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Chapter Forty-One :: The Right Way

Stifling a pleased yawn, Alana slipped her hands beneath the t-shirt that she wore, one from Nick's drawers, to idly scratch her bare abdomen. She had surprisingly been allowed the rest of the day off yesterday, so she was quick to get to the lingerie store and home. And Nick had not disappointed her. They had spent the entire night reconnecting with one another, forgetting how lost they had been from one another since Howie and AJ started pushing her career. She had even thought about making him breakfast in bed as she crossed into the living room, spying Natalie sprawled on the couch, flipping through television shows. "Hey, Allie, you hungry?"

Natalie glanced up, shifting on the couch with a weary groan, wincing when her laptop and several folders went crashing to the floor. Reaching to rub her sleep-numbed calf before gathering her things, she shrugged half-heartedly. "Is it morning already?" she questioned, shoving everything onto the coffee table. "…I'm starving…"

"C'mon, I'm cooking this morning," Alana offered with an encouraging smile, reaching to take Natalie's hands to help her from the couch. She had already seen Brian disappear earlier that morning with Baylee underfoot, though the boy had not been pleased. He seemed to know exactly what Brian was having them do for the day. He had even tried to sneak into Nick's bedroom to hide in the bed, but Brian had been lucky enough to grab him before he found the remnants of the couple's night. But, Alana knew better than to tell Natalie so. What Brian was doing was despicable when it concerned Natalie and Baylee. "What are you starving for?"

"Some attention?" Natalie muttered as she followed Alana into the kitchen. Shuffling towards the coffeemaker, she went through the motions of preparing coffee, every few moments pausing to fiddle with the promise ring on her finger. "Whatever you feel up to fixing is fine."

"I can give you attention, but it ain't the attention you're searching for and I certainly ain't going to defend Brian to you," Alana stated plainly as she opened the large refrigerator in Nick's kitchen, glancing down the bundles of food. "What are you hungry for, Allie?"

"Waffles?" she suggested softly. "With fruit topping?" she added with a slight smile, leaning against the counter as the coffee began to drip. The question that had been resting heavily on her for days caused her to swallow a hard lump in her throat. She had to ask it. "Do you think Brian's cheating on me?"

"Brian is far too pure to cheat on you," Alana answered hurriedly as she collected the items from the refrigerator to make waffles from scratch. Carrying them to the island, she carefully dumped them onto the counter before moving to retrieve the dry ingredients as well as the waffle maker, bowls, and measuring cups and spoons. As far as she knew and as much as Brian had told her before she rushed out the door to get away, she knew that Brian wasn't sleeping with Leighanne. He was trying to get back in touch with her for the sake of the new pregnancy, which Alana was already skeptical of to say the very least. Which was fine, but he was dangling Natalie along.

"Then… Is it just the tour that's got him so… Distant? He pushed me away last night, 'Lana. He's never done that, since we got together, you know? And Bay… He's always so upset and when he's around me he just clings to me like I'm going to leave him--"

'Well, in a way, you are leaving him,' Alana thought sadly as she hurriedly started mixing the ingredients together with the utmost precision. She couldn't even bear to look into Natalie's worried caramel eyes, knowing that the whole affair was none of her business. Everyone else acted as if it wasn't happening, but it gnawed at the very pit of Alana's heart. She wanted to confess everything she knew to Natalie, but hated to admit that it wasn't her place. Perhaps it was better to stay quiet.

Sighing, Natalie turned to pour herself a cup of coffee, taking Alana's silence as a sign that her friend felt it wrong to intrude on such a private matter. Twisting the promise ring on her finger as she idly stirred in sugar, she slowly flexed her calf muscle, wincing at the tingling sensation. "I was talking to Joseph about the video last night…"

"Allie, please don't be mad at me--"

"I'm not," Natalie promised quickly, glancing over her shoulder to offer Alana a smile. "I understand… So, what do you think about spending most of the video in bed?"

"Well if you were going to make a cheesy dance video out of I'm Not Sleeping Alone, I think I would have had to rip up my contract and run screaming," Alana answered frankly as she divided the large batter into three bowls. Leslie and Aaron always managed to come trundling in for breakfast, as if they had a sixth sense about Alana cooking. So, one batter remained plain and she added fresh blueberries to one and chocolate chips to the other. Stirring in the final ingredients, she turned to get the sausage and bacon from the fridge to place in a pan for sizzling.

"We were thinking that during the verses you could be walking through this big house-Joseph's already got the place picked out and permission to shoot there-and each thing you see sets off a little flashback type thing? Then the choruses you'll be in the bed. How's that sound?" Natalie questioned, moving to the island to help. Reaching for the basket of fresh fruit, she turned to the sink to wash the contents.

"I like that," Alana agreed with a small nod as she set a plate near the waffle maker, pouring in the batter to start the first batch. "…So, it's just me during the entire video? No hot beefcake to play with?"

