~ Chapter Twenty Four ~

Article in Seattle P.I. - June 8th

With all the talk about AJ McLean and Nick Carter this season, it might seem at times that they were the only two players on the team. But, while Carter continues to make us wonder if he's worth all the fuss people make over him, and McLean continues just to plain make us wonder, some of their teammates have been putting together a stellar season.

Take veteran catcher, Kevin Richardson, for starters. Richardson has been in the majors for seven years, but this season he's hitting .272 with 15 home runs, just a month away from the All-Star break. His career season high total for home runs is 17. Not only that, but he hasn't bit a pitcher's head off all season long - at least not on the field. Teammates say Kevin's still his hotheaded self in the clubhouse. "He still wants things done a certain way, and they usually get done that way." Third baseman Howie Dorough says, calmly. "You don't argue with Kevin."

Speaking of Dorough, he's having a season to remember as well. Dorough is currently one of the top five hitters in the American League, sporting a batting average of .349. Everyone always knew he could hit, it was his defense that had been in question for the last few years - and this year, he's improved drastically in that area as well. Last year, he accumulated a career high 52 errors at third. So far this year, he only has 11 errors.

"I spent the offseason playing winter ball." Dorough explains. "It really helped a lot - plus, this season, things have kind of focused on other guys on the team, rather than on what I'm doing... it kind of took the pressure off me."

When asked about last season, and the way even the local fans turned on him, Howie just shrugs. "That's all behind me now... you can't sit and dwell on it. Last year was a terrible season for me, I probably deserved a lot of what people were saying about me. You just have to deal with it."

The person who was most vocal about the fans hostility toward Dorough last season, was Mariners second baseman Brian Littrell. Littrell expressed his displeasure with the local fans over their attitude several times throughout the course of the season, seemingly to no avail. Ask anyone on the team, and they'll tell you that Brian is the "nice guy" of the team. He's the one willing to stick up for anyone. He's the one with the perpetual grin on his face.

He's also the one leading the team in fielding percentage and comes in a close second in on base percentage, right behind lead off hitter Luis Alicea. For the last two years, Littrell has put in a solid defensive display at second base - one which goes largely unheralded. But, don't let that fool you. It isn't as if people aren't aware of the job Brian has been doing.

"He's Mr Dependable." says right fielder Nick Carter. "He's always in the right place at the right time, he does all the little stuff that doesn't get noticed - he's always backing someone up, or sacrificing someone over, all the little things like that."

Hitting coach Jesse Hatfield agrees with what Carter said, plus more. "Brian's the first player at the park in the afternoon, and he's the last to leave after the game. He puts in more work than a lot of the guys on the team combined."

Littrell has opinions of his own on the subject. "You know, " he says, leaning back on the dugout bench, before the game, the ever present smile on his face. "When it comes down to it, what you do individually doesn't matter that much. Sure, it can get you into the Hall of Fame, but this is a team sport, and what matters to me, is what we do as a team. It takes twenty-five guys to get to the World Series, and that's my goal. I'm gonna have as much fun as I can along the way, but I want to go to the World Series, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get there."

~*~

Felicia paused behind the couch in the living room, staring down at her husband. It was times like these that she was both confused as to why she found him attractive, and at the same time, quite positive he was the most wonderful person on the face of the earth.

AJ was lying on the couch, his legs flung up over the back, his head hanging down off the cushions towards the floor, a three inch gap between his khakis and t-shirt exposing the 69 tattooed on his stomach. He was holding the remote in his hand; happily channel surfing, watching the pictures flash by - upside down.

"Alex?" Felicia had something fairly important to tell him, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to take it as well as she hoped he would. She hadn't been this happy in months, but AJ, being the chronic worrier that he was, wasn't going to look at the situation in the same light she did.

"Uh-huh." AJ said, still watching the channels speed by. "Whoa!" He said in delight, pausing for a moment. "Larry King looks even scarier upside down!"

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yep." AJ said confidently.

"Guess what!" Felicia prompted, a note of elation slipping into her voice. She slipped over the arm of the couch and sat down next to him, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"Give me a hint." AJ's voice said from the floor.

"Remember spring training?" She might as well start at the beginning.

"Oh yeah. It's warm, and you get to play golf all day. Helluva lot more fun that the regular season."

"I meant us, last spring training."

"Oh - that." AJ backtracked. "I remember that too ‘cause there was lots of sex involved. And you had this bikini... I think it was pink, but you know, I'm not actually sure, because I didn't really spend a whole lot of time looking at the actual material..." He stopped channel surfing, the TV stopping on VH1, another story of a washed up child star blaring out through the speakers. AJ clicked the power button repeatedly until the TV finally turned black. "Geez, you sound giddy." He said slowly, still hanging upside down.

"Well, you were on the right track... only it has nothing to do with the bikini."

"That leaves sex and golf." AJ said thoughtfully.

Felicia rolled her eyes. "Must you reason everything out like this?"

"Yes!" AJ sat up straight, sitting Indian style on the couch. "This is how my mind works." He thought quietly for a moment, his eyes blinking owlishly. "I'm assuming the golf part is ruled out, since you never do anything but sit by the pool." His eyes widened. "Oh wait. That would leave the..." His mouth dropped open. "You're saying I'm pregnant, right?"

Felicia closed her eyes and tried very hard not to burst into laughter. He reasoned everything out, and that had been his conclusion. Only the mind of AJ.

"Stop laughing, Lissie, you know what I mean." AJ grumbled.

"I'm due in November!" Felicia couldn't contain her excitement any longer, flinging both her arms around AJ's neck - a little too enthusiastically - as AJ toppled backwards off the couch onto the floor, pulling her with him.

"Holy s---!" AJ yelped. "No... wait..." He said slowly. "Actually, I think it's okay. It's only a collapsed vertebrae. It's cool."

"Sorry." Felicia giggled, knowing he wasn't really hurt. AJ was a tad accident prone - he'd fallen off furniture before.

"Hang on..." AJ grabbed her hand as she started to get up, pulling her back down on top of him. "Don't get me wrong here - I really am thrilled, in fact, if it wasn't for the excruciating pain in my lower back, my face might actually look happy - but, I think we need to have a little talk here, cause I'm assuming this is why you ended up in the ER. I really don't like those heart monitors going off, okay?" His tried to pass off his last comment as a joke, but failed miserably.

"Alex, I'm going to be okay, I'll be careful, I promise." She meant it too. It had only taken her the last few hours to completely fall in love with the entire idea of having a child, and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure everything went smoothly.

"Okay." AJ said finally, reaching up to tug at one of the curls hanging over her shoulder.

"That's all?" Felicia said in surprise. AJ had never left anything at ‘okay' before. He usually lectured her to death, no matter what she said. It could be sweet sometimes, but more often than not, Felicia found it somewhat annoying.

AJ tipped his head to the side and smiled faintly. "There's not a whole lot else I can say. If you promise to take it easy, then... I'm cool."

Felicia's eyes widened. This was a first. "Who are you and what did you do with my husband?"

AJ sat up, not affected in the slightest by his rather abrupt connection with the floor. "Very funny. Very, very funny." He leaned over, kissing her softly on the lips, before pulling away, a slightly crazed grin on his face. "This is gonna be so awesome! You know - we'll get to buy those Baby GAP clothes and those cute little shoes!"