"I can't lie to him per se, JC."
"Then what do you call it?" he asks the raspberry brunette with hazel green-blue eyes.
"Withholding information."
"Jeeze, girl! You have to tell your cousin!"
"Why? It's not his business!"
He throws a little black book on the table. "Anyone who gets their hands on this, all hell would break loose and I think the devil would be jealous of whoever gets a look."
"C'mon, I make 6 figures and work 3 days a week!"
"So, you get dirty digging for gold? You broke a promise to him."
"Still, I don't see how it's his business."
"Someone will spill the beans and both of your names will be in the press, none of it being good," he argues.
"You don't get where I am and making what I do by just shaking hands," she tries convincing her cousin's ex-bandmate and best friend, her arms folding across her front.
"I know more than I let on," he says, leaning over the table  with his palms face down and standing across from her, his eyes watching the unmoving floor. Right now, she appears to be a normal jean and tank top clad woman of 23… JC knows her profession, having found out from Justin. They have been disbanded for almost a year, each of them doing their own thing. "Then tour with me, dance back up or something while you figure out how to tell him."
"That's easy-you tell him for me."
His head shoots up and his hands up in a defensive position. "Oh, no! This is your problem! He's your cousin and you will tell him!" he informs her, pointing to her and behind himself to indicate outside his house.
"I'm 23, what's James going to do?"
"You know him better than I do, having grown up with him."
"Oooohhhh, I'm shaking in my space boots," she mocks, her cell phone ringing. She looks at the caller ID. "Hey, get over here, dork. Yeah, see you in 15."
"Who was that?"
"James."
"You're just going to bomb him with this?"
"Sure, but slowly."
"Kristi, you need to take it slow on this kind of thing," he warns her.
"So? He might get a bit upset," she admits, biting her lip.
"We've been doing this how long?"
"Since 99, Teen Choice Awards."
"I might be castrated or dead by the end of it."
An awkward silence fills his house, both looking in each other's eyes and the only thing that causes any noise is a rapping at his front door. He turns to answer it, his head hanging as he walks to it and musters enough courage to answer it with false happiness. "Hey, Lance!" he greets, clapping his hand with her cousin's and pulling him into a hug. 
"How have you been?" he asks, smiling before heading to his cousin and enveloping her in his arms. 
"Good," he tells him, watching as his ex-bandmate kiss her forehead after a hug.
"You should sit," she tells him, pulling him to a chair in the living room. 
She sits on the love seat alone, her leg folded under her body and the other pulled to her chest. "What's going on?" he asks, genuinely concerned.
She and JC look into the other's eyes, silently fighting over who should talk first. "I'll start off by saying that I've been working two jobs, one that I've told you about and the other I've never mentioned."
"I know you write and produce, but what about the other?"
"I'm an escort/call girl."
"A WHAT?!"
"You heard me."

"What's it entail?" he curiously asks.
"Depending on the amount a guy or chick pays, anything from an appearance to sex."
"Holy shit! Since when?"
"Since I turned 18, I tried it and liked it. Six months after that, I was told an artist wanted to record one of my songs and they wanted me to co-produce it."
"Were you living with me at that time?"
"No, I was staying with Justin and he didn't know until after PopOdessey."

