[Nick]

AJ and I are on our way back to Nashville and I wish to God my phone would ring. It hasn’t rung yet. Becca has texted me to see if I’ve heard anything and I haven’t. Why won’t it ring?

It needs to ring.

After meeting the producers last night, I went over to Becca’s place and we talked about what we were going to do if it is mine. I mean, it’s better to be prepared and talk about things in person than over the phone. She doesn’t want to keep the baby. She said she wouldn’t be able to take care of it on her own, especially with her going to grad school. I told her that if she did, that I would help out with money but she says that she can’t. Her parents who are really religious doesn’t even know she’s pregnant and she doesn’t want them to know.

Now, it’s really up to me. That is, if the baby is mine.

“Your brain is working a mile a minute,” AJ said as I looked at him. “It’s killing you isn’t it?”

“You’ve never been in the situation,” I said. “It’s fucking nauseating.”

“So, what? If the kid is yours, are you and writer chick going to get married and have the little white picket fence life like Brian and Leighanne?” he snickered.

“You know that’s not me,” I confessed. “It’s weird, AJ,” I said, turning around in my seat to face him more. “I think about how my parents used me and all of that shit and if this kid is mine, I want to make sure that nobody uses them that way, you know? With your dad, if you had a kid, would you just walk out of it’s life?”

“Nope,” he said.

“It’s like I look at your situation, which is just like Karie’s thing with her father and I don’t want it to be like that.”

“Then adoption.”

“I would still feel like that and always wonder, unless it’s someone that’s in my life that is raising it,” I said as AJ nodded. “Karie doesn’t want kids.”

“Really?” AJ asked. “Most girls do.”

“She can’t have kids so she has it set in her mind that she doesn’t want them,” I said. “I don’t want to push her into that.”

“Brian and Leighanne or Howie and Leigh,” AJ said as I nodded. “I know Brian and Leighane said if..”

“Yeah that if it came down to it, that they would adopt the baby,” I said, finishing his sentence.

“That’s what you get banging those sorority girls,” AJ said as I rolled my eyes and sat back in my seat. “I still can’t believe you’re seeing this big chick.”

“I wish you would shut up calling her that,” I hissed. “Yeah, she’s not bones like you, but I like it and I love her.”

“You’re whipped right now, but give it a few weeks, you’ll be over her once we leave Nashville and you’ll find some other fluke to bone,” he said as I glared at her. “Seriously Nick, are you serious?”

“It’s like I told Rok, I know how he felt with Leighanne now.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” I assured him. “She has her own life and it doesn’t revolve around me. She’s independent and dude, the first few times we went out, she paid. Do you know the last time that happened to me?”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.. damn,” I laughed. “Sure, she might be a few sizes bigger than what I normally date, but honestly, it’s not that different except with her, she makes it different and in a good way.”

“She good in bed?” AJ asked. “Oh come on, Carter. We talk about his shit, me and you.”

“Honestly?” I said as AJ nodded. “She’s awesome and not in that usual way either. It’s like she doesn’t make it just about getting off. It’s like this experience and I know it sounds whack,” I said as he cracked up laughing, “but it’s just awesome. The sex could be horrible and I really wouldn’t care because I’m with her.”

“You are so whipped,” AJ laughed, clapping his hands.

[/Nick]

[Karie]

Nickolas Gene Carter was born on January 28, 1980 in Jamestown, New York to Bob and Jane Carter.

Yep, I’m bored on a Sunday and googling my boyfriend. Apparently he’s dated a few celebrities including Miss Hilton, Willa Ford, and claims he had a one night stand with Ashlee Simpson. He told Howard Stern that he lost his virginity to the teacher chick in Florida that slept with her student. No, she wasn’t his teacher, they were in middle school together.

I’ve sat here looking at all kinds of information about him and looked at pictures. I looked at old pictures where he was fifteen years old and looks like one of the boys that I went to school with who would have probably made fun of me, calling me fat. As he grew older, he looked like the heartthrob that most girls would go gaga over, which apparently they still do according to some message boards.

God, I shouldn’t be googling Nick.

“Karie, do you want me to do the dishes?” my mother asked as I looked over and nodded. She had spent the night with me and was going to be leaving to go back to her place shortly. “You’re being quiet.”

“Just playing online,” I said, looking up from my laptop that was in my lap. “Just bored, I guess.”

“He’ll be back shortly.”

“I know. He texted me earlier and said that they were on the layover in Atlanta,” I said as I closed my laptop. I put it on the coffee table and picked up Scarlett who was cuddled up next to me on the sofa. “Thanks for staying with me last night and today,” I said.

“That’s what I’m here for,” she said as I smiled at her. “Every once in a while you need a Mom around.”

“Exactly, which is why I can’t be one.”

“Karie -”

“Mama, don’t start,” I said, looking down at Scarlett who was purring unbelievably loud.

[/Karie]

[Nick]

“See you tomorrow,” I told AJ as I shut the cab door and started to walk into Karie’s apartment building. I began walking up the stairs and froze, hearing my phone ring.

“It’s an LA number,” I said softly, looking at the number on my cell. “Hello?” I asked, answering it.

