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“Bianca, wait!” Nick yelled from his place in the waiting room. Jumping from his chair, he pulled Bianca off of A.J. “Bean, what’s gotten into you?”

Bianca tried to break away from Nick and get back to A.J., but Nick’s grip around her was too strong. “Nick, he called me a fucking whore!”

A.J. just glared at Bianca smirking. He had hit her where it hurt -- her image -- just like she had gotten him earlier when she had thrown off about his worry for Brianna. Maybe he had gone a little too far, but he didn’t care...he wasn’t going to apologize.

It had all started when Bianca spouted off about how she couldn’t believe she had ever been interested in A.J. He had retorted that he “was only interested in you to start with because I thought you’d put out like all the rest of the pop-diva ho’s!” Before he could say anything else, Bianca had knocked him to the floor and was on top of him. No matter how angry A.J. ever got he would never hit a female, so he covered his face and laughed at her, which only made her angrier. That’s when Nick snatched her away.

A hospital security guard rounded the corner to handle the situation. “What’s going on in here? he asked as he entered the waiting room. “Do you think that just because you’re celebrities that you’re immune to this hospital’s rules and regulations?”

Bianca’s face flashed angrily and she pointed her finger at the guard. “No, we think that you need to fuck off and let us worry about our friend in peace.”

“Bianca, settle down,” Nick said rubbing her arms. “Getting us thrown out of here isn’t gonna do us any good.”

“But it’ll do the hospital and these other people some good. Which is why I’m telling you right now that you have five minutes to leave.” The security guard stood looking pointedly at Bianca and Nick.

“But what about him?” Bianca yelled throwing her hands in A.J.’s direction behind the guard.

“Well, young lady, he didn’t give me the trouble you have.”

“Sir,” Nick started, “I think that we--”

“No excuses!” the guard interrupted, raising his voice for the first time. “Now, you have three minutes left to get out of my sight before I have you thrown out.”

“I hope you’re happy, bastard,” Bianca said to A.J. before she turned to leave. When they reached the elevator, she started to cry. Her best friend was going through God knows what, she had gotten thrown out of the hospital, her hair was falling, her make-up was long since gone, and the beautiful green dress he was wearing was wrinkled, torn, and stained from the lifetime’s worth of excitement that had happened in the past few hours. Nick slid his arms around her shoulders and let her cry.

********AT THE HOTEL********

Walking down the hallway, Bianca let out a defeated sigh. She was tired, angry, hurt...the list went on and on. She’d never admit it, but everything AJ. said had hit her hard. Feeling Nick squeeze her hand, she tried to smile. “Baby, are you okay?”

“Of all the dumb questions...No, shithead, I’m not okay!” Instead, she said aloud, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. I want to take a hot shower and go to bed.”

“Nick, Bianca, what are y’all doing here?” Brian asked. He had been on his way to get ice. “Is Brianna doing okay?”

“How the fuck should we know?” Bianca snapped.

Stung, Brian looked at Nick for an explanation. Nick just shrugged and mouthed ‘long story’. Brian nodded and gave Bianca a sympathetic look. She was now trying, with no success, to get the room door open.

“Nick...” his name came out a quiet but frustrated sigh. She felt completely stupid and she was upset with herself for biting Brian’s head off and for getting herself and Nick thrown out of the hospital. “I hope Brianna and the baby are okay.”

“Bean, baby, do you need anything?”

“I just want to go to bed. That’s what I want and need to do. I’m not okay either. We should be at the hospital instead of here. Thanks to that....that....ugh.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Nick pulled Bianca close as she cried. “I’m sorry, Nick....I really am.”

“Shhhh baby. You don’t need to be sorry.” Pulling her down with him on the couch, he comforted her until she fell asleep. Picking her up, he carefully placed her on the bed, still in her gown. Placing a kiss on her forehead and one lightly on her lips, he whispered, “I love you.”

********

Soft, heavenly eyes gazed into me
Transcending space and time.
And I was rendered still
There were no words for me to find at all.
As I stood there beside myself
I could see you and no one else.

When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you

I’d never be, I’d never be the same.
Only once in a lifetime love rushes in
Changing you with the tide.
And dawn’s ribbon of light
Bursts through the dark
Wakening you inside
And I thought it was all untrue
Until there all at once I knew.

