"What?" Aubrey asked in surprise, not expecting that statement from him.  "Why?"

"Because you haven't completely messed up your life like I have." He answered.

Aubrey stopped and looked up at him.  "Justin, what is going on?" She asked.  "You're really starting to scare me here." She told him.

Justin sighed and looked down at his feet.  "I need to tell you some things." He said looking back up at her--the tortured look in his blue eyes making her want to just wrap her arms around him and make everything that was hurting him just go away.  She didn't have that power however, so the only thing she could do was listen to what he needed to tell her.  "This isn't..." He paused as he continued.  "This isn't going to be easy...for me or for you." He said.  "I just..." He hesitated again.  "I need you to hear me out." He said. 

"Okay." Aubrey replied.  Justin turned and started walking again.  Aubrey fell in step beside him, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest.  She had no idea what it was he needed to tell her and the fact that it was this hard for him to say it didn't calm her any.

"I, uh..." he began then blew out a breath.  "Man, this is hard." He chuckled self-consciously as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.  Aubrey looked over at him, though he refused to look at her.  "I haven't told anyone the whole story except for my mom." He said, his brows furrowing.  Aubrey watched as he swallowed nervously.  She led him over to a nearby swing set and they sat down beside each other on the swings.  She watched him, remaining quiet-giving him the time he needed to sort through his thoughts.

"You asked me a few weeks ago about what happened between me and Britney." He began, his eyes seeming to be glued to the ground in front of him.  "I told you that I wrote those songs about her because I was hurt and angry but what you don't know--what nobody knows--is what really went on with that whole situation."  He finally looked over at her.  "We both kept quiet about everything when it was happening because both of our careers would have been ruined at the time and over the years it's just become habit to evade the questions that still come up."  He stopped.

"What happened?" Aubrey questioned quietly, hoping she'd be able to handle whatever he told her.  What would have been bad enough to ruin both of their careers?

"The rumors about her being unfaithful to me were true." He replied.  "She cheated on me with someone we both knew; someone who was a close friend of mine at the time.  When I found out I was completely taken by surprise.  We'd just bought a house together and I'd built this whole fantasy life for us in my head, never knowing that she wasn't seeing the same picture I was.  We fought.  I yelled and...she cried a lot--trying to tell me how sorry she was but I was done.  There had been other little signs along the way that she wasn't as committed as I was to the relationship.  I could see that the fame and the spotlight we were both surrounded by were pulling her in a different direction than it was me.  Maybe it was because our childhoods had been so different?"

He shrugged and Aubrey agreed with him silently.  It was obvious that Justin had had a solid and steady upbringing before he'd burst onto the pop scene, thus making it easier for him to navigate the pitfalls that came with fame when you were that young. 

"I don't know." He continued.  "But the relationship ended and she went home to Louisiana for a while."  He looked away from her again and an expectant silence filled the space between them as Aubrey waited for the revelation she knew was coming.  "What nobody knows is that when she left she was pregnant." 

Aubrey sat in stunned silence as Justin continued.

"I didn't even know at the time, except her mom called my mom and told her what was going on.  She claimed it wasn't mine--that it was...his--but..."

"Was it yours?" Aubrey asked. 

"I don't know." He said, turning his blue eyes on her again.  The same pained and tortured expression on his face from earlier.  "I don't know."  He repeated his voice thick with emotion.  He cleared his throat and sniffed, closing his eyes as he turned away from her again.  "She ended it before I could find out."  He confessed quietly.

Aubrey reached out for his hand.  Justin's fingers tightened around hers and she wanted to cry for him.  She'd come to know him pretty well over the last six months and she knew that, while it would have completely changed his life and he wouldn't be anywhere near what he was today, he would have taken the challenge of raising a child so young head on and done great at it. 

