you're the guys from Florida, right?" Ana suddenly guessed, just watching the three strange men get caught within their old habits of bickering. It was obvious that AJ wanted to have a good image in front of any pretty woman, which the other two blonds loved to tarnish. But, Ana really didn't have much information about the three men from Florida. She only knew that Howie and Kevin had been close to these other men during their times in Florida, until Kevin made a fatal mistake. Howie really didn't have the heart to talk about the past, so Ana knew not to question it. She was just content with living her life as she knew it.

"Yeah, that would be us. I'm Brian," the shorter blond broke away from the argument, holding his hand out to Ana. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise... the tattooed one is AJ, so who's the giant toe head?"

"Hey! My head is not shaped like a toe--"

"It means blond, dumbass," AJ groaned. "His name is Nick, but I wouldn't waste your breath talking to him. He might drop your IQ significantly."

"I'll take that into consideration," Ana laughed with approval, already liking AJ and his witty sarcasm.

"Come on in, fellas. The steaks and burgers just got off the grill," Kevin led them inside the house, but Brian stopped him before they reached the living room. "What is it, Cuz?"

"I just wanted to say that even though you were a big jerk in the past... you've changed a lot and we've really missed you and Howie."

"I was starting to wonder when you slammed the phone in my ear the first few times after I got your number from Aunt Jackie..." Kevin trailed, smiling faintly toward his younger cousin. It had honestly been years since he last talked to his family member - the one that he considered to be his best friend. "And... Didn't Aunt Jackie say you got married? So, where's the wife?"

"She thought it would be better to have this first visit be the guys," Brian pulled out his wallet, flipping to his wedding picture. "That's her, though. Leighanne."

"She's gorgeous, Bri. I'm glad you met someone," Kevin smiled, feeling guilty that he had missed his cousin's wedding. He was going to make up lost time no matter what.

"Kevy! C'mon, the food is disappearing!" Tierja hollered from within the living room.

"Yeah, because of your iron stomach," Ana snickered with amusement.

"You haven't seen an iron stomach until you've seen Nick eat," Kevin retorted, causing the guys to laugh as they walked towards the living room. "Babe, save some of the food, we've got visitors!"

"Visitors?" Tierja quipped, watching Kevin enter with three unknown men. She immediately glanced to Ana with disbelief. "Did another stripper fall off the stage and crack his ankle and you took pity on him and invited him for dinner?"

"Why the Hell would I invite strippers to your house?" Ana choked in surprise, unable to believe that all the mischief was always blamed on her first.

"Because that would be something you would--"

"Tier, they're not strippers. Well, at least I don't think they are--"

"Brian and I aren't, but we never knew for sure about AJ," Nick quipped with a proud grin.

"I've made some damn good money from those videos," AJ answered with a wicked grin, hopping onto the couch beside Ana. He slouched instantly to make himself comfortable in Kevin's new home, but felt Ana tense beside him slightly. He glanced down, finally recognizing that her entire right leg was wrapped in a tight brace and resting against the coffee table to be elevated. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not in the least," Ana promised, shifting slightly to accomadate his presence before offering him the bowl of Ranch Doritos. Howie was still grabbing the last of the meat from the grill, so he still hadn't a clue who was present in the house. But, Ana could only hope that he would be pleased.

"Kev, are you going to introduce me to our visitors?" Tierja asked with a raised eyebrow, watching Brian and Nick tussle for the lazy boy.

"Oh, sorry, Sweetheart," Kevin instantly apologized, leaning down to steal a bite of the burger she had perfected. He chewed for a moment, swallowing the tasty meat. "Mmm..."

"Kevin..."

"Whoops," Kevin laughed, glancing toward the three guys. "The one sitting by Ana is AJ. The shorter blond is my cousin, Brian. The taller blond is Nick. These are the guys from Florida. Guys, this is my girlfriend, Tierja."

"Hello!"

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"Hi!"

"Nice to meet you all," Tierja smiled, protecting her burger from any more of Kevin's bites. "Go and make your own hamburger, this one's mine!"

"But--"

"AJ, Brian, Nick, there are steaks, burgers and hotdogs hot off the grill. There's also homemade potato salad, coleslaw and a Jello dessert. Help yourselves, alright?"

"Thanks!" Brian and Nick chirped, rushing toward the kitchen to load two plates of what Kevin knew would be enormous amounts of food.

"I'll wait till those vultures are done," AJ explained, continuing to munch on the potato chips from Ana's plate.

"Tier, here's there's the rest of the stuff off the grill," Howie announced, coming in from the back porch with the final plate of food. He was fully prepared to ask who was at the door, but immediately noticed his good friend AJ sitting with his fiance on the couch, actually sharing a plate of food. "Why is my fiance sitting on the couch with AJ..."

"Because I think he's going to be my new best friend," Ana laughed, watching the color drain from her fiance's face in absolute shock.

"D! Hey, man!" AJ got up off the couch with a wicked grin that seemed to be customary for him. Howie still stood with the plate of food, so Tierja took it and placed it on the table Nick and Brian were attacking.

"J... you're here."

"Yeah, of course I'm here!" AJ laughed, instantly wrapping Howie into a brotherly hug. "Bri got a call from Kevin saying that he found you in Minnesota. We didn't have a damn clue that you'd actually... I mean, you definitely disappeared on me without another word!"

"I know. I just had to get away, I guess," Howie hugged AJ tight. He actually felt felt tears spring forth, clouding his vision.

"Well now that we know where you live, we're never letting you go again!"

"I just... I can't believe it..."

"Me either," AJ laughed, sensing Howie's overjoyed emotions as his body quaked. It had been three intensely long years since AJ had actually seen sight of his best friend. He had been started with the whole ordeal, never expecting Howie to disappear so quickly and silently. Every day his heart ached with a raw pain, because he had lost a piece of his soul when Howie left. Dipping into various activities, AJ never found fufillment, until Brian called and said he had found their long lost friends. "And since when did you think you were going to get married when your best friend was M.I.A.?"

"I didn't want... I thought that... I..." Howie fumbled with his words, still in shock that his old friends were actually there. He could feel his heart heal completely, though Ana had done almost all the work.

"Yeah, you're right, you had to seal the deal early, otherwise I would have stolen her," AJ attempted to joke, glancing back toward Ana with another mischevious smirk. "She's hot stuff. How'd you ever get her interested in you?"

"Had to liquor me up real good at Tierja's bar," Ana added, going along with AJ's teasing. "Y'know, a little bit of Jack, Jim Beam, Tequila--"

"Until he whipped out his huge--"

"That was just a bonus," Ana quipped with a fiesty grin, causing Tierja to just shake her head in disbelief. Ana only managed to shrug innocently, understanding that Tierja knew better than to embarass her so. "Besides, the deal was really sealed when he broke my leg. Scared me into marrying him. He's a wicked Latino--"

"Okay, that's enough Giving Howie Grief Time," Howie interrupted with a frown, glancing up with a start when Brian and Nick barrelled back into the living room. Their plates were piled high and Tierja bit her lip nervously, praying that nothing would spill on her brand new carpet.

"So, does that mean it's time for Ana To Give AJ A Shot Time?" AJ quipped as he sat back down beside Ana, playfully whispering in her ear. Nick and Brian seemed unphased by the events, simply shoveling in truckloads of food after mumbling brief hellos to Howie. Kevin just shrugged aimlessly, sitting himself on the arm of Tierja's chair to offer her some of his food.

"I can already tell these two are going to drive me crazy," Howie sighed, shaking his head.

"But you love them," Tierja chirped, taking another bite of the jello dessert she had made. She and Ana would have to get to know the three long lost 'brothers', but could already tell they would fit in perfectly. Like the lost pieces of a puzzle. "Howie, go get yourself some food."

"Did I ever mention that I never trusted him around my--"

"Bad timing to mention past girlfriends with future ex-wives, D," AJ hissed, acting as if he were physically hurt by the statement.

"Damn straight," Ana laughed with obvious amusement, her blue-green eyes sparkling with delight.

"You're not going to win, man. May as well accept it," Kevin chuckled, yelping in surprise as Tuerja pulled him down to sit in the chair with her.

"But we're not even married yet and she starts referring to herself as an ex-wife with J's help?" Howie protested with a frown.

"Bee..." Ana trailed, beckoning him over.

"What?" Howie continued to frown, walking over to the couch.

"Are you honestly that worried?" Ana asked, shiftling slightly to lower her immobilized leg down to the soft carpet. She then reached for her fiance's hands, pulling him to stand between her legs for just a moment while he glanced down at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just get worried about that stuff--"

"Don't. I could never dream of being your ex-wife. I love you too much," she pulled him down for a kiss. "You need to stop worrying about everything. That can cause ulcers."

"Ulcers?" Nick mumbled with a mouth filled with food. He immediately shuddered as he glanced to Brian for conformation. "That's when your stomach gets a hole and all the food falls out into your gut-sack right? Just... nasty! Not for me!"

"Because Heaven forbid that you don't get your recommended daily allowance of calories," AJ snorted, moving to gather his plate of food.

"You have such... intellectual friends," Ana teased, keeping Howie bowed slightly so she could continue to kiss him. "I've got to say I'm much happier that I found you first."

"I'm happier than you about that," Howie nodded eagerly, plunging his hands into her curls. "Think how your life would be like if you had fallen for Nick."

"I don't even want to," Ana made a face, glancing over at Nick who was still gobbling down food.

"Brian?"

"Too clean cut."

"Kevin?"

"Lord no!"

"AJ?"

"Tempting..." Ana trailed, biting on her bottom lip with thought.

"Tempting? Why temp--"

"Ana's classic bad-boy syndrome," Tierja snorted with laughter, not even really amazed that Ana admitted to finding AJ tempting. It was just her nature to ruffle Howie's feathers, though she would never tempt to do the unthinkable with AJ. She was completely devoted to Howie in every form of the word, but the look on Howie's face was priceless. "And, let's face it, we're all betting that AJ is a classic bad boy of your little group, Howie."

"He is, you don't even have to put a bet on it," Brian spoke up with a grin and Nick snickered. "The tattoos, the piercings, the clothes. The many times he stole Kev's motorcycle--"

"Excuse me?" Kevin instantly growled.

"Brian!" AJ snapped in horror, noticing Kevin's emerald eyes darken with disapproval. "When you're giving my rep to some gorgeous ladies, make sure to keep other details out that's going to get my ass kicked! I'd rather be getting ass, not losing it!"

"Too bad your ass is invisible to begin with," Nick snickered, slapping Brian's hand.

"Kevy, calm down. Besides, you crashed that bike almost four months ago, remember?" Tierja quipped, shoving a fork of coleslaw into his mouth.

"He still stole it!" Kevin spit with the coleslaw, trying his hardest to swallow and still berate his younger friend.

"You can't do anything about it now. Hush up and eat your food!"

"You are so--"

"Howie, tell him to slow down his prostate or something," AJ scowled, moving to sit back down beside Ana.

"His prostate?" Ana laughed as AJ purposely pressed close into her side, offering her some of his food.

"Doesn't that thing do something in old men?"

"It does something that causes something else not to work..." Ana mused.

"Ana, stop before you even start," Tierja warned, practically shoving food into Kevin's mouth to keep him from yelling at AJ.

"Well, obviously it's not a problem for Kevin at this point in time because you definitely scream like a bansh--"

Tierja blushed furiously, "MISSY!"

"Whoops..." Ana smirked with pride as AJ chuckled against her shoulder with obvious approval.

"You are so lucky to still be in that immobilizer, I swear to God!" Tierja seethed, wagging her fork at her best friend. "Or else your ass would be going in my new pool!"

"Nope, still on the injured list because of my horrendous fiance," Ana explained, noticing that Howie was actually refusing to get a plate of food because he was watching AJ closely.

"Yeah, who still hasn't gotten a plate of food," Tierja spoke sharply towards Howie with a roll of her eyes.

"Huh?"

"For crying out loud, Howie. He isn't going to sweep her off her feet. She's too heavy with that thing on her leg."

"Thanks for reminding everyone that I'm a fat ass, Tierj," Ana quipped, wrinkling her nose in distaste at Tierja's comment. Only, the point seemed mute as she boosted herself up on her crutches. She wobbled for just a moment to find her center of gravity, glancing to her fiance. "C'mon, let's go get you something to eat?"

"But I--"

"You need something to eat, I can hear your stomach growling," Ana insisted, leading the way to the kitchen table.

Howie looked lost for a moment, stumbling to follow her into the kitchen as if he were the one on crutches. "Ana--"

"You're hungry and there's no way that you were leaving me in there alone, so, get what you need, okay?" Ana laughed, nodding toward the last empty plate as she listened to the laughter coming from the living room.

"I just--"

"AJ's your best friend. He wouldn't try anything and I sure as Hell wouldn't let him. Alright? Now get yourself some food so we can go back out there."

"Are you mad at me?" Howie questioned first, just simply gripping his plate tightly.

"No, I love you more than life itself," Ana promised with a soft laugh, tilting slightly in her crutches to deliver a kiss just underneath his chin. "And I find it adorable that you're protective of me. But you drive me crazy."

"Ana, I--"

"You can be protective of me. It's adorable. It also makes me happy that I have someone who loves me like that. I just really doubt that one of your friends would try anything with me," Ana kissed him under the chin again. "Just get yourself some food, Bee."

"Do you--"

"You can get me some Macaroni Salad on your plate and I'll cuddle up next to you instead," Ana promised. "And, after we're done eating, if you want some time alone with the guys, I can have Anthony or someone pick me up and take me back to the house. Okay?"

"Can I answer this time or are you going to interrupt me?" Howie teased, finally piling some food on his plate.

"Depends on what you're going to answer with or ask."

"I want you to stay here. I want the guys to know you, and I'm sure Kevin is going to be the same with Tierja."

"But you and Kevin don't have to be exactly the same. You never really talk about the guys or anything... So, I think it'd be easier for me to just go home. It'll be easier for them and you in the long run. Besides, Mattie keeps me company."

"Ana--"

"You need to spend time with your friends," Ana interrupted, placing her hand atop Howie's lips.

"Ana, no," Howie stated, setting down his plate of food to pull her hand away from his lips. This was one argument that he refused to back down from, no matter what the consequences. "You are the most important thing in my life and these guys are my closest friends. I need you to get to know them. I need them to get to know you."

"Howie..."

"Ana, please."

"Are you sure?"

"I couldn't be more sure of anythi--"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! NO FUCKING WAY!" Kevin's voice boomed through the house, startling Ana and Howie.

"Are Brian and Nick...y'know...secret lovers?"

"What?!"

"Well... With the way Kevin's screaming... I didn't exactly what to walk into any serious surprises that might require me to hold a serious face..."


Author's note: Sorry it took so long to update! But Ana and I have a bunch of chapters written, so hang tight! Thanks again, CT!

Chapter Nine: The News


"This is unreal! You're for real?!" Kevin ranted, grasping Brian by the shoulders as Ana and Howie walked back into the living room.

"Oh shit, it's worse than we thought! Maybe Nick and Brian confessed to not only being gay lovers, but drag queens!" Ana yelped, hiding behind Howie in case of bloodshed.

"Where the Hell do you get off?" Nick exclaimed bluntly, leaning to peer behind Howie's broad shoulder. He seemed to forget Kevin launching his heavy body on top of Brian, continuing to curse in disbelief. Instead, Nick arched his light brows at the bizarre accusation, fully prepared to defend his sexuality. "I'll have you know--"

"All the signs were there," Ana stated matter of factly, moving with Howie as he neared the couch to eat his meal. "You two were sitting close together on the couch, finishing each others sentences, smiling at each other, hugging one another, classic psychosocial anaylsis, Nick..."

"In other words, you and Brian acted like a gay couple," Tierja translated, watching Nick's eyebrows furl in confusion at Ana's reply.

"Hey! We did not act--"

"Actually..." AJ trailed off with a smirk to intagonize the younger man.

"Oh, don't even start or I tell Howie what you said about his fiance!" Nick exploded.

"That's blackmail based on false facts!"

"I'll tell him, I swear to God--"

"Will someone just spill this news that Kevin is ranting about? I don't want any blood stains on my brand new carpet!" Tierja interrupted with a groan.

"Told you to get stain resistant," Ana mused, easing herself down onto the couch and pushing the button to release the rest stand to elevate her aching leg.

"You're no help, Gimpy."

"Hey--"

"AJ, tell us what's going on," Howie turned to his best friend.

"Well, I read on the Internet that Minnesota has the best chapels for marrying homosexual couples, so Nick and Brian decided that we had to move here for good so he can finally live without shame," AJ stated simply.

"THAT'S IT!" Nick growled, tackling AJ onto the loveseat.

"Shit!" AJ yelped before getting crushed under Nick's weight.

"Maybe next time you should just tell us what's really happening," Tierja clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"She's like Kevin Jr without the nutsack!" AJ squeaked beneath Nick.

"Maybe so, but I'm not the one getting squashed like a bug by Nick, am I?"

"Happens all the time!"

"And yet you still haven't learned from it."

"Will someone please tell us this news?" Howie grunted in annoyance.

"WE'RE MOVING TO MINNESOTA! HOW MANY DAMN TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT BEFORE YOU STOP SHAKING THE SHIT OUT OF ME?!" Brian roared from beneath his older cousin, breaking the squabble between the two younger men as the puppy began barking hysterically at the excitement.

"WHAT?! Are you serious?!" Howie actually screeched, launching off the couch to jump on top of Nick and AJ.

"And I thought girls freaked out about these kind of things," Tierja shook her head with a smirk, leaning down to scoop Spunky into her arms.

"Didn't you know that Howie's the female in this relationship?" Ana laughed with amusement, noticing Mattie's long tail poking up between the spacing of her foot rest. So, gently, she bent her good leg to lightly pinch her kitten's tail between her toes.

"I know that now," Tierja rolled her eyes, scratching Spunky behind the ears as she watched the grown men tackle each other. "And stop teasing your kitty."

"I'm not teasing her," Ana contradicted as Mattie immediately lept up onto the foot rest, hurrying to cuddle against Ana's chest for a nap.

"Well it looked like it," Tierja retorted, jumping slightly when Spunky began to bark again as he watched the group of guys fall into one big pile on the floor. "NO BLOOD ON THE CARPET!"

"We'll buy new carpet!" Nick hollered.

"Lord, I can already tell these guys are going to drive me crazy."

"You've already reached crazy. Try for another city that isn't so populated," Ana answered, clicking her tongue softly as Mattie settled just beneath her chin.

"Thanks for the advice, Dr. Phil--"

"I am not an over-weight balding man that needs to critique other people's lives in order to make himself feel better, Tierj."

"I didn't say--"

"BABY! The guys are moving to Minnesota!" Kevin interrupted, crawling out from the dogpile.

"So I heard," Tierja laughed, glancing sideways to see Ana simply close her eyes as if she were cat-napping with her kitten. But, Kevin didn't seem to care as he prepared to attack her. So, she quickly released Spunky, allowing him to jump onto the pile of men to deliver his own playful nips of delight.

"Do you know how great this is? I mean, it's just... Great!" Kevin grinned, gently pinning her down on the couch.

"I have a feeling how great," Tierja continued to laugh as he covered her neck in kisses.

"My best friends, Tier!"

"I know, Baby. I know! I'm very happy for you."

"I promise you're going to love them!"

"I'm sure I will, but I could never love any of them more than I love you."

"Well, obviously!" Kevin scoffed, pressing his face into the crook of her neck to regain his composure. It just seemed too surreal. Before, Kevin considered himself to be the epitomy of bad luck. He had ruined the entire bond between all five men and actually scared Howie into going upstate. Only, now he had found Howie, met a wonderful woman, and got his friends to move to Minnesota to get back what they had lost. The whole idea actually made him giddy.

"Everything's really falling into place," Tierja smiled, running her hands through his silky raven locks. She didn't think things could get any more perfect than what they were, but it had happened. Howie and Kevin were happier than ever, which made Tierja and Ana happy.

"Finally," Kevin breathed in agreement.

"Thank God for--"

"BUM'S RUSH INTO THE POOL!" Nick screeched, somehow dragging Brian, Howie and AJ by the shirt. He ran towards the deck with a grin.

"It takes adjustment!" Kevin immediately blurted when Tierja tensed as a large splash echoed throughout the household.

"They're cleaning up their own messes!"

~*~*~*~

"I still can't believe the guys are actually moving here," Howie sighed with a silly grin, crawling their large bed. He and Ana had just dropped the three former Florida men at a hotel and immediately craved for sleep. It was a long day and Howie knew it was just the beginning.

"Yeah, now you might not bitch so much about me having so many guy friends. After all, you may be caught up after they offically move here," Ana teased, reaching to rest her crutches against the wall. She then stretched her tired body before adjusting the straps along her heavy brace. Howie had been so absolutely thrilled the entire day, which just seemed to make Ana laugh harder. She had never really seen Howie so pleased with himself before.

"I think I'll still be bitching about it... you need to have more girlfriends besides Tier. She can only do so much," Howie teased back, pulling down the covers so she could slide in.

"Chicks are entirely overrated," Ana sighed dramatically, carefully picking up her leg to settle it against the mattress. Only, she instantly made a face at the straightening while the muscles pulled with raw pain. Though, Howie seemed to quickly anticipate her discomfort, helping to ease several pillows underneath her leg to elevate. Releasing the softest breath, Ana eased back against the headboard, closing her eyes as the pain started to dissipate. "Why do you think I strongly urge you not to have any girlfriends?"

"I know, that's why I have a fiance instead," Howie retorted, reaching up to rub her shoulders. An idea was brewing in his mind, and he hoped that she would go for it.

"A damn good fiance and a damn good best girlfriend. That's all you're allowed to have until I marry you. That way I know I'll always be the first and last woman in your heart... Besides your mother and sisters, of course," Ana mused, leaning up slightly so he could offer a better massage.

"Speaking of marriage and being the woman in my heart... what would you say about getting married tomorrow night?" Howie blurted, pressing a kiss to the side of her face.

"Excuse me?" Ana laughed in surprise, sitting forward as Howie actually fell behind her. She instantly turned her upper torso to face him, staring down at him with her beautiful blue-green eyes.