"We're thinking Nick could be the hot beefcake?" Natalie suggested, reaching for a knife to begin slicing strawberries. "At first I was all for the whole hiring process of some gorgeous model, but… Nicky would kill me, kill the model and demand to be in the video anyway, so…"

"Well what kind of fun is that?" Alana questioned, hearing the shuffling of Nick's bare feet on the tile of the kitchen as she moved to turn the sausage and bacon after flipping the first batch of waffles onto the plate. "Having Nick play opposite of me in my music video. Ain't like I'm never in bed with him--"

"But you'll have to have a fight in the video… Can you pretend to be mad at Nicky over something and maybe slap him?"

"I'd rather have some smoldering hot man who towers over me with these big huge muscles that can throw me onto the bed and just have his wicked way with me and dominate me… Is Vin Diesel available?"

"…That's not what the video is about, you goon," Natalie laughed, tossing the stem of a strawberry across the kitchen.

"Why would you want Vin Diesel when you've got me?" Nick demanded with a heavy yawn.

"Better than some cheesy dance video," Alana mumbled, though she grinned nonetheless as she piled the bacon and sausages onto a plate. She then grabbed a stack of plates to carry to the island. Flipping two large plain waffles onto a plate, she then scooped bacon onto the plate and slid it over to Natalie. Pouring blueberry batter next, she felt Nick's arms wrap around her torso to pull her back. "We were talking about the music video."

"And you're letting Nat plan it?" Nick questioned in horror, plucking a piece of bacon from the plate. Nibbling gently on her neck as she squirmed against him, he stilled when he heard Natalie clear her throat. Rolling his eyes, he offered Alana a quick good morning kiss before popping the bacon into his mouth. "What's the idea so far?"

"Me in bed at a giant house," Alana answered simply as she watched Natalie sprinkle the portions of strawberries over her waffles before plunging into the food. "We could do it in black and white… But the flashbacks in like faded colors…"

"I love that… Maybe have some things colorized digitally, like whatever sets off the flashbacks… Nicky, can you hand me the syrup? And the butter? And the milk, too, please?"

"Handsome, she wants to do this video where during the verses I'm walking the halls of this mansion. And, I'm going to see little mementos of a relationship that trigger flashbacks into my relationship. Then, during the choruses, I'll be in the master bed singing," Alana explained as Nick retrieved the items that Natalie had requested. Pulling out the next set of waffles, she placed them onto the nearby plate and poured another set. "Only, the flashbacks have to have a lover in them, right? Otherwise, they're not good flashbacks… Would you be my lover?"

"Will there be any sex?" Nick questioned with a hopeful grin, ducking when Alana swung the spatula at him. Setting the items he'd gathered next to Natalie, he gave her arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze, not liking the vague depression that seemed to hang over her. "Seriously, yeah, I'll do it… I don't have to get naked, do I?"

"You'd save us all the embarrassment if you didn't," Natalie suggested as she wrapped an arm around Nick's waist to bring him close, wanting a hug.

"You're funny," Nick muttered, giving her a gentle hug. He was still confused over Brian's sudden actions, not really understanding how his friend could give up such a wonderful relationship for… Leighanne. Squeezing her tighter, he dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. "…You okay?"

"No," Natalie admitted, looking up to Nick as Alana continued to busy herself with making the waffles, obviously not wanting to see whatever they were doing. "Brian's gone again."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" he questioned softly.

"It'd be nice," Natalie agreed with a sniffle as there was a pounding on the front door, sending Alana toward the living room and foyer.

"And beat the shit out of him for upsetting you?"

"Even better."

"Eat before it gets cold, okay? And later, we can talk if you want?" Nick suggested, though he had no idea what more could be said. Hearing Aaron and Leslie greeting Alana, he gave Natalie a harder squeeze before pulling away.

"We could go out for lunch somewhere?" Natalie suggested, ignoring the two feminine squeals as Alana was tackled in a around of hugs and kisses from the younger Carters. Both were celebrating about hearing Alana repeatedly on the airwaves and how successful she was becoming. Glancing up hopefully to Nick, she waited for him to say yes. He was probably hurting as much as she. Alana hadn't exactly been around much. She was about as much of a ghost as Brian was.

"Make a reservation someplace," Nick confirmed. "My treat."

"Anywhere I want?" Natalie asked with a grin.

"Just not someplace where I won't know what kind of animal I'm eating, okay?"

"Just take me to The Ivy?"

"You've got it, Nat."

Natalie smiled with appreciation as she brought Nick down to gently kiss his cheek, though she quickly released him when Alana, Aaron, and Leslie tumbled through the doorway. Both young adults were dressed in pajamas and slippers, their hair wild and unkempt. But neither seemed to mind their appearances as they pressed kisses to Alana's cheek and hurried over to the food that was prepared. This seemed to be tradition since Alana moved in. And, after breakfast, they would settle down on the couch, curled close, to watch a movie.