“Nick? This is Dr. Johnson,” a deep voice said over the line. “Are you back in Tennessee yet?”

“Yes sir,” I said. “The results in?”

“Yes, they’re in,” he said as I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

[/Nick]

[Karie]

“All I really want to do is take along bubble bath and go to bed,” I said as I stood up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen where my mother was washing dishes.

“You know, I noticed you haven’t been going out and singing like you usually do,” she said as I nodded. “Spending all your free time with him.”

“A girl I know from CMT said that to me yesterday too,” I snickered. “I get home so late and leave in the morning that late at night is the only time I get to spend with him.”

“Don’t give up what you love to do,” she said. “You love singing, so go sing sometime.”

“I will, just, you know, been busy,” I laughed slightly, hearing someone at the door. My mother and I looked to see Nick walked in and I smiled. “Hey! You’re back!”

“Hey, yep, I’m back,” he said as I ran over to hug him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” I said as he gave me a little kiss on the lips and paused, seeing my mother.

“Oh hey Ms. Hamilton,” he said as she said hello to him. “So, how was the concert?”

“It was good,” I said, seeing a weird look in his eyes. “What is it?” He looked at my mother and back at me.

“Does she know?” he asked as I nodded. “Come on, let’s sit down,” he said, taking my hand and leading me to the sofa.

“Do you want me to leave?” my mother asked as Nick shook his head.

“What is it?” I asked, watching my mother walk around and sit down in a chair next to the sofa. “Did you find out the results?”

“Yeah,” he said. “The doctor just called as I was walking up the steps.”

“It’s yours,” I blurted out, seeing him stare me in the eyes. “If it wasn’t yours, you would have already said something.”

“The baby is mine,” he sighed, holding my hand. I glared at him and saw that he was upset. “It’s definitely mine.”

“Oh God,” I said, taking my hand from him and burying my face in my hands. This couldn’t be happening. It really couldn’t be happening.

“So what are you going to do?” my mother asked as I looked up to see that Nick was crying.

“It’s up to me,” he said, looking at me. “Us, I guess.”

“How far along is she?” my mother asked.

“Almost at four months. She’s in her second trimester,” he said. “Whatever that means and we found out what it is. The sex of the baby, if it’s a boy or girl.”

“And?” she asked.

“It’s a girl,” he said, reaching in his pocket and pulled out a sonogram picture. He handed it to my mother and looked at me. “I have at least four more months to make a decision,” he said as I nodded. “If we decide to give it up for adoption, then they’ll need at least a month’s notice.”

I looked at my mother and she shook her head at me, handing me the sonogram.

“Don’t look at me for answers, Karie,” she said, standing up. “I already told you what I thought last night.”

“You don’t like it, do you?” Nick asked as my mother picked up her purse and shook her head.

“Honestly? I told her it was probably her only shot at having the family that I could never give her,” she said as I looked away. “You two call me if you need me.”

“Bye Mama,” I whispered, watching her walk out the door. I looked back at Nick and saw the confusion and pain in his eyes. “So, you’re having a little girl?” I asked, looking down at the sonogram.

“We don’t have to make a decision tonight, Karie,” he said as I nodded. “I don’t want this to come between us.” He moved closer to me, putting his hands on the side of my face. I stared into his eyes and started crying more. “This can’t come between what we’re starting, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered, my lips shivering.

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“I can’t go through this alone.”

“I know.”

“This is scary, isn’t it?” he asked as I nodded. “So your Mom said that?” I nodded again.

“She told me to grow the fuck up,” I whispered as I climbed into Nick’s lap, facing and straddling him. He sat back on the sofa and I rested my forehead against his. “What are you thinking about?”

“After seeing it and hearing it’s, her heartbeat, it’s all real to me,” he said, rubbing his hands up and down my back. “I don’t think I could just give it up for adoption because I would be constantly thinking about it, damn I mean her.”

“So keep it or if Brian wanted to adopt her like you mentioned,” I said as he kissed my lips softly. “We have time.”

“Four months.”

“We’ve only been together a month, Nick.”

“I know, but,” he whispered as I moved my head back. He licked his lips and stared into my eyes.

“Your children in my eyes,” I whispered as he looked at me questionably. “My mother found the song and we listened to it and I heard the song and that line.” He sighed and pressed his lips together. “You saw your children in my eyes? You saw your future in my eyes?”

“Yeah,” he confessed. “Everybody thinks I’m crazy except for Becca and Brian,” he said as I raised an eyebrow. “Becca is the girl, that’s, you know. I told her about you and she said you sounded perfect for me.”

“We have time,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair. “When is she due?”

“End of October,” he said. “Around the time our album is supposed to come out.” I smiled, shaking my head. “Figures, huh?”

“You don’t think you could put her up for adoption with people you don’t know?” I asked as he shook his head.

“After seeing and hearing the bay, I don’t think I can,” he said, smiling at me. “I’ve seen how you and AJ are about your relationships with your fathers and how my family was and I don’t want to risk that kid being put through that stuff, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him. “Talk to whoever and we have time, we’ll figure something out.”

“I don’t want to push you into anything, Karie -”

“You’re not, I won’t let you,” I said, feeling him kiss me gently on my shoulder.

[/Karie]