"You heard what I said. Let's get married tomorrow night. Y'know, eloping. I waited three years to propose, I don't want to wait for the next step," Howie fumbled to sit up on the bed, cupping her smooth cheeks.

"Couldn't you have reversed the two then?" Ana questioned with a smirk, unable to honestly believe this was her fiance sitting in the bed beside her.

"You're--"

"Are you serious about eloping?"

"When am I not serious about something like this?"

"Howie, this just doesn't sound like you," Ana explained, shaking her head in an awed disbelief. "You've always been careful and cautious. That's why it took you three years to propose in the first place..."

"Almost losing you and my friends in that tornado has changed my perspective in life. I don't want to be cautious when it comes to love. I want to dive into it without asking questions or wondering about the consequences."

"Howie... I..." Ana was honestly speechless as Howie shifted to face her. She just glanced at him with a sweet wonder, unable to believe that the path of her life had finally met this very fork in the road. She always joked with Tierja that she'd end up being the little old spinister, cursing up a storm, drinking her wine coolers from a spiquet, and raising about fifty homeless cats. Only, Howie was looking to make a serious commitment by tomorrow evening and changing her entire life.

"Ana, I love you. I want to get married," Howie said simply, bringing their lips together for a gentle kiss.

"But we are getting married," she laughed, gently biting down on her bottom lip when she pulled away.

"Tomorrow night."

"I never said--"

"You don't want to elope?"

"Howie--"

"It's a rush of adrenaline to elope..." Howie tried to entice.

"Howard Dwaine!" Ana groaned with a laugh, pushing on his chest. Only, she grew serious after Howie started to pout. Gently, she grasped his tank top to pull him close. "Nothing would make me happier than to marry you tomorrow night... But we better be having one kickass honeymoon when I'm actually allowed to walk."

"We'll go anywhere you want," Howie promised, immediately bringing them together for a deep kiss filled with excitement and passion.

"Somewhere far away from our friends," Ana decided with a sly smile, resting her forehead against his before inviting another kiss.

"Far, far away."

"So, you already have everything planned? Or at least that's what I'm assuming..." Ana trailed, wrapping her arms gently around the back of Howie's neck. Carefully, she started to brush her fingertips against the nape of his neck, eliciting a shiver. She smiled with approval. "Because, you might want to be wreckless and implusive... But you can't change all your characteristics in a day."

"Well... you know when I went out to buy food for the barbeque today? I... um... got everything we need," Howie admitted with a firm blush settling on his tan cheeks.

"Everything, huh?"

"Like you said, I can't change all in a day--"

"Anything special for after the ceremony?"

Howie's dark brows furled in confusion. "For after the ceremony?"

"Baby..."

"Oh! Yeah..."

"Care to share them with me?"

"Nope, it's a surprise."

"Baby, please?"

"But, it's a--"

"Baby..." Ana trailed again, grasping the collar of his tank top. She gently pulled him toward her, starting to suckle against the side of his neck.

"N-No fair," Howie whined with a shiver.

"Tell me. Please?"

"Can't I just have a surprise for my soon-to-be-wife?"

"Where's the fun in that?" she purred, pulling away just to blow a soft air against where she had been nibbling.

"Ana..."

"What?"

Howie turned his head and brought their lips together for a deep kiss. He held back a chuckle as he heard her moan gently, tanging her fingers into his curls. "No matter what you do to me... there's still going to be a surprise tomorrow night!"

~*~*~*~

"I don't think I've ever seen you this frisky before! Those boys really do bring out a different side of you!" Tierja giggled as Kevin chased her up the stairs with a grin on his slightly sunburned face. He had been hyper and more affectionate while everyone was around, but it seemed to double since they all left.

"Well, it'd be a seriously different side of me if you'd just let me catch you!" Kevin squawked, nearly tripping against the last step.

"It's more fun this way... unless you're too old to catch me," Tierja stopped and grinned at the ego stab she delivered to her boyfriend. It bothered him so when people made fun of his age.

"Alright, Anna Nicole," Kevin growled, diving toward Tierja to tackle her to the floor.

"Yikes!" Tierja yelped as they fell to the floor with a soft thud. "No fair!"

"No fair to call you Miss Smith, hmm?"

"No, it's not. I'm not a dumb blonde!" Tierja huffed, squirming under his pin.

"Yeah, just a fiesty brunette that can't keep her mouth shut," Kevin tormented, reaching to gently brush his hands down her cheeks as he straddled himself on top of her.

"Mm-hmm, that's more like it," Tierja gave a sly smile, reaching up to brush their lips together.

"But if you dare call me old one more time, I'm going to start calling you Anna Nicole," he threatened, leaning down to meet her half way.

"I won't dare call you old anymore," Tierja promised, kissing him again. "You're too cute to be old--"

"Yeah, and you're too..." Kevin trailed to figure the correct terminology to compare her against Anna Nicole.

"Don't you even try."

"Try what?"

"Just hush," Tierja rolled her eyes, pushing him down on the floor and straddling his hips.

"Am I a hush puppy?"

"No, that's Spunky--"

"Real funny," Kevin scowled.

"Oh stop. You know I love you," Tierja shook her head, leaning down to suckle on his neck.

"Of course I know you love me, 'cause I love you, too."

"Good, and that's the way it will always be," Tierja looked up to gaze into his emerald eyes with a smirk. "Even if we end up having a bunch of kids."

"How many would that be?"

"At least three?"

"That's a bunch? Oh, Lord, you've never been to the south have you?"

"Not that I recall... why?"

"Because three is just an itty bitty bunch."

"An itty bitty bunch, huh? How many kids were you thinking?"

"I wasn't really set on a number persay."

"So you have the mindset of whatever happens, happens?"

"Just about, yeah."

"That sounds good... I hope our boys look like you. Those beautiful emerald eyes, the raven hair--"

"I know, I'm gorgeous."

"I was trying to be sentimental!" Tierja groaned, climbing off his hips.

"I was letting you!"

"You drive me cra--"

"With love," Kevin declared, reaching to grab her.

"With love!" Tierja grinned as he swept her into his arms, crushing their lips together for a steamy kiss as he walked towards their bedroom.

Chapter Ten: On A Whim


"Ana! Ana, come on. We're going to be late to our own wedding!" Howie knocked on the bathroom door again, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently. They had booked their wedding at a prestigious chapel in the city and needed to leave a little early so they could catch up with Josh and Drake. They were going to be the witnesses.

"I'm injured, on crutches, nervous, and wrestling into this wedding gown that you wanted me to wear and you have the nerve to hurry me along? Good Lord, Howie, when have I ever needed extra time during all our dates to get ready? My negative minutes should add up into this minor slow!"

"Let me help--"

"I've almost got it, just give me five minutes!" Ana grunted, fumbling back to zip her dress.

"Ana--"

"You can't see me till I'm ready perfectly!"

"Okay, okay," Howie waited for a minute, tapping his foot on the carpet. "Are you perfectly ready yet?"

"Do you want to get married tonight?" Ana growled with displeasure, yanking open the bathroom door with a sharp scowl. The negative tone and impatience in his voice was enough to drive her insane. She knew that Howie wanted things to be perfect, but it was foolish to think that she didn't want to look perfect for him.

"Yes, I do! Sorry, Baby. I'm just really excited," Howie quickly apologized. His jaw dropped once he saw how beautiful she looked in the wedding dress. "Ana, you look amazing."

"Don't you dare try to kiss up to me now," Ana answered with a smaller frown of hurt, attempting to reach to locate her crutches. Only, Howie caught her hands so he could admire her further. Immediately, Ana became self-concious and blushed faintly. Howie had bought the wedding dress that he hoped Ana would approve of. It was a white silk skirt that gently kissed the floor with its delicate hem-line as a crystal beaded bodice clung to her upper torso, displaying just a hint of her sleek abdomen. Her long curls were draped down past her shoulders, bouncing gently with her movements. And, just a touch of makeup accented her beautiful face. She was indeed a vision like no other.

"But it's true. You're the perfect bride and so very beautiful," Howie quoted almost like a poet, kissing her hands with a sincere smile. He had opted for a simple pair of white slacks with a loosely fit button-up black silk shirt. The first few buttons were undone to show his toned and defined caramel chest. His messy curls were gelled and a few hung in front of his eyes just the way Ana liked.

"Didn't I tell you it was worth the wait?" Ana whispered softly, just biting on the corner of her bottom lip. She continued to balance on her good leg, releasing one of her hands from Howie's hold to gently brush her fingertips against his cheek. The surrealness of the situation was finally starting to settle into Ana's nervous stomach. She was finally getting married to a man she had finally let into her heart.

"It was and so much more," Howie leaned in and kissed her sweet-glossed lips. "Are you ready to get married?"

"Are you?"

"Definitely."

"Then let's go!"

"Little anxious?" Howie laughed.

"I don't think you have room to talk," Ana yelped, reaching to hold onto Howie tightly as he tried to move her without her crutches.

"I think I--"

"I really think I need my crutches," Ana interrupted, looking back at her crutches leaning on the wall.

"You weren't just holding onto me to love me?" Howie frowned, glancing back to see her lone crutches. His heart slightly dampened, though he lifted her with ease to take her back to her crutches.

"I'm always holding onto you to love you, but I still need my crutches," Ana laughed, leaning to kiss his neck. "I promise that I'll always be holding onto you, even when I'm off the crutches."

"You promise?"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"Well--"

"Come on, Bee. Let's get hitched before Drake and Josh ditch us for being late."

"Drake and Josh would never ditch us!"

"No, they'd never ditch me, but you--"

"Ana!"

"What?"

"Just hush up and let's go," Howie rolled his eyes with a smile.

"I'll follow you, no problem," Ana laughed, settling against her crutches as Howie walked out of the bathroom. She admired his backside for just a passing moment, until he turned. Then, quickly, she crutched toward his side. "I love you, Howie, and I'm an idiot for ever thinking I didn't need you."

"I love you too, Ana. As long as we both need each other, that's all that matters," Howie smiled, leaning down to kiss her deeply.

"I'll always need you," she promised against his warm lips.

"Right back at you, mi amor."

~*~*~*~

"Nick, the point of lasagna is to have layers! Not a big ball of pasta!" Tierja groaned, smacking Nick's hands away as he attempted to help her with dinner. It had been a week since the guys had moved to Minnesota. Kevin and Tierja had decided to have a celebratory dinner, which was homemade lasagna and garlic bread. Nick and AJ had come over earlier than the rest to help but ended up causing a headache.

"There is no point to lasagna! Be creative!"

"Ugh, just get out of my kitchen! Shoo! AJ, come and entertain the kid while I try to make dinner!" Tierja groaned, pushing Nick out of the kitchen.

"Entertain the kid?" AJ snorted, glancing up from the TV with amusement.

"Well, he's acting like one?"

"Nice try, Tier. But if you really want Nick out of your hair... you need the Playstation 2."

"I do have one. It's in the den--"

"Playstation!" Nick bolted to the den with a grin on his face.

"Now you can go back to your pasta balls!" AJ commanded, crossing his arms like a Genie and blinking hard.

"LASAGNA! Not pasta balls!" Tierja threw her hands up with a laugh before going back to the kitchen.

"LUCY! I'M HOOOOOOOOME!" Brian's voice echoed through the house as he and Leighanne entered.

"That's my favorite cousin!" Kevin boomed, tossing his strips of pasta toward Tierja in order to rush toward the front door.

"How in the Hell do I get stuck with all the work?" Tierja grunted with annoyance, quickly layering the rest of the lasagna and covering it up before shoving it into the oven. She washed her hands and took off her apron, walking out to the living room.

"Because you manage to mush it together in such a tasty fashion," Brian laughed, leaning to peck her cheek. "Thanks for inviting us over."

"No need to thank me. It's always interesting to have everyone here," Tierja smiled, kissing his cheek before hugging Leighanne. "Are you both thirsty? We have every kind of soda, water and alcohol there is."

"We can get it ourselves. You don't have to wait on us," Brian answered, pushing Tierja onto the couch. "You just relax."

"Brian--"

"You made us dinner, so just sit and hush."

"Did I mention he was my favorite out of all of you's?" Tierja smiled sweetly toward Kevin as Brian disappeared in search of drinks.

"All the time," Kevin teased, bending down to brush their lips together. "Where's Nick?"

"He heard the word 'Playsation 2' and disappeared in the den."

"We won't see him for the rest of the day."

"That just means more lasagna for us--"

"Everybody watch out, Ana Crutchmeister has entered the building!" Howie called jokingly as he and Ana walked into the house. They had been married for a little over a week and were already settled into the husband and wife mold.

Ana immediately scowled at Howie's jib against her injury. So, wanting to get back at him, she stuck her crutch just in front of his foot, causing him to trip into the living room. He hit the carpet with a hard thud, sprawling out for the entire group to see as Ana entered behind him, playfully resting her injured leg on the small of his back. "Thought I'd help you along, Sweetheart."

"Hmph, thanks a lot," Howie mumbled into the soft carpet, hearing the snickers from Leighanne, AJ and Tierja.

"You're welcome," Ana answered without much though to the situation, continuing toward the group until she collapsed on the couch beside AJ. Releasing her crutches to the floor, she immediately hoisted herself into a sprawled position, cradling her head in AJ's lap for a nap. Needless to say, her honeymoon 'week' had left her entirely exhausted from Howie's series of 'surprises.'

"What were you two doing last night? You look exhausted," Leighanne replied, wriggling her eyebrows with a chuckle as Howie settled into the lazyboy.

"Don't worry, we got it all on video tape for the guys to observe," Ana yawned, curling against AJ without the slightest thought of Howie being separated from her.

"I don't want to see anything on tape!" Tierja and Leighanne snorted, throwing pillows at Ana.

"Not even my wedding?" Ana questioned, peeking open her eyes as the pillows connected against AJ's chest instead of her.

"Your WHAT?!"

"Nothing, besides, we made the tapes for the boys, right, Baby?" Ana continued, brushing off the girls' screeches as she tossed a pillow toward her new husband.

"Oof! Yeah--"

"Whoa, hold on a minute! Hold on for a damn minute!" Tierja stood up, hands on her hips. "Since when did I say you two could get married without me?!"

"Who said we got married in the first place?" Ana questioned, deciding that she'd rather not lay on AJ. Instead, she carefully leaned up to catch Howie's pantleg. She tugged accordingly, offering a small pout of lonliness to elicit his time and remaining energy into holding her.

"You just said--"

"I said it in a hypothetical sense, Tierj," Ana replied as Howie looked over and knew what she wanted. He pulled himself out of the chair and onto the couch, immediately cuddling her.

"Why use that hypothetical sense of a question then, Anastacia Grace?"

"To ruffle your feathers," Ana stated simply enough, wrapping her arms around Howie's waist as she cuddled against his chest. She closed her eyes with a dreamy sigh, just rubbing his abdomen tenderly.

"Well you did it perfectly-- YOU LIAR! You have another ring to go along with your engagement ring. And-and Howie has one on his finger! YOU TWO GOT MARRIED!" Tierja shrieked, jumping up and down like a pogo stick.

"Baby... That's what we did when we were wasted last week!" Ana exclaimed playfully, glancing down to her left hand in sheer horror. "I knew something was fishy when I woke up and saw that garter around your forehead!"

"I thought that wasn't supposed to be there!" Howie played along, slapping his forehead. "And that explains why you had that skirt on--"

"A SKIRT?!" Tierja moaned fitfully, collapsing on the floor as if her heart had been ripped from its home.

"I was drunk, Tierj!"

"A SKIRT! I MISSED HER WEARING A SKIRT!" Spunky scampered over to Tierja, lapping her reddened cheeks. She brought him into her arms and he yipped with delight. "Spunky! I missed her wearing a skirt!"

"She acts like it's a damn travesty," AJ murmured in confusion.

"No, you don't understand!" Tierja turned to AJ, letting her puppy scramble away to get Kevin's attention instead. "I have been trying for all my life to get Ana to wear a damn skirt. I have never won and the one time it actually happens, I miss it!"

"And I looked damn good, too," Ana quipped with an impish smile, reaching to bring Howie's hand to her lips. She absolutely loved tormenting Tierja, if anything, that's probably one of the biggest reasons why she eloped... Besides wanting to carry the last name 'Dorough' and start the rest of her life with the man she loved.

"Okay, that is not funny, Anastacia Grace--"

"I wasn't attempting to be funny, right, Mr. Dorough? I was stating a fact that was repeated at least twenty times before, during, and after the ceremony," Ana interupted innocently.

"That's right, Mrs. Dorough," Howie smiled, kissing her neck as Tierja frowned openly.

"You two are getting married again with me there! And you'll wear a skir--"

"Slow your roll," Ana laughed, lazily running her fingers through Howie's dark locks. "Getting married once was good enough for me."

"But it's not fair--"

"Damn straight, who the Hell was your best man, D?" AJ accused, suddenly realizing the specifics of the situation.

"Oh, so now you're on my side!"

"I just realized that he didn't have a best man if they eloped--"

"What makes you think you'd end up being the best man anyway?" Kevin interrupted, scowling toward the wild man.

"I'm his best friend!"

"So am I!"

"What about me?" Brian piped up.

"Hey, don't forget me!" Nick immediately pouted, walking out of the den to see what the commotion was about.

"Is this why you really wanted to elope?" Ana mused as she pressed her lips to Howie's cheek.

"No, make them go away!" Howie whined, burying his head in the crook of her neck as the boys continued to argue amongst each other.

"Liar," Ana laughed harder, feeling Howie tense beneath her hold.

"Just make them go away!"

"I doubt they're going anywhere," Ana answered, watching the brawl immediately break between the four men. Tierja yelped in horror as she reached to savalage the plate of treats on the coffee table, knowing they were destined to fall upon the four men without warning. "But we could disappear..."

"Could we? Please?"

"Let's..." Ana trailed off, watching for the right moment as all the attention was drawn to her husband's friends. She pulled on Howie's shirt. "Right now!"

"Where are we going?" Howie laughed in surprise, standing to bring her easily into his arms.

"A place where we can continue our celebration," Ana winked, nodding towards the door.

"I like the sound of that," Howie smiled, whisking her out the door without a single eye in their direction.

~*~*~*~

"Baby, are you sure I can't help? There's got to be something," Tierja complained, her mouth watering slightly as she watched Kevin cook some homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread and chili. Brian and Leighanne were coming over for a good old southern dinner. Everyone new to Minnesota had just gotten settled into the different lifestyle, which had only been about a month. It gave them a chance to cook a lot of homemade meals and someone was always eager to come over to mooch off the food.

"Are you southern?" Kevin murmured, glancing back toward his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"No...?"

"Then you can't help."

"But, Kevin!"

"You don't meet the proper qualifications, I'm sorry," Kevin continued, pushing a foot into her backside to get her away from the stove.

"I no longer like you," Tierja frowned, rubbing her behind.

"You'll say different once you taste the food."

"Doubtful, because right now I am craving this big peanut butter and pickle sandwich--"

Kevin dropped a spoon into the mashed potatoes, immediately whirling around to catch Tierja's gaze. "Are you pregnant?"

"Say huh?" Tierja's jaw dropped.

"Pregnant women get weird cravings! Are you pregnant?"

"Uhh... I don't know... they get cravings like that?"

"You've never been around a pregnant woman?"

"My mother only had me before she died and I never met my father. None of my friends have ever had kids, so... that would be a no?"

"Have you missed your..." Kevin shuddered. "You definitely should be talking to Ana about this..."

"Kevy, don't worry--"

"Don't worry? Don't worry?"

"Shh!" Tierja laughed, cupping his cheeks with her small hands. She brushed their lips together, holding her surprise in for a little longer. "Your cousin and his wife will be here any minute. You need to finish cooking or else I'm taking over."

"Tierja--"

"Get cooking! I'm going to tidy up the living room and get Spunky out of his kennel since you're almost done."

"Tier--"

"Remember, if you don't cook, I will," Tierja smiled, skipping out of the room. She had just finished cleaning up when the doorbell rang.

"I brought some macaroni and cheese!" Brian announced excitedly as he and Leighanne were invited into the cozy home. He looked mighty proud of his dish, immediately pushing it into Tierja's arms for examination.

"Is this southern food, too?" Tierja asked, lifting the aluminum foil to peek inside. She licked her lips with anticipation.

"It is to this freak," Leighanne laughed, affectionately kissing her husband's cheek.

"Macaroni and cheese is southern if you make it right! And I can make it right," Brian pouted for a minute before wrapping an arm around Leighanne's waist. "So, did the Old Man make all the rest?"

"He was almost done until I told him my sandwich crave--"

"Peanut butter and pickles?" Leighanne guessed.

"How did you know that?"

"You've got the baby blush hue in your cheeks," Leighanne answered with a kind smile, noticing Kevin peeking in through the hallway. "Do you have the food on the table, Cousin?"

"Yeah, it's all set..."

"Bri-Bear, can you bring this into the dining room? Tierja and I need a quick talk," Leighanne took the dish from Tierja and put it in her hushand's arm.

"She's pregnant, I think I got the memo," Brian answered, but still obliged his wife.

"Just don't freak out your cousin," Leighanne groaned as Brian went into the other room. She looked back at Tierja, smiling gently. "He won't spoil your surprise... unless you weren't sure yet."

"Er..."

"Er? We're cousins, Tierja... At least in the technical since until Kevin pops the question... But, you can talk to me about this. You know that right?"

"I know, and I appreciate it. But..."

"But what?"

"How do you handle something like this? It's not a puppy... it's a life, and we're going to be responsible for it. Do you get what I mean?"

"I know what you mean, but there's nothing to 'handle' when it comes to a baby. It's a joy and Kevin's going to make a wonderful father. And, I think you'll end up being a pretty terrific mother, too. It'll be scary at first, but God does everything for a reason."

"Ana's going to think I'm stealing her eloping thunder," Tierja sighed with a shaky laugh as Leighanne gave her a reassuring hug.

"No, Ana's going to only tease you about that. She'll be happy for you like everyone else," Leighanna chuckled.

"You obviously don't know Ana..."

"And you're obviously too hard on the poor girl. No wonder she eloped."

"She did it just to piss me off--"

"Are the ladies ready for a complete southern dinner once the macaroni and cheese was set?" Brian interrupted Tierja, poking his head out into the living room with a wicked grin.