"Food," Leslie crooned with appreciation as she got her plate. Turning to get a fork, she grinned when Alana held one out to her. "I love my new Sister," she cooed, kissing her on the cheek once more before moving to sit at the breakfast table. When Alana set a pitcher of fresh juice and an empty glass before her, she grinned. "Als? Can I move in with you?"

"Not before me!" Aaron exclaimed with a scowl as he piled on several strips of bacon and a tower of sausage, thumping his plate down beside Leslie. Hopping into his chair, he reached for the syrup to slather on his waffles. "Right, Nick? I'll take the room across from Zach's room!"

"You live two houses down, isn't that close enough?" Nick questioned with a groan, pulling away from Natalie so he could get his own plate.

"No," Leslie answered simply, snatching the syrup from Aaron.

"I got to be closer to Sis!" Aaron complained with a whine, shoveling several forkfuls of waffle into his mouth. "And get to eat this kickass food every day!"

"She won't be able to fix this kickass food every day when she's on tour," Nick reminded him, pausing to give Alana a soft kiss of thanks as she handed him his plate. Picking up the coffee Natalie had made for him, he moved to sit at the table. "So you're going to have to fend for yourself all summer, Bro…"

"All summer? I thought she was just going on tour with Brian for a month? Sis, when the Hell did you decide to go on tour all summer?" Aaron complained as he glanced up to Alana who worked to fix the rest of the batter into waffles as Natalie sat at the table as well.
"I'm a little lost when it comes to my career, Aar," Alana murmured as she rubbed her bare foot along her opposite calf. "I'm still waiting to find out what I'm wearing to the red carpet… Unless I get to dress myself?"

"Oh!" Natalie squeaked, setting her milk down with a thump. "The stylist is sending some dresses for you to pick from this afternoon, I completely forgot--"

"I can help you pick out a dress, Als," Leslie interrupted with her offer, sitting up straight so she could peer over her brother's head. Her clear indigo eyes sparkling with hope that Alana would accept. Since she had moved to California, it seemed as if Leslie's entire focus in life had changed. She was just so thrilled to have a future sister-in-law who actually cared about her. Who actually loved her. Even her boyfriend had started to tease her about her obsession with Alana.
"You're really going to stick around till this afternoon to wait for dresses to be delivered just so I can try them on like some goofy fashion runway?" Alana guessed with a small smile of appreciation.

"Yes!"

Natalie glanced at Nick. "Our lunch date can wait till tomorrow, can't it? I should stay and help 'Lana--"

"You're taking Natalie out for lunch?" Alana interrupted as she carried over the plate of sausage and bacon as well as the remaining waffles. She set them in the middle of the table while she went to retrieve her own glass for some orange juice.

"Yeah… Just to talk about… What's going on," Nick answered, reaching for the butter. "We're just going to Ivy…"

"Well, y'all can go out to lunch," Alana stated simply as she took a seat beside Leslie and reached to pour herself some orange juice. She wasn't even sure what the Ivy restaurant was, but recognized that Natalie needed someone to confide in. Nick was probably more comfortable in talking about Brian's current disaster of relationships than she was. And, Alana currently reminded herself that they were close... "Leslie is perfectly capable of helping me pick out a dress."

"Are you sure?" Natalie fretted, not wanting to cause any animosity between herself and Alana.

Aaron looked up from his plate to glance curiously at Nick. "…You're taking Nat out to lunch? She's Brian's girlfriend, right? And the girl you--"

"It's fine," Alana butted in, taking a small plate to place some sausage and a dab of syrup for her breakfast. She really didn't want to remember what Natalie and Nick did together. Much less combined with how close they were. It just made her sick and anxious, which made her feel guilty. "Leslie and I need some bonding…"

"Afterwards we can go dog shopping," Leslie decided as she stole the last of Aaron's bacon.

"Dog shopping?" Nick murmured, glancing to Leslie with suspicion. "Better be another mutt for your house."

"Als needs a dog to keep her company on the road," Leslie informed him with a sweet smile. "It'll keep her from scoping out all the groupies, you know?"

"Why can't I just take Aaron and solve the whole problem?" Alana offered, giggling when Aaron shot over Leslie to tickle her.

"No smelly brothers!" Leslie insisted, poking Aaron's backside with her fork to get him to move. "Doggies!"

"Hell, she won't even know you're gone…" Natalie murmured towards Nick as Aaron shifted to sit on Leslie's lap in order to get closer to Alana.

"Get your bony, scrawny ass off me!" Leslie yelped, jabbing the fork into Aaron's side. Ignoring his squeal, she pushed him out of her lap and into the floor, smiling triumphantly. "When Nick and Nat go to the Ivy, you go with them so me and Als can bond--"

"Nick!" Natalie suddenly whined, reaching to jar his shoulder, telling him to put his foot down.

"Beautiful? You're cool with me going with Nat, right? Do you want me to drag Aaron along as a chaperone?"