When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep.
When I saw you
When I saw you
I’d never be, I’d never be the same.

With no beginning and
Without an end
You’re the one for me
It’s evident
And your eyes told me so
Your eyes let me know...

When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep.
When I saw you
When I saw you
I’d never be, I’d never be the same.**

Kevin stood outside the thick glass and peered in at the sleeping children on the other side. His babies were at the back, in big machines with heat lamps and special devices to help them breathe. Tagged simply ‘Richardson; Boy’ and ‘Richardson; Girl’ they lay still beneath the huge lamps.

“There are two of them?” A.J. asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Kevin sighed, beaming proudly. “Kyra and Christian. Aren’t they beautiful?”

“They’ve got some of your features, man, but the lucky little runts look like their mom.”

A.J. was right. They shared both Kevin and Brianna’s thick, black hair which made their parents happy; they didn’t want a bald child. Both Christian and Kyra had inherited Kevin’s piercing emerald gaze and Brianna’s soft facial features. Kyra had her mother’s full mouth and Christian, his father’s strong jaw line, visible even now through all his baby fat.

“Hey, Kev. Thank God neither one of ‘em was born with those caterpillars over their eyes like you’ve got.” A.J. just laughed and Kevin shot him a go-to-hell look.’

“Well, Kev, I’m gonna go in and speak to Bree.” Kevin didn’t even hear A.J. He was still staring through the nursery window when A.J. walked down the hall.

********

A.J. knocked softly on Brianna’s door. When he didn’t get an answer, he walked inside. “Hey, superwoman. How ya feelin?”

Brianna rolled over lazily and looked into A.J.’s eyes. “Exhausted. It feels weird not to have my big, round tummy anymore. I’m sure walking will be a whole lot easier now, but I don’t feel like trying it just yet. Is Bean coming in? I kinda wanted to talk to her about something.”

“She, uh, went back to the hotel. With Nick. I’m the only one still here.” A.J. didn’t feel like Brianna needed the stress of feuding friends so he left out the argument. “Yeah, she was really tired after the performance and all that anxious time in the waiting room.”

That was a slap in the face to Brianna. BIANCA was tired? BIANCA left her best friend in a strange hospital in a strange city on one of the most important nights of her life so that she could go back to the hotel and be with her boyfriend. Brianna took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Oh, yeah. I can see why she’d be tired.” She had never been this hurt by her best friend in her entire life. “Well, she’ll probably drop by in the morning.”

“I’m here, Bree. I know I’m not Bianca, but I’ll listen.”

She dissolved into tears when he took her hand. “A.J., something’s wrong with Christian. I just know it. They took Kyra off all of her machines a little while ago and she’s doing great. But Chris is struggling. He can’t breathe. His lungs are fill of infection and Dr. Bellows doesn’t think he’s going to make it. I can’t bear to tell Kevin; it’ll kill him and he’s so happy.”

A.J. nodded silently. He didn’t know what to say. “Bree, baby, everything’s gonna be fine. I promise.”

Brianna just nodded. “I hope so,” she whispered.

********

“Hello, Kevin,” Irene answered stiffly. She wasn’t too fond of Kevin or his relationship with her daughter. When he called to ask permission to propose to Brianna, Irene thought that maybe she had misjudged Kevin, but then she found out he was only marrying her because she was pregnant. Irene had begged her daughter to leave; come back home to North Carolina, put the child up for adoption, and then maybe have a shot at living a normal life, but Brianna refused. Irene hadn’t spoken to her daughter since New Year’s Day.

“I just wanted to let you and George know that Bri had the babies. A boy and a girl.” Silence. “Kyra Sheyenne and Christian Bailey Richardson.” Silence still. “Oh, yeah. They’re doing great. All 3 of them,” Kevin snapped sarcastically.

“That’s wonderful, Kevin. I’m glad to hear that you and your little family are doing so well. I wish you the best.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

The click Kevin heard as she slammed down the phone was deafening. What Kevin didn’t know, however, was that in their big house down in North Carolina, George and Irene Chambers were crying.


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**"When I Saw You"--Mariah Carey