"Come on, Tier. You haven't lived until you've tried Kevin's cooking," Leighanne hooked her arm with Tierja's and headed into the living room.

"I don't know how good it could be if I wasn't allowed to help," Tierja tried to tease as her eyes locked with Kevin's.

"You could be excused from the dinner table...." Kevin trailed with a bemused smirk, trying to ignore all the signals exploding from Leighanne and Tierja.

"No, I'm starving! You better not excuse me from the table," Tierja broke from Leighanne and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Then shush," he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"Even if I have some news?"

"What kind of news?"

"News that is going to change both our lives for the better..."

Chapter Eleven: Third Time's A Charm


"I wish they would hurry up and call my name already... I hate waiting rooms," Tierja chewed on her thumbnail, swinging her feet back and forth as she sat in the hard plastic chair. Rows and rows of the same chairs filled the room, causing a monotany common in waiting rooms that she loathed.

"Y'know... You would never guess that your best friend is a paramedic the way you freak out about simple doctor's visits," Kevin teased, reaching to take away the hand that he feared she might nibble to the bone.

"I've never liked the doctor's office. The smell and the instruments back there... and then that disinfectant smell. It's almost as bad as the dentists," Teagan sighed, simply chewing on her other thumb. It was her first obstetrician visit and she was nervous.

"I'd be more worried about those stirrups--"

"Kevin! Not helping!" Tierja smacked him upside the head.

"Sweetheart, you're going to be fine."

"But--"

"Tierja Blackwell? You can come back now," a nurse called cheerfully.

"You think they sneak all those antidepressants into their coffee?" Kevin mused, taking Tierja's hand to help her out of the chair.

"Ana says it's the high content of caffeine. Some of them don't even blink anymore," Tierja whispered with a giggle as they followed the nurse.

"But you're positive you want me back here, right?" Kevin called as the nurse led them to the open examination room to get Tierja's basic information.

"Of course I want you back here," Tierja smiled as she slid up onto the padded table, immediately taking his hand again. She was still a little frightened about being at a doctor.

"Your first visit?" the nurse guessed, keying in her password to log her onto the computerized system of patient files.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Just a little, but it's perfectly natural."

"How much are you paid to say that?" Kevin questioned with a small smirk.

"Enough to keep me living comfortably," the nurse joked as Tierja smacked Kevin's arm and she clicked onto the right file. "Alright, Tierja... I just need to fill in a few gaps and the doctor will be in right after that."

"What kind of gaps?"

"The date of your last period, how long they normally last and your blood type. Things like that."

"Do I really have to be here for this?" Kevin frowned.

"Yes, because I said so," Tierja grinned as she rattled off the information, the nurse typing away before saving the file.

"Have you done a home pregnancy test?" the nurse suddenly questioned, glancing up from the thin folder she was carrying.

"I did two of them. Why?"

"Were they positive or negative?"

"Both positive."

"Sounds like a good sign. The doctor will be in shortly."

"Thank you..." Tierja trailed off as the nurse left. "That was one odd woman. I'll have to ask Missy about her."

"How would she know her?" Kevin questioned in confusion.

"It's a small town and with Missy as a paramedic... she knows almost everyone."

"Oh..."

"Are you--" Tierja was interrupted by a soft knock on the door before her doctor slipped into the room with a warm smile.

"I hear we've got a two time pregnancy tester in here looking for the third and final confirmation?"

"Yes ma'm--"

"Please, you don't need to be formal. Dr. Michaels is just fine," the woman corrected, her warm brown eyes shining with humor. She was tall with long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of her neck.

"Okay, Dr. Michaels..." Tierja trailed, obviously not catching onto the joke.

"Right," she laughed again, seating herself at the computer to quickly type in her own login information. She then turned to shake Kevin's hand. "Mom and Dad, I'm guessing?"

"That's us," Kevin nodded, reciprocating the hearty shake. The word 'Dad' was still new to him.

"And which one of you is pregnant?"

"He is," Tierja pointed to Kevin.

"I what?" Kevin blanked for a moment.

"I'm going to need a urine sample and some blood work," Dr. Michaels continued, unphased. She keyed a few words into the computer and then handed a specimen cup to Kevin.

"I what?" Kevin repeated, actually taking the cup into his hand.

"Oh, it's not even fun when he's like that," Tierja rolled her eyes, taking the cup and sliding into the room's private washroom.

"Mood shifting follows hormone shifts," Dr. Michaels warned Kevin with a laugh, listening to the water run.

"Thanks for the warning," Kevin replied as Tierja came back out with a full cup.

"Do we really need blood work?"

"We've got to be sure."

"Is there any way to take blood without a needle?"

"Afraid not," Dr. Michaels laughed, retrieving a Labortory Sheet to check off the tests that needed performed.

"You have all those tattoos... but you can't handle getting your blood drawn?" Kevin raised an eyebrow as Dr. Michaels ushered Tierja into a chair, needle and test tube in hand.

"That's different!" Tierja scoffed, squirming when she was seated.

"Now don't you start. If you jerk when I do this it could easily infiltrate your vein and that won't be pretty," Dr. Michaels gave a fair warning.

"Are you just trying to intimidate me?"

"Is it working?"

"Slightly..."

"Good."

~*~*~*~

"Missy... Leigh... I just can't believe it... there are so many things I have to do!" Tierja rushed, running a hand through her gelled spikes as she, Ana and Leighanne sunbathed on the deck. Ana had come over to keep each other company while the guys were bonding at the local bar and grill.

"She's nesting already," Ana mused with a lazy yawn, gently stretching her lithe body. She had unstrapped the heavy brace for the time being, just allowing her body to relax within the warm glow of the sun.

"You're funny," Tierja stuck her tongue out at Ana as Leighanne laughed. She took a sip of her water bottle and frowned slightly.

"What I do wrong?" Ana questioned, peaking her eyes open to catch Tierja's frown.

"I don't nest--"

"It's not an insult, Tierja. It's a natural phenomenon that happens with all pregnant women. When it's closer to your due date, Kevin's going to notice that you're cleaning the house like a manic and preparing everything perfectly. It's called nesting," Ana was quick to explain with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh... that's what it means?"

"Duh, you dork."

"Well, I didn't--"

"When's your due date, Tier?" Leighanne quickly interrupted, lowering her sunglasses to the tip of her elegant nose.

"Eight months from now," Ana laughed.

"April 23rd," Tierja answered, throwing a handful of grapes at Ana's forehead.

"Thank you," Ana murmured, popping one she actually caught into her mouth to savor.

"Just for that, you're the Godmother."

"Say huh?" Ana nearly choked on the grape, chugging down some water.

"You heard me!"

"I need clarification!"

"You. Are. Godmother."

"You don't want me as a Godmother."

"Too late, because I already decided that you are," Tierja replied, resting her hands on her exposed abdomen. It still excited her to think a child was growing inside. "Why wouldn't I want that?"

"Because I'm not exactly godmother material. Leighanne is a lot better at the nuturing stuff than I am."

"You're just as good. I saw how sweet you were with that little girl who skinned her knee at the grocery store," Leighanne objected, recalling a recent event. "You're definitely a nurturing type."

"But I'm such an asshole..."

"Not with kids. Just the rest of us," Tierja laughed.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious."

"How can you be serious about being an asshole?" Leighanne raised a blonde eyebrow.

Ana paused for a moment, wrinkling her nose with distaste. "Because I am."

"You are not!" Leighanne and Tierja chorused, throwing more grapes at her.

"Stop absuing me!"

"Kevin says that at night... but in a way where he wants more--"

"EW! TIERJA!"

"What?! How do you think this baby was created?"

"Trust me, I know, but I don't need the damn details about the exact moment of conception!"

"So that means you'll be the Godmother?"

"No--"

"Thank you, Missy!"

"Now wait a damn minute!"

"And I thought life with Brian was interesting..." Leighanne chuckled, popping a few grapes into her mouth as Tierja and Ana continued to bicker.

~*~*~*~

"You do realize what this means, Kev? Two am feedings, diaper changes, baby puke on your shirts, sleepless nights amd--"

"Alright J, I get the point!" Kevin groaned, taking his shot on the pool table as he played against Howie. The other three were entertained with the Playstation 2 and large screen tv down in Tierja and Kevin's basement.

"It's just a life altering commitment, no big deal," Brian chuckled, reaching to snatch the controller from Nick.

"You guys are not a lot of help," Kevin frowned as he missed the shot, merely sinking in the cue ball much to Howie's delight.

"We try," Nick shrugged as he watched the television screen intently.

"I believe that's a scratch," Howie informed, moving toward the end of the pool table to retrieve the cue ball working through the maze of magnets embedded within the table. "And, I'd just like to say that I'm glad you and Tierja are pregnant. Kids are fantastic."

"Thanks, D. That means a lot to me," Kevin smiled as Howie placed the cue ball back on the table. He aimed for another ball and easily sunk it in. "So that means you should let me win this game."

"Sorry, bro. No can do there. Anything else and I can do it," Howie teased as he went to the next ball.

"How about helping me pick out an engagement ring? I'm making it part of the Godfather's job."

"Then why would I be helping you pick out an engament ring?" Howie stated lamely, concentrating on lining his cue stick up against the correct angle of the cue ball.

"Because you're going to be the Godfather, you dumbass."

"I'm the..." Howie glanced up as the pool stick slipped from his hands, flying across the room to land between AJ and Nick. Only, he concentrated on Kevin for the longest moment, narrowing his eyes. "I'm the Godfather?"

"Yeah. Well... only if you say yes. I can't exactly make you, but it would be nice since Tier has asked Ana to be the Godmother."

"Ana's the Godmother?" Howie smiled with approval over the idea, causing AJ and Nick to snort.

"She is," Kevin grabbed a few cue stick chalks and threw them at AJ and Nick. "Does that mean you'll be the Godfather?"

"Well... I've got to complete the set, right? Can't let Ana have all the fun with the first baby..."

"Really?"

"Of course," Howie smiled, giving Kevin a brotherly hug. "Did you say something about helping you get an engagement ring?"

"I know I kind of put the cart before the horse with Tier being pregnant, but yeah, I want help picking out an engagement ring. I have this whole thing about making an honest woman out of her," Kevin chuckled.

"Now he thinks he's Howdy Doody," Nick actually giggled.

"Nick, how do you know who Howdy Doody is? That stuff was in black and white--"

"Nick at Night, Moron!"

"I'll show you Moron," AJ growled, tackling Nick onto the floor.

"Dogpile!" Brian announced, jumping on top of Nick and AJ.

"Just think, if you have a boy, he'll carry the tradition of dogpiles," Howie laughed, stepping around the pool table to avoid the tussle.

"Such a good tradition to continue," Kevin shook his head, trying to remain stern but couldn't help but smile. "It's still hard for me to believe I'm going to be a dad."

"Yeah, but at least you've had practice," Howie motioned to the three men on the floor wrestling and cursing each other out.

"PLENTY of practice," Kevin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully.

"Not enough practice in a dogpile. Join us, Cuz!" Brian grinned, pulling on Kevin's leg. The older man stumbled and fell into the struggle with a groan.

"I think Brian has a point!" Howie laughed.

"Well, I think you need the practice, too!" Kevin growled as the four of them grasped Howie's leg and pulled.

"MOTHER NO!" Howie squealed, reaching to grasp the top of the pool table to save himself.

"MOTHER YES!" Kevin, Brian, Nick and AJ chorused, pulling one more time and successfully brought Howie down.

"MOTHER NO!" Howie muffled under the pile of bodies.

Chapter Twelve: Shopping?

"Nick, for the last time, get your ass away from that display case!" Kevin groaned, pulling the collar of Nick's t-shirt and steering him away from the glass case which held chains and pendants encrusted with jewels and diamonds. It was apparent that bringing AJ, Nick and Brian along while he and Howie shopped for an engagement ring was becoming a bad idea. The youngest of the group always seemed to cause trouble, especially in public.

"But I want one!" Nick whined, keeping his eyes locked on the jewelry.

"Then save money and get it!" Kevin retorted, releasing his collar.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Nick huffed with betrayal, immediately reaching to rub the back of his neck as a frown fixed on his usually cheurbic face.

"It means I ain't getting it for you, so stop bitching about it!"

"Damn, are his hormones changing along with Tier's? Talk about PMS," AJ whispered to Brian, snickering.

Nick immediately linked his arms playfully on Kevin's shoulders like a young child, uninterested in the rest of the group. "How is it going to save me money if I buy it instead of you? Even I can subtract money, Kevin--"

"It saves me money, dumbass," Kevin pulled away from Nick's grasp with a scowl. He turned to AJ and Brian, who were sill laughing at the predicament. "And you two, don't even start. Why did I let you come with, anyway?"

"Because we would have bugged you until you gave in," AJ shrugged his shoulders.

"Can't you three... just... look around while I find a ring? And not break anything?"

"Is this how you're going to act when your kid is born?" AJ mused with a wicked grin. "Because, I would suggested anger management classes along with some parenting classes. I think Miss AJ would know about some of those classes happening at the local hospital--"

"I don't need anger management!" Kevin shouted, startling the other customers walking through the quaint store. Employees were craning their necks to seek out the problem, their thin eyebrows raised.

"I rest my case--"

"Guys..." Howie chuckled, interupting what Howie knew would be a royal blood bath. And knowing the importance of selecting an engagement ring, Howie understood that Kevin was probably about to have a severe heart attack. So, quickly, he pulled a few crisp bills from his wallet, handing them over to Brian, AJ, and Nick. "There's a small arcade across from this store. Why don't you go have some fun while us adults do this boring stuff."

"Damn, I can't wait for you to be a Dad!" Nick whooped, planting a sloppy kiss on Howie's cheek before wrestling AJ for the money.

"Thank God," Kevin sighed as the three men ran out of the store and to the arcade.

"Yeah, you're not the one who got kissed by Nick and lost about twenty bucks," Howie groaned, wiping away Nick's saliva with the sleeve of his jean jacket. "It looked like you were going to go on a murdering spree or something and I didn't feel like seeing any bloodshed today. I get enough from Ana's paramedic stories."

"If I can't even handle them after so many years... What makes me think that I'm going to be able to handle a screaming infant at all hours of the night in a few months?" Kevin murmured with a dejected sigh, leaning on the glass counter to stare at all the beautifully expensive rings below him. "Maybe you and Ana should have gotten pregnant first..."

"Okay, for one. Those three idiots know how to push your buttons and that's why it's more difficult. Two, you're being too hard on yourself. Three, you're going to be a great dad, and I don't care what you're thinking. Tierja got pregnant before Ana, and now there's nothing you can do to change that," Howie placed a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"But you two could still get pregnant... And Ana's active and wild enough that she'd send herself into early labor... Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting Tier pregnant before you got Ana pregnant?" Kevin suggested with a meek smile, almost sounding as if he had taken his logic from Nick.

"That... made absolutely no sense. Are you that desperate for me to be a father first?" Howie chuckled in amusement.

"You've had experience with kids your whole damn life. Tons of nieces, nephews, and cousins springing out of every Dorough household... I've had...Brian... And, we all know those stories..."

"Will you stop rambling and pick out an engagement ring for your girlfriend?"

"Howie--"

"You and Tierja are going to be great parents. End of story."

"Are you sure I couldn't bribe you into--"

"Don't even try."

"What are you so afraid of?" Kevin challenged toward Howie, obviously looking to pick a small squabble to get rid of his own insecurities.

"Me? Afraid? You're the one trying to bribe me into having a kid before you and Tierja, which by the way isn't possible since she's a month along. Besides, Ana is still healing from the tornado--"

"She could still carry a baby with a broken leg," Kevin defended, pushing himself off the counter to crouch down to get better look at the various rings.

"We haven't talked about it."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing! Just pick out a ring."

"Little quick to answer that question, D," Kevin sung softly, trying to remember what Tierja wanted. She had been quite coy tucking various pictures of engagement rings around the house. Most clever had been the one in his wallet where his condom used to reside...

"You're something else, you know that?" Howie groaned, looking down at the same case Kevin was. "Do you know what kind she wants?"

"Nothing that looks like a red condom hopefully..."

"A what?!"

"She kept giving me clipping of rings and placing them in my wallet where I used to put my condom."

"Sneaky one, isn't she?"

"Far too clever," Kevin agreed with a small grimace, pulling out the latest clipping. He unfolded it carefully to reveal a brilliant diamond that caught perfectly within the lighting of the photograph. She had wanted to go classic with the engagement, deciding on a clear diamond in white gold. Kevin had been somewhat thankful for that feature, knowing he didn't have to hunt all over the world practically to locate a jewel as Howie had for the purple sapphire in Ana's ring.

"Makes married life interesting."

"Sure, this coming from the man who took three years to propose and will take another three years to actually physically tie the knot," Kevin murmured, glancing from the picture to the display case. Jumping up slightly, he motioned to the well dressed man behind the counter to bring out the last tray of rings before glancing back to Howie. "Not to mention the fact that he won't even consider having children because he's scared out of his mind..."

"I am not scared about anything. Ana and I are already married, you guys are just pissed that we didn't let you know until a week later," Howie retorted as Kevin scanned through the tray to find the perfect ring. "Need I remind you who bribed who to have kids first because they're scared?"

"Technically, it's he's scared, but I won't embarrass you and correct your grammar in front of this gentleman," Kevin answered, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Howie fuming. "Besides, we could stop this conversation if you'd just admit your scared to have kids with Ana..."

"But I'm not!"

"You know, lying is just as bad as using improper grammar," Kevin sang softly with a smirk.

"Goddamnit, Kev--"

"That one please," Kevin suddenly announced with a bright smile, plucking the perfect ring from its bed amongst the others. Sure enough, it was a white gold ring of metal with the rounded diamond nestled in a small pronged basket a top the ring which was detailed delicately with tiny rosebuds that danced around the band. "Nature brought us together, nature might as well keep us together."

"Excellent choice, sir. How are you paying for this?" the lanky employee replied, taking the ring into his hand.

"Credit," Kevin pulled out the card and handed it to the man, who immediately went to the back room.

"You complained the whole way here, just to find it in a heartbeat?" Howie questioned incredously.

"Didn't you say that you searched high and low for the perfect purple sapphire ring and knew in an instant that's what you wanted when you saw it?" Kevin retorted smoothly, acting as if nothing were wrong as he leaned back against the counter.

"Well yeah, but--"

"Instinct, D. It's called instinct."

"No shit, I know what that is--"

"Here you are, sir. All boxed and ready for the lucky lady," the man came back from the room with the ring and reciept for Kevin to sign.

"Thank ya much," Kevin answered with a lopsided grin, scribbling his name to the reciept and taking the tiny bag. He then glanced to Howie as he motioned toward the glass door. "But you still have no instinct when it comes to lying."

"I'm not lying," Howie frowned as he and Kevin walked out of the prestige store.

"I'm calling bullshit."

"You know what? I no longer like you--"

"D! KEV! Whatever they tell you, I didn't do it! The machine fell on accident!" Nick yelped as he ran out of the arcade with Brian and AJ on his heels.

~*~*~*~

"So what kind of colors are you looking for in baby clothes, Tier? White, yellow, green... orange? Neutral colors are best when you don't know the baby's sex," Leighanne replied, walking towards the newborn section. "At least, that's what everyone always tells me."

"I'll tell you one thing. If you have a girl and you buy her a bunch of pink, I'll resign as godmother," Ana chirped as she crutched her way to the blues of boy clothes.

"No, I promise I'll save all the varities of pinks for your first little girl," Tierja threw back toward her best friend, rolling her eyes in true annoyance. She didn't understand why Ana was so against any ounce of feminism, especially when they were doing the ultimate girly thing during the afternoon while the boys played - baby shopping. If anything, Ana should have worshipped her control of the female whiles, though she'd never admit to it.

"Trust me, I'm not having kids," Ana promised, slipping one earbud of her MP3 player into her right ear to keep herself entertained while the chaos of baby shopping ensued. She really didn't see the point of shopping so early when the baby was eight months from being born. But, she understood that Tierja was excited. So, she somewhat tolerated the situation, glancing through the soft blues and greens with a faint amusement.

"You're not having kids? Please, I rememeber you saying how you were going to have all boys who would learn how to play football when we were kids," Tierja shook her head, picking up a white onesie with green stripes. "You love kids and I don't care what you say."

"Besides, doesn't Howie want them someday?" Leighanne interjected, picking up an orange outfit for Tierja's approval.

"It's not that I don't love them," Ana exhaled, wrinkling her nose at both of the outfits the women had selected. "And, it's not Howie's choice anyway. I'm the one that has to pass them like a giant kidney stone."

"You have to put it like that?" Tierja groaned, placing the outfit back. She put a hand against her slim stomach, almost imaging the pain of childbirth.

"Well, that's how it is when you think about it--"

"You're not being very helpful."

"Yes I am! These are medical facts that you should know," Ana continued, bopping her head to the music as she settled on an outfit she actually liked.

"It's called an epidural," Leighanne tried to console, glancing toward Tierja with what she hoped was an encouraging smile. She hadn't exactly given birth or delivered children in the back of an ambulance, but she had seen those birthing shows on TV. And, the mothers-to-be weren't exactly the most comforting as they howled with pain.

"An epidural that involves a big ass needle getting shoved in between the discs of your back just to thread a little tube that delivers pain killers for a few hours..." Ana clarified, offering Tierja a light yellow terry cloth sleeper with a monkey on the left chest.

"Do you just say those things so I have a nervous breakdown?" Tierja gaped in disbelief before looking down at the sleeper.

"Just letting you know what they are."

"I ain't having no needle shoved into my back--"

"Will you stop worrying and just look at this kick-ass outfit I found for your kid?" Ana interrupted with a groan, pushing the sleeper into Tierja's arms. "It's terry cloth; which is feels nice, it's yellow and there's a monkey on it."

"Those are the criteria? Terry cloth, yellow, and a monkey?" Leighanne laughed.

"Better than a pink scratchy piece of junk that feels like the inside of a crappy sleeping bag and a big frilly bow stitched to the butt?" Ana mused, waiting for Tierja to answer as she attempted to balance herself carefully on her good leg.

"It's perfect," Tierja finally smiled, kissing Ana's cheek.