"You don't have to drag Aaron along as a chaperone," Alana disagreed as she helped Aaron off the floor, scooting him toward the living room. She then gestured toward Leslie to do the same, just wanting to relax and watch a movie. If Natalie and Nick needed to talk and get around, then so be it. "Have fun with Natalie at lunch."

"Okay…" Nick trailed. Getting up, he leaned across Natalie to give Alana a slow, sweet kiss. "After breakfast I'll run to get Snot Sucker, okay? And take him with me and Nat?"

"That's okay," Alana declined, brushing her fingers gently down the side of his face. "I'll get him."

"You need to get ready for the stylist, though…"

"I am perfectly capable of running out to get my son."

"Okay…"

"You two have fun today," Alana murmured, retrieving a set of keys to one of Nick's car as Leslie and Aaron immediately fought for shotgun, following the shut of the front door.

"Alana… You're sure you're okay with this?" Natalie murmured, pushing her plate away as she got to her feet. "I don't need to go out to lunch, Nicky… I'll just order a pizza--"

"You guys made plans, so enjoy," Alana interrupted, not really wanting to carry on the argument as she slipped on a pair of flip-flops and walked to the garage.

Sighing, Natalie glanced after her, watching Nick move to walk her out. Biting back a fresh wave of tears, she turned to dart upstairs.

"I'll see you when you get back," Nick murmured, looping his arms around Alana's waist so he could stop her just at the door. "I love you, Beautiful."

"Would you please go check on Natalie?" Alana suggested with a hard wince as she heard the sharp slam of a door upstairs. She knew Natalie was aching terribly over Brian and she just wanted comfort. But, Alana wasn't in a place to give her that comfort, because if she did, she would be the first to tell Natalie what Brian should have told her from the very beginning. Unfortunately, that left Nick with the duty of tending to Natalie's emotional wounds, putting Alana in an uneasy state. If she saw Brian, she was convinced that her fist would land in the square of his jaw.

"But she's all teary and emotional and you know how I hate to see women cry," Nick whined softly.

'Probably how you two ended up in bed together in the first place,' Alana thought, fighting the scowl that was brooding on her face. "Damnit, Nick, what do you want me to do?"

"Just go get Zach. I'll take care of her," Nick decided with a sigh, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.

"If I see Brian, he's a dead man," Alana growled, halfheartedly pecking his lips with a kiss, not sure she could handle the pain if Natalie fell back into Nick's arms.

*~*~*

Running his finger along the heavy wooden mantle above the fireplace, Nick whistled in appreciation. At first he had been uncertain over the entire video shoot, figuring they would end up on a soundstage someplace with a made up house front to portray the sprawling mansion in Joseph and Natalie's minds. He had been pleasantly surprised, however, to arrive at the shoot location to find an old, large mansion tucked among dozens of large trees. Complete with gazebo, expansive flower gardens and a stiff, uppity tour guide. Apparently the mansion had once belonged to a Hollywood hotshot back when Hollywood was just starting out.

They had already filmed several scenes for the video, including one of Alana running through the formal garden towards the gazebo in a diaphanous nightgown. The premise had been that she had been running to meet him, but when she'd arrived the gazebo was empty. Nick had gotten chills when he watched the playback. Now they were setting up to film one of the bedroom scenes, and he was anticipating being able to lay in bed and hold her for a little bit. It seemed that each time he had attempted to get her alone for a kiss, a hug or just to whisper how much he loved her she was quickly dragged away for whatever reason. Sighing, he turned to see her sitting in the middle of the huge bed, several sheets draped around her figure as a stylist applied the final touches to her makeup. Grinning, he turned to Natalie, who was holding up a light meter to check the lights for Joseph. "Time for me to get in there with her now?"

"Anxious much, Nicky?" Natalie questioned with a small smirk, turning from her task to see Nick already pulling at his t-shirt to remove it. She couldn't blame Nick for the restlessness, however. This was probably one of the only days that he had been able to spend with Alana and even his time with her had been cut short. If anything, he had spent most of the day on the sidelines watching her. Though, Natalie figured it was better than not being able to see your lover at all.

"Do you realize that it's been… Over three days since she and I made love? I never get any time alone with her anymore. AJ and Howie are always dragging her to an interview, a photoshoot… By the time she gets home she's so worn out she just falls into bed and goes right to sleep…" Nick sighed, tossing his t-shirt at Natalie. "As soon as we're finished here, though, I'm taking her and Snot Sucker out to dinner, then we're going to the beach to watch the sunset, and then I'm locking her in the bedroom--"

"Go get in bed," Natalie groaned, draping his t-shirt over her shoulder as she recorded the light readings.

"Can I be naked?" Nick suddenly volunteered, wetting his lips anxiously as he watched a stylist lean over to lightly gloss Alana's full lips as the other tussled her hair every so slightly before drawing away.

Natalie wrinkled her nose. "…If you try to have sex in that bed--"

"I'm jumping in there to get a piece!" AJ hollered, glancing over to the director for a moment. "Is Al naked under all those sheets?"

