~ Chapter Seventy Seven ~

"So where's Nick?"  AJ blew into the living room, interrupting Stacy and Felicia's catching up of the last two and a half weeks.  Stacy had finished relaying the events of Christmas, including a full explanation of the angel necklace, which was followed by aww's and assorted gushing by both parties. 

"Chicago."  Stacy shrugged.  "He's shooting stuff for Nike until Saturday."  Four days in Chicago for him, another few million in the bank.  Nick had told her once that the only money he had spent since he turned eighteen had been his signing bonus; his major league salary and endorsement money hadn't ever been touched. 

"Nike..."  AJ repeated in awe.  "He got lots of money for that one, huh?"

"I didn't ask."  Stacy straightened in her seat, fixing AJ with her best I'm polite and you're obviously not look.

"He got lots of money for that one."  AJ said to himself, turning his attention to Natalie, lying on the blanket spread on the living room floor.  Natalie was a perfect outlet for AJ.  He could talk all he wanted, and neither of the people capable of carrying on intelligent conversation had to bother listening to him. 

Felicia rolled her eyes slightly at her husband and returned to her story.  They had been back in town for close to two weeks, but Stacy hadn't actually stopped by for full details.  Stacy had three days worth of time for details now.  It sounded as if the trip had been a success; Felicia looked wonderful.  She had always been pretty, but she looked happier now.  As for AJ... well, AJ was bouncing off the walls, but that was nothing new. 

"You have to see my Christmas present!"  AJ announced, leaping up from the floor and bolting for the stairs.

"Do I want to?"  Stacy wondered.

"Do you have a choice?"  Felicia countered, laughing.  "You're going to the sports banquet dinner next week, right?"  She added.

Stacy nodded reluctantly.  A black tie optional banquet - something right up her alley.  Every January, one of the local newspapers selected ten athletes from the previous year as their sports stars, and held a banquet at the end of the month, the proceeds going to charity, and the people attending voting one male and one female athlete sports star of the year. 

"You have to go and vote for me, AJ McLean, Seattle Mariners pitcher."  AJ added, taking the steps three at a time, one hand held behind his back.  "You ready?"

"Show her already, Alex."  Felicia sighed. 

"Ta-da!"  AJ held up a huge red foam rubber hand, the Atlanta Braves logo screened onto one side.  "Is this not the most hideously tacky thing you have EVER seen?  I'm going to start wearing it, kind of like Michael Jackson and his white glove."  He shoved the foam onto his hand and bopped Felicia on the head with it.  "I wanted the tomahawk too, you know, so I'd have the entire ensemble, but her father wasn't about to give that up.  I offered to fight him for it, but he doesn't fight fair.  He tripped me and beat me up with the freakin' thing."

"He did."  Felicia nodded.  "And Alex screamed like a girl."

AJ pointed the foam finger at her.  "Hey - he poked me in the eye with that stupid thing, what was I supposed to do?  I could have been seriously injured."  He added, turning to Stacy.  "He used to play football."

"Not professionally!  Besides, he's fifty five..."  She stopped as AJ gave Natalie the foam hand.  "Alex, don't give her that filthy thing!"

AJ shrugged.  "It's fine.  The chemicals they used to make it will kill any germs."  He perched on the arm of the couch next to Felicia.  "So, Stacy, whatcha wearing on the 31st?"

"I have no idea."  Stacy pulled her knees up to her chin.  "I don't want to talk about it either."  Dressing up was not something Stacy did.  She had seen Felicia's closet, and knew she, and for that matter AJ too, would have no trouble coming up with clothing for any occasion.  Nick always managed to end up wearing the right outfit, although Stacy had never been able to figure out if he gave it conscious thought or if it was just part of his celebrity aura.  Stacy, on the other hand, could have shown up for work in her pajamas and no one would have minded.  Clothing was not something she gave great thought to. 

"A little black dress."  Felicia shrugged.  "It's not that hard."

"A what?"  Stacy peeked over her knees.  She was almost certain that she didn't own a dress.  A couple skirts, yes, but a dress?  She didn't need a dress.

AJ's jaw slowly unhinged.  "Please tell me you have a black dress."  He took her blank look as a no.  "Stacy, even I have a little black dress."

Felicia's head swiveled around to stare at him.  "You do?"

AJ waved his hand in dismissal.  "Shh.  I'm making a point here."

"We can go shopping!"  Felicia decided, bouncing up an down on the couch.  "I haven't done something like this in such a long time!  It'll be fun!"

Stacy sighed.  It would not be fun.  Shopping was not a fun activity, but... Felicia was ecstatic over the entire idea, and for that reason alone, Stacy would go along with it. 

"Well, wait a minute here."  AJ scowled slightly.  "I want to come too!"

~*~

Kevin handed his menu to the waitress and turned to the other two people sitting at the table.  Becky was back in school now, but she still came along with her father to the ball yard on Saturday morning, which was always followed by going out to lunch.  AJ had more or less invited himself along that morning.

"Chicken strips."  Becky and AJ said at the same time. 

"Two?"  The waitress wondered.