"What was that for?" Ana groaned, attempting to wipe away the kiss as Tierja placed the outfit into her basket already filled with booties and onesies.

"What do you think it's for?"

Ana glanced toward her friend for a moment of confusion, actually looking if she were contemplating such an action. Finally, she released a soft sigh with a shrug of her shoulders. Turning from the clothing, she moved toward nursery items. "...I'm still not having kids..."

"What's wrong with having kids?" Leighanne questioned with a raise of a thin eyebrow.

"Besides the fact that you get swelled ankles, back pains, weird cravings, false contractions--"

"Anastacia Grace!" Tierja growled with contempt, following her down the nursery isle. She and Kevin had already decided that the baby would move into the room beside their master bedroom. Kevin was even planning on doing some construction to link the two rooms, then when the baby was older, Tierja could create it into an office or whatever her heart desired.

"What?" Ana yawned with a soft grimace of pain. Shifting her hand to her back pocket, she shuffled through some songs, thinking that she had gotten away from the gaggle.

"You know you want kids. Howie wants kids. What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid," Ana scoffed in surprise, settling on a Meatloaf song.

"Yep, you're afraid. But why are you afraid?" Tierja continued, stopping in front of a scene of the nightsky speckled with stars and moons. She and Kevin both loved the nighttime and thought it would be a good theme for the nursery.

"Would you just go back to spending Kevin's money like a good little woman?" Ana tried to dissuade, having no heart to confront her own life journey at the moment. She was just happy being married and Howie hadn't even touched the subject of children. Like always, she just wanted to let potentially vicious sleeping dogs lie.

"Anastacia--"

"Tierj, seriously. This is your time for the baby, now find things that you want for it," Ana interrupted, kissing the older woman's cheek to dissuade the argument.

"We're going to talk about this later."

"Right, but for the moment let's turn your attention to nursery shit--"

"Maybe she shouldn't have kids..." Leighanne giggled. "They'd come out more like AJ cursing up a storm than Howie."

"That would be a nightmare child," Tierja shook her head with a laugh, picking up some wallpaper.

"The fact that it had my genes or my genes combined with AJ?" Ana murmured in slight confusion.

"The fact they combined with AJ," they replied in unison.

"I think AJ is freaking kickass--"

"YOU'RE MARRIED TO HOWIE!"

Ana offered a purely innocent look as she pouted slightly. "So?"

"Good Lord, you are something else!" Tierja rolled her eyes, picking up a different kind of wallpaper. She cocked her head to the side and studied it before putting it back on the shelf. "You're supposed to have kids with the man you marry, not his best friend."

"Hey, at least it's not Nick--"

"ANA!"

"C'mon, you had to admit they'd at least be adorable. Two blonde blue-eyed parents? That's perfection," Ana tempted, knowing exactly what buttons to press on her friends. It seemed so easy and kept them away from her original thoughts.

"Yeah, and then Howie finds out one day when you're all at my house. He'll freak out, kill Nick, leave bloodshood all over and then I'll have to clean it up!" Tierja shook her head with a groan.

"I doubt Howie would ever go that far."

"Were you not there when Nick put anchovies in Howie's ice cream last week?"

"That's because Nick was messing with Howie's food. That's sacred."

"Ana--"

"Did you find anything good for the nursery?"

Leighanne glanced to Tierja in surprise, never expecting Ana to claim Howie's food was more important than his wife. But, Tierja simply shrugged her shoulders as if it were typical Ana behavior. Swallowing a sigh of contempt, Tierja reached for a wallpaper decorated with a celestial theme. "Kevin and I love to lay outside just watching the sky when it's not too cold... I want to do the baby's room in--"

"The same light as when he or she was concieved?" Leighanne guessed.

"Yes," Tierja answered with a grin.

"Why don't you paint the walls and go for a nice border instead?" Ana suggested after a few moments, motioning toward the border that matched the wallpaper Tierja had picked. She never had liked wallpaper and knew Kevin would burst an anneurysm trying to mount it.

"What color would look good with the border?"

"Anything that's on there would work," Ana shrugged, picking out a medium blue shade that was covered in stars. "Something like that, maybe?"

"Blue can work for girls and boys?"

"It didn't stop you as a kid, did it? You were obsessed with blue," Ana teased with a smirk as Tierja picked up a few more rolls of the border.

"Yeah, but..."

"You're not going to screw the kid up as bad as I would, so don't start. Just get what you like. If anything, you can add some pink into the room to match the blue if you find out she's a she."

"I know..."

"What's wrong, Tierj?"

"I don't know. Must be one of those mood swings--"

"Bullshit."

"I'm just scared, alright?"

"You're going to be a great Mom, Tierja," Leighanne promised.

"I'm not scared of that."

"Then what the Hell are you scared about?" Ana asked, actually chuckling in disbelief. It was like Tierja to worry about the oddest things.

"What if I have this kid and Kevin decides he can't take it? What if I drive him crazy and he leaves me to take care of the baby alone--"

"First off, Kevin's not going to leave, because I'll break his legs so he has to stay. And, second, you're never going to have to raise the baby alone," Ana quickly interrupted, squashing her fears.

"But--"

"Ana's right, Tier. That man loves you too much to leave, even if the baby does stress you both out. If he tries, he's got Ana, me and the other guys to go through," Leighanne added.

"But--"

"Besides, you already raised me and look how I turned out?" Ana prided with a boastful smile. "Nothing could possibly go wrong."

"Ana..." Tierja trailed off with a small laugh, causing the two other women to smile.

~*~*~*~

"So, what's the damn emergency? When you called me I had been so close to getting this hot chicks phone number!" Nick groaned as he sulked on the living room couch. Kevin had called everyone and asked them to come to his house as soon as possible, a tone of urgency in his voice.

"Nick, the mannequin at Victoria's Secret doesn't count as a hot chick," AJ snickered, collapsing onto one of the lazy boy recliners with a smirk on his face.

"FUCK YOU--"

"Shh! Tierja's sleeping upstairs!" Kevin hushed the youngest two with a hard glare as the rest settled onto the couches and loveseat. "I've got to something to ask y'all."

"You already know you have a bun in the oven, right?" AJ mused, arching his dark brows with a wicked grin.

"AJ, I swear to God--"

"Cuz, what did you want to tell us?" Brian spoke up. He knew that if AJ and Nick continued, the poor man in front of them would either have an anneurysm or heart attack.

"I didn't want to tell you anything... I wanted a little bit of help..." Kevin exhaled with disgust, glaring at AJ and Brian before falling onto his spot on the large couch.

"Isn't that an understatement..." AJ laughed, causing Nick to grin impishly.

"Will you two idiots just shut up for two minutes?" Howie groaned, trying not to laugh as Ana placed her head against his shoulder on the loveseat they had claimed. "What do you need help for, Kev?"

"Obviously mental instablities..." Ana trailed when she noticed Kevin's sharp gaze narrow on her. AJ and Nick whooped softly in agreement, but Kevin raised his hand. Both men gulped and fell backward as Ana offered a tired, impish smile, continuing to pick at the padding along her crutches. "Sorry, just trying to be one of the boys..."

"Just tell us," Leighanne spoke up.

"I need help figuring out a way to propose to Tier. I've been thinking about this for the past few days since I got the ring and I don't know how I'm going to do it," Kevin admitted, lowering his hand.

"So you're asking the peanut gallery for help?" Howie finally chuckled, unable to maintain a serious nature any longer.

"Well, yeah--"

"STRIP CLUB!" Nick suddenly burst. "Take her to a strip club! That's never been done before! Hell, I'll go with you!"

"No, not a strip club!" Kevin groaned, immediately throwing a pillow at Nick's head. "And keep your voice down! Didn't I just say that Tierja's upstairs taking a nap? She's been really drained lately."

"Well, I'm not the one that filled her with a baby like topping a whip cream sundae," Nick snorted.

"God..." Ana trailed, looking as if she were horrified with Nick's statement. But her large eyes instantly brightened as a grin crossed her beautiful face. "...That's a beautiful analogy!"

"Not a strip club and that was just... wrong," Brian shook his head with a chuckle, turning to his frustrated cousin as Ana and Nick slapped each others hands together with a hoot. "Do you have any ideas that we can go off of?"

"I did until these yahoo's started babbling..." Kevin growled.

"Maybe these 'yahoos' should go play outside?" Ana suggested, glancing toward AJ and Nick hopefully. She wasn't exactly one for romantic notions, especially when they involved Tierja.

"Ana, you're not one of them--"

"I'm not too good at romance to begin with and if it involves Tierj... I won't be much help," Ana shook her head with a smile, launching herself up on her crutches. "C'mon, Boys."

"No, no, no, allow me!" AJ instantly announced, sweeping down to poke his head between Ana's legs and boost her into a seat position on his shoulders.

"Holy shit, AJ!" Ana laughed in shock as Nick caught her crutches and she clasped her hands underneath his chin.

"Oh, sweet Lord. You three be careful!" Howie warned as the trio ran outside with Ana on AJ's shoulders.

"Ana's going to give us a hand's on demonstration of the birds and the bees... You want a doubled chance of a blonde haired baby, right?" Nick cackled excitedly, dancing with the crutches.

"Oh Hell--"

"Bee, I love you!" Ana called, turning back to offer a sweet smile towards Howie to let him know no such thing was happening.

"She loves me more!" AJ finished, sliding the glass doors closed to encase the three youngest in total privacy.

"And you think they drive you crazy?" Howie muttered towards Kevin in annoyance.

"Don't tell me you're jealous," Brian laughed.

"I'm not--"

"HELLO, remember me? The one who needs help proposing to his girlfriend!" Kevin interrupted, beginning to pace around the loveseat that was now just occupied with Howie.

"I seem to remember you giving me shit about pregnancy issues, so why should I help you?" Howie questioned, glancing up to the oldest with interest.

"Because you're the godfather and... and... because I said so!"

"Because you said so? That didn't even work when we were younger, Kev."

"Damnit, Howie--"

"Do you guys always fight this much?" Leighanne asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing to her husband and then his friends.

"Only because he accused me of being afraid to have kids with Ana--"

"Because he is chicken about having kids with Ana," Brian interupted with a wild grin.

"I am not!"

"Are too!" Brian and Kevin chorused, causing Leighanne to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter as Howie's face grew red.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am not--"

"Okay, okay. Reschedule that fight, because that's not why we're here," Leighanne spoke again.

"Yes, again, it's about me this time!" Kevin immediately switched, moving away from torturing Howie to his own problems.

"What were your ideas before we came over?"

"I... Roses?"

"Roses? That's it?"

"Why do you think I called you guys over to help?!"

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Howie groaned softly.

"When I have to call my friends and cousins for help... of course I'm pathetic," Kevin muttered, collapsing onto the couch. He leaned forward and rest his head in his hands.

"Well, you've done other special things for her, can't you combine some of the stuff she really loved into a really neat proposal?" Brian suggested.

"Mr. Big-Shot-I'm-Going-To-Be-A-Great-Father can't top me tying a sapphire engagement ring to a rose and giving her a kitten for a proposal," Howie scoffed, easing back onto the loveseat, obviously trying to compensate for his fears.

"Howie, I swear to God--"

"Both of you stop this right now. It's getting irritating!" Leighanne snapped gently, glaring at both Kevin and Howie. "Put aside your issues right now."

"As I was saying," Brian continued, giving his wife a sweet kiss on the cheek as a thank you. "Why don't you just make one of her favorite dishes, get things set up on the roof and propose to her under the stars?"

"She won't think it's cliched to do the roof thing twice?" Kevin finally spoke.

"Sometimes recreating a special moment is far more important than reinventing a new one," Leighanne agreed.

"Do what Brian suggested. She'll like that a lot," Howie replied softly, looking down at his hands.

"Alright... thanks, guys. Now I just need to gather the nerve to do this."

"You love her right?" Howie spoke again.

"Of course--"

"And you want to be with her? Raise your child together?"

"Yes--"

"Then you'll be just fine."

Chapter Thirteen: Nighttime Roof

"Mmm, now I remember why I married you," Ana mumbled with a mouthful of Dominos pizza as Howie settled next to her on the patio swing. The sun had just set and stars were slowly coming to view. Howie made it a simple night for dinner, merely dialing Ana's favorite pizza delivery.

"And that would be?"

"You always know that the way to my heart is through pizza."

"Is that your way of saying that you'd married AJ and Nick if they bought you Domino's, too?" Howie questioned, watching Ana tear the crust of the pizza off to eat first so she could enjoy the extra cheese last.

"Are you still jealous over Nick and AJ buying that pregnancy test for me after our private party?" Ana laughed with question, offering Howie a bite of the cheesy pizza as if offering a truce. "Sweetheart, that was days ago."

"They always do it to piss me off," Howie gumbled before taking a bit of the pizza.

"And you let it piss you off," Ana countered, laughing again as she pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Because you're--"

"I am your wife and you're just nervous because if I take it and I turn out to be pregnant, that means you have to be a Daddy," Ana continued to tease gently, offering Howie the other slice of pizza on her plate before she moved it to the table set to the side of their porch swing.

"What do you mean by that?" Howie almost choked on his pizza, looking at his wife in surprise.

"You're nervous and scared to be a Daddy. It's perfectly normal--"

"I am not!"

"Howie..." Ana attempted to chide, but softened when she noticed the wide eyed expression of fear on her husband's face. Carefully, she reached to fold both of her small hands over his somewhat larger one, just holding them to her chest for warmth. "I told Tierj I didn't want kids."

"You don't want kids?" Howie repeated, biting the inside of his cheek.

"That's what I told Tierj."

"Why?"

"I'm scared to have kids. I've been riding the ambulance since I was a kid... I've seen what happens to kids... To kids who even have fantastic parents... It scares the Hell out of me, because I know what can happen and I don't want it to happen to my children... Well, our children... Or maybe because I've seen all this violence and I won't be a good mother and wife... I don't know, I guess..." Ana trailed, casting her gaze out to the sunset.

"Ana..." Howie cupped her cheeks and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. "I'll tell you one thing. There is no way you're not a good wife already and you'll make an amazing mother. It is scary, how the world is and when the children do get hurt. But all we can do is protect them as much as we can."

"I don't want to take the chance... Not with someone else's life... Not with someone so tiny and vulnerable," Ana whispered, confessing her deepest thoughts. She attempted to exhale a shaky breath, just leaning to press their foreheads together. She hadn't expected this conversation to come up, especially with Tierja continuing to inform her how scared Howie was about having kids with her.

"Our parents took the chance with having us... if they hadn't... we wouldn't be together right now," Howie ran his fingers down her cheeks, much like she did with him while he was upset. Their foreheads stayed connected as he spoke from his heart. "I'm scared to have kids, but I still want them with you someday soon. That someone so tiny and vulnerable will needs us to love them and be there for them."

"Howie--"

"It's okay to be scared, but don't let it run your feelings."

"I guess..."

"What do you want, Ana?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to have kids... with me?"

"Why'd you hesitate on the 'with me' statement?" Ana quickly turned, furrowing her light brows with question. She seemed far too estute when it came to processing conversations, but that was because of her line of work. She needed to assess the seriousness of each situation, which came with talking to patients. But, of course it seemed to rub off on family life. She needed to know what Howie was thinking. She had confessed her dark thoughts.

"I don't know," Howie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sometimes I doubt myself and think maybe you don't want to have kids because it would be with me--"

"Howard Dwaine Dorough!"

"What?"

"You're the only one I would have kids with. I love you, and no one else could change that!"

"But Nick and--"

"They're just good friends. Your good friends that you encouraged me to become good friends with," Ana continued to scorn lightly. "You're absolutely perfect in my eyes, Howie. You were perfect the day I walked in the bar to pick up Tierj..."

"I am?" Howie whispered.

"Absolutely. You've got those brown eyes I could just lose myself in everyday. Your silky curls I love running my fingers through... and may I mention, you're gorgeous body--"

"Ana," Howie chucked, actually starting to blush furiously.

"I love you so much and if you don't want to have children..." Ana swallowed the lump growing in her throat. "...Then tell me you don't want to have children, but don't blame it on the fact that you think I couldn't stand the thought of having kids with you."

"But I do want children."

"You do?"

"Yes. I'm just scared that it's me who will be the terrible parent..."

"You? The one with tons of nieces and nephews?"

"Well, yeah--"

"Sweetheart, you will be everything but a terrible parent. You're so good with kids!"

"Kids that I can send home--"

"Howie..." Ana trailed with a soft sigh, deciding to at least try reverse psychology. Howie's self-esteem seemed to still be building from the chaos of Kevin's attack many years ago. "...Maybe we shouldn't have kids."

"What?"

"If you're not sure of yourself... and I'm not sure of myself... it could mean that we shouldn't have kids--"

"Ana..."

"I'm glad we had this talk," Ana continued without much thought, reaching to gather her crutches to boost her from the swing. "I'll call the Gyno tomorrow and get my birth control back. Just think of all the time we'll have for work--"

"Wait a damn minute!" Howie blurted, grabbing the crutches before she did.

"Howie!"

"You're not getting the birth control--" Howie stopped and his eyes grew wide. "What do you mean, get it back?!"

"Huh?"

"You said get your birth control back... you haven't had it lately?"

"Oh..." Ana trailed, blushing furiously as she downcast her eyes. She didn't realize that she had forgotten that small detail of information in previous conversations. She attempted to reach for her crutches, expecting Howie to be absolutely furious with her. "I had to be on that antibiotic after the hurricane and it screws up the effectiveness of birth control... So I stopped it..."

"And you didn't tell me? All those times we didn't use protect--"

"I forgot? Howie, I'm sorry."

"You just forgot?"

Ana instantly became defensive, "It's not like I was trapping you into marriage or anything!"

"What the Hell are you talking about? I never said you were trapping me into marriage," Howie laughed, shaking his head.

"Well what the Hell are you talking about?!" Ana instantly countered, furrowing her blonde brows in sheer confusion and agitation.

"Good Lord, Sweetheart. Calm down! I was just asking how you could forget to tell me," Howie tried to explain, kissing her forehead. "But don't you think that since we've been making love without protection for all these months that there's a chance you could get pregnant?"

"No..."

"Good thing you put that pregnancy test Nick and AJ bought you in the bottom of your underwear drawer--"

"Excuse me..." Ana trailed after interupting him, reaching to yank away her crutches from his grasp. "How the Hell do you know that's where I put it?"

"I was putting away your laundry and I found it," Howie raised an eyebrow. "Are you mad at me?"

"Are you sure that's where I put it?" Ana redirected, easing the crutches underneath her arms to boost herself into a standing position. She had no idea when her last menses had occured, which made just the tinest nervous twitch flutter in the pit of her stomach. She attempted to act causal as she brushed her long ponytail behind her shoulders, not wanting to alert Howie to the stress rapidly growing in her body. She wanted to convince herself that her ovaries had exploded and there was no way she was pregnant.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I just did laundry yesterday," Howie replied, getting to his feet as well. His wife's shift in mood was odd and he needed to know what was wrong. "Ana? Are you mad at me? What's going on?"

"I'm not mad at you," she promised lightly, heading into the house with a light limp as she attempted to put some weight on her tender leg.

"Ana--"

"Everything's fine, Bee."

"Everything isn't fine," Howie objected with a frown, hurrying into the house as he saw her climbing the long flight of stairs to their second floor. "Ana! We haven't finished talking--"

"Finish your pizza."

"We need to finish talking about this!"

"Finish your pizza, I'll be back soon."

Howie was about to continue yelling, but found it useless when she disappeared and he heard the slam of their bedroom door. He waited for a moment to hear her laugh and call for him to join her, but silence invaded his hearing. Dejected, Howie turned toward the kitchen to package the leftover pizza in the fridge. He didn't know what to take their conversation as. It wasn't as if they had solved anything. At the most, Howie might have caused more distress when he asked quite bluntly if she had purposely forgotten to mention the antibiotics or discontinuation of birth control.

~*~*~*~

"Cuz? Hello, anyone home?" Brian called as he walked into the seemingly empty home, hands loaded down with grocery bags. He had promised Kevin he would get all the supplies needed for the romantic night the couple was about to have. "Hello?"

"In here!"

"Well, next time answer me, old man. I was yelling when you were in the damn kitchen," Brian huffed playfully, setting all the bags onto the large kitchen island. "What were you doing?"

"Listening to Howie bitch and moan?" Kevin answered with a slight question in his voice, immediately moving to assess the inventory of items he had requested.

"Ana's still acting funny?" Brian clarified, helping the older man empty the bags.

"That's the thing. She's acting like it never happened and doesn't seem to hear Howie when he says he wants to talk about it," Kevin replied, sticking the cold items into the refridgerator. "I was on the phone with him for over an hour, just listening to him complain."

"Well, if Leighanne told me that antibiotics screwed up birth control three months after we've been having sex without protection and she hasn't even started up the birth control again... Then won't say a damn thing about it after she disappears upstairs for awhile... I might be in the mood to complain, too," Brian suggested, seeing Howie's side of things.

"Yeah... me too," Kevin sighed heavily, turning on the stove. "I try to have Tier talk to Ana about it, but nothing has worked. I guess until she wants to talk, Howie's just going to have to complain."

"Do you think she honestly forgot to tell him about the birth control? Or... I mean, Howie asked her to marry him after that huge Hurricane and..."

"First off, it was a tornado," Kevin spoke before Brian could finish his thought. "Ana loves Howie, and she wouldn't need to trap him into marrying her. He wanted to marry her the minute he saw her at Tier's bar. I honestly think the girl did forget; she has a memory worse than a goldfish."

"You kind of have to watch out for Howie when he has that golden heart..." Brian trailed, glancing down to avoid contact with his older cousin's piercing green eyes. "But, do you think she's pregnant?"

"I don't know. I mean, anything's possible when it comes to women and their bodies," Kevin replied honestly, shrugging his shoulders. "All I do know is that Ana didn't plan on trapping Howie in anything. She loves him and he loves her."

"...Did you know that antibiotics screw up birth control?" Brian questioned after a few moments of silent unpacking of the groceries.

"Why would I know that?" Kevin turned to Brian with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know... I mean... I just think I might be watching Leigh a little more closely when she gets the sniffles..."

"Don't get so paranoid," Kevin groaned, placing an empty paper bag over Brian's head.