"She's wearing boxer shorts and a strapless tank, you pervert," Natalie informed him as Nick rushed to climb into the bed next to Alana.

"Nothing like clothing that matches your skin tones…" Alana whistled, yelping slightly when Nick fell on top of her.

"What's the purpose of this scene, anyway? Do we really need anymore Nick Carter porn in the world?" AJ demanded as Natalie pushed him behind the camera.

"The song is called I'm Not Sleeping Alone, J. So, how can we possibly film a music video for I'm Not Sleeping Alone with Alana in bed - alone?" Howie questioned in a dry monotone as he lifted his cup of tea to his lips for a gentle sip, stretching out on a chair beside the director. To have AJ on this video shoot with Nick playing Alana's opposite was truly torture.

"Why wasn't I asked to be the guy she's not being alone with, then?" AJ persisted with a scowl as he dropped into an empty chair.

"Your fee was too high," Natalie quipped as she moved to stand behind Howie. "Nicky'll do it for free."

"I just would have requested an extra tape of the bedroom scene when I stripped Al naked and had my wicked way--"

"Maybe the next video we can throw you in somewhere," Joseph interrupted before telling Alana and Nick to get in their places. He chuckled when Nick immediately yanked the sheets over himself and Alana. "Not those places, Nick--"

"It's called creative freedom!" Alana suddenly laughed as she pulled the sheets away from her face, peeking toward Joseph with an impish grin. Nick was already nuzzling the side of her neck with his lips, causing a wave of giggles to explode from her. "What are we supposed to be doing anyway?"

"Sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Nick repeated with a whine. "What's the fun in--"

"Nick, you're sleeping. This is for the bridge, alright? 'When I put my head on the pillow', Alana'll lay down, close her eyes, and then the angle will change to her sliding into your arms," Joseph explained.

"Sleeping sounds absolutely fantastic to me, Joe!" Alana promised, flipping him a thumb's up sign.

"Alright, here we go," Joseph announced, causing everyone that continued to linger in the bedroom to scatter. Checking the screens in front of him, he gave the nod, listening for the playback. "And, action!"

Shifting slightly as the camera zoomed in on her, Alana watched Nick pretend to stir lightly in his sleep as he turned beneath the sheets. Gently, she reached out to brush away a blonde lock away from Nick's forehead as she sang along to the playback. Sliding down into the bed, she tucked her arm beneath the pillow, looking directly to the camera with a small smile. She then turned into Nick, pressing a kiss to his chest before falling asleep against him.

Nick pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feel of her body next to his as they pretended to sleep. When he heard Joseph yell for the cut, he lifted his head, expecting to see her smiling up at him. Instead he saw that she was sound asleep, her arm curling around his waist to keep him close. Smiling, he leaned close to softly kiss her cheek before snuggling close, reveling in her closeness.

"Hey! Cut means let's get to the next scene, Asshole!" AJ hollered with disgust, pushing past Howie as he turned to converse with Natalie about the next wardrobe.

"Would you shut up?! She's asleep!" Nick hissed, tugging the sheets protectively over Alana as he shot AJ a warning glare.

"She's actually asleep?" Howie interjected in surprise as he held a few selections up for Natalie, glancing sideways to the bed. He released a soft coo of adoration at the very thought. "Poor kid. We're probably running her ragged when she's supposed to be resting…"

"She can rest tonight," AJ grumbled, looking at the clothes Howie was holding up. "What are those for?"

"Proposal scene," Natalie answered distractedly. "We want the video to have a sort of ethereal theme, right? So that light green peasant top with… Think we can talk her into wearing the skirt?"

"Th'fuck does ethereal mean?" AJ snorted.

"Delicate," Natalie informed him. When he continued to look at her in confusion, she sighed. "Airy, light… Ghostlike--"

"Don't say much more or his head'll explode," Howie interrupted with a groan. "Nick, can you wake up your costar?"

"No."

"Then I'll get AJ to wake her up--"

"Alright, alright," Nick groaned, his hands sliding across Alana's thigh. "Beautiful…" he murmured, letting his fingers slip beneath her boxers for a light caress. Nipping softly at her bare shoulder, he slid his hand further up until gently cupped her backside. "Time to wake up…"

"Handsome," Alana yawned meekly as she shifted to bury her face against his neck for protection. "I'm tired, not horny--"

"It's time to go do the next scene," Nick murmured.

"Scene? …I told you that I didn't want to film when we--"

"For the video, Beautiful," Nick corrected with a blush, burying his face against her shoulder. "We're filming the video today, remember?"

"I'm Not Sleeping Alone," Alana yawned with a soft remembrance as she pulled away from his embrace. Sitting at the side of the bed, she gingerly rubbed the back of her neck before standing. Padding over to Natalie and Howie, she stretched delicately. "What are we filming now?"

"The proposal scene in the gazebo… Then we're breaking for lunch, so you can take a nap afterwards," Natalie promised, holding out the blouse and skirt she and Howie had chosen. "Go put this on?"