"Might as well tell him," JC reminds her of the other bit of information.
"You can tell him that one, I told him the doozy," she states calmly, shooting a glare at him.
"You remember a couple months ago, the day I told you that I hooked up with a friend of ours the night before?" he begins nervously.
"You wouldn't tell me who she was."
"Well, she's pregnant and I've hooked up with the same woman since she was 17, almost 7 years."
"That'd make her close to 24, we know a few that age."
"You know her extremely well."
"I know two women very well that are that age."
"Name them."
"Kati and Kristi," he says, thinking of my cousin who shares my birthday.
"Kati's not pregnant," Josh admits, getting up to pace behind her chair.
"Who's the father?" Lance asks through clenched teeth and angry eyes.
"I'm the one that got her pregnant," JC confesses, slamming his eyes shut in fear of being on the receiving end of his friend's anger.
"Kristi, congrats. JC, you better take care of them or you will be hurting. I'm hoping you won't keep the second profession."
"No, but writing and producing are going to be kept."
"How long have you and JC been sleeping together?"
"On and off since Teen Choice Awards 99."
"You were with us through the last two tours, from beginning to end. Wait, that's only the last 4 years and JC said 7."
"That means 96, that's the first summer I remember spending with you overseas," JC recalls.
"I thought you meant planned out, not including spontaneous."
"I meant overall, Ti," JC explains sweetly.
"Then it's been since spring 96."
"Weren't we in Germany?"
"Yes, you five were."
"You sneaky pain in my butt! You've been sleeping together since the house in Germany?!"  Lance shouts, realizing that he almost caught them a couple times in those early days.
"Um, yeah," Kristi and JC reply at the same time.
Now it's Lance's turn to pace, his emotions showing. "Why exactly did it happen and how often? Who did you tell first? Who else knows?" he heatedly rambles off.
"It was when I was getting out of the shower and he saw me. He kissed me and I kissed back. My hands traveled along his body and he had asked if I was sure. I told him to shut up and we had sex. It happened too many times to count. Other than us, only you know," she informs him.
"So, how many guys and what name did you use?"
"Three guys, all regulars and I went under Angeliza James. Most of them call me AJ." 
JC licks his lips, Lance watching him intently as he squats in front her and taking her hands in his, his eyes dropping to lock with hers. "Krissy, I know you're in good hands now and I guess you could say that I feel better being sure that he'll keep you grounded, making you the best woman I will ever know that's near my age and I call my cousin. Be good to him, too. Just please be truthful with the two of us. Promise me you'll do that," he tells her, a tear coming to his eye.
She smiles, tears threatening to fall and nods. She slips one handout of his hand and puts it behind his neck, pulling his head closer to place a familiar kiss to his forehead. "I promise, James."
He gets up and steps near JC, who has his arm across his front with the other elbow holding his hand near his mouth as he pins his thumb between his teeth, and claps his hand to his best friend/brother's shoulder. Lance's finger points at his chest. "You need to take good care of them, you're now part of my family in a way.  Don't hide important things from me. Welcome to the family," he says, offering JC his hand and they shake hands.
"Of course," JC agrees, a nervous and unsure smile crawling onto his lips.
"I know you're probably not ready for this, but you have more than just you now."


Five months later…

"How much longer do I have to be a punching bag for this little guy?"
"Seven weeks. We meet him after that and love him."
"Raise him and make him understand the good things until he's older. Tell him where we come from."
"You're what 7 months now, Krissy?" Lance asks, placing his hand on her protruding baby bump to feel the newest member of the family move.
"Yes, and ready to kill Joshua some days. Have you told momma, daddy, Uncle Jim or Auntie Diane?"
"No, I told Stacy."
"I told Justin," JC informs them.
"Yeah, last night," she laughs.
"Too bad the second Joey and Chris came in, he was screaming that you're pregnant and that it JC's," Lance chortles.
"That was the best! They thought it was a joke until this guy moved when Justin held their hands here," JC recounts, his hand resting on an empty spot of her belly.