"But look what happened to Howie! Didn't he hear of those 'better safe than sorry' quotes?! He should have been wrapping while she was popping!"

"You are something else," Kevin pushed onto Brian's covered forehead before turning to fix dinner for what he hoped was his soon-to-be fiance.

~*~*~*~

Tierja yawned softly as she stepped out of the nursery she had been working on all day inbetween shopping with Leighanne. They had invited Ana but she of course had declined, saying she had plans with Nick and AJ. She just hoped the woman would fix things with Howie soon so their lives would go back to normal. Her thoughts about Ana and Howie stopped as she realized the house was entirely quiet. "Kevin? Kevin, are you home?"

Still, his deep voice didn't greet her from any angle of the house, causing her to fold her arms across her chest in protection. She honestly hated being alone in the house during the evening. And, more infuriating was the fact that he hadn't told her he was leaving. It was common curtosey to give her some kind of warning. But, those thoughts were cleared when she noticed a trail of rose petals leading into the living room. Her lips curving into an excited smile, she hurried into the living room only to find a bouquet of roses with a small envelope.

"What do you have up your sleeve, Mr. Richardson?" she wondered outloud, picking up the envelope to open it. Inside was a note scrawled in Kevin's heavy handwriting.

My beautiful baby,

I'm sure you're already dying of curiosity with what I'm doing for you tonight, but it's only just begun. I want you to take the roses with you and try to find the place where you find the most solitude after a long day.

Kevin

"Well... That would technically be in bed underneath you... But I know you're not there..." Tierja mumbled aloud to herself, reaching to gather the gorgeous vase of white roses.

...try to find the place where you find the most solitude after a long day.

"I guess the next place would be... oh! The library," Tierja rushed towards the back of the house, opening a heavy oak door that led her to the library. All of the books she and Kevin ever owned were stacked on large bookshelves covering half the walls. On one of the reading chairs was a squeaky clean Spunky snoring loudly, another envelope sitting right next to him.

This place is far more special than a dusty library with a snoring puppy...

"Thanks for the hint, you little redneck," Tierja growled with slight aggravation, trying to think hard about what he was talking about. "No... not up there, he doesn't like climbing..."

Tierja's eyes widened in realization. "REDNECK! Outside! The damn redneck is outside!"

Spunky woke up and barked at his owner, but she ignored him as she grabbed the flowers and ran upstairs to the balcony right outside the bay windows in their bedroom. She climbed onto the sturdy chair and placed the vase safely on the roof before boosting herself up.

"Thought you'd never get here," Kevin announced, reaching to grasp her hands to help steady herself on the sturdy roof. It seemed like he had been waiting for hours. And for each hour that passed, another knot grew in his stomach.

"Well sorry for working on the nursery," Tierja joked with a smile before looking up at the starry sky. "What the Hell were you doing out here?"

"Trying to be romantic, isn't it working for this redneck?"

"You heard me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Baby, this is very romantic, but I thought you didn't like climbing up here--"

"I did because you like being up here," Kevin interrupted, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips.

"Mmm," Tierja murmured against his lips, instantly reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. Just the smallest signs of pregnancy were starting to occur within her body, like a small amount of fat depositing around her midsection. It was almost as if she were warming her child as she pressed close to Kevin's body.

"I love you so much," Kevin breathed as the kiss finally broke, his hands still secured onto her hips.

"I love you, too."

"Are you hungry?"

"Well... yes. But what are we going to do, have a pizza boy climb up here?" she laughed, looking up at him with her warm blue-gray eyes.

"Are you implying that not only am I a backward hick but I can't cook either?" Kevin scoffed with hurt, leading her toward the layers of soft blankets and perfectly packed picnic dinner he had created.

"You said it, not me."

"You little--"

"Shh, I was teasing," Tierja placed a hand over his mouth as they sat down on the blankets. Keeping a hand on his mouth, she leaned over and attempted to take a peek inside the various containers.

"You hurt my feelings," Kevin mumbled against her hand, licking it when she wouldn't pull away.

"I think you may be the sensitive one duting my pregnancy," Tierja made a face, wiping his saliva onto her jean shorts.

"Well, you're the one surging hormones at me," Kevin growled playfully.

"Making a baby goes both ways," Tierja laughed softly, reaching over again to look at what he had made for her. The smells made her stomach growl with hunger.

"Do you want to go straight to dessert?" Kevin suggested softly, reaching into the picnic basket to produce his special chocolate box filled with chocolate dipped strawberries and an engagement ring.

"You know me too well," Tierja nodded eagerly, licking her lips with anticipation at the sweet goodies that nestled inside. "What did you make? Creme brulee? Tiramisu?"

"Tier--"

"I'm just teasing, Baby."

"Well, stop teasing, it's not a nice trait for our child to pick up."

"I'm sorry," she leaned over and began kissing his neck.

"Hey..." Kevin hissed in a delighted surprise, almost spilling the chocolate box. "...Would you... Oh, God... Please, try this?"

"Okay," Tierja replied and easily stopped her kisses as she took the box. She opened the lid just a little and peered inside. "Chocolate covered strawberries! My favorite!"

"Well, I was hoping," Kevin chuckled, immediately rubbing his flaming neck.

"You're so good to me," Tierja grinned with excitement, opening the box all the way to grab one of the sweet treats.

"I'm hoping about that, too," Kevin murmured, actually biting down on his bottom lip as she continued to practically inhale the strawberries.

"Oh my God, these are delicious! You're such a--" Tierja stopped raving as her eyes caught something glittering on the bottom of the box. "Kevin... what's this?"

"I don't know..."

"This is..." Tierja reached down and pulled out the object. "This is..."

"An engagement ring?" Kevin finished for his speechless girlfriend, reaching to take it into his large hands from her trembling dainty hands. He smiled with approval as it twinkled gently in the lighting, complimenting the classic white diamond.

"An engagement... an engagement ring?" Tierja whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock as she looked down at the ring.

"If you say yes," Kevin chuckled, motioning toward her left hand. "I love you very much, Tier, and I think it's time we make our family whole. We have a son or daughter coming in just a few short months and I think we're ready. I mean, I've already survived a tornado with you, I don't think God can throw much else at us. So, please, Sweetheart, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Kevin. Of course I'll marry you!" Tierja sniffled, smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Thank you," Kevin breathed with relief, slipping the ring onto her finger before enveloping her into a powerful hug. He repeatedly kissed the side of her face while she sobbed happily into his shoulder. "I love you so much, Tier. So much!"

"I love you, too," Tierja continued to cry, holding onto Kevin tight. "I'm going to make you the happiest man alive, I promise. I'll do everything for our baby to make sure they have the best--"

"He or she already has the very best, because we have you," Kevin complimented, bringing her in for a sweet kiss that would last them far beyond even the most distant twinkling star.

Chapter Fourteen: Family Reunion

"What time is their flight supposed to come in?" Tierja asked, craning her neck to try and see through the heavy glass doors leading to the plane terminal. Since the attacks on September 11th, things were very tight with security at airports. It was beginning to annoy her that she couldn't see their guests or the plane. "They've got to be close to landing or something, we've only been waiting forever! These damn doors don't help either--"

"Do you think you might be able to take a breath within the next few seconds or should I find someone that's CPR Certified?" Kevin interupted with a groan of laughter. Tierja had haphazardly invited his family to visit them in their home of Minnesota. Of course his mother had quickly agreed before Tierja reminded herself of how nerve-wracking such a visit could be. But, before she could take back the invitation, they were booking flights.

"Well I'm sorry for being nervous! They are your family, you know and they still need to approve of us getting married and me having a baby," Tierja huffed, giving her fiance a pathetic pout.

"May I remind you who invited them exactly?"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?"

"I'm nervous that they won't like me, okay?"

"I love you, so they'll love you."

"But--"

"Oh, stop. They're going to love you and that's all there is to it."

"But what if--"

"No what if's. No buts. My family is going to love you," Kevin interrupted, silencing her doubts with a sweet kiss.

Tierja gently brushed her hands within his raven locks as she attempted to concentrate on his kiss. She wanted to make the butterflies winigs stop beating rapidly within her stomach, but she couldn't help but worry. The only family she really had was Ana. She longed to be best friends with her soon to be mother-in-law. She wanted the picture perfect family. Licking her lips as they parted, her blue-gray eyes twinkled with adoration."Just say they--"

"Tierja Holly Blackwell. If you finish that sentence, you'll be the one sleeping on the patio swing instead of it always being me," Kevin threatened, resting their foreheads together. "Do you understand? My family will think of you as their own."

"Promise?" she whispered with hope.

"I promise," he kissed the tip of her nose. "No more worries, alright?"

"Alright..."

"Promise?" Kevin cautioned, though he knew he'd be far too hopeful if he believed her answer of yes. He understood that it was terribly frightening to meet a lover's parents. Everything depended on those crtiical moments, especially if the lover was close with the family. When Kevin heard that he wouldn't exactly be meeting Tierja's family because of hard circumstances, he had to admit he was relieved.

"Promise," Tierja sighed heavily, breaking their gaze to glance at the terminal doors. "You can't blame me for being a little nervous, though."

"No, I can't blame you for being a little nervous," Kevin agreed as a smile widened on his face, recognizing three people entering the terminal doors.

"Oh Lord... that's them. Right?" Tierja whispered as her eyes caught onto a woman with two grown men, who looked like similar replicas of Kevin.

"Yes," Kevin chuckled, gently catching Tierja underneath the arm. With a reassuring touch, he moved her toward the three. Instantly, he enveloped his mother into a tight hug, kissing her cheeks, and then embracing the other men. He smiled again as he stepped back, bringing Tierja close again, never letting her get lost in the shuffle. "Tier and I hope you had a good flight."

"As good as it can be considering they don't serve food and they make you take off your shoes before you can get on the damn plane," one of the men joked with a chuckle. "You don't even get the peanuts anymore!"

"Thank God, I was too jet-legged to perform any heimlich manuevers," the other mused with a thick southern accent. "Especially on the middle child."

"Shut up, Jerald."

"You brought it on yourself--"

"Jerald, Timothy! We're supposed to be visiting your little brother and his fiancee," their mother scolded the oldest boys, recieving a giggle from Tierja as the other two scowled but stopped arguing.

"Some things never change," Kevin mused with pride.

"Don't even start, Mr. Kevin Scott," Ann quickly caught, making sure each of her sons were equally scolded with agitating the others. Once Kevin was scowling, Ann seemed satisfied and smiled toward Tierja. "We've only heard the best about you, Tierja. And, I'm happy to say that my youngest son is finally getting married."

"Mom..." Kevin groaned.

"Well I've only been on you about getting married since--"

"Mom, please? Wait to embarrass me at home."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Richardson. It's nice to finally meet the woman who raised a wonderful man," Tierja replied nervously, holding out a hand towards Ann.

"We don't shake hands in this family, Dear," Ann quickly replied, frowning at the mere thought.

"You... don't?"

"No," Ann assured with a laugh, her voice twinkling with southern comfort. "We hug."

~*~*~*~

"Next time I'm asking for some help when I go grocery shopping," Howie groaned after fifteen minutes of struggling to get the front door open with four bags in each hand full of food. The house had gone empty a couple of days ago and Ana hadn't said a word about it, so Howie took it upon himself to go shopping. Not that she had said anything to him since their small fight out on the porch over birth control and pregnancy where he practically blamed her for hiding something from him. He lost count of how many times he tried to talk to her but didn't even get acknowledgement from her. So, he just went on the best he could. "Ana? Are you home? I could use some help with the groceries!"

But there was no reply from her, which he half expected anyway. Sighing, he made his way to the kitchen with the bags sagging more and more as his arms began to ache. Keeping his eyes on the kitchen, which seemed so close but so far away, he never noticed the rubber ball Ana had bought for Maddie laying in front of him and he stepped on it. "Shit!"

Howie had no chance to catch his balance with the heavy groceries bags adding extra useless weight that he couldn't fight. Before he could make heads or tails of the situation, Howie's ankle twisted beneath the instablity of the ball and kicked him backwards. Soon he found himself on his back, staring at the ceiling as the heavy groceries splattered all around him and a large crash errupted within the depths of the lonely home. The most heaviest items seeming to find their place somewhere along the soft tissues of his body. Cursing as each hit, he immediately curled into a ball of protest, listening to Mattie mew softly in his ear.

"Damn cat."

"Thanks," Ana's voice suddenly projected as she kneeled down to the assortment of food to find the jar of cherries. She was unusually unphased with Howie's disaster as she walked out of her small private den to assess the after affects of the disaster. She was far too busy with other thoughts to really muster any worry for her husband. Singing some lyrics that had popped into her head, she unscrewed the top of the cherries and walked toward the kitchen for a fork, Mattie happily following after.

"Oh, I'm fine by the way. Thank you for asking," Howie called after her, sitting up on the floor. His stomach ached from where various items had struck him and he hunched over for a moment to force away the pain. He then pulled up his jean leg and groaned out loud. His ankle was already bruising and swelling, making his shoe feel tight. "Great... I sprained it."

But, Howie was obviously talking to himself as Ana limped gingerly into the kitchen without any concern. She had been off the crutches for a few days and testing the waters. Her leg ached sharply after a day of activities, but she kept that to herself. Instead, she focused on locating a Pepsi and a fork, easing her body gingerly onto the bar stool nestled underneath the island of the kitchen. Mattie jumped to perch herself on the opposite bar stool, eliciting a chin scratch from her owner.

Grunting with aggravation, Howie reached down and unlaced the laces, ready to take it off so he could somewhat take care of his injury. He could feel his ankle continuously swell but ignored it and he attempted to pull off his shoe. A pain ripped through and he let go immediately with a curse that echoed throughout the house. "DAMNIT! FUCKING ANKLE!"

Ana jerked in surprise as Howie's shoe came flying into the kitchen, slamming hard against the fridge. Magnets holding photographs went falling to the floor as the photographs fluttered to various spots. Mattie actually yelped in surprise, tearing in the opposite direction of the shoe. Swallowing her bite of cherry, Ana carefully slid off the bar stool. She recognized the anger and frustration vibrating from her husband's voice. Peering out the long stretch to where he sat in the foyer, she watched him gingerly clutching his terribly swollen ankle. And she frowned. She felt her heart ache at the pitiful sight, immediately retrieving an ice pack from the freezer and limping back to his slumped position. Swallowing the tight lump in her throat, she licked her bottom lip and whispered, "Try this..."

"Oh, so all I had to do was throw my shoe," Howie mumbled, taking the ice pack and placing it on his ankle. "Thank you."

"You don't have to be rude."

"Ana, you've been ignoring me since our fight, I try to talk to you and you act like I'm not even speaking, you didn't ask if I was alright when you came out of your den and I had to throw my shoe in order to get your attention. And you're calling me rude?" Howie asked in surprise, looking up at his wife with pained eyes.

"Just, hold on..." Ana suggested, obviously not wanting to discuss the particulars. She knew that she had been quite callous toward her husband, but she didn't exactly have a way of explaining it. Especially when the root of the problem was so disasterous. Although, her heart was in the right place when she grabbed her heavy duty first aid kit from her den. She carefully eased herself at Howie's feet, motioning toward his injury as if to ask if she could look at it.

"Tell me what the Hell is going on, Ana. I deserve to know," Howie replied, giving her a nod as she bent down to check the bruising and swelling. "I've apologized so many times for what I said and you've been acting like I don't even exist."

"Nothing is going on," she murmured, concentrating on the injury as she stretched her bad leg between his. She gingerly settled his ankle on her thigh, pressing against the swelling. She elicited several flinches and yelps from her husband, causing her to frown softly. It didn't look good.

"Oh, not at all. You're just lying to me. I thought we had promised to always tell each other the truth way back when we first started to date," he frowned, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"...We did promise to always tell each other the truth back when we first started to date..." Ana answered softly, reaching to grasp the somewhat large ice pack from his hands. Carefully, she settled it next to his skin, just holding it in place with one hand while carefully stroking above his massively swollen ankle to calm him.

"Then why don't you tell me what's going on? I've been worried about you," Howie admitted, his breathing becoming more easy as she rubbed his leg.

"Just..." Ana swallowed the urge to turn the phrase around, not wanting all the blame to rest squarely on her shoulders. She could have easily mentioned his hindsight in not explaining why he had come Minnesota in the first place. But she took the higher ground, blinking back a hot set of tears already beginning to cloud her blue-green irises. She didn't know how he'd react to her news - news that she wasn't exactly ready to broadcast. "I'm really sorry about not telling you about the antibiotic. I honestly forget to mention it to you... And when we make love... I just get so... lost in you that I don't remember anything else... Like how I get you speaking foreign tongues at me?"

"Yeah... I know what you mean," Howie nodded in understanding. She was finally talking and he needed to get his words across just like her. "I didn't mean to blame you for forgetting, I was asking. I didn't think you were trying to trap me into anything at all. I've been trying to apologize, but you just wouldn't hear me."

"I was kind of lost in me the past few days..." Ana trailed softly, glancing back down to his ankle. It continued to swell despite the ice pack, but she continued to rub her thumb across the long bone of his lower leg.

"But why? Tell me what's going on."

"Because of what you said..." Ana answered, reaching for an ace bandage from her large kit of medical supplies.

"I didn't mean to blame you for anything--"

"I'm pregnant," she replied, praying it came out louder than a strained whisper.

"You're... what?"

"Pregnant."

"You mean I'm going to be a daddy? And you're going to be a momma?" Howie asked in awe.

Ana misread his awe as a shocked horror, causing her entire body to clench with worry. She released her hold on his ankle, reaching to run her hands furiously through her blonde locks. Feeling like divorce was an impending future, she started to ramble, "I'm sorry. I really didn't want to have a baby right now. I'm so damn scared of being a mother and completely fouling up our lives. Everything will change because of me. And I really didn't remember about the antibiotic or going off the birth control when we were making love. Of course, I know that we haven't talked about kids and it was my fault entirely for being pregnant. But, I can't get rid of him or her, so, I can just call our attornies tomorrow and draw up papers for divorce and you won't have to pay anything for--"

"WHOA! Hold on right there!" Howie interrupted her ramblings, reaching over to cup her cheeks with his hands. "I never want to divorce you, so don't even talk about that in front of me. I'm surprised that you're pregnant, but you read it as something else. You don't have to be sorry for creating a life with me! Sweetheart, I'm as scared as you but having a baby is not bad news."

"I tried ten different pregnancy tests," she admitted with a sob catching against her throat. She couldn't exactly place whether it was relief or pain, but the tears fell just the same. "Positive every time..."

"I think you might be pregnant after ten tries," Howie chuckled softly, wiping away her tears. "Ana, don't cry. Having a baby is a beautiful thing."

"I'm so sorry, Bee--"

"Are you listening to me? I'm not mad about you being pregnant."

"But I ruined everything--"

"How? We're going to have a child! It's scary, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"We didn't plan this... We didn't want this yet--"

"We didn't plan this, but I've always wanted to have children with you."

"Howie--" Ana's words halted halfway when she realized what he said. Biting down hard on her bottom lip, she glanced up into his warm brown eyes. She didn't want to be mistaken, not with something so important. "Always wanted to have kids with me?"

"Always. I've just been so scared that I wouldn't be a good father. Just like you were scared that you wouldn't be a good mother," Howie replied sincerely, bringing her close for a soft kiss. "I love you, and I'm so happy we're having a baby."

"Really?" she whispered, moving her hands to wipe away the stray tears along her bright red cheeks. The redness seemed to be a combination of the tears and a blush of adoration for her husband. She loved him so dearly and began to feel foolish of her initial actions.

"Really. We're going to be kick-ass parents," he smiled, kissing her cheeks and then her lips once more. "Did I tell you how much I love you?"

"No..." she trailed somewhat shyly, immediately chewing on her bottom lip with a soft smile. It seemed to remind Howie of when they first kissed. He never imagined such a fireball could be so soft inside and so sweet when kissed.

"I love you more than anything in this entire world. The Heavens could be crashing to the ground, the polar ice caps could be melting, acid rain could be falling outside... none of that would matter as long as I have you to love," Howie confessed with a sweet smile, running his hand through her soft blonde curls.

"Howie..." she whispered in true awe, unable to express how much that truly meant to her. So, carefully, she reached to cup his face within her small hands. Leaning, she brought a warm and passionate kiss to his lips, unable to resist nibbling toward the end to cause a soft roll of Spanish to fall from his mouth and into hers. Her entire body seemed to heat as a hand found its way down to her flat abdomen. "I love you so much and I'm sorry."

"I love you, and I'm sorry, too. I think we both need to learn to listen to everything before getting upset," he replied, keeping his hand on her abdomen where their child was growing. Our child. The thought made his body tingle with excitement.

"Yeah..." she agreed, glancing down to his hand then back to the awed expression on his face. She smile softly at the portrait before her. She had been only thinking of the negative aspects of a child. Never had she even begun to think of how terrific Howie would be as a father, nor how much she really wanted him to be the father of her children. With him by her side, it gave her hope that she could truly protect them. "Are you okay, Bee?"

"I'm just amazed that he or she is in there, growing and everything..."

"Do we need to buy you some pregnancy books?" she mused softly, still finding it adorable nonetheless.

"You're funny," he looked up and kissed her again.

"Mmm," she purred with delight, brushing her fingertips down the sides of his face. "Bee, y'know when you said you wouldn't care what was happening to you as long as you had me to love?"

"Yes."

Ana tilted her head to kiss just beneath his jawline. "What about a broken ankle?"

"I-I broke my ankle?" Howie shivered from her kisses. "All from that damn cat's ball?"

"Either a break or a really severe sprain," she decided, gently nibbling on his earlobe before bringing feather kisses down his jawline again. She had missed him so much and wanted to celebrate their pregnancy, but he had caused a pretty nasty injury to himself. "And she's not a damn cat. She's an adorable kitten that you bought me."

"Then we need to teach that damn kitten to pick up after herself," Howie replied before moaning softly as her kisses went from his earlobe to his neck to his jawline and back again.

"I'll put that on the list of things to do," she purred softly against his skin, finding it far more interesting to pay close attention to the front of his throat. She neatly folded herself into his embrace, cautious not to rest her tender leg anywhere near his newly injured one.

