A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys was busy baby-sitting his five-year-old sister, Tesia. At twenty, he had been given the responsibility of watching the small child for a few short weeks. Though, he knew mush to his dismay – Tesia’s even more so – that those weeks would fly by extremely fast. Her parents had gone away on a second honeymoon and had actually asked him to keep an eye on her - this was after they had kept her a secret from him for a few years beforehand. But, despite the problems he had with her parents, he loved the little girl very much – maybe a little too much in some people’s opinions.

“Hey Bone,” Brian called out. “You comin’? Nicky needs some food in him before he parishes!”

A.J. laughed. “Yeah, I’m comin’. Just let me grab the rug-rat.

Brian nodded and headed on out to the awaiting car.

A.J. looked down, and was shocked to find his sister had suddenly disappeared on him. “Tesia?” He called. “Tesia?” He felt a bit of panic sear through him when she didn’t answer. “Tesia!” He called louder. “TESIA!”

Tesia Lenore McLean had wandered off in search of Kevin – her favourite Backstreet Boy after her brother – not knowing he had already gone outside to the awaiting car. She’d wandered far enough away from her brother, that he couldn’t see her and she couldn’t hear him. She didn’t hear him until he’d gotten closer, but she’d decided not to answer. When she couldn’t find Kevin, she began to cry big crocodile tears. “Waaah!”

A.J. heard her cries, and quickly went off in that direction to make sure that she was indeed okay. “Tesia!” He cried, upon finding her outside of Kevin’s dressing room door.

Tesia looked up at him through her tears. “Jaaay!” She wailed. “Wan’ Kevyyy!”

A.J. sighed heavily and crouched down before her, taking her hands in his. “Tesia, you know better than to take off like that,” he said softly, not wanting to upset her anymore than she already was. “What you did was very naughty. You have to stay in my sight, alright? Otherwise I’ll get scared something’s happened to you. And I can’t bare to have something happen to my Baby T. I love you too much, Honey.”

“No!” Tesia shrieked, yanking her hands from his and covering her bottom. She knew what the line about being naughty meant – and she did not want a spanking. As for everything else he had just said, she’d tuned out – the naughty part had her scared and nothing else mattered after that.

“What do you mean no?” A.J. asked confused. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“No!” Tesia yelled at him stomping her little foot.

“No what?” A.J. demanded, grabbing hold of her hands again. “What the heck is the problem, T.?”

“No! No! No!” Tesia went on yelling, as she tried to yank her hands free again, but to no avail. “No spankin’!”

A.J. frowned. “Honey, I’m not going to spank you,” he told her gently. “I’d never spank you, Baby. You’re too cute for that. Besides, that’s your Daddy’s job, not mine.”

Tesia stopped screaming and sniffled. “No spankin’?”

“No, Baby T.,” A.J. assured her, reaching up to rub her small face. “Of course not. A time-out, maybe – a nap, definitely. But no spanking – ever.”

Tesia whimpered as she let herself fall into his arms. She’d be so afraid of getting a spanking; she’d forgotten it was her brother she was with and not her Daddy – or her Mother. “I sorry,” she wailed a little bit.

A.J. kissed her head as he scooped her up. “Shh. It’s alright, Baby T. It’s alright.”

Tesia snuggled her head under his neck as he rubbed her back and carried her out to the car, where everyone else was waiting on them.

“About time!” Nick exclaimed. “I thought I was gonna hafta starve ‘cause of her!”

A.J. shot his friend a Look, as Kevin whacked him upside the head.

“Ow! What was that for?” Nick demanded to know. “I didn’t do nothin’!”

Howie shook his head and told the driver to go, as Brian rolled his eyes.

“She alright?” Kevin asked concerned. Him and Tesia had grown pretty close since they had first met quite a while ago. She was his little Princess, and him her Prince – he knew this, as she had told him that – and though he’d never called her Princess, she seemed to somehow know that was what she was.

“Yeah,” A.J. nodded. “She was lookin’ for you and got scared when she couldn’t find yah. That – and I scolded her for takin’ off.”

“Aww,” Kevin said, reaching over to rub the child’s back. “It’s okay Honey. Kevy’s here now – and he’d never let them leave without you.”

Tesia sniffled and gave both her brother and Kevin a small smile, before popping her thumb into her mouth. She lay her head upon her brother’s shoulder once more, and closed her eyes, feeling safer than she had in a long time.