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"Ooooh, Ana would look so freaking sexy in that!" Howie called excitedly as he hurriedly circled something in the thick magazine. He had spent almost the entire movie glancing through the magazine. He had said nothing about the romance movies or Melicia and AJ kissing throughout the entire film. Occasional squeals from Howie would set AJ into some kind of a panic, making Melicia laugh at AJ's puzzled expressions. "Her best colors are definitely blue and red..."

"What the Hell is he talking about?" AJ groaned toward Melicia, running his fingers on her stomach beneath the tank top. They lay sprawled on the opposite couch, leaning in each others arms.

"Ana told him he could pick out some bikini's for her. You would have thought he was a 10 year old and Ana had said he was allowed to have ice cream before dinner," Melicia chuckled, shivering at AJ's touch on her stomach.

"But I love her in purple. Damn, purple has to be a choice!" Howie blurted.

"Bikinis, huh? Well, Babe, I understand now. He's picking out little bikinis for his woman so she can runway model for him. Definitely kinky in the bedroom," AJ teased, feeling her tremble. He loved the feeling of her soft skin beneath his fingertips as he began to trace hearts across her stomach.

"That was so wrong on so many levels," Melicia laughed a little as she felt AJ make shapes on her skin. "You know what I want to do?"

"Crush the DVDs to oblivion?"

"You wish. No, those need to go back to the video store, Alexander."

"Then what do you want to do?" he asked, watching the credits roll.

"I want to get my nose pierced and get a tattoo."

"Are you serious?" he laughed.

"Yeah! I've been thinking about it for awhile. Don't you think I would look cute with a nose piercing?"

"I never thought about it... I think if it was a cute diamond, emerald, or sapphire stud... Nothing huge and no loops... I think that would look good," AJ answered seriously.

Melicia grinned, kissing him. "Let's go now."

"For a tattoo and piercing?"

"Mm-hmm! And I was thinking with the tattoo... we could get... matching ones."

"Sounds good to me, but I'm not getting my nose pierced."

"What about there?" she placed her finger below his lip. "Your labret."

"Mmmm, okay," AJ murmured, kissing her fingers.

Melicia's heart fluttered a little as she traced AJ's lips with her finger. "You will?"

"For you, anything," he promised, smiling.

She smiled back, pulling him in for a kiss. "You're so amazing."

"Not half as amazing as you," he recalled against her lips.

"You always make me blush," she sighed, feeling her cheeks grow hot.

"You're beautiful when you blush," he answered, running his fingers down her cheek. "Does your uncle approve of the tattoo and piercing?"

"I've already got all these earrings and I've told him before how I want a tattoo. He might have an anyeurism, but that happens a lot when you live with me."

"Just tell him that Ana's getting a belly button ring when she gets out and he'll be so preoccupied with that... you'll be off the hook."

"Good idea," she laughed as they sat up on the couch. "Do you think he'll notice if we leave?"

"Why don't we just be honest?" AJ suggested, watching Howie's eyes light up again as he found another bikini. "You can go upstairs and get ready and I'll even take you out to dinner."

"Ooh, alright." Melicia smiled, kissing him before running up to her room.

"Hey, D, the movies over!" AJ called loudly.

Howie jumped from the sound of AJ's voice and looked at him. "Are they?"

"Yeah, Melicia and I are going out to grab dinner. Then she wants to get a tattoo and her nose pierced. She and Ana were talking earlier and she decided that she wanted to get something pierced because Ana's getting her belly button done. That alright?"

"Ana's getting her belly button pierced?" he asked, acting the way AJ had predicted.

"Yeah, she said something about thinking you might find it sexy."

"That would definitely be sexy..." Howie murmured.

"You like the idea, huh?" AJ chuckled.

"You think?" he replied, rolling his eyes with a smile.

"I will. What is Melicia getting pierced--"

"C'mon, Sweets, let's go!" Melicia called as she ran down the stairs.

"Her nose," AJ stated simply.

"Oh, okay," Howie replied as they stood up from the couch.

"Your uncle's cool with it," AJ laughed, watching Melicia bounce down the stairs, carefully adjusting her sling.

"Really? Sweet!" Melicia grinned, walking over to Howie and kissed his cheek. "We'll be back later, Uncle Howie!"

"Be careful, okay," Howie chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"Always am." Melicia smiled, giving him a one-armed hug before taking AJ's hand and dragging him to the front door.

"Wait! Babe, go start the car! I need to ask Howie a question!" AJ blurted, bracing himself against the door. He knew that Melicia was raring to go, but he needed to satsify his curiousity. Melicia had been raving all day about how cute Howie and Ana were together.