"Oh God... I love you so much," he whispered, entangling his fingers through her locks.

"Ay dios?" she translated easily into Spanish, taking it as a good sign, leaning to move her kisses from the front of his throat toward the side and down his collar bone. She loved being able to create a wave of passion throughout his body by kisses. It was her favorite romantic touch to any evening.

"Ay dios, mi amor... ay dios. Te amo," he agreed, his body still shivering with all her kisses. He actually felt his love for her grow, even though he thought it wasn't possible.

"Me gusto," she actually giggled against his skin, slowly breaking contact to gaze into his dark eyes. "But what about your ankle?"

"My ankle?"

"You hurt it, remember?"

"I did?" Howie looked down at his ankle and groaned. "I did. What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should go to the Emergency Room just in case it is broken..." Ana trailed, slightly disappointed that her rational side was bubbling forth. She was much more content pleasing Howie after neglecting him for so long. And everything seemed that more electrifying when adding the excitement of her pregnancy. But he was hurt.

"You think?" Howie sighed, glancing down toward his swollen ankle for a moment of deliberation. He kept a hand firmly flattened against her abdomen as he rubbed his opposite hand against the small of her back. He actually had no desire to wait in the Emergency Room for something that might not even be broken. He was far more content with Ana in his arms, recreating the finer moments of when their child was consumated.

"I think..." she trailed with a small smile.

"How about we do this? Let's continue celebrating and in a couple of hours we'll see how my ankle is feeling," he finally replied, pulling his wife in for a sweet and passionate kiss.

"Bee, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I don't want to sit in the emergency room for a stupid injury when we could be here celebrating."

"But if it's broke--"

"Then it's broken. What they would do to it now, they can do it in a cpouple of hours."

Ana furled her light blonde brows in question, debating on his suggestion. "You're sure?"

"Yes, Baby. I'm sure."

"If you say so..." she trailed again, arching her back when Howie hit a tender spot along the curvature of her spine, just beneath the small of her back. Instantly, her light blue-green eyes sparked with warmth, reaching to delicately brush her fingertips down his face like always. It was honestly his choice to make and she had no desire to start another argument. Not when he confessed to always wanting to have children with her. It warmed her entire being to know that.

"I say so," he smiled as she leaned down to kiss him. This was their night to celebrate and he would be damned if they let his ankle prevent it. "But where are we... commencing this celebration? Neither of us have a strong walk at the moment."

"I can--"

"Let's do it right here."

"In the living room?" Ana's eyes were wide with surprise at Howie's request.

"Is that a problem?" Howie laughed, gently pulling her closer into his embrace as he reached for the warm throw blanket and pillows draped over their longest couch. He had the urge to be wild and carefree, especially after finding out what he was to become a parent with the woman he cherished. And he absolutely adored the innocent look of surprise that had transformed on her usually impish beauty. She was so classic.

"You've just always..." Ana actually found herself blushing as Howie held her close and prepared their celebration. "...preferred the bedroom setting..."

"I'm feeling a little spontaneous tonight," Howie smiled, running his hands through her soft blonde curls. The thrill of a baby and the adrenaline pumping through his system from the injured ankle made his heart beat fast.

"A little?" she laughed, considering this a large change in his pattern of beliefs. He just always seemed to love the feeling of their soft sheets enveloping them as they made a curiously gentle love that only the two of them could perfect into delight.

"Okay, very spontaneous--"

"Extremely spontaneous," Ana interupted as Howie laid them down, her carefully straddling his waist. She bent down to offer the softest kisses to his throat, loving every minute of this as the faint glow of sunset started to shine through their windows. "But we don't have to do this tonight if--"

"I want to do this tonight. I want to celebrate this little one," Howie placed his hand against her abdomen again, smiling.

"So if it wasn't for the little one, then..." Ana trailed off as she arched her light brows, trying not to giggle as Howie slipped his hand underneath her shirt to have closer contact with her bare skin and their child.

"I would probably just be a little spontaneoous instead of extremely," Howie replied, rubbing his thumb against the spot where their child would sleep warm and comfy inside its mother.

"You're really that excited then?" she whispered, gently rubbing her fingers against his temples.

"I'm very excited."

"You're going to be a wonderful father. That's one of the reasons I wanted to marry you," she confessed as the tickling sensation finally got to her, causing her to giggle and shy away.

"Well I knew you were going to be an incredible mother," he countered with a smile, not stopping the movements his fingers were making on her abdomen. "That's one of the reason why I married you."

"Nah, you just looked at my hips and deciding I'd be a good baby making machine," she attempted to tease as Howie's opposite hand settled against her hip to stablize her on his body. The heat was already practically melting her insides as she stared down at his warm brown eyes.

"No, I looked at your hips and knew I would love holding onto them while we made love," he leaned up and whispered into her ear.

"Howie..." she murmured in shock, practically speechless as she curved her arms around his neck for support. Gently, she leaned to kiss his neck and collar bone, unable to express the emotions racing through her blood.

"I love you, Ana. I love you so very much and we are going to be the best parents for this beautiful child," he promised, his hands firmly planted on her hips.

"I hope so," she whispered against his skin, tilting her head so she could kiss the side of his face.

"Do you hear that, baby?" Howie massaged Ana's toned abdomen with a smile. "Momma and Daddy love you very much. We can't wait for you to be here."

"We can wait a little bit," Ana laughed, loving the excitement in Howie's eyes as he spoke to her stomach while she continued to kiss him. Now she understood why having children was so important. Why Kevin's face always lit up when he assessed how much bigger Tierja's belly had grown from the previous day.

"I know, but the baby doesn't need to know that," Howie chuckled, glancing up to kiss her underneath her chin.

"Mmm... Okay..." she agreed with a sly smile of delight.

"And now, onto the real celebration!" he announced, laying back onto the makeshift bed and pulling her on top of him.

"Howie!" she laughed in shock.

"I love you!"

~*~*~*~

"Wow, that's a nasty storm going on out there," Tim whistled with amazement as the house shook with a rumble of thunder and crack of lightning. Rain drummed onto the roof like buckets of water and the wind howled like a wolf. It was a pretty big thunderstorm ripping through the small town.

"Like we really needed you to mention that fact again," Jerald groaned, leaning back against the couch as he continued to nurse a cup of hot coffee. Minnesota was far too cold compared to Kentucky, but he enjoyed the company immensely. And, Tierja was an absolute angel. "If Ma can sleep through the storm, I doubt we have any worries, Timmy."

"Don't call me Timmy--"

"You know, for being the oldest... I thought you were supposed to be the mature ones," Kevin interrupted with a roll of his eyes. His mother and Tierja had gone to bed early, leaving the men to talk and re-bond from a long separation.

"You know what, Kevvy--"

"And don't call me Kevvy--"

"You tell us to be mature because we're older? That goes both ways, little brother."

"You both can shove--"

"KEVIN!" Tierja's scream echoed throughout the house as a rumble of thunder followed.

Kevin immediately jumped up from his spot on the couch, his heart practically ripped out of his chest from the sharp scream. He had only heard Tierja scream like that once before - during the tornado. He was halfway toward the stairs, preparing to just jump to the top when Tierja came stumbling down with the cordless phone in her hands. The streaks of large lightening accentuated the fearful features locked on her usually gorgeous face. Kevin attempted to reach out to her, noticing she was trembling violently. "Tier--"

"I want to c-call Ana... Now, I need to call her now... I need her over here... But I can't remember her number. God, why can't I remember her number?" Tierja rambled with a panic, knocking the cordless phone against her head.

"Tier, calm down," Kevin called, meeting her halfway on the stairs to pull the phone from her hands.

"Calm down? There's a storm outside, it could turn into a tornado! I need Ana here now!" Tierja shook her head violently, hitting her head with the phone a few more times before Kevin finally got it out of her grasp. "It's just like that night when my house was destroyed and we almost died!"

"Tierja, no tornado warnings have been called," Kevin attempted to persuade, tossing the phone toward his older brother's to get it completely away from her grasp. The skull fracture may have healed, but Kevin refused to let her get hurt again.

"But it could still happen!" Tierja wailed, wringing her hands as another set of lightning and thunder struck, causing her to shriek again.

"Come here," Kevin demanded softly, reaching to pull her tightly into his arms. He lifted her from the stairs, carrying her back toward the couch. Easing himself down, he offered an assuring smile toward his already worried older brothers. It was a natural response to what was happening, especially considering the last time a nasty storm had rolled through. "I'll gladly dial Ana's phone number, but I want you to calm down first so you don't give her a heart attack. We're going to be perfectly safe. We've got a cement basement if anything should happen, remember?"

"I remember... but that lightning, thunder and wind... it just reminded me of..." Tierja couldn't finish her sentence as she curled into a tight ball in Kevin's arms, still shaking a little.

"I know what it reminded you of," Kevin assured, gently rubbing her back as she remained within his protective embrace. "And we're going to be okay."

"I hate storms," Tierja whimpered as she opened her eyes and saw his brothers watching her. "Oh, no... Baby, I'm so sorry, I ruined your time with Tim and Jerald because of my--"

"It was already ruined when we saw Kevvy's ugly mug, trust me," Tim joked, reaching to press an affectionate kiss on her cheek. His deep southern accent warmed Tierja's embarrassed heart considerably as there was a soft knock on the door. "We know what happened and we would have been scared shitless, too."

"Thank you," Tierja offered a small smile as Jerald kissed her cheek as well. There was another knock and this time everyone turned their heads towards the door. "Did y'all hear that?"

"Might be that stripper I ordered out of the yellow pages," Jerald decided, standing up from his spot on the couch. He offered his mug of hot coffee toward Tim and glanced to Kevin. "Want me to answer since you have your hands full?"

"Please," Kevin nodded as Jerald walked to the front door.

"Do stripper fees increase if they have to travel out in nasty weather?" Jerald questioned as he opened the large oak door to reveal a slightly damp, yet still radiant woman. His eyes immediately popped in surprise, not exactly expecting any gorgeous woman to come knocking in Minnesota. He had already teased Kevin that he had gotten the best of the best.

"They quadruple if she's never been hired as a stripper before," Ana retorted in obvious confusion, wiping her wet blonde curls away from her face.

"Ana! Ana's here!" Tierja crawled out of Kevin's arms and ran to the door. She immediately brought the younger woman into a tight embrace. "Thank God!"

"I figured you'd be upset," Ana laughed softly as a rumble of thunder exploded. She felt Tierja grasp tightly to her body, so she simply rubbed Tierja's back to soothe her. "I had to take Howie to the ER, so I just figured we'd stop here for a little bit?"

"Take Howie to the ER? What happened?" Tierja pulled away with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't castrate him or something, did you?"

"Why the Hell would I castrate him when the sex is so damn good?" Ana questioned with a bemused smirk, causing the unknown man to muffle a laugh.

"Last night you would have said something different--"

"We made up, Tierj. Oh, did we make up," Ana grinned, causing Tierja's eyebrows to fly off her forehead.

"What--"

"Tier, let the poor girl inside, it's storming out!" Tim interrupted the women, opening the door wide so Ana could get out of the rain.

"Thanks," Ana replied, standing just inside the doorway as Howie finally made it up the steps on crutches. She gently reached to rub his back, allowing him to fully enter before she followed. Still limping, she helped him remove his coat before taking off her own, hanging them on the nearby rack. Gathering her soaked curls into a quick ponytail, she became almost too aware of the extra two guests staring at her. She actually blushed, slightly hiding behind her husband. "Is it okay that we stopped by? I mean, I know you had guests and..."

"Of course it's okay. I was going to call you but I forgot your number for some reason," Tierja led them into the living room, Ana still hiding behind Howie. "They're just Kev's brothers, don't worry. They're nothing special--"

"Hey!" Tim and Jerald growled.

"Kidding, boys! Just kidding!" Tierja yelped, diving into Kevin's arms once again as Ana and Howie settled on the couch.

"What happened to you anyway, Howie?" Kevin questioned, gently rubbing Tierja's back as she stretched out into a comfortable position in his arms. He was quite amused as Howie fumbled to throw the crutches on the floor, grimacing at his right ankle while Ana reached for pillows to help him.

"Damn kitten is what happened to me," Howie grumbled as he lifted his leg up and Ana placed a pillow on the coffee table. He carefully laid his leg back down. "I was bringing groceries home and I tripped on Mattie's bouncy ball."

"Tripped is not the world. Full out super-man flew straight onto his back is what he did," Ana murmured in concentration.

Tim and Jerald smothered laughter as Kevin smiled, "Did you break it?"

"Hairline fracture," Howie glared at the three men before glaring at his ankle. "Damn kitten needs to pick up after herself."

"With a cast to make it pretty," Ana cooed, gently rubbing his shoulder to soothe him. Both were damp from the continuing storm, so she really didn't mind cuddling close to his body. She rested her head on his shoulder, moving her hand from his shoulder to his chest. "Besides, he had a good night considering and the kitten isn't to blame... Last time I recall, he was the one playing with her and the ball..."

"She should still clean up--"

"Hey, since when did you two start talking again, anyway? I thought that fight was going to last forever," Kevin butted in, raising a thick eyebrow.

"Earlier today," Ana answered slyly, glancing toward the two men who were still strangers to her. "Hello, by the way, my name is Ana--"

"Oh, we already know all about you," Tim interrupted, reaching over to shake Ana's hand since she was sitting down. "I'm Tim. Normally we hug new people but since you're all close with Howie, he probably wouldn't appreciate it."

"Damn right, Timmy."

"HEY!"

"You asked for it," Tierja shook her head with a laugh.

"Ignore Timmy, he's just an acting like himelf. An ass," Jerald grinned, shaking Ana's hand next. "I'm Jerald. You're the infamous Ana. We've heard nothing but good things about you from our talkative soon-to-be sister-in-law."

"She always had a way of sharing all my stories..." Ana trailed, glancing toward Tierja with a small roll of her eyes. "How else do you think I got Howie interested in me in the first place?"

"I think it was tying that cherry stem into a knot with your tongue. Damn, did his jaw drop--"

"Can you two stop talking like I'm not here?" Howie groaned, muffling a yelp when he accidentally moved his ankle. The doctor wasn't exactly gentle when he wrapped the fractured limb in the heavy plaster and it was starting to throb.

"How about some ice, a drink, and some medicine?" Ana sighed, realizing that Howie was in quite a bit of discomfort. She bit down on her bottom lip as she scratched his chest for a little boost, almost as if it were her private apology.

"That sounds nice, Baby. Thank you," Howie's mood changed as he looked into his wife's eyes and smiled. She always knew what to do and say to make him feel better.

"He's having more mood swings than I am," Tierja whispered in Kevin's ear as Ana kissed Howie's cheek and walked into the kitchen.

"Maybe he's pregnant, too," Kevin whispered back with a chuckle, kissing the side of her face.

"So... You're married to her?" Tim announced with a hiss of approval once he was sure Ana was out of earshot. "Damn, Little Howie!"

"I guess I got your approval," Howie rolled his eyes, lacing his fingers behind the back of his head. "Not that I needed it, anyway."

"What my idiot brother is trying to say is that Ana's a beautiful woman and you're lucky to have her," Jerald threw the tennis ball he had been tossing up in the air at Tim's stomach.

"Ooof!"

"No playing ball in the house!" Tierja groaned, startled as Spunky barrelled out of his 'room' and jumped onto the couch. The little dog tried to bury himself under her body, shaking fiercely.

"And, we're still waiting to hear how you went from being practically non-existant in her eyes to main focus so quickly yet again?" Kevin voiced further, watching his fiancee pick up their small dog and cuddle him closely like a baby.

"That information is classified until Ana comes back out here," Howie replied, much to the displeasure of the three men.

"Aw, come on, Howie! Little Kevvy was telling us how hard it was at home--"

"I'm not Little Kevvy!"

"And what do you mean 'hard at home'?" Howie fired, glaring slightly toward Kevin.

"You're the one who was saying how Ana was ignoring you! Doesn't that define the saying 'hard at home'?" Kevin yelped in defense.

"Hard at home will be defined crisply when Tierja is due in a week, bloated, constipated, having painful intermittant contractions, and leaking bodily fluids that you swore to God you'll never want to see again in life much less the after life," Ana replied as she returned for the end of the conversation, leaning over the back of the couch to wrap her arms around Howie. She offered him the soda, ice pack, and medicine while continued to keep her arms entwined around him from behind. Gently, she pressed soft kisses to the side of his neck before grinning sweetly toward Kevin.

"Say... huh?" Kevin's jaw dropped as Tierja looked at Ana in horror, still holding Spunky like a baby.

"That was a graphic description," Jerald made a face. "Remind me never to get Jessie pregnant!"

"Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, Kevvy," Ana cooed nonetheless, continuing to brush her fingertips down the side of Howie's face as she kept herself positioned behind him.

"You're wicked. Absolutely wicked!"

"Not only is she wicked... she's pregnant," Tierja chirped with a grin.

"No, she's not!" Kevin groaned.

"Oh, yes she is! She's got the baby blush hue on her cheeks! Leigh told me that's a tell-tale sign," Tierja continued to grin. "That's why you and Howie made up tonight!"

"It's not a scientific fact," Ana scoffed, gently rubbing Howie's chest before kissing his cheek. "Do you feel better now?"

"Much better. Thank you," Howie smiled, kissing her chin.

"It may not be a scientific fact, but you're not denying it."

"Denying what?" Ana stated innocently, moving around the couch to sit with Howie again. She gently unhitched his arms from behind his head, inviting him to wrap them around her.

"I know you're pregnant, you know you're pregnant, Howie knows you're pregnant. Just admit it!" Tierja narrowed her eyes at the younger woman as she cuddled with her husband on the opposite couch.

"Howie..." Ana trailed softly, curling her fingers within his t-shirt. She concentrated on his cast for a moment before glancing back up to her husband's dark eyes. She wanted him to share the news, because he was so excited.

"Yes," Howie chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose before glancing up to their friends. "We're going to be having a baby."

"You two can have the baby first!" Kevin whooped.

"Excuse me?" Tierja craned her neck to look at her fiancee.

"Um... Congratulations!" Kevin burst, dumping Tierja onto the couch. He crossed the small length of the living room, leaning down to gobble Ana into his arms. "You'll make a great mom! I'm so happy that you made Howie a daddy finally!"

"Thanks, I think," Ana wheezed as Kevin went to hug Howie.

"D, you're going to be a dad, that's awesome--"

"Kevin. Scott. Richardson," Tierja gritted her teeth as she sat up on the couch, Spunky squirming out of her grasp and running to Jerald.

"Tierja Holly Richardson?" Kevin attempted, still holding Howie close as he listened to his fiancee's dark voice.

"Get your ass over here. Now."

"Ooh, Kevvy's in trouble," Jerald, Tim and Ana sung.

"He's the father of your child, Tier," Howie attempted to persuade.

"Yes, Howie's right! I am the father of your child, you don't want to hurt me!" Kevin nodded, not letting go of Howie as the other three laughed at his predicament.

Chapter Fifteen: Planning, Planning and More Planning


"Tier, I don't think the baby has enough things for its room," Kevin teased as he finished placing the celestial border over the deep blue walls. He and Tierja had made a day project of putting everything together in the nursery, including a dresser, crib and bassinet. It had been a couple of months since his family had visited and the baby was thriving inside Tierja's warm womb, causing life to be quite chaotic. "I think we should add a pinball machine."

"Are you serious?" Tierja questioned with thought, glancing up from folding baby clothing into the various drawers. She looked at her fiance expectantly and then to the gorgeous room, almost as if she were deciding where it would fit. "It might wake the baby up in the middle of the night though..."

"I was being sarcastic!" Kevin groaned, stepping off the small ladder. He rolled up the extra border and placed it on the changing table. "This baby is going to be spoiled, I can feel it."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"The terrible two's will be excruciating," Kevin explained with a frown.

"They're going to happen either way, our baby might as well have everything to have a happy life--"

"But he's going to be a brat."

"He?"

"I'm assuming?" Kevin chuckled with pride.

"Yeah, you just want to be able to name him Kevin Scott Richardson, Jr," Tierja shook her head, trying not to laugh.

"Like if we had a girl you wouldn't call her Tierja Holly Blackwell Richardson the Second," Kevin scoffed.

"Well, mine sounds prettier!"

"Mine isn't supposed to sound prettier."

"Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing?"

"Maybe..." Kevin answered with a bemused smile, stepping behind her to draw her backward into his arms. Delicately, he placed some kisses against the back of her neck. "But I love you."

"Mmm... I love you, too," Tierja closed her eyes for a moment as Kevin's hands found their way to her growing abdomen. "Do you like how the room is turning out? Honestly?"

"Honestly?"

"I think it's the perfect place for our first child," Kevin answered freely, leanining forward to kiss the side of her face.

"Me too. Sweet dreams for he or she every night," Tierja smiled, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"He."

"You're set on having a boy, aren't you?" she craned her neck to look up at him with a raised pierced eyebrow.

"It's a man thing."

"Okay, Mr. It's A Man Thing. We've got to get back to work. I would really like the have the room done now so we don't have to worry about it when I'm a big fat whale," Tierja replied, gently pulling out of his arms.

"You'll look adorable with a big chubby belly," Kevin cooed, affectionately pinching her cheeks.

"And so will you once you turn fifty," she cooed back with a smirk, pinching his behind instead.

"HEY!"

"You liked me pinching your ass--"

"Bullshit!"

"I think you're going to be the one having mood swings," Tierja laughed, turning to hang the moon and stars mobile above the crib.

"Ain't you just adorable," Kevin scowled, kissing her cheek anyway as he nestled a few stuffed pillow stars in the crib.

"Yep, that's why you love me," she grinned, looking around the room before nodding with approval. "Everything is assembled, hung up, pasted on, painted... I think we're done!"

"Nope, we're missing one thing," Kevin shook his head, pulling an object out of the last box and placing it in Tierja's hands.

"Oh my... Kevin, this is wonderful!" he had managed to enlarge the baby's first sonogram and place it next to a picture of its proud parents all inside a frame painted dark blue and stamped with silver stars.

Kevin smiled with pride as he reached for the hammer and nail. "I know, where do you want me to hang it?"

"Um..." Tierja looked around for a moment until her eyes landed on the perfect spot. "Right by the bassinet and crib."

