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Chapter 82:

Nastasia glanced around the changing room carefully. She felt like her heart might crack open right there. Alexandria played quietly on the floor, her thoughts as somber as Nastasia's thoughts.

Nastasia knew since she was fighting with Lauren that she'd have no contact with Chase. Lauren would refuse to speak to her, and she did the same with Lauren. And since Lauren was planning on divorcing AJ, he'd have no contact with Chase, which eventually meant that Nastasia would never see her little Chase again.

"Nastasia? You alive in there?" Kevin asked as he walked into the room. It was time for them to begin. He looked at Nastasia, who seemed to want to cry. Her shoulders slumped as she held her head in her hands.

"What? Oh, hey Kevvy. I'm definintely alive I suppose." Nastasia called softly, "Where's Howie at?"

"Out getting ready to perform. Everyone misses you, Nick's totally hyped on sugar and looking for you. Brian is warming up, he was hoping he'd have his singing partner to practice with. Howie just wants a kiss...and I do too... We want you out there now." Kevin smiled as he held his hand out to Nastasia. She doubted on whether she was going to be able to perform tonight.

"Have you ever felt like you wanted to stop dancing or singing? Like something else was just so important that you wanted to do something about that instead of perform?" Nastasia asked seriously as Alexandria stood up and walked carefully to her mother. She whined.

"What's that supposed to mean Nastasia?" Kevin asked carefully, trying to decide if Howie and her had gotten into another fight.

"Mama!" Alexandria whined impatiently. Nastasia sighed as she scooped her child up and held her tightly. She glanced over to see the figurine Chase had given her.

'See, that's you Aunt Stazzie. That's Alexandria. And that's me!' Chase's words chimed in her head. She felt the tears well in her eyes. Images of him walking to her for the first time, him saying her name when he had a nightmare. Everything stabbed like a knife.

"Stazzie?" Kevin called softly.

"Hmmm?"

"You okay?"

"Oh, fine." Nastasia whispered as she placed a kiss on her fingers and touched the boy bear. "Love you Chazzie."

*********

Denise felt nervous as the plane touched the ground. Her heart thumped to a maximum. She knew Nastasia was very upset with her for betraying AJ. And she knew AJ would be very upset as well. She never thought she'd ever hurt her daughter or son like that.

"Where's mommy?" Chase asked excitedly as they unbuckled their seatbelts. His fever had broke during the ride, he seemed a little more entergetic, and didn't complain as much.

"She's out waiting for you sweetheart." Denise smiled as she took him and their bags into her arms, walking out to where Lauren was waiting.

Lauren tapped her leg impatiently as she watched everyone leave the plane. She searched and searched for Denise. Her heart pounding with an intense rhythm. She knew AJ was going to give her hell, but nothing felt better than having her son back.

"MOMMY!" She heard a little boy call loudly. She jumped at the sound then saw the mass of curly black hair. She felt tears of joy start to build in her eyes as she went running.

"Chase!" Lauren smiled as she brought the little boy into her arms. Hugging him fiercely as she kissed his cheeks over and over. The warmth of his kisses back to her were so inviting. "I love you so much sweetie. I never wanted to leave you. I love you! I love you! I love you!"

"I love you too mommy!" Chase cried as he hugged her back tightly, enjoying her kisses. Lauren wiped away her tears as she faced Denise, still holding Chase, she felt his forehead.

"He's still a little warm." Denise warned.

"I know, but I'm sure he'll be better once he's in his own bed." Lauren answered as she kissed his cheeks again. He giggled from the touch of her lips. "Thank you so much Denise."

"I want you to know that I don't agree with what you did, or are doing. I only did what I thought was best for Chase." Denise answered sternly. Lauren nodded.

"I know." She answered with a smile as she kissed Chase again. She inhaled his scent, which was a faint smell of Nastasia's favorite lotion, Cucumber Melon. She felt her heart stab with pain, she hadn't talked to Nastasia in days. "How's Nastasia? Has she said anything about me?"

"She sends her love." Denise answered softly, wincing at the cruelity of the words Nastasia had spit out. Denise had never upset her daughter more than she did tonight. Denise silently hoped Nastasia and AJ would understand.

********

After the concert everyone decided to go right home. Nastasia was the last person who wanted to go home. She felt her heart ache knowing Chase wouldn't be home when she got there.

"Honey, what's the matter?" Howie called softly as he grabbed Alexandria out from the car, who began to fuss loudly. Alexandria had been nothing but a mommy's girl tonight. Refusing to go to anyone but her mother.

"Nothing." Nastasia whispered as she got out of the car and shut the door. She pulled her light jacket around her waist tighter. She felt so cold as AJ wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You did great tonight." He whispered as Howie walked ahead to their room with Alexandria. Alexandria looked back at her mother and began to cry out loudly.

"I was terrible. I missed the beats and messed Kevin up. I did horribly. I should be fired." Nastasia murmured as she reached the door.

"Kevin thought you did well."

"Kevin always tells me I did well."

"True." AJ grinned as he searched Nastasia's eyes carefully. He found that she was sad and depressed, her eyes not their normal sparkling green. "Stazzie? What's the matter?"

"Chase-"

"He's sick. He'll be fine. He loves us both. I bet he can't wait to see us!" AJ smiled as he opened the door to where Chase and Denise were supposed to be. His smile immediatly turned to a frown as he looked at Howie and Alexandria.

"Where is Chase?" Howie asked as his eyes searched her eyes. AJ turned suddenly to look at Nastasia, he knew she knew too. Nastasia looked away hurtfully as tears sprung to her eyes. She didn't think it would hurt this bad.

"He-" Nastasia was about to answer, but AJ didn't want to hear it. He felt his anger boil that she knew and didn't tell him. He wanted to lash out and hurt someone, his son wasn't there.

"Where's Chase, Nastasia?!" AJ asked, pulling her quickly into the room. She flew into the room as he slammed her up against the door. Her back stung as she felt the pressure.

"Stop AJ." Nastasia whispered as he slammed her against the door again. Her head banged against the door. She heard Howie yell to AJ to quit and the screaming of Alexandria. But somehow she zoned out, her father's face bluring in with AJ's face.

"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!!" AJ roared as he slammed her one more time. Howie yelled again as he placed a wailing Alexandria on the floor. Nastasia started to cry as the phone rang, Howie pounced on AJ.

"STOP IT AJ!" Howie roared.

"WHERE IS HE?!" AJ yelled again as he lunged for Nastasia, only Howie had a tight grip on him. Nastasia slumped to the floor, her head pounding with an intense pain. She clicked on the phone.

"Alexander, it's mom." Nastasia answered as tears started to fall gently down her cheeks. AJ suddenly stopped fighting.