AJ opened the door to his house with his bag and Nadia’s bags in tow.  He walked into the house and stepped to the side letting Nadia walk into her new home.  Putting the bags down he closed the door and locked it.  When he turned around he saw Nadia in front of him as she looked around the hallway and living room.

“Did you want to pick out a room now or just relax?” He asked.

“Umm, I guess a room, I’m beat.” She said as she turned around.

“Ok well grab your bags and follow me.” He told her with a light smile.

AJ walked up the staircase as Nadia followed him, when he got to the top of the stairs he stopped and waited for her.  “So that’s the Master down there, the other two are down that way.”

“That one is yours and Chelsea’s?” She asked pointing to the Master bedroom.

“Yeah” He nodded, although lately it had been just his.  Suddenly he found himself regretting the nights he went out drinking, he could have been at home with her.  When Nadia hit the first bedroom she looked in. “The rooms are the same size and you can have the bathroom in the hallway cause we usually use the one in our room.”

“Cool” she replied with a nod.  “Then I’ll just take this one.”

“Ok” He replied with a nod.

“So are you crashing too?” She asked.

“Naw, think I’m going to have a coffee maybe watch a movie and wind down.” He told her as she dropped her bag on the floor.

“Cool” She nodded. 

“If you need anything I’ll be downstairs.” He said before he headed down the stairs.

AJ sat on the couch his legs stretched out feet resting on the coffee table, his mug sat on his lap as he watched the images on the screen.  He smiled as the woman on the screen laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Such a pig Mclean.” Chelsea laughed as the camera moved to her right.

“Come on I’m serious you’re hot!” AJ replied from behind the camera.

“You said I was hot when I was sixteen? So you’re saying I look like a sixteen year old?”

“Don’t most woman you’re age think that’s a compliment?” AJ replied.

Chelsea’s head spun around as AJ busted out laughing and the camera shook. “That’s not funny.”

“Aww baby you know I love you.” He replied with a chuckle as he moved the camera closer.  “Give me some love.”

The camera pointed down to the floor and shook as the couple could be heard laughing in the back and then the camera spun around and AJ was staring back into the lens. “I got some booty, I got some booty.” AJ sang as he did a little dance.

“Now I’m wondering if you ever grew up?” Chelsea sighed as the camera spun back around on her.

AJ chuckled.  “Say bye babe.”

“Bye babe” Chelsea replied with a goofy tone to her voice.

“That’s so 1950’ish.” AJ replied before the camera shut off.

Before the next section of video started AJ paused the DVD and pulled his legs down as he stood up to refill his coffee.  “Can we watch more?” A voice broke from across the living room and AJ jumped as his heart hit his throat.

“Scared me” He breathed out when he saw Nadia standing in the doorway.

“Sorry” She replied as the corner of her lip twitched into a quick smile.

“How long have you been there?” AJ asked.

“Since, ‘I got booty, I got booty.” Nadia replied mocking him.

“Mm, now I see why that was annoying.” He replied with a sigh, he then looked at the TV.  “That video was the morning before we got married; this is our own wedding DVD.” AJ paused.  “I like this one better than the one we paid for.”

“Are you going to bed?” She asked.

“No, I was going to get more coffee.” He replied. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Sure” Nadia nodded and she followed him into the kitchen.  “So can I watch the rest of that video with you? I mean unless there’s like other stuff on there and then no that’s ok.”

AJ stopped dead and looked at her. He answered the only way he knew how.  “Umm, nope that’s the other DVD.”

“Eewww” Nadia said with some nausea.  “Note, that’s something you say to your son not daughter.” She replied sarcastically back at him and then sighed a little.  “Maybe not to your kid’s period.”

“Not making promises, I’ve tried trust me.” AJ replied back and it pulled a smile from her.  “Oh!” He said quickly.  “You know which one I need to show you.” He spoke as he walked into the kitchen and she walked in behind him, he answered before she could.  “The first one I made, on my phone, she was just blown away I could shoot a video with my phone.”

“She was?” Nadia said a little confused as sat down and he opened the fridge.  “I don’t get it.”

“Her Dad kept her in a room, chained most of the time, he kept her hidden and she never really went outside, a lot of things have changed for a lot of people over the past ten years.” AJ said. “So what do you want?”

“Got any soda?” She asked.

“Mountain Dew?” He asked and for a split millisecond he saw pure joy on her face.

“Sure” She replied with a light shrug.

Grabbing the can of soda out of his fridge he handed the can to her as he walked over to the coffee maker and poured himself another cup full.  He added the sugar and then turned around while Nadia followed him.  They walked back into the living room and took back their seats, AJ grabbing the remote as he sat down.

“So what’s next?” She asked.

“Ah, hmm.” He said thinking.  “Oh, the camera was upstairs and that’s where her and Kristin got ready, so she took a video just before she came downstairs.” 

“Who’s Kristin?” She asked as he un-paused the DVD.

“Kevin’s wife.” AJ told her.

“Oh right” She nodded as the video started.