Kevin complied with her wishes, reaching over the wall to gently tap the nail into place. Once he was satisfied, he took the frame from Tierja and nestled it against the wall. Smiling with approval, he knelt down to kiss Tierja's abdomen. "Hope you have your mother's sense of room decor when you get out here."

"We all hope that," she teased softly, running a hand through his loks before he stood up.

"You know--"

"I love you."

~*~*~*~

"Didn't my escapades with Tierj and Leigh baby shopping give you the clue that I don't have the patience?" Ana whined softly as she and Howie strolled through yet another baby store, their cart somewhat full of little clothes and room accessories. "I could go into early labor, you know!"

"I don't think baby shopping is going to make you go into early labor," Howie groaned, kissing the side of her face. "Besides, we're shopping for our baby, and that's different. You're going along four months, it's time to get somewhat ready, don't you agree?"

"How is it different? Baby shopping is baby shopping," Ana complained as Howie reached for her hand, drawing her closer to the cart. With her free hand, she gently rubbed her rounding stomach, already feeling the back aches of the growing weight in the middle of her abdomen. But, fortunately, she enjoyed every minute of being pregnant. Especially when she first could feel the child as she lay in bed. It was exciting to say the least.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll pick out a lot of the clothes part and you can do the entire theme for the room," Howie compromised, kissing her cheek a few times as they stopped in front of curtains, wall papers and borders along with other ways to decorate a nursery. "I know you like doing interior decorating."

"Anything I want for the room?"

"Anything."

"We don't even know what we're having, so how can we even begin to shop for these things?" Ana accused, attempting to do her best to get out of the task. She held a slightly triumphant grin until Howie pulled out a sealed envelope from his back pocket. She immediately frowned, knowing he had the results from her most recent OBGYN appointment. "I hate you."

"No you don't. You love me. You just hate that I caught you trying to wiggle out of the deal," Howie now held the triumphant grin as he placed the envelope in her hands. "Let's open it."

"I don't know if I like this whole 'planning everything out' quality you have. You seem to have every angle of every situation perfected to the way you want it to flow. Drives me crazy, considering I never even have a good idea what's happening five minutes into the future," Ana murmured with an cute scowl crossing her features. She complied with his wishes, however, turning the envelope over to rip it open. She then took the slip of paper out, handing it to Howie. "What'd you make us four months ago, Bee?"

"A baby...?" Howie trailed off in confusion, looking down at the unopened paper before unfolding it. "A baby girl! We're having a little girl!"

"Are you kidding me?" she groaned softly, reaching to take the piece of paper for verification. Sure enough, the sex of the baby was listed as female. It took her a moment to actually smile, knowing she wasn't exactly the most delicate woman in the world. She wondered if her little girl would suffer because she wasn't feminine enough.

"Sweetheart, don't go doubting yourself," Howie immediately chided, bringing her into his arms for a warm embrace. He knew what was going through her mind and he had to put a stop to it. "You can handle a baby girl."

"I know..." she answered, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. He had been so excited about the pregnancy from the beginning, even if it had been a slight blunder because of her antibiotics. Yet, to have a daughter first probably wasn't the first choice Howie would have made. Or at least that's what Ana assumed. She couldn't help but be slightly disappointed in herself, knowing she probably would have rathered a little boy.

"What's going through your mind?" Howie whispered into her hair. He could read her to the point where it scared her, but it wasn't something he could control. It was something that he was always able to do. "And don't say nothing."

"You probably wanted a little boy first, huh?"

"Ana, I'm happy we're just having a baby. Boy first or girl first, it doesn't matter," Howie pulled away slightly so she could look into his eyes. "You hear me?"

"I hear you..." she promised, running her fingers lightly against the back of his neck. Her blue-green eyes misted with tears, though she wasn't exactly sure what they were from. The erratic hormones of pregnancy had made her far more emotional than before, more teary to be exact. She seemed to cry easily, whether it be joy or sadness.

"Good," he smiled softly, kissing the bridge of her nose. He thought it was cute that his wife was going through all the pregnancy hormone changes. "Come on, let's pick out a bedroom theme for our little girl."

"Do you want to look at the clothing while I do this or what?" she asked in confusion as he moved back to the cart.

"Remember our deal? I trust what you want for the nursery."

"And he's already deserting me with the little girl like I know what I'm doing..." Ana breathed as she moved toward the nursery bedding, deciding once she knew what bed set she wanted, then she could work around the rest of the room. Only, she felt slightly baffled as she was bombarded by what seemed like millions of choices of pink, causing her to cringe. Instantly, she brought her hands to her swollen abdomen, rubbing in a small circular motion. Tucking her chin to her chest, she started to speak quietly to her daughter, unaware that Howie had circled back to make sure she was okay. "We've got to make a deal here, Sweetheart. I've never been much of a girl. When I was little, your grandmother had to shop in the boys' section for me... But, I want to give you a chance to be a little girl, so I'm really going to try my best. I'll let you wear dresses and I'll play with your hair, I promise... I'm just going to need a little help... Like with this nursery... I'm not crazy about pink, y'know... I don't even like pink cotton candy, so I'm thinking light purple... Your grandmother used to call me Princess Anya when I was little because of naming me Anastacia... So, can we do a royal princess theme for your room? I love the Disney Princesses... We could paint a castle on the wall and make this crown of fabric that spills over your crib like royalty used to do. How does that sound?"

Almost as if on cue, the unborn girl gently moved inside her mother's abdomen to agree with the deal.

"I think it sounds perfect," Howie finally spoke, startling Ana from her private conversation.

"Bee!" Ana yelped as she turned around, her cheeks instantly blushing with a fiery tone of cherry red. "I thought you said I was doing this all on my own?"

"You are, but I just wanted to check up to see that you're alright--"

"More like spying on me!"

"I was not spying on you--"

"I'm done shopping," she immediately groaned, covering her face with shame. She had only meant for her daughter to hear her words and fears. She was terrified of mothering a daughter before a son, but she really didn't want Howie to know. Nor did she want him to know the feminine side of her nature. It just didn't seem fair that he had caught her pink handed in a sense...

"Wait a damn minute. How can we be--"

"You weren't supposed to hear that... it was between just me and her..."

"Ana, baby, just stop a minute. I didn't mean to spy, I was honestly just checking to see if you were alright. If I had known it would bother you so much, I wouldn't have done it--"

"I didn't want you to hear that," she whispered painfully, continuing to shield her face as she blinked back heavy tears.

"I'm sorry," he walked over and pulled her into his arms. "Please, don't cry. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she sniffled, completely annoyed with herself that she had broken into tears over something so simple. But, she didn't waste the embrace, pressing her face into Howie's t-shirt and clutching the material with her fist. Her emotions were just so unsteady as the months progressed and even her daughter inside seemed to notice, attempting to move which always seemed to cause Ana to smile with true delight. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to be a bad mom to her. I was such an oddball and I want her to be a little girl and--"

"She will be our little girl no matter what, okay? Don't worry," he interrupted, kissing the top of her head as he rubbed her back gently. "You're going to be a perfect mom, I promise."

"This is why you do all the shopping before you're pregnant because your hormones cause you to cry too damn much," Ana wept softly against him, her shoulders shaking with the power of her tears.

"It's not that bad. Shh," Howie chuckled, holding her close as she calmed down. "It's okay, Baby."

"I'm sorry--"

"You don't need to be sorry. Let's just get the things we need for our princess's room," Howie interrupted.

"You're not leaving me are you?"

"No, of course not. We'll do this together."

"Just because you want to take me to the little girls' clothes and see me break out bawling again..."

"No, because I love you and I want the best for both my girls."

"I'm going to have to share your love with another woman..."

A woman who will be a baby first and will need us for everything."

"What if she turns into a Daddy's girl?"

"You'll still be the first woman in my life."

~*~*~*~

"Kev, this is getting ridiculous. Everytime I try to get you to sit down and talk about wedding or baby stuff you change the subject," Tierja whined, sitting next to Kevin on the plush couch. A gentle fire was burning in the marbled fireplace, adding a crimson glow to the living room. It was nearing springtime and the weather was unpredictable. One day could be warm and sunny, the next cloudy and cold as it was right then.

"Baby, I just want a moment's peace," Kevin whined back, grasping her face in his hands to give her a fierce kiss. He found her whining adorable to a point, but since she was an only child, she was used to getting her way. Which made it hard because Kevin had been the youngest child, also used to getting his way.

"That's what you always say," Tierja pouted, holding the journal Ann had bought her to write down things about the baby in the front half and wedding ideas in the back half. The baby part was starting to brim over with tidbits, but the wedding part was almost bare. "Kevin, please?"

"You drive me crazy."

"Does that mean you will?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Baby names, the wedding date, wedding colors and flowers?"

"Alright, Sweetheart," Kevin groaned, reaching to pull Tierja into his arms. He found it adorable that she was so determined to finish planning for their child and begin planning for their wedding. Usually, she didn't want to do any of this and it was horrendous even getting her to rebuild the house after the tornado. That's why Kevin had put off decisions, knowing it'd drive her crazy. Reverse psychology was always a fun game to play.

"Thank you," Tierja chirped, kissing his cheek as she opened up her journal. She flipped to the place she marked as Baby Names and decorated with little booties and teddy bears. "What names do you like if it's a girl?"

"I like classic, beautiful names like Catherine and Elizabeth..." Kevin trailed, resting his chin on her shoulder as he glanced down at the pages filled with ideas. Everything she had written out was what he thought about during nights that she slept peacefully curled to his side.

"Yeah... me too..." Tierja smiled, writing down the names he had spoken of along with Katrina, Caroline and Laura. "What about boys besides Kevin Scott, Jr.?"

"What's so wrong with Kevin Scott Jr.?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Tierja placed a few kisses under his chin. "But I just want some more ideas to put in the boy section of names."

"What about Jerald?"

"I like that," she smiled softly, rubbing his knee as she wrote it down. Having their child carry his grandfather's name was something she could never deny Kevin. She may have never met the man, but it felt like she knew him. "Okay, this is a good start... how about wedding stuff now?"

"What kind of wedding stuff do I need to help plan? I thought I just forked over the money?"

"Kevin Scott..."

"I'm kidding," he chuckled, gently rubbing her rounded stomach. "The wedding date, right?"

"That would be a start..." she growled.

"Oh hush, we're talking about wedding stuff now. What kind of wedding do you like the most? Fall? Summer?"

"I hate the fall."

"One season gone, three to go... will you just pick one?"

"What do you like?" she fired back, squeeezing his knee in the one ticklish spot he claimed no one could find.

"Hey!" he laughed, "What about spring?!"

"Spring it is," she grinned, jotting it down. "How about... May 15th? Is that a good date?"

"Sounds fine to me!"

"May of this year or next?"

"When would you like it?"

"Preferably next year... then I can get my fat ass into a wedding dress--"

"Tierja Holly..."

"What I do now?"

"You don't have a fat ass, just a bowling ball stomach."

"Oh and that's so much better," she frowned, writing down the date of their wedding. It caused her to shiver with excitement, knowing she was going to spend the rest of her life with this man and the child they created along with more on the way.

"At least the baby can be in the wedding then."

"Aww... that's right, it's going to be adorable!" Tierja gushed, pressing on to the next subject. "Speaking of which... wedding colors and flowers."

"Good Lord, it never ends..."

Chapter Sixteen: One Big Family


"Are the pregnant women supposed to be cooed at like newborns or is this a new trend?" Tierja muttered to Ana, sitting down next to her on the porch swing. All of their friends and families were in town to celebrate a combined baby shower for both women. They had just finished opening presents and were now eating and catching up on life. It was fun and exciting but at the same time just a little annoying even for Tierja to be fawned over just because she was close to nine months pregnant and Ana right behind her at eight.

"I think it's part of the whole pregnancy phenomenon, but I still blame Howie wholly for this undue injustice," Ana answered, glancing over her friend to make sure no one had followed behind. Ana had just escaped the wrath of love from Howie's sisters and mother and decided that hiding outside was the best option. Not that she didn't adore Howie's family, she was just feeling suffocated with all the attention. Even her maturing daughter seemed to shy away from the attention, growing quiet inside her mother's abdomen and then shifting wildly with uncomfort when anyone would give them a moment's rest. Now, Ana slowly rubbed her hands over her swelled abdomen, trying to soothe her daughter.

"Undue in justice? You're having a baby," Tierja laughed, munching on some apple slices dipped in peanut butter. She didn't have the sister-in-laws that Ana had, but it was still a little overwhelming and she didn't blame her younger friend for wanting to escape. "It's not like there's more than one in there... then I would consider that an injustice."

"No, that would be considered a horror movie," Ana sighed, slumping slightly to allieve the cramping in her back. "Me with two daughters? Oh good, Lord."

"I think it would be Karma biting you in the ass, but I know better than to jinx you because I know you would kill me," Tierja leaned over and massaged Ana's lower back for a moment before handing her a slice of apple to munch on. "Only a month to go before you see the little girl, Trouble."

"Cadence Yvonne Dorough," Ana confirmed with a soft smile, knowing Howie was extremely excited that Ana had selected to give their first daughter his deceased sister's middle name. It was exciting to actually have a name for the child sleeping inside her, not to mention the fact that she'd be holding that same child shortly. She may have been terrified about being a first time mother to a daughter, but she was coming to adore some parts of her feminine whiles. She couldn't wait to fawn over her daughter.

"That's such a beautiful name. It's perfect for your first girl," Tierja smiled as well, kissing Ana's cheek. She and Kevin had decided to wait until the baby was born to see the sex and she was getting anxious for that day to come. She couldn't wait to see both their children running around and playing like their mothers had at the same age.

"She might as well have a girly name if she isn't going to have a girly mother..." Ana laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh stop, you're gonig to be girly enough for her," Tierja pulled on one of Ana's braided pigtails gently with a playful grin.

"At least you won't have to worry if you've got a girl--"

"Shush now," Tierja interrupted, rubbing her abdomen as her child woke up from their long nap. It was odd how it chose that time to greet its mother, away from all the guests and family members.

"You're the one who interrupted my hiding spot."

"And whose house are you at?"

"...That's not the point!"

"Oh yes it is--"

"I told you they would be out here," Kevin's voice halted Ana's reasoning as he and Howie walked outside. "Left us inside to handle all the estrogen by ourselves to seek their own salvation!"

"See what trouble you got me into?" Ana growled, pointed accusingly at her best friend. "You took my hiding place and now I got caught!"

"Hey! You got your own self into trouble, not me!"

"I hope you go into labor right now! Get amniotic fluid all over your favorite dress," Ana continued to threaten.

"Anastacia Grace, don't you dare jinx me!"

"I just did!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Neutral corners!" Howie placed his hands over the women's mouths.

"That's the hormones for you," Kevin chuckled with obvious amusement.

"I'll go back inside," Ana lamented as she attempted to pull Howie's hand from her mouth. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as Tierja shot her a nasty look. "I just wanted some fresh air."

"I'll go in with you," Howie helped his wife get to her feet and they walked back into the house. Both he and Ana cringed openly as his sisters squawked to get their attention.

"That is why I just have brothers and sister-in-laws," Kevin chuckled with true amusement, taking his seat beside Tierja. The obstetrician had already stated that Tierja could go into labor at any time, so he was just waiting patiently for the right announcement. More so, the shrill whine of Tierja when her water broke and ruined her expensive clothing.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you don't have sisters," Tierja rested her head on his shoulder as she finished her last piece of fruit and placed her hands on her abdomen. The child kicked softly, trying to get comfortable inside its warm bed. "I think this kid is more restless than I am."

"He or she is ready to come out."

"I just hate not knowing when it could happen," Tierja pouted down at her abdomen. "Don't break my water when I'm sleeping, y'hear? I hate washing the bedding enough--"

"Excuse me, I'm the one who washes the clothing and bedding."

"Okay, okay, it's to give Daddy a break with the washing."

"You're something else..."

"You love me anyway."

"Yes, I love you," Kevin kissed her softly before leaning down to kiss where their child lay sleeping. "And you."

~*~*~*~

"Trouble, are you still mad at me for disrupting your hiding spot at the baby shower last week?" Tierja asked softly as she settled onto the couch, resting her head on Kevin's lap to give her aching back a little relief. She had invited Ana and Howie over for a night of relaxing after a week of chaos with everyone in town for the baby shower and such.

"What makes you think that?" Ana asked in confusion as she tipped her cup to chew on some ice chips. She had been increasingly thirsty as the days passed and had to make twice the trips to the bathroom to relieve herself. She knew it was because her daughter was pushing on her bladder, but loved chewing on ice and drinking despite the risks. She had even claimed she'd insert her own cathetar if this continued much longer.

"I don't know, I was just asking--"

"Tierj, that was last week. Of course I'm not mad at you," Ana rolled her blue-green eyes playfully. "I think you're letting your hormones take over your emotions again."

"I still feel bad..."

"I think you need to give birth already, that baby is making you crazy," Ana sighed with a small laugh, popping the spoon of her fruit punch drink into her mouth.

"You're not the only one saying that," Tierja gazed up at her fiancee with an innocent smirk.

"What I do?" he teased, leaning down to kiss her softly.

"You got her pregnant," Howie chirped, coming out of the kitchen with the snacks that Tierja and Ana had requested, though a few had made him nausous. Sandwiches with peanut butter and pickles, french fries with chocolate ice cream... he was just glad that he wasn't eating it.

"My God, my husband's a genius," Ana exclaimed sarcastically, scooping another mixture of chipped ice and fruit punch into her mouth. She glanced at the snacks Howie had prepared and her stomach flopped for a moment. They didn't exactly look as appealing as they had when Tierja suggested them.

"That's because he has my snacks," Tierja grinned, attempting to sit up but failed. "Ugh... help!"

"Can I interject the beached whale reference or should I keep my mouth shut?" Ana asked with a mouthful of ice chips.

"Mouth shut!" Tierja grunted as Kevin carefully helped her sit up on the couch.

"You've always said that Ana was adorable," Kevin reminded his fiancee as Howie handed her the tray of snacks.

"Not when I'm the one being called a beached whale, she's not adorable," Tierja replied, smiling at Howie as she took the ones she requested and he sat down next to Ana on the opposite loveseat. "Thank you for making the food. How hard was it to make them?"

"You mean physically or mentally with my stomach flopping?" Howie teased as he offered Ana the remaining snack.

"No thanks, Bee," Ana whispered, motioning toward her ICEE of sorts. "I just want this..."

"Are you okay, Angel?"

"You way too sweet," Ana concluded as she rested her head against his chest. She held the cool, sweating glass against her neck, closing her eyes to savor the cold.

"Oh, this is so a Kodak moment," Tierja cooed as she took a couple pictures of her best friends in such a loving embrace with the brand-new digital camera Ann had bought them for the baby shower. "That's going in my special scrapbook."

Ana scowled at the flash, "Tierja--"

"Thank you!"

"Bee--"

"Can you make me a copy of that, Tier?"

"No problem."

"Bee!"

"What?"

"When Cadence is born, I'm taking her and leaving," Ana scowled, setting her drink aside to bury her face in Howie's chest. She was highly uncomfortable in the last stage of her pregnancy. She was afraid to sleep on her stomach and couldn't sleep on her back, constantly tossing and turning during the shifting nights. And, taking pictures of her just aggravated her further. "I'm moving in with Polly and leaving all of you."

"Oh, calm down, now. It was just a picture that we can look back when we're old and gray," Howie placed a few kisses on the top of her head, gently rubbing her back in a circular motion to soothe her. "Please don't leave me."

"No more pictures..."

"Tier, can you promise Ana no more pictures?"

"I'm sorry Trouble, I didn't mean to upset you. No more pictures, okay?" Tierja smiled sympathetically towards her best friend.

"No, Momma, no," Ana slightly whimpered, causing Kevin to chuckle at the innocently adorable nature she was exuding. Ana was definitely an oddball.

"Shh, Baby. It's alright, it's alright," Howie soothed into her golden locks.

"I'm tired," she explained, rubbing her face against his chest as she inhaled the sweet scent of his cologne. During her first trimester, the smell had actually made her nauseous. Now, she was thankful that she could enjoy it again. And, whining slightly always seemed to get Howie to hold her. She had never asked for help before in her life, but she loved Howie's affection. And she felt as if she needed it more with the ending of the pregnancy.

"You can rest if you want to. We're just sitting here talking and watching the fire," Howie's free hand began massaging her back, starting down low and gradually going up to her neck and shoulders before going back down again.

"No one blames you for being tired," Kevin spoke up.

"I do--"

"Tierja," Kevin quickly interrupted with a soft glare. "Don't tease her."

"Sorry..."

"Goodnight," Ana yawned, closing her eyes with her face still buried into her husband's strong chest. She knew he would protect her no matter what and it made her feel safe.

"Cadence is really draning her, isn't she?" Tierja asked once she was sure Ana had fallen asleep.

"Extremely," Howie sighed.

"Or is it the fact that it's a Cadence instead of Howie Jr. that's bothering her?"

"Do you always have to cause trouble, woman?" Howie groaned with annoyance. "We talked about it and she's fine with having a little girl first."

"I thought she was excited about having a little girl..." Kevin trailed, glancing at his fiancee as she grinned at perturbing Howie. "During the baby shower with Polly... They were going through her baby clothes and she was really excited about some of the cuter stuff..."

"She is excited about having a girl, but she's still a little scared she won't be... girly enough," Howie attempted to explain, glaring at Tierja.

"She was fantastic with your nieces last week though and your family spent a few days extra here at your house... She must have been beautiful with them..." Kevin continued, covering his fiancee's mouth to wipe the amused smirk off her face.

"She is and she was. She just doubts herself sometimes. It'll be okay once Cadence is born," Howie replied, rubbing his wife's stomach as their little girl moved slightly to get comfortable.

"It'll be wonderful with Cadence is born," Tierja promised. "And, Daddy must be getting excited, right?"

"Very excited," Howie finally smiled. "What about you two?"

"Estatic," Kevin was quick to announce before Tierja could pummel him.

"How many beatings did you go through?"

"Too many to count--"

"Very funny," Tierja growled, frowning.

"Absolutely hysterical, Darling," Kevin agreed.