She scrunches up her face and shakes her head. "What's wrong?" Lance inquires.
"Nothing, just a craving."
"Cookie dough? Ice cream? Pickles? Chocolate? Cookies?" JC cooly lists off her most common cravings.
"Cookie dough ice cream with Reese's cups, the big ones, and mint fudge Oreos."
Lance's face twists into disgust. "That has got to be the baby."
JC and Kristi laugh at him. "It's only been about 3 months since that one came about," JC explains, recalling the first request for it at midnight. Since that one time, he's kept at least two containers of Edy's chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer with all her add ons stocked in the house as well.
"I'm going to waddle that way, I have to get rid of this craving," she announces, jumping off the banister between the two guys and heads into the kitchen.
"Remember when we first told you?" 
"I can't forget it, why?" 
"I thought you were about to murder me for sure."
"No, she's had a crush on you since you were on MMC. Watched it like she was addicted. She didn't see you as anything but sweet. I half expected you two to have sex at some point, not that early though."
"Is that why you flipped out and calmed down shortly after?"
"Yes. Now that I think about it, wasn't there something white and purple on the table she was standing by when I hugged her?"
JC laughs. "That was the positive pregnancy test."
"I was oblivious of it at that moment."
"You were pushed to a chair within seconds, so you focused on what was happening."
"How often did you two skip out on protection?"
"That whole week, the week we conceived."
"Oh, wow. Makes sense she'd get pregnant. How long had she not done a call?"
"Two months before, she was doing more writing and producing. She's been recording lately and she's planning on releasing it in secrecy with the Backstreet Boys' album release in 05."
"It's just over a year from now."
"What can I say? She's ambitious," he says, smiling.
"She's been good?"
"Of course, she prefers having everyone come here than go out. She's off balance because of the little guy."
"You realize that the baby might be a girl," he informs them, having been there for the sonogram a couple months earlier and knowing the sex.
"Either way, the baby is a Bass and a Chasez." 
They chortle as she comes out on the porch, carrying a medium sized orange bowl with her craving inside. Lance sees it and looks at it like he might have to taste his lunch again. "That looks, um," he says, stopping to think of a word.
"It looks grotesque, but oddly tastes good," JC admits. Lance eyes him as if he had lost his mind. "She made me try it."
"How did she make you try some?"
"She pinned me under her on the couch and denied me my treat until I tried hers a few days after it started."
"That sucks, but it's Krissy for ya," he says, laughing at the picture in his mind.
"I can poison someone into doing it to you, James," she threatens and promises.
"I'd love to be fed," he jokes.
"Teigh trasna ort fein."
"How is that possible?"
"One word-dildo." They enjoy a laugh at his expense.


Two months later...