The camera jostled and you could hear Chelsea grumble in the background.  “No jokes Mclean.” She replied as she appeared the he screen.  “I hate these damn things.” 

AJ chuckled and smiled.

Ok so it’s gonna be my turn to come down, I’m waiting on Kev, shocking he’s late getting up here.” She said rolling her eyes.  “Anyways I saw the camera and decided to say something.”

AJ smiled as he remembered the words he was about to hear again.

“This morning I was sitting on the bed and I started to remember being with my Dad, I started to remember how many times I laid on the mattress pretending to sleep and just letting my mind wonder to what this day would have been liked.”  She stopped.  “I never thought I’d ever see you again, I never thought I’d get to feel the warmth of your love again, the safety of being in your arms and being able to look into those amazing eyes of yours.”

AJ wiped his eyes. 

“One day my Dad was showing me a picture of you and him, it was like that saying, so close but yet so far and then another day these men come crashing into my room.  The next thing I know I’m in a hospital, I see Kevin walk by and all I could think of was how he could get me to you.  Then there you were saying my name and standing right in front of me.” She grabbed a tissue and cursed at the tears which might ruin her makeup. “You are my rock Alex, god knows where or what I would be like if I didn’t have you to get me through this.  Jerald and Tim always bitch about me not having a life with you but they are so wrong because I found it, you gave me my life back and for that I will be forever grateful.” The camera moved away from her face.

AJ frowned for a split second.

The camera showed their bedroom curtains, then they disappeared and the camera focused on the people in their backyard before scanning up along the mountains of Maui.  “She’s out there somewhere, I hope she can see this video one day and see something that we never got to see, two parents who want each other, need each other and love each other.”  There was a knock on the bedroom door, the camera turned back around and Chelsea came back on the screen.  “Bout damn time.” She scoffed into the camera lens.

AJ chuckled.

“Ok so he’s here I guess I’ll see you in a couple of seconds, I love you.” The camera moved around as she searched for the pause button and as the camera focused in and out on her dress she spoke.  “Damn it Kev how do you turn these damn things off.”

“Here it’s this button.” Kevin said off camera and then the video went dead.

“Jeez Chels.” AJ smirked shaking his head as he took a sip from his coffee.

“She really loves you.” Nadia said and AJ looked at her, shocked at first.  He had gotten caught up in Cheslea talking he almost forgot she was there. 

“Yeah she does, I’m very lucky, can’t believe…” He stopped.

“What?” Nadia asked.

“Nothing” AJ replied with a quick shake of his head.  He noticed Nadia was going to say something but then another video started.

“Hello Mrs. Mclean.” AJ’s voice broke from behind the camera and the video focused on Chelsea.

“Hello Mr. Mclean.” Chelsea smiled.

“Have I told you how beautiful you looked today.” He said as he pointed the camera at her.

“Oh about a million times.” Chelsea laughed.  “Must you film right now?”

“Yes” AJ replied.  “Blame your brother he was always filming us out on the road.”

“Yeah I saw his library.” Chelsea said as she quickly rolled her eyes.  “I like all the videos of you falling on your ass.”

“Hey those mic packs hurt; sometimes they’d pop up and slam into my spine.” AJ pouted.

“If you weren’t such a damn klutz…” Chelsea started to say.

“I am not a klutz.” AJ scoffed.

“Whatever, so far I’ve heard about all the times you would fall on stage, off stage, getting your foot ran over by a van…”

“Fans pushed me in front of it.” AJ said quickly.

“Pulling your quad and hamstring, busting your knee up, hmm am I missing anything?” She asked.

“Umm, nope pretty much covers it.” AJ replied the camera still pointed at her.

“And do I even need to mention how your baby toe looks like it…I can’t even explain what it looks like because you’ve cracked it off the corner of almost every table you come across.”  Chelsea told him.

“You diss me like that on our wedding night?” AJ gasped.

“It’s not dissing if it’s the truth.” Chelsea sang.

“It’s on.” AJ replied and then the camera shut off.

“So” Nadia said and he looked over.  “That’s where I get it from.”

“You’re clumsy?” AJ asked.

“See this?” Nadia said pointing to the light scar on her chin.  “Got this running into an end table when I was four, this…” She said pointing to a scar on her elbow.  “Got this cause I ran over a stick while trying to roller blade.”

AJ lightly laughed.

“And Chelsea must be pretty graceful since she was a Gymnast huh?” Nadia said.

“Yep” AJ nodded with a sigh. Another scene came on and this time they were in Italy.

“Where did you guys go cause that’s like a different room.” Nadia pointed out.

“That last one was at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills and then we went for our real honey moon in Italy a couple of days later.” AJ told her.

They were both distracted by Chelsea laughing and then both looked over at the TV.  This time it was Chelsea filming AJ as he did some really stupid goofball dance.  He looked over when he heard Nadia laughing, hearing them laugh together even though one was on TV made him smile and those feelings he got back in the hospital came rushing back to him.