Chapter Seventeen: Circle of Friends


"Is the food done yet?" Nick whined for what seemed like the millionth time as Kevin tended to the meat sizzling on the large grill. The five men and their respected wives were gathered on the beach for an intimate barbeque. Though the youngest of the group was getting quite impatient to start eating.

"Nick, I swear... if you ask me one more time," Kevin threatened, waving the forked tong at Nick with furled eyebrows.

"What?" Nick tempted with another loud whine, causing Ana to physically cringe as she curled quietly on her large beach blanket. "What are you going to do, old man?"

"You're going to end up barbequed if you don't stop that damn whining--"

"Kevy, that's not how you shut up Nick. This is how!" Tierja took a marshmellow she had been roasting in the beach firepit and shoved it into Nick's mouth.

"Mmm," Nick delighted as he chomped on the goey mess, leaning to smack a stick kiss on Tierja's lips. "Thanks, Baby!"

"Eww!" Tierja groaned as Nick left a trail of marshmellow on her face and lips as Nick laughed in triumph which was quickly halted as she pushed another marshmellow into his mouth. "My plan backfired so bad it's not even funny!"

"You looked hungry..." Nick mumbled.

"It would have worked better with a pacifier," Ana groaned.

"As long as it got him to stop whining, I don't even care," Kevin shook his head with a chuckle as he watched Howie stumble from a game of ultimate frisbee with Leighanne, Brian and AJ to cuddle with Ana on the beach blanket. It was a perfect day to spend with his best friends and family.

"Did you lose?" Ana yelped in surprise as she felt a pair of hands snake around her and pull her close.

"Yeah, with a great big thud," Howie nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

"I don't think beach sports are your thing, Babe. Maybe Minnesota lake sand is different than Florida ocean sand."

"Or it could just be that Howie sucks at ultimate frisbee," Tierja and Nick snickered.

"That's because instead of practicing how to toss a stupid frisbee like some mindless idiot assuming it's a hard task, Howie was improving his qualities in the bedroom," Ana fired back sweetly at her friends, immediately coming to the defense of her husband with a fixed scowl.

"Did not need to know that," Nick whined yet again as he covered his ears.

"Where do you think babies come from, you eejit?" Tierja rolled her eyes, placing a hand to her aching back as she stood up to get a bottle of water. "Anyone want something to drink?"

"Not what you have to offer, that's for damn sure," Ana murmured, wrinkling her nose at the wet sand forming between Tierja's legs as she stood.

"Huh?"

"Look down at the sand."

"What-- holy shit, my water broke! Damnit and this is my favorite sundress!" Tierja whined, just like everyone had predicted for months.

"Amniotic fluid washes out, don't worry," Ana sighed, faintly rolling her eyes. Carefully, she eased herself off the blanket, watching Kevin pale dramatically. Thankfully, since Ana was a paramedic, she had delivered several dozen children, most not even in a hospital setting. And, she knew that Tierja had awhile before the child would even be delivered. "You just don't want to know what's contained in it."

"Please don't tell me," Tierja retorted as Howie called the others in and doused the fire since Kevin was just standing there with his jaw dropped open. "Do all expecting fathers act like him? Just standing there?"

"Some faint, some scream... his reaction is normal."

"That's normal?" Tierja growled, throwing her empty bottle of water at her fiance. "Jerk! Wake up!"

"Tierj, let's go get your hospital bag," Ana laughed, reaching to hold her friend so they could waddle toward the house.

"Old man, come on! You've got a baby coming!" Nick jumped on Kevin's back to get him going with the help of the other three men. Leighanne just shook her head with a chuckle, jogging to catch up with Ana and Tierja.

~*~*~*~

"Jeez, this fucking hurts! Damnit!" Tierja cursed as a sharp contraction hit her stomach, the nurse simply reading the machine hooked to her abdomen that recorded the strength of each contraction.

"You're the idiot that's refusing the epidural," Ana sighed as she reached to grasp her friend's hand. To say she was exhausted would be a mute point, because Tierja had been in labor for well over ten hours. Usually, emergency labors all occured in a matter of minutes, so Ana was used to catching a child like some kind of football between the mother's legs. To see a 'normal' labor was different and Kevin seemed to be no help. He just rested on the side of Tierja's bed, stroking her sweaty locks as he remained mute. Every so often when another firm contraction hit, she would strike him, which caused him to say sorry. Only, the entertainment value had dissipated after the fifth hour, but would probably escalate against when the contractions became closer and the baby's head presented.

"Because you're the one that told me what they do and I ain't keen on having that happen," Tierja groaned as the pain finally dissapated, closing her eyes and breathing heavy.

"It probably wouldn't be so bad if your fiancee would actually say something," Ana threw a wet washcloth at Kevin's face.

"Sorry," Kevin mumbled as the cold water slapped sharply against his stubbled face. He jerked from his position on the bed, tumbling hard to the floor just in front of the nurse. It seemed to snap him from his trance, causing him to blush a furious smile at the nurse. "Whoops..."

"Finally awake?" the nurse chuckled, helping him get back into his chair.

"About damn time," Tierja muttered.

"It's just a little scary..." Kevin admitted as he rubbed his wet face, offering a look of thanks toward Ana for getting his thoughts cleared.

"Want me to take a walk?" Ana offered.

"Only if you--"

"I think I should... got to let everyone know what's going on," Ana stood up and waddled towards the door.

"Guess it might have been slightly selfish of us to ask her to be the second labor coach when she's eight months pregnant and twice as miserable as you were at that stage," Kevin sighed, reaching to gently kissing Tierja's sweaty forehead. Tasting the saltiness, he frowned, grasping the washcloth that had been tossed at him and dabbing his fiancee's face. "How you feeling?"

"Howie will make her rest."

"I know. How are you feeling, though?"

"It hurts really bad... I'm getting scared, what if I can't push him or her out?" Tierja whimpered, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"The doctor said the labor process is long... And you'll know when you're ready to push. It'll happen naturally, I promise," Kevin tried to assure, rubbing his fingers across her forehead. "You're doing wonderfully."

"I'm sorry I hit you," Tierja concentrated on the sensation of his fingers on her forehead.

"It's alright, I deserved it. I was just scared..."

"Me, too," she whispered, clenching as another contraction washed over her body. She immediately reached for Ana's hand, frowning when she remembered the younger girl had scurried off. Tears of pain crossed into her blue-gray eyes as she reached for her fiance's hands. "Tell me the names we picked. Keep me concentrated on something, please."

"Elizabeth Ann, Catherine Ann, Laura Ann... remember, you were insistant on having my mother's first name as the middle name?" Kevin glanced at the machine, noticing the contraction hit its peak as she squeezed his hands tighter. "Kevin Scott, Jr., Jerald Scott and Colin Jacob in case we have a boy. Come on, Sweetheart, you're almost done, just take deep breaths."

"W-Where's my Trouble?"

"She's out in the waiting room resting. The poor girl was exhausted and we don't need her going into early labor--"

"But the baby's coming," Tierja gritted as the nurse excused herself to find the doctor. It was obvious that she was moving into the next phase of labor, the active phase, where the baby actually was expelled from the mother's body. "I need my Trouble now."

"Tier, I think Howie wants her to rest--"

"I need her!"

"Well, what the Hell am I doing here then?" Kevin scoffed sarcastically as the nurse came back in. He attempted to remove himself from the bed, but Tierja yanked him down by the collar with disgust as another contraction hit. He wheezed in shock, glancing toward the nurse. "Can you get Anastacia Dorough from the waiting room, please?"

"I would, but she's just been admitted herself," the nurse replied, marking a few things onto the paper that was being printed out each time Tierja had a contraction.

"What?!"

"Her water broke on the way back to the waiting room. Her room is right next to yours."

"Howie's going to kill us," Kevin immediately groaned in disbelief.

"Maybe so, but you two are going to be welcoming a child to this world very soon--"

"About right now," the doctor agreed as he seated himself between Tierja's legs, lifting the white sheet covering her lower half. "You've dialated wonderfully, Tierja."

"Well thanks, but let's cut the chit-chat because this baby wants to come out!"

"Don't push until I say, Tierja."

"How could you possibly know when I need to--"

"Deep breath and bear down like you're having a bowel movement," the doctor instructed, causing Kevin to make a disgusted face.

"Bossy doctor," Tierja muttered under her breath before doing what he said, grunting loudly in pain.

"You'll be relieved and thankful you listened in a few moments," he promised none the less, motioning for the two nurses to be ready to take the child for a quick clean and assessment. Sure enough, with a few more hard pushes, the child was guided easily into his hands. He hurriedly wrapped him into the towel, cutting the umbilical cord because Kevin had requested not to and allowed the nurses to clean the airway. "Congratulations!"

"Oh God," Tierja fell back onto the pillows, panting heavily as she listened to their child cry. Tears began falling down her cheeks as she grasped Kevin's hand.

"Perfectly healthy!" the nurse announced. "Nine pounds, twenty two inches long!"

"What is it?" Kevin questioned as she walked over to deliver the bundle into his arms.

"A beautiful boy!"

"A son... we have a son."

"Cadence is officially betrothed," Tierja panted with sweet relief, cooing as the nurse helped Kevin place the baby boy onto his mother's chest. He immediately began to suckle at her breast, filling Tierja with an overwhelming satisfaction of warmth. She sobbed softly as she brushed her fingers down his straight dark locks, assessing to make sure his tiny hands and kissing his little fingers. "You're gorgeous."

"Just like his mother," Kevin praised, leaning up to kiss her forehead and then their son's. "I love you both so very much."

"I love you, too," Tierja promised with a whisper, beckoning Kevin down to kiss him lovingly. "And Jerald Scott loves you, too."

~*~*~*~

"I changed my mind, Cadence can stay inside me forever! I really don't mind!" Ana wailed as her stomach panged with a fierce contraction.

"I told you to rest instead of going into the delivery room with Tierja and Kevin. I told you that it'd be way too much stress for you to deal with. Yet, you don't listen to me and go sliding halfway across the Emergency Room as your water breaks. Damnit, Ana," Howie cursed with worry, frowning as the nurse moved to strap a fetal heart monitor to Ana's aching abdomen. Since she was a month early, the doctor wanted to monitor the labor process closely. She was sure that there probably would be any dangerous complications, but she didn't want to take the chance. So, Ana had even refused the epidural, knowing it could depress her daughter's respiratory system. And, it seemed far more important during this delivery, dozens of health care workers popping in to see the Adrenaline Junkie's miracle baby.

"Thanks for the sympathy, really," Ana heaved, biting down hard on her bottom lip as the contraction ended. She decided not to watch her husband's angry facial features, glancing over to the fetal heart monitor.

"I'm worried, can you blame me? Cadence is a month early and I'm a little scared!"

"You don't think I'm scared? It'll be my fault if something happens--"

"Ana, don't you be talking like that," her nurse interrupted the argument, squeezing her hand gently. "Dr. Anderson won't let anything happen and it's not your fault that Cadence wanted to come now. She's just like you, always wanting to be around the excitement."

"Well can you at least give my husband an epidural from the waist up, then?" Ana breathed, allowing the nurse to bend down and hug her tightly. She felt tears of worry start to glisten against her blue-green eyes, hating that Howie was so furious at her. The birth of an eight months old wasn't entirely abnormal, it happened more frequently than others realized. And, besides, she had been a premature infant, too.

"I think you both need to give each other a break. Howie, preemies at eight months isn't what we want, but it's perfectly normal. We're just monitoring the baby to be safe. Ana, you don't have to worry, you've delivered preemies before in every condition."

"I just want her to be okay and I want her to love me," Ana answered, glancing away from her nurse and her husband. She blinked away some furious tears, feeling another contraction hit. She reached for the rails of the bed, holding her breath.

"She's going to be okay and she's going to love you because you're the best mother around," Howie promised, taking her hands from the rails and into his own, which made her turn and look into his eyes. "Just take deep breaths, you remember the drills from lamaze class. You can do it, Baby."

"Why aren't you yelling?" Ana whimpered, biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying.

"I shouldn't have been yelling at you. I was just so worried and you need comforting words. I'm sorry, Ana."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go into labor--"

"You can't control when you go into labor. Don't be sorry, because that just means Cadence will be with us sooner."

"O-Okay," Ana breathed as the contraction died.

"You're doing so good, Ana. Just hang on, soon enough you can pu--"

"Bullshit, she ain't coming out--"

"I don't think you can decide that--"

"The Hell I can't--"

"Adrenaline Junkie in active labor... I think it's officially a bit chilly in Hell," Dr. Anderson teased as she entered the birthing room to see Howie attempting to help Ana through the heavier contraction.

"Funny, real funny," Ana seethed, biting hard on her bottom lip as the physician examined her lower portion.

"You'll thnk this is really funny then, because it's time for you to push."

"I beg your pardon?" Ana questioned, leaning up to catch her obstetrician's gaze.

"You're fully dialated."

"That's real cute," Ana labored, glancing toward her physician as she signaled when to push during the contraction. Mustering every ounce of courage in her system, Ana beared down as hard as she possibly could with the push. A strong pain washed over her system, but she was persistent. Just as persistent as she had been in the tunnel of rubble during the tornado. Her fierce bravery caused her to wrinkle her nose into a look of adorable persistence as a huge relief washed over as the child released into her physician's awaiting arms. Immediately, Ana boosted herself into a sitting position as the nurse and neonatologist took the child over to the incubator for assessments and possible intervention. "Breathe... Please, breathe, Cadence."

"She will, Ana. She will--" Howie's encouragements were interrupted by a squeal and then a long wailing cry.

"She's got her mother's lungs, that's for sure," Dr. Anderson chuckled as she walked over to Ana with the precious bundle. Carefully, she helped Ana nestle the child onto her chest, deciding it was best for the child to start nursing from her mother's breast. "Congratulations, Sweetheart. She's gorgeous. Five pounds, eighteen inches, but she'll fatten up with her Daddy's appetite."

"Thanks," Ana whispered with true relief, peeling back the pink blanket that held her tiny daughter. Sure enough, her tiny daughter lay nestled inside, sweetly sucking on her mother's breast. Her dark black curls were abundantly thick, layering her carmel forehead. She was slightly wrinkled from the birthing process and beefy red, but she was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous and Ana was instantly attached. "Hey there, baby girl."

"She's so beautiful," Howie whispered in awe, leaning over on the bed to gaze at their brand new daughter. At the sound of her father's voice, Cadence peeked her eyes open to reveal the same emerald-blues that she inherited from her mother. "Hello, Angel Baby. Momma and Daddy are so glad that you're here."

"Good thing Momma got your nursery done early, too, huh?" Ana laughed, brushing her fingertips down Cadence's soft cheek. She smiled as Cadence averted her eyes toward Ana, curling her tiny fingers against the warmth of her mother's breast. "You're absolutely perfect, Sweetheart. I was so scared to have a daughter, but I wouldn't want anyone else... I'm going to be the best for you... The very best..."

"My perfect little family," Howie spoke after a few minutes of just watching Ana and Cadence bond. He had dreamed of starting a family with Ana and now it was starting to come true.

"Your two favorite girls," Ana commented, motioning for him to sit on the bed.

"My two favorite, absolutely, positively beautiful girls," Howie sat down at her side and pressed a gentle kiss on Cadence's cheek before giving his wife a deep kiss. "I love you both."

"We love you, too," Ana promised, gently touching his face before leaning to give him another kiss.

Epilogue: Homecoming

"Oh I can't wait until I get home. I'm not moving unless it's to feed Jerald," Tierja moaned softly as she eased down into the wheelchair next to her bed. The hospital had allowed her to rest for a few hours and then suggested she go home to recover. They found it was easier for new mothers to heal at their own comfort level.

"Is that any different from before he was born?" Kevin joked, holding onto the carseat handle that was cradling their newborn swaddled in blankets and pillows to keep him warm from the blistery spring weather outside.

"You know, you're not supposed to tease a new mother, because she's been known to devour her fiance like a black widow," Tierja threatened.

"I'm sorry," he leaned down and kissed the top of her head as she grasped the wheels. "Ready to go, Tier?"

"Yes, I hate the hospital."

"Then let's go. Howie and Ana have already left--"

"That little stinker! She knew I wanted to see Cadence!" Tierja growled, finding a little energy and wheeling out the room and down the hall.

"She'll drive you crazy sometimes, but you'll love her just the same," Kevin chuckled down at his son, who was suckling on his tiny fingers as they followed Tierja.

"I gave her that baby early, she should be buying me one humongous thank you present! Sure, Howie was a little upset at me, but they're holding her right now!"

"Baby, just shush and get in the car," Kevin shook his head, leaning forward in the backseat to buckle Jerald in.

"But it's--"

"The sooner we get in the car, the faster we'll be at their place."

"Where I can give her the tongue lashing of her lifetime!" Tierja burned, carefully standing to reach the passenger door of the car. Though, Kevin quickly came to her aid once Jerald was secure, knowing she was still in discomfort from the birthing process. The physician had made sure to tell them all the gory details, like the fact that she would continue to bleed several days after the birthing process. And, any time Tierja mentioned it, Kevin just decided to buy her a bigger gift. It was the least he could do after she delivered their somewhat large infant.

"Or you could just give a hug and kiss to congratulate her on having a baby the same day as you? Didn't the two of you talk about that when you were kids?" Kevin replied, helping her sit down in the soft seat and shutting the door before jogging to the driver's side. He started the ignition and sped back towards the Dorough's.

"No, a tongue lashing is more appropriate."

"Tierja Holly--"

"I've known her a lot longer than you have. I know what's appropriate for that brat."

"And here I thought the hormones settled down after having a baby," Kevin groaned as they finally pulled into the long driveway. Brian, Nick and AJ's cars were already there along with Ana's shining purple Hummer with a matching Corvette for Howie.

"How come they came to see Cadence first?"

"Because AJ's suggested that he's the father?"

"Howie's going to be freaking out... just watch," Tierja snickered, opening her door and slowly getting out.

"We're all hoping for a priceless Jerry Springer moment, because Ana loves to play with J," Kevin agreed with a light smirk, reaching into the back to withdraw his son. He smiled as he was greeted with a pair of soft green eyes watching him. "We're getting you inside to see the family, buddy."

"It's going to be entertaining," Tierja stood by the front of the car and waited for her two favorite men. She smiled and cooed at Jerald as he gurgled and writhed in the carseat. "Hi, Sweetheart. Ready to go inside?"

"He's anxious to meet that girlfriend of his..."

"They're going to be an adorable couple," Tierja threaded her arm through Kevin's and they walked towards the front door. It was the famiy she had always wanted and she thanked God that the tornado hadn't taken any of the lives of her friends or lover.

"Until Howie gets too protective--"

"AJ! YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT!" Howie's thundering voice interrupted Kevin as they entered the house.

"Until?" Kevin repeated.

"Umm... I'd like to retract my--"

"Hey, look who's here!" Leighanne shouted with a grin, running to greet her cousins.

"Hey, Leigh," Kevin greeted, leaning to kiss Leighanne's cheek as she immediately moved to eye the first newborn infant born into the family.

"Oh, he's so adorable! Hi, Jerald. Welcome to the family. It may be a little bit crazy, but you're going to love it," Leighanne bent down and cooed to him, ignoring Howie chasing AJ around the living room while everyone else laughed.

"What did AJ say this time?" Tierja questioned as AJ practically dove in between them, scrambling for the stairs before Howie could catch his ankles.

"That Cadence should have this last name... and asked Ana to remember the night Howie bonded with John when they were alone... other things that aren't appropriate to speak in front of Jerald... needless to say, it ticked Howie off."

"And amused Ana to no extent?" Kevin guessed with a chuckle as he allowed his wife to gently lift their son from his carseat. He knew she was anxious to speak with her best friend and he honestly didn't blame her. They had been parted far too long, especially since the birth of their children.

"But of course," Leighanne grinned, following Tierja to the couch where Ana was sitting with her daughter. Kevin decided to be peacemaker once again and tried to chase down AJ and Howie.

"Tierj, hey," Ana laughed softly, her blue-green eyes practically dancing at the sight of her best friend. "Howie wouldn't let me wait at the hospital for you. He said I needed to take Cadie home and rest since she's still a little exhausted--"

"You're both little buttheads and I was going to give you a tongue lashing," Tierja interrupted, settling next to Ana on the couch. "But Cadence is so beautiful I don't think I could do it."

"That's exactly what I thought when I first saw her," Ana agreed with a wistful smile, glancing down to her sleepy eyed daughter. She looked absolutely adorable in the light purple body suit embroided with a light yellow crown to compliment the purple and yellow striped pants Ana had selected for her daughter to wear home. She had even gone as far as to slide a light purple hair band over her thick, black curls. She was gorgeous in every since of the word, the darkness of her features electrifying the blue-green eyes she had inherited from her mother. "And I dressed her myself."

"You did? Nuh-uh!" Tierja gasped playfully, leaning down to kiss Cadence's cheek.

"Don't tease," Ana pouted, knowing it was truly an accomplishment for herself. "I was really worried that I--"

"Trouble, you're going to be a great momma, alright? Cadie is going to adore you."

"I hope," Ana sighed as Leighanne asked to hold Cadence for a moment. Somewhat hesitant, Ana relinquished the hold of her child. She already missed having Cadence in her arms as Nick moved to sit beside Leighanne, motioning if he could hold Jerald. It also took Tierja a moment, though she trusted Nick from his extensive history with younger siblings. And, once the children were handed off, Ana instantly wrapped her arms around Tierja and cuddled close. "Jerry's adorable."

"So is Cadie. I already told Kevin that they're going to get married someday," Tierja smiled, kissing her best friends cheek. This was exactly hw she had dreamed their lives to be. Full of friends, perfect soulmates and beautiful children.

"Don't tell Howie that Cadie's already betrothed... He might slaughter me... And I'm not exactly on his good side because of the whole AJ incident..."

"I won't tell him... right now. I'm saving that for later--"

"Tierj--"

"You're the one who agreed with AJ!"

"Would you expect anything different from me?"

"No... Because you're never going to change, no matter what happens in our lives."

"Is that so bad?"

"No, actually, I couldn't ask for anything more, really."



Author's note: I hope everyone liked the story, I loved writing it with Anastacia. Thank you so much, girl!