"Alright, but hurry up!" she kissed him, pulling the keys out of his front pocket and running outside to the car.

"Hey, D, can I ask a question?"

Howie looked up from the magazine. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Mella was talking about how cute you and Ana are and how much love you guys have... I'm really happy for you guys, but it jogged my memory... Well I can't help but remember when you first found out Ana was in the hospital. You kept saying she had to wake up for you and stuff... Can you tell me why?"

Howie put down the magazine, running a hand through his curls. "I just... I didn't want to live without her, you know? I love her a lot and... I was saying she needed to wake up because... I want to marry her someday."

"You want to marry her?" AJ asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I do. You can't tell anyone I said that. Ana would be scared, I think..." Howie bit his lip.

"Why would she be scared? If anything I think she would freak in a good way. Mella says she loves you like crazy... Then she wouldn't have to deal with her father. You could protect her."

"I know, but..." Howie sighed. "I don't know. I just want to take it slow with her--"

"Why slow?"

"Because I've never felt this way about anyone and I don't want to rush it."

"That's understandable... But if you wanted to drop to your knee the day her father got back into town, we'd all cheer you on," AJ encouraged.

"I know you would be--" he was interrupted by the horn honking. "You better get going before Mella steals the car."

"She can't drive with one arm," AJ chuckled, buttoning up his jean jacket. "I'm happy for you, D. You seemed really lost after Sarah died and everything... We're all happy that a smile's back on your face."

Howie smiled then, nodding. "Thanks. Yeah... I still feel a little lost, but it's getting better."

"Ana's definitely a good thing. Don't hesitate on marrying her."

"I would never hesitate on that. I just want to wait for the right time."

"Same here."

"Wow, you two are really serious, huh?"

"I told you I loved her like crazy."

"Yeah, but this is you we're talking about. I never thought I would see the day where you would want to get married."

"Melicia changed a lot of things."

"I know. She's been good for you to stay on track and you do the same for her." the horn honked again.

"I got to go..." AJ laughed.

"Did I mention she was impatient like her mother?" Howie teased as AJ opened the door.

"No, but I'll live with it! We'll propose together, D, alright!? Adios!" AJ cackled, running out the door. Howie fell back on the couch, letting the magazine fall to his side. He ran his hands through his curls, pondering the statement. He laughed, shaking his head, deciding to call Ana.

*~*~*

"You got your what pierced? Dude, don't sneeze too hard, it might get embedded in your brain!" Ana teased loudly on the speaker phone. It was a little after midnight and neither girl could sleep. Melicia had taken the phone into Ana's soon-to-be-bedroom, allowing it to sit on the floor while she painted the faeries. Both boys were in bed, so Melicia was free to have a conversation with Ana on the phone.

"I didn't know that could happen!" Melicia laughed as she dipped the brush in paint. "AJ got his labret pierced and after that we got matching tattoos."

"What was the matching tattoo?"

"It's this really cool design of a steel rose with our initials winding up the stem. It means that we're unbreakable and forever," Melicia sighed dreamily.

"You let him brand you?" Ana snorted quietly.

"He did not brand me!" she objected with a laugh. "If that's the case, I did the same to him."

"I'm living with cattle branders..." Ana trailed playfully. She heard Melicia clear her throat as if to scold her, but Ana quickly changed the subject. "I got an interesting call from your uncle tonight."

"Really? What did he say?" Melicia asked, carefully tracing a faery.

"He was asking me about when I wanted to get my belly button pierced."

Melicia had to turn away from the wall so she wouldn't screw up the drawing from laughing. "Did he?"

"Yeah, where the Hell did he get that idea? I mean, yeah, I was talking about getting my belly button done... But that was with the guys..."

Melicia couldn't say anything as she continued to laugh. "Clicky? Did you have something to do with this?"

"AJ thought it would be a good idea... To distract Uncle Howie with the belly button ring... AJ said that Uncle Howie would think it was sexy and it'd get me off the hook," Melicia snickered.

"Well, yeah, he definitely voiced his opinion about the sex appeal," Ana groaned.

"You would look sexy with one!"

"Why? Because I let my gut hang out all the time."

"Let your gut hang out? Ana, you HAVE no gut!"

"I'll give you that..." Ana trailed playfully. "But you're lucky that I wanted a belly button ring in the first place."

"Good thing I said that and not your nipples or something," Melicia laughed.

"Owwww," Ana whined loudly.

"I knew you would say that," she chuckled and went back to tracing the drawings. "After getting my nose done... makes me want to get more. What do you think about a tongue ring?"