"I fucking hate being pregnant! I was due three days ago!" she complains.
"Maybe we should go for a walk or a swim?" JC offers, knowing she loves to do both.
"Where is Jeannette?"
"Let me call her," he replies softly, pulling his phone out and putting it on speaker to call the midwife.
"Hello, this is Jeannette," she greets.
Kristi leans against the wall and JC strides over to gently massage her lower back. "Hi, it's Josh and Kristi. We're curious if you're running behind."
"I have another 5 minutes before I'm scheduled to be there. I'm pulling up to your home now," she informs him.
"Thank you."
"See you in a minute."
"Sure, bye." The call is disconnected and there's a knock at the door, prompting him to look at it. "I'm going to get that, ok?"
"Yeah, go," she calmly tells him.
He shakes the visitor's hand and welcomes her inside. She's a woman with a slender build, brown eyes, and dyed chestnut brown hair who looks about 10-15 years older than Kristi. She's had children of her own and has helped many women have their children. "Kristi, how are you today?" she asks, scratching the younger woman's head.
"It hurts."
"How much and where?"
"My stomach and almost too much."
Jeannette touches Kristi's far too expanded belly as she grimaces, feeling it harden and release. "They are Braxton-Hicks contractions, much stronger because of the baby being so big."
She turns to JC and he holds the young woman, massaging her lower back again. "I want to hold the baby," she tells him honestly.
"I do too." He kisses her head and rests his chin on her head. "What is part of the visit today?"
"A handful of questions and an internal exam of her cervix," she informs him.
"Are you up to the exam?" he asks the raspberry haired woman.
"Yes," she replies, pulling him up to their room and Jeannette follows. She slips her underwear down and gets ready for the exam.
Jeannette gets ready too, following through with the exam. "Five centimeters and 70%, it'll be this weekend," she happily announces.
"Those weren't Braxton whatever contractions were they?"
"No, they're real. Kristi, have you been leaking?"
"Yes, I have."
"Begin pumping to be err on the safe side and have my number on hand. Did you notice any discharge, mucous or bloody?"
"I saw a huge chuck of snot like stuff on the tissue last night."
"That was your plug."
"Eww!"
"It's natural. Your water might break and it might not, we won't know."
"I want to walk or swim, swimming sounds best."
"Go ahead, but if you feel like you can't move, you have to get out and call me. A warm bath might relax you."
"Can I have candles?"
"As long as they relax you, yes."
"Thanks, I should start getting set up for it."
She presses her lips to JC's and buzzes about getting it set up, closing the bathroom door loosely. "How do you feel?"
"Anxious, excited and impatient," JC admits.
"Good, but why anxious?" Jeannette inquires.
"What if I'm not good at this?"
"Your dad had to learn, right?"
"Yes, what do I do if I don't know what to do?"
"You'll do great and call a father, someone you know and trust."
"Ok, there's my dad, her dad, Joey, and her cousins' dad."
"That's good, just build on it. Get some experience and you'll feel better about it."
"Thanks for having faith in my abilities."
"I'm sure she does too," Jeanette assures him.
A sudden splash of water grabs their attention. JC jumps up and peeks around the door. "Are you alright?" he asks.
Her eyes are shut and she's taking calming breaths. He walks in and stands by the claw foot tub, holding her hand in his to comfort her. A few minutes pass before she answers. "I think it might be today. Is 'Nette still here?"
"Yes."
"Get her, please?"
He darts to the door and spots their midwife where he left her. "She says it might be today."
She grabs a couple pairs of gloves and enters the bathroom. "Do you want me to check again?" 
Kristi's head quickly bobs up and down, another contraction taking grip. JC instantly grabs a cloth, runs it under cool water and quickly places it on her forehead. They patiently wait out the long contraction and she's checked, the midwife smiles bigger. "What's going on?" he asks.
"Your baby is descending, make your calls."
JC quickly dials one phone number. "Get here now. Yes, soon. Lucky you." He hangs up the house phone and kneels beside the tub. "You'll do great. He's on the way."
"Who?" Jeannette inquires.
"Her cousin."
"James," the younger woman whines.
"He said within ten."
She breathes slowly as she waits the few minutes for her cousin to show up. They hear the front door slam against the wall before hitting the casing hard. Feet pounding up the stairs rapidly, a door crashing into the wall and she sees her older cousin, a smile greets him. "I'm here," he says, settling in on the ledge behind her head. He massages her head and coos in another language to her, relaxing her between the painful contractions. "How far?" he asks, focused on her.
"Ten, 100% and descending now."
"Plan?"
"She wants to do it without pushing unless necessary."
"Ok, how long has it been? Has her water popped?"
Just then, an odd sort of look washes across Jeannette's face. "It just popped and only since this morning, about 7."
"She's going quick."
"Yes."
"How in the fuck do you know all this pregnancy lingo?" JC asks, confused.
"Stacy had a baby, I was there when she delivered. She had a death grip on my shirt and didn't let go till she had my nephew."
Just as he explains this, the midwife feels the baby's head come out a little and getting closer to completing a broken family. Three people are focused on the laboring woman and keeping her relaxed, reassuring her that she's doing beautifully. A few minutes later, the nurse has two arms in the water and pulls out a baby, pink and whining. "James, do you want to announce it?"
"She's a girl. I bought pink and purple to hint at it," he says, a mischievous smile on his face.
"What do you want to name her?" JC asks her.
"Coraline Jamie," Kristi says.


Three years of chaos gone by…

"She's three already? Where did the years go? Lawdy!" Kristi jokes with JC and Lance.
"I remember being in the master bath, watching you deliver our little girl. Something I won't ever forget."
"You have to tour soon."
"It's a month and I'm home again, my Kate."
"What is it about my middle name that you like?" she asks curiously.
"It's so unique, Katelynni. Like Cori's name is hers alone."