"I think I'm sleeping through lunch," Alana confessed as she took the garments without any complaint. Howie had yanked her out of bed at about five in the morning after finally letting her get to bed at one after an evening talk show. She was exhausted and the exhaustion of having twins growing in her body was starting to take effect. As long as she would get to take a nap soon, she'd do whatever they wanted. Complying with a nod, she followed the stylists to the dressing room.
"So, what's the gazebo-proposal thing for?" AJ asked when Howie grabbed his collar to stop him from going into the dressing room to help Alana.

"Remember earlier, when we filmed Alana looking at the diamond ring on the dresser?" Howie asked slowly, ushering AJ from the bedroom. When AJ nodded, he released the younger man's collar, making sure they were heading downstairs before doing so. "Well, the proposal is the flashback that coincides with that. He's going to go down on one knee and hold up the ring--"

"It's the last sequence for the music video. Alana's going to wait in the gazebo and Nick's going to come walking up. We're going to do the soft colors and when she takes the ring, we're going to cut back to the bedroom with the bright vivid colors, her holding onto the ring," Natalie explained with a renewed burst of excitement, directing the workers toward the gazebo with the soft colored roses.

AJ snorted as Howie continued to push him down the stairs and out the door, dragging him further and further away from Alana. "And have we seen this ring?"

"The one on the counter," Howie replied, rolling his eyes. "Remember? The one that Joseph said wasn't the prop one but decided it was better?"

"Because that makes a ton of fucking sense to me," AJ groaned as he prepared to turn to hurry right back up the stairs, only to be greeted with Nick's chest knocking him backward. It seems like the man had all but jumped into the clothing that the stylists had provided, rushing down the stairs in a rage of hurry. He was even half-dressed, jumping into shoes as he buttoned up the light blue dress shirt.

"In a hurry, Nicky?" Natalie questioned with a laugh as AJ remained sprawled on the crushed shell walkway. Stepping over him to check the layout of the gazebo, she nearly cooed with excitement. Every space was filled with roses, petals scattered across the floor to add to the romantic feel of the candles flickering in small votive holders beneath the benches. "This is the perfect place for a proposal!"

"Want to get married, Nattie?" Howie chuckled.

"As beautiful as that proposal was, Howie, I don't think it would work between us," Natalie declined as she leaned over to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. There would only be one man that she'd be willing to walk down the aisle to. But he had barely glanced at her for an entire week. Something was terribly wrong, but no one would admit it to her. Nick's kind and nurturing nature to her had been the hardest blow. "But thank you so much, Howie. You're a sweetheart."

"Guess you can get that fifty thousand back for the ring, huh?" AJ sneered as he got to his feet. "And the doves, the choir boys, the orchestra--"

"AJ, get off the fucking rag," Howie scorned.

"Do I look alright?" Nick inquired, fussing with the shirt as he tried to decide whether or not to tuck it into his jeans. Raking a hand through his hair, he groaned when Howie reached to button the top button of his shirt.

"Is this the outfit we decided on for this scene, Nattie?" Howie asked instead of answering Nick's question, reaching to tuck the tails of the dress shirt into Nick's faded jeans. He was expecting this to be a formal proposal, so he wasn't quite sure whether or not Nick was supposed to be wearing jeans. Natalie had handled the wardrobe.

"Where's the tie?" Natalie inquired immediately. "Nicky, there was a tie--"

"If I'm proposing to Beautiful, I have to be able to breathe and-Howie get your hands off my ass!"

"You've got to have your shirt tucked in!" Howie exclaimed when his hands were slapped away from Nick's backside. "And shouldn't we be getting him some black slacks? This is supposed to be a traditional proposal. Dress shirt, black slacks, a tie--" Howie made a face. "And not scribbled on Converses for footwear…"

"Beautiful did the artwork on these Converse, thank you very much. And if you try to get me out of the jeans she loves for me to wear and try to talk me out of these shoes, I'll personally wring your chicken neck," Nick threatened, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"What the fuck are you being so high maintenance about, Carter? It's a music video and a fake fucking proposal. Wear what the Hell they want you to wear and stop griping," AJ finally burst as Howie buttoned the top button of Nick's dress shirt one more time.

"Get off my fucking case," Nick growled, slapping Howie's hands away once more. Unbuttoning the button, he came close to ripping the offending plastic from the collar of the shirt. Instead, he untucked the shirt from his jeans, turning to Natalie for help. "Nat… They're annoying me. Tell me I'm sexy and gorgeous and tell them to shut the fuck up?"

"Nicky, your sexy and gorgeous and shut the fuck up," Natalie repeated in a monotone, crossing one arm over her chest and holding the other just beneath her chin as she tilted her head in contemplation. "Did you bring the ring down from upstairs?"