"Yes, please."  AJ nodded.  "Because I have a feeling you would eat all the French fries."  He mock glared at Becky, who giggled in response.

Kevin forced his hands to unclench.  He might as well relax - he was eating lunch with a six year old and a six year old trapped in a twenty-three-year-old's body.  Things would only get worse.  If AJ started a food fight, Kevin was leaving. 

"Good choice."  AJ informed Becky, holding his hand up for a high five across the table.  Kevin scrambled for Becky's water glass before her elbow sent it flying. 

"So you went to Florida for Christmas?"  Kevin tried to engage AJ in adult conversation.  If he could do that, maybe, just maybe, he and Becky wouldn't play paper, rock, scissors.

"Yep."  AJ leaned back in the booth, before his mouth dropped open in surprise.  "Hey!"

"You kicked me!"  AJ said in shock to Becky.

Something kicked Kevin's leg.  

"And you kicked me."  Kevin finished.  "Becky, you really should know better."  He added mildly.

"'Cause I sure as hell don't."  AJ grinned.

"Don't swear."  Becky said it before Kevin could. 

"Sorry."  AJ spun the straw in his Pepsi glass.  "But, Tampa was cool.  Sunny, seventy - and I got poked in the eye with a foam tomahawk."

Kevin frowned.  "You guys go to Disney World or something?"

AJ raised his eyebrows skeptically.  "Do I look like I have a death wish?  It wasn't my fault, it wasn't a fair fight.  Seriously though - Lissie had fun, and that was the point of going."

"Does she feel better now?"  Becky inquired politely. 

"Yeah, she's doing great." AJ gave Becky a thumbs up. 

"Oh, I forgot!"  Becky opened her pink vinyl purse and pulled out a tiny box wrapped in green paper.  "I have your Christmas present, AJ!"

Kevin rubbed his head.  Becky was at that stage where she found presents for everyone, including the neighbor's dog.  Hopefully, she would outgrow it.  On the other hand, Karen hadn't, the dog had received a present from her as well. 

"Cool!"  AJ said in delight.  "I don't have one for you though, I'm afraid."

"That doesn't matter."  Becky pulled her legs up underneath her, kneeling on the seat so she could see.  "They're angel wings."  She added, as AJ pulled the translucent figure out of the box. 

"Really."  AJ turned them over slowly in his hand.  "So, why'd you give them to me?"

"Do you believe in angels?"  Becky asked.

Kevin sighed quietly.  This debate again.  Every single time she brought it up, he was reminded of Brian.  This was another something Becky needed to outgrow. 

"I think..."  AJ leaned back off the table as the waitress appeared with their food.  "Thanks, babe."  She gave him a look of barely concealed disgust, and Kevin bit back a smile.

"I think..."  AJ started again.  "I'm not too sure about the entire heavenly being idea, but I know I believe in certain people that we refer to as angels, and it differs from person to person.  Someone might be an angel to one person, but not to another, you know?  Does that answer your question?" 

Becky's head bobbed up and down happily.  "Yes, I think so."  She carefully spread her paper napkin in her lap.  "And I gave them to you because you were so nice to Nick and me after the World Series." 

Kevin had never seen AJ speechless before.  In fact, if someone told him AJ could ever be at a loss for words, Kevin would have laughed.  However, AJ was sitting across the table from him, mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at Becky, forgotten chicken strip still in his hand.  "Wow.  Thank you."  He said finally, and returned his attention to his chicken.

Becky was carefully tearing her chicken strips up into bite sized pieces, her lower lip thrust out in concentration.  Kevin frowned, how many times did he have to tell her not to play with her food?  He wasn't going to nag, however.  "So, AJ, what you were saying earlier - you're saying that I might look at one person as an angel, but, someone else might look at me as an angel?"  That was a hypothetical example; there was no way anyone would look at Kevin as an angel. 

AJ's eyes darted from his French fry to Kevin and back again.  "Exactly that."  He jabbed the potato slice at Kevin.  "It's about... perception, and how people perceive other people and events differently." The French fry vanished into his mouth and AJ grinned happily around it.  "Man, I'm good.  That even made sense to me!"

Kevin had to admit, AJ was good.  This was a concept that maybe, just maybe, he could buy into. 

"Whoa... I gotta go."  AJ shoved three more fries into his mouth, standing and fishing in his pocket for his wallet.  "Got a shopping date."  He explained, handing Kevin a ten dollar bill.  "There's my lunch, it's been wonderful hanging with y'all, but the dress racks are calling."

He had said dress racks, Kevin was certain of it.  Oh well, AJ's personal life wasn't any of his business. 

"Wipe that look off your face, Richardson."  AJ smirked.  "I'm merely going along as an advisor, I'm not wearing them."  He waved at Becky.  "Thanks for the present, see you guys later."

Kevin rested his elbows on the table.  Why was it AJ created a mental fog in Kevin's mind?  Was it something he did intentionally, like a pitcher psyching out a hitter, or was it just his natural eccentricity that caused it? 

Becky picked up one of her miniscule pieces of chicken, inspecting it slowly.  "Daddy?"  She said finally.  "Who do you suppose Brian's angel was?"