~ Chapter Forty One ~

AJ slouched lower in the folding chair outside his locker and scowled.  Even the fact that he was sitting in the clubhouse wearing just his underwear and socks wasn't making him feel better, like it usually did. 

Brian was half perched on the table in front of AJ's locker, reading through a pile of fan mail.  Since the news in September, the amount of fan mail Brian received had jumped dramatically.  Right now, he was third only to Nick and Howie.

"Nick's late."  Brian said calmly, not looking up from the paper he was scanning.  "I predict..." He glanced up, holding one finger in the air.  "Now."

AJ raised one eyebrow, waiting.

"Where's Nick?"  Kevin's voice rose above the clubhouse clamor. 

Brian held his hands up in the air in victory. 

AJ had to admit, Brian timed it perfectly.  If Kevin wasn't so predictable, it would have been amazing.  But, Kevin was, so it wasn't. 

Brian returned to his mail, and AJ briefly considered putting on a shirt, then decided it would require too much energy. 

"How's Felicia doing?"  Brian addressed the question without looking up.

AJ shrugged.  The truth be told, that was what had put him in the mood he was in.  He hated being on the other side of the country, even if it was only for three days.  Over the last few weeks, there had been no middle ground with Felicia.  She was either fine, or she was completely miserable.  He had called her last night, and she had been the latter.  He wasn't worried, he knew she was going to be fine, but it still frustrated him.  The closer to her due date, the more AJ disliked being away from home.  He kept feeling like he was missing out on something. 

"I'm taking your silence as a ‘not too good.'"  Brian swung around until he was sitting on the table, facing AJ. 

"She's okay."  AJ raised his eyes to Brian.  He couldn't quite understand how Brian could be going through what he was, and still sit there in the clubhouse, reading mail and asking how other people were.  AJ couldn't do that right now, and he was far from the situation that Brian was in.

"Okay..."  Brian left the subject alone, turning back to his pile of mail.

"You're actually gonna read ALL of that?" 

"Well, yeah."  Brian said logically.  "If they cared enough to actually send me something, the least I can do it read it."

Nick blew in through the clubhouse door, looking like he had ran the entire length of the tunnel to the clubhouse.  "How... late am... I?"  He gasped, dropping into the chair next to Brian and collapsing across the table, knocking letters everywhere.

"Just late enough."  Brian stared down at Nick, then glanced over at AJ, his eyebrows raised.  AJ shrugged, not seeing whatever Brian was seeing.

"So, where ya been, bucko?"  Brian continued, smirking.

"You will never guess... who... showed up today."  Nick announced, possibly the biggest smile AJ had ever seen from Nick spreading across his face.

"Oh, GUESSING games!"  Brian said in delight.  "Let's see - judging from the look on you face, the hickey on your neck, and the fact that your t-shirt is on inside out..."  Brian reached over and flicked at the tag on the outside of the shirt with two fingers, "I'm guessin' she must have been good, huh?"

AJ sat up straight.  Nick wouldn't possibly... if Nick ever tried anything that was going to screw up his relationship with Stacy, AJ would string Nick up himself.  He had been around both of them enough that he could clearly see they were meant for each other, and if Nick couldn't see that, or wouldn't admit it, AJ would make him.

"We were beginning to wonder if you got lost."  Kevin greeted Nick, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nick turned the same smile on Kevin.  "I didn't mean to!  Stacy flew in today for the weekend... so I kinda lost track of time.  Big deal."

It all fell into place in AJ's head.  If Stacy was in New York, then that was okay.  He wasn't worried anymore.  About them anyway - he was still worried about Felicia, but he was always worried about her. 

To AJ's great surprise, and possibly Brian's as well, Kevin laughed. 

"Nick?"  The clubhouse manager interrupted.  "They're asking if you're ready to do the interview for ESPN?"

"Yeah, I'm comin'!"  Nick pulled himself upright, wrinkling his nose at the three teammates in front of him.  "Time to go be Bob Carter's son for half an hour." 

"Hey, Nick!"  Kevin yelled after him as Nick headed for the field and the press cameras.

"What?"

"Put your shirt on the right way - Bob Carter's son doesn't have his tag sticking out in back."

Nick raised his middle finger in Kevin's direction before pulling his shirt off and putting it on the right way as he headed out the door. 

"Well, isn't that nice..."  Kevin smiled happily at Brian and AJ, then vanished back over towards his locker and the stat sheets he was inspecting.

Brian's jaw dropped.  "He's snapped.  The stress of the series got to him or something.  Kevin has completely flipped!"

AJ had to admit, a happy ‘isn't that nice' in response to being flipped off wasn't usually Kevin's way, but he wasn't surprised.  It was just that at the moment, Nick was so genuinely happy you couldn't help but be happy with him.  AJ leaned back and craned his neck so he could see the clock on the wall.  He had time for one quick phone call home.  He suddenly felt like calling Felicia.

~*~

"Well, Mariner fans have been waiting a long time for this."  Niehaus announced on the postgame show following game four.  "One game away from a trip to the World Series - this is a special moment.  The Mariners beat the New York Yankees 2-1 and take a 3 games to 1 game lead in the series.  We'll be back in a moment with clubhouse reaction.  The Mariners win game four 2-1."

~*~

"You've been seeing each other for six months?"  Jane Carter repeated in disbelief, her head swiveling from her son then back to Stacy again.  "What else haven't you told me, Nick?"

Nick shrugged petulantly.

Stacy didn't like the way this was turning out.  After what he had said about not wanting to go to New York, she didn't need to think too long before deciding to fly to New York for the weekend.  Now she was beginning to wonder what the point was.  As soon as his mother had appeared after the game, Nick's good mood had vanished.  He was answering her the same way he answered reporters in the clubhouse, with answers that technically answered the question, but said nothing.  She knew Nick and his parents weren't on especially good terms, but it still seemed a little childish to her. 

Jane turned towards Stacy, seemingly unfazed by Nick's attitude.  "Well," She said cheerily, a bright smile appearing on her face.  "If that isn't just like a man!  Now, the two of you have to come have something to eat with us tonight - I think we have some catching up to do here."

"Of course."  Stacy accepted.  She was tired, but not that much, besides she was curious about Nick's parents, especially Bob, whom she still hadn't seen.

"Gee, THANKS!"  Nick mouthed at Stacy from behind his mother.

"Let me go find Bob."  Jane decided.  "I can only wait for him so long." 

Nick watched as his mother disappeared towards the press box, her heels clicking on the cement floor. He turned to give Stacy a disgusted look. "Nice.  Very, very nice."

"Oh come on."  Stacy rolled her eyes, stepping over to wrap her arms around his neck.  "Stop being a brat and be nice for an hour.  It won't kill you."

Nick sighed.  "I'm tired.  I don't feel like being nice.  It's already past eleven - I want to go to bed."

"So tell them that."  Stacy shrugged, rubbing his shoulders.

"Oh no."  Nick said with a short laugh.  "That makes me the bad guy.  And I'm not doing that.  I can't back out now."  He circled his arms around her waist, bending her over backwards and leaning down in her face.  "However..."  He added impishly, giving her a quick kiss.  "You get to take full responsibility for whatever happens."