"It's in my pocket--"

"Probably makes him a nice cock-ring," AJ interrupted as he flopped down on the stairs of the gazebo. "Of course, Al's got what? A size 3 ring finger? So it's probably a little loose--"

"The next video shoot we have? His sorry ass can't be here," Natalie decided with a look at Howie as she glanced to her scene list for reference. "Nicky, you're supposed to be waiting in the gazebo when Alana runs to meet you, and then--"

"Why can't I be there?" AJ demanded.

"Because you're annoying and petty and a general hindrance to the entire operation. My main goal is keeping Alana happy, and having you around ain't doing it. Now, when Alana gets in the gazebo--"

"Why is your main goal to keep me happy? Because you knew I'd be cursing your name when I realized what my outfit would consist of for this scene?" Alana voiced as she stepped into the lush backyard of the mansion just before the cameramen came bustling through. She was a radiant picture of loveliness that caused the entire group of friends to pause for a moment of reflection. Her long strawberry honey curls had been swept upward with the most delicate of curls framing her sweet face. Small white gold hoops were inserted into the piercings of her ears. Her face was touched lightly with a lip gloss and shimmering green tones of make-up. The peasant top clung to her frame like a second skin, sweeping off her shoulders to display the grace and elegance that only Nick was allowed to kiss. Just a small peek of her tan abdomen could be seen from the gap between her peasant top and white, gauzy skirt that ended inches above her knees, elongating her powerful legs. "…What?"

"You're gorgeous," Nick and AJ panted in response.

"You don't like it?" Natalie questioned worriedly as she went to meet her friend, reaching to tug the skirt down slightly.

"It's fine," Alana promised, immediately reaching to catch the waist of the skirt before Natalie caused it to flutter to her ankles. "I just have to remember my lady-like qualities. I hardly ever remember to cross my legs when I sit down. I'm always slouched and splayed…"

"You're not going to be sitting down," Natalie assured her, stepping back to admire Alana's appearance. "You're just going to run down the walk to the gazebo, greet Nick with kiss, and then stand there while he proposes."

"The story of my fairytale life," Alana exclaimed with a thick southern drawl, pretending to fan herself delicately.

"If I'd thought you wouldn't kill me, I would have totally talked Joseph into setting this back in the old days--"

"The old days?" Alana asked as she walked down the path with Natalie toward the men, knowing she had a brief moment of time as the cameras were angled.

"A period piece? Like the fancy dresses of the Civil War or Regency era and lots more candles and--"

"To think, I could have been the bar wench!"

"More like the Lady of the Manor," Natalie sighed dramatically.

"Somebody's been reading too many paperback romances," Alana groaned.

"Well, where else am I going to get it from?" Natalie mumbled.

"Try a hardback next time," Alana suggested with a coo, reaching for Nick to undo another button that rested tightly against his adam's apple.

"Thanks," Nick murmured, pulling her into his arms so he could kiss her. "You ready for me to propose to you, Beautiful?"

"Just make sure the camera's still rolling when the playback ends, gotta show the tape to your sisters as proof," Alana teased as she fixed the collar of his shirt, leaning up to kiss him tenderly. "Maybe they'll burst into flames after seeing it."

"I can always dream," Nick sighed, groaning when Joseph came outside, already directing everyone to get in their places. Taking a deep breath, he kissed her softly again. "Be careful, don't want you tripping--"

"I'm far more graceful than you'll ever be, Handsome, don't worry," Alana interrupted as she silenced him with one more kiss, pulling away from his arms. Reaching to fix the hem of her skirt, she was hurriedly caught into Howie's arms as he spoke softly to her, walking some ways down the path away from the wooden gazebo.

"You've got the ring, right?" Natalie asked Nick as he turned to wait in the gazebo. Positioning him in the center, she reached to smooth his shirt, quickly pulling her hands away. "And you don't have to actually say anything, just mouth some words…"

"I know what to do, Nat," Nick assured as he reached into the pocket of his jeans to feel the soft velvet box of the ring, immediately chewing on the corner of his lip with worry. Unable to keep still, he bounced on his feet slightly as Natalie stepped out of the gazebo, allowing him to start pacing. "I've done the acting thing before in a music video."

"Then why are you acting all nervous like you're actually about to--" Natalie cut off, whirling around to stare at Nick. Emitting a sharp squeal when she saw him go pale, she grinned. "You're going to really propose?!"

"You picked a shitty day to go smart," Nick wheezed as he was attacked with Natalie's suffocating hug.

"This is so awesome! Quick, let me see the ring!" Natalie demanded. "I got a peek at it when it was in Brian's safe, but--"

"If Beautiful even begins to suspect that--" Nick's sapphire eyes went wide in horror when he felt Natalie's hand slip into his pocket to retrieve the black velvet box. "What are you doing?!"

"Don't get excited, I'm just getting the-Nicky!" Natalie squealed as she pried open the box to gaze at the ring. The morning sunlight that slanted into the gazebo reflected off the center diamond. "It's gorgeous," she breathed, smiling when she saw the row of diamonds on either side of the larger one.

"…Do you think she'll like it, though?"

"She'll love it, Nicky."