"I think if you go through a metal detector you're going to be in some major trouble."

"You know, that's almost the exact same thing Uncle Howie told me when I got home tonight," Melicia laughed.

"Well, he's a smart man."

"You know what they say... 'great minds think alike'," Melicia stifled a yawn as she continued to trace the drawings. Sleep was starting to get the best of her along with the paint fumes.

"I can let you go, I just wanted to call to ask you a question and tell you something..." Ana trailed, hearing the yawn.

"What did you want to tell me?" she answered.

"I wanted to tell you that I actually got the chance to listen to one of the CDs you gave me."

"Which one? Did you like the songs?"

"The latest one... Black and Blue?" Ana replied fuzzily, obviously searching for the CD. Melicia could almost see her smiling through the phone. "I like the upbeat songs the best... That's just how I am. Get Another Boyfriend was amusing, but I really loved Shining Star and Not For Me... And the whole What Makes You Different speech was pretty hot."

"Yeah, that song is Uncle Howie's pride and joy. I was feeling down when Black & Blue was being written... so he wrote that for me. I'm surprised he hasn't sang it for you, because I know that's what he's feeling right now."

"What song?"

"What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiul."

"He wrote that?"

"Yeah, if you look at the little CD booklet you'll see that he did. Him and the guys wrote a bunch of songs for Black & Blue."

"I can hardly manage to get anything little to work for my hands at the moment," Ana retorted dryly. "But that's freaking sweet that he wrote that song for you... Shows he's a great uncle and all."

"Uncle Howie's really talented, Ana. Give him a chance to see what he can do. He'll surprise you, because he always suprises me and I've known him since I was born."

"I never said I wasn't going to give him a chance," Ana defended.

"I know," Melicia laughed.

"What... What did you mean about him singing that to me?"

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked you in the first place," Ana replied with a tinge of frustration. Girls always had a way of twisting words around.

"Here, I'll sing some of the words."

You don't run with the crowd
You go your own way
You don't play after dark
You light up my day

You got your own kind of style
That sets you apart
Baby that's why you
Captured my heart

"Clicky, I already know you have a great singing voice."

"Noooo, LISTEN to the words."

"He's saying that your a special person, Clicky. I'm not deaf."

Melicia rolled her eyes. "That's a total description of you, Ana. He's going to sing that song to you because that's how he feels about you."

"That's not a description of me," Ana defended quickly. "He's only sang one bit of a song to me and I don't expect any more."

"Then you don't know my uncle very well. That man loves to sing and he will sing that song to you."

"When pigs fly and I get a tattoo on my ass."

"Okay, we'll see."

"So, are you okay with it then?"

"Of course I am."

"With me and Howie? Because if you're not cool with it then I'll stop the whole thing. I know you were freaked about because I'm younger than you...and Howie is...well...your uncle. I mean, if you told me to step back up off, I would step back up off. I'm not about to break down bridges and burn flesh over a boyfriend, you know?" Ana rambled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I know I freaked out at first, but that was because I didn't expect that. I see you and Uncle Howie together, and it makes me smile. You both look so happy together, like I am with Alex."

"I'm sorry that I--dude--it makes you smile?"

"Yeah! I seriously haven't seen my uncle as hapy as he is now with you. Not even after they got nominated for all those Grammy's or any of the awards they've won."

"Thank you," Ana whispered softly.

"I should be thanking you, but you're welcome anyways."

"No, I'm serious, Clicky. It hasn't been the easiest for me... When Momma...well... I haven't felt true love in awhile, you know? And you're letting me have that with Howie and I appreciate it. It makes me feel truly wanted in a world that has been out to get me probably since the day I was born," Ana explained, actually allowing some emotions to flow free for several minutes.

"Uncle Howie is lucky to have you, Ana. You deserved to be loved and Uncle Howie deservesto be loved. And that's the honest to God truth."

"I love you, Clicky," Ana chuckled.

"Love you more!" Melicia replied with a smile as she yawned again.

"I'm going to let you get to sleep while I grabbed some morphine from the good-ol-patient-controled-narcotics," Ana replied with her southern twang that only the boys were used to.

"I miss the morphine," Melicia laughed as she closed the paint cans and set away the brushes. "I'll talk to you later, then?"

"Tomorrow probably."

"Alright, sounds good. Sleep tight, Ana Banana."

"Do you have to use that nickname?"

"Hmm... yup!"

"I'm definitely going to get you back when I'm on crutches."

"I'll keep that in mind. G'night... Ana Banana!" Melicia clicked the speaker phone off.