She grins, slowly allowing her eyes to meet with his and they share a smile before the moment is lost due to a shriek for 'daddy'. JC strides upstairs, disappearing for a couple minutes before reappearing with a curly caramel haired, turquoise eyed three year old little girl that's a perfect mix of her parents. "Mama," the little girl whines, stretching her arms to her mother.
"Mo cailín leanbh álainn," Kristi greets her daughter as JC nears her.
After uniting mother and daughter he sits down, admiring the scene. Baby Cori speaks a few words in English and just as many in Irish. "Ithe?"
Kristi smiles and begins to prepare the toddler's lunch. They had agreed to teach little Cori English, Irish, Spanish and both dialects of French. JC had learned French and Spanish while touring the globe, Kristi had grown up speaking Irish and both have known English their whole lives. 
"Mama, an bhfuil grá agat daidí?" a little one year old's voice questions from her mother's hip.
"Anois go Tuigim do daidí níos fearr agus atá againn tar éis fás, beagnach oiread agus is breá liom tú, mo banphrionsa milis," she responds, love shining in her eyes as she glances at a confused JC.
"In a language I can understand, hon," he gently requests, sitting at the counter to watch his two girls bond.
"Ahora que entiendo mejor a tu papá y hemos crecido, casi tanto como Te amo, mi dulce princesa," she repeats in Spanish for him.
"I love you and your mommy more than anyone can ever try to explain it."
"¿Qué es el amor? ¿Qué se siente?" the little girl asks, clearly having the intelligence of both of her parents and the thirst for knowledge from her father.
"Love is something you feel inside, something that makes you happy and you can't truly explain it," JC attempts to explain.
"It's like when you can't feel your foot and it starts to wake up, a little hurt and a lot of pins and needles. It feels kind of fuzzy and you never want it to go away," Kristi tells them.
"Ti, you're crazy. Mama es loca en le cabasa?" Lance says, always having bad Spanish grammar.
"No, you crazy," the little girl quips, grinning ear to ear.
Kristi and JC chuckle at their daughter.

"By the way, your album has been requested to be properly released by summer next year."
"You're yanking my chain," she doubtfully replies.
Lil Cori pulls on her mom's necklace, smirking. "Just like your Uncles Justin and Chris," Lance comments. She nods and gives him the 'innocent' grin. "I don't believe that smile for a second. No, Kristi, I'm not joking. Jive wants it next summer and they want you to tour that winter, after the holidays."

"What?" JC asks. "I'll be in the studio!"
"I'm sure we have time to arrange for Cori to be cared for, Jive is hoping you'll be willing to join her as well as Aaron Carter."
"What do you mean? Like he'll be opening for me? Or am I opening for him? Or are we both main and Aaron the opening?" she rambles off.
"It's more like you'll all be equal. You're the surprise acts while debuting your albums."


Late spring...

"Last track completed," Justin confirms, Timbaland nodding in agreement.
"Felt like forever," Kristi comments.
"Well, you're slated for a late summer or early fall release and Johnny Wright is managing you."
"What do you think of the album, Timba?" she asks, leaning back to see the album's co-producer.
He turns to meet her eyes and smiles. "At least top ten album of next year," he says, flashing thumbs up in her direction.
"Is it just me or does she cover three genres?" Justin asks Timbaland.
"She did-pop, R&B and dance. She definitely hits those notes and then some. Now she gets the fun of learning all the choreography in under six months."
"Oh, how I fucking hated to have to do that shit!" Justin says, pulling his hand down his face and groaning. "Do you know who your choreographer is?"
"Wade something."
"At least your show will kick ass," Justin says, a bite evident.
"Why did his name sound so familiar?"
"Robinson?"
"Yeah!" she shouts, pointing at Justin's face. "That's it!"
"That is the dirty fucker that she cheated on me with," Justin growls.
"Oh, um, sorry."
"Don't stress it, water under the bridge. Be good to C, he's fallen for you and harder than he ever has," Justin tells her.
"I've been nothing but good to him," she admits.
"More so since little Cori made herself known," Justin reminds her.
"Yeah, she makes us strong," she confesses, lightly smiling.
"Any wedding plans?" Timbaland inquires, tapping his finger pads on the soundboard in Josh's basement studio.