"You guys squealing fucked me up so bad. I had this whole thing planned and then she found out that I had the ring. I know she'll think I'm just marrying her because of the twins, but it's so much more than that. She wouldn't let me propose to her that night. Said that I was probably feeling forced into it… Told me to wait until it felt right… Well, it felt right even before I bought the ring and I figured this was romantic… Joseph'll be taping…" Nick fumbled to explain as he hurriedly snatched the ring back and tucked it deep into his pocket.

"You'll do fine," Natalie promised with a smile, wrapping her arms around his waist for a gentle hug. "Just tell her what's in your heart."

"But I'm such a fuck up…"

"She loves you, Nicky. And you're not a fuck up. You're a wonderful guy."

"Are we filming today or are you going to throw some dick into Nat while we're waiting around?!" AJ suddenly bellowed.

"Once was more than enough," Natalie muttered under her breath as she darted out of the gazebo.

"You ain't fucking kidding," Nick growled.

"You two keep groping each other in public, I'm going to start doing the same to Al," AJ decided as Joseph motioned for the cameras to start rolling.

Hearing the instrumental cue of music that flowed before the ending stanzas of her song, Alana held her breath and moved down the path in a slow stroll. Holding herself, she waited for Howie's cue to look up, recognizing that Nick was in the gazebo. Her turquoise eyes lighting like a brilliant gem, Alana raced toward the gazebo. She remembered all the days that she had spent away from Nick, only allowed to hear the dulcet tones of his voice on a voice message. Crawling into bed beside his sleeping form, unable to even whisper that she loved him. Hearing the pain in his voice when she said she'd have to work late once more. Her eyes prickled with tears at the pain she felt in her heart as she ran into his open arms.

'Don't fuck up,' Nick told himself as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Lifting her gently off the floor of the gazebo, Nick swung her in a circle, his lips meeting hers in the most gentlest of kisses as he slowly lowered her to her feet. Gulping nervously as he stepped back to clasp her hand in his, he kept his gaze on her eyes as he knelt before her, his free hand reaching for the box in his pocket. Prying the lid open, he wet his lips. "Alana, Beautiful… I knew the moment I met you that you were my one chance at 'Happy Ever After'… That you were the one I had been searching for all my life. The person that would accept me for all that I am and all that I can be, who can see into my heart better than anyone else. Having you in my life is a dream come true, Beautiful. Will you marry me and make this a truly happy ending?"

"That was perfect," Alana cooed with appreciation as she leaned down to kiss the top of Nick's head, looking to Joseph for the finishing words of 'cut.' But as she pulled away from Nick and realized that Joseph wasn't ending the scene, she felt her heart flutter, practically flying out of her chest when Nick tugged her back, still remaining on his knee. "Handsome, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to ask you to marry me…"

"This proposal was just for the video and the ring is a prop--"

"This proposal is for real, and this ring is the one I bought when we were still in Kentucky," Nick interrupted softly.

"But…" Alana immediately brought her free hand up to gently clasp the front of her throat as if she were having trouble swallowing. Nick gestured toward the ring in its soft bed of black velvet and heavy tears prickled her eyes. The ring was absolutely gorgeous. White gold in an elaborate weave that angled outward into two curves, accentuating the large gorgeous diamond that remained the centerpiece before flaring off into ten smaller diamonds, five on each side. She had never seen a ring like it, nor had she ever expected to wear something so elegant upon her finger. "Handsome…"

"Each of the smaller diamonds represent ten years that I want to spend with you," Nick murmured. "And the larger one represents the present day… Beautiful? Marry me…"

"A hundred years together?" she whispered.

"And after that, a hundred more," he promised.

"Handsome…" she sniffled.

"I love you, Beautiful. I want to spend the rest of my life with you--"

"Yes."

"Yes?" Nick repeated dumbly, a slow grin forming on his face. When she nodded, he leapt to his feet, the nervousness that caused his heart to pound in his chest washing away with an incredible sense of relief. He hadn't fucked it up. She had said yes. She wanted him. Forever. Pulling her into a tight embrace, his lips sought hers for a smoldering kiss.

Squealing in surprise when he lifted her from the ground, she reached to anchor her arms around his neck. But the squeals were silenced as Nick's lips brushed over hers, pulling her down into a whirlwind of passion. She felt her stomach knot as tingles raced through her body, moaning softly when he intensified the kiss. The gently sweep of his tongue into her mouth seemingly causing her to melt against him. "I love you so much, Nick…"

"I love you more," Nick promised, fumbling blindly with the ring. The box clattered to the floor at their feet but he paid it no mind, continuing to intensify the kiss as he slid the ring on her finger.

"I'm going to make you so happy, I promise," she whispered as she cupped a hand against the back of his neck, pulling him closer as she offered her tongue into his mouth. She felt her entire body shiver with delight when his tongue moved against hers in a slow, tantalizing roll.

"You already have," Nick assured her with a hard moan.

"For the millionth fucking time, cut already!"