"I didn't get to find out if that baby was mine or not." He said, bringing Aubrey out of her thoughts.  "But that's not going to happen again."  He vowed and she looked at him in question, her eyes narrowing as he turned to look at her.  "This is the part where I need you to hear me out." He said as he tightened his grip on her hand as if he were afraid she was going to run away.  Aubrey sat up taller in the swing and squared her shoulders, preparing herself for what he was about to tell her.  She knew it wasn't going to be pretty and she prayed she'd have the strength to handle whatever it was that was coming her way.

~~~~~~ 

Justin watched Aubrey closely as he held her hand tightly.  So far so good.  He thought.  He'd been able to get through talking about Britney and their messy breakup without losing it too badly.  He'd come close a few times, but he'd been able to hold his emotions back for the most part--which gave him hope that time passing was working to heal the wounds he was still carrying around.  He took a deep breath as he plunged ahead, telling Aubrey what she needed to know before she returned to California.

"I've had a paternity suit filed against me." He said. 

"What?" Aubrey asked in surprise.  "By whom?"

"Do you remember the fashion show I had a few months ago?" He asked and she nodded.  "It was right after we went to Cabo." He said in case she didn't remember, even though he knew she did.  "I called and asked if you wanted to go with me, but...you were still worrying about when I tried to kiss you and trying to figure out what you wanted to do about Andrew being upset with you that I didn't push you as hard as I wanted to, to have you come with me.  I was frustrated and upset." He admitted.  "I had begun to realize that I had some...pretty strong feelings for you but you were pushing me away before I even had a chance to do anything about them.  I sound like I'm trying to justify my actions." He shook his head as he rolled his eyes at himself.  "But I'm not."

"What actions?" Aubrey asked hesitantly.  

"I went to a club that night with some friends of mine." He continued.  "I was drinking and someone had brought some pot.  I...got a little high." He admitted.  "There was a girl there that I ended up leaving with."  Aubrey pulled her hand from his as he continued.  "I slept with her." He told her.  "I don't remember much but the next morning when I woke up in that hotel room..." He hung his head.  He couldn't look at the disappointment in Aubrey's eyes any longer.  "I snuck out before she woke up, hoping I could just forget the whole thing and life could go back to how it was supposed to be." He said.  "And it did." He finally looked up at her.  "For a little while.  You came back into my life and things have been...incredible this last month.  I don't know how to tell you how I've been feeling these last few weeks without it sounding like a desperate plea to get you to stay with me right now."

"Just get to the point, Justin." Aubrey said.

"I came home yesterday morning from taking Buckley and Brennan for a run and turned on the TV only to find out that, Nikki," he spit her name out in disgust.  "Was claiming--for all the world to see and hear--that I," he put a hand to his chest.  "Am the father of her baby."

"Are you?" She asked, her eyes watching him intently.

"It's possible." He nodded.  "But I won't know for sure until a paternity test can be done."

"And when will that be?" Aubrey questioned. 

"I don't know." He told her honestly.  "I'm meeting with her and both of our lawyers Tuesday morning."  She nodded as she turned and looked away from him--her eyes focused on something out in front of her.  Her expression was unreadable at the moment and Justin wished he could see inside her head; hear her thoughts.  He needed to know what she was thinking--what she was feeling.

"I need to go home." She said finally as she stood up.  Justin stood as well, his heart beating painfully in his chest.  She wasn't giving him a sign either way here and he was at odds as to what he could say or do to sway things in his favor.  They walked silently back to where he'd parked the truck and sat side by side in the cab as he drove back to her parent's house equally as silent.  Several times he opened his mouth to say something to her, but each time the words died in his throat.  He was afraid that whatever else he said might push her farther away from him. 

She just needs some time to process it all.  He told himself as he turned onto her street.  We can finish talking about it tomorrow. 

"Are you still flying back to California tomorrow morning?" He asked, trying not to sound too hopeful as he pulled up to the curb in front of her parent's house. 

"I don't know." Aubrey replied as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door.  She paused before she got out and he thought maybe she was going to say something encouraging.  "I'll call you." She said simply then hopped out. 

Justin watched as she walked up to the front door and disappeared inside--what little restraint he had on his emotions disappearing with her.  He leaned over, his forehead resting against the steering wheel, and closed his eyes.  He'd never felt so alone and helpless in his entire life.  Who did he have left to turn to?  His mother was disappointed in him, his best friend was angry with him, and the woman he was falling in love with had just walked away from him--giving him no guarantee he'd ever see her again. 

After sitting there wallowing in self-pity for a few minutes he finally sat up, wiping his face with his hands.  He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.  He was done feeling sorry for himself.  Crying over what had happened wasn't going to change anything.  He couldn't go back in time.  He'd made his bed and now he had to sleep in it.

~~~~~~

"I don't understand you." Aubrey's mother said Monday morning.  "You were all frantic yesterday trying to find a flight back to California and now you don't want to go back?  What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Aubrey replied as she picked at the eggs on her plate with her fork. 

"Don't question it, Michelle." Aubrey's father replied from behind his newspaper.  "You're always saying how you wish she'd come home and now that she doesn't want to leave you're pushing her out the door."  He lowered the corner of the newspaper, as he reached out and picked up his coffee mug.  "She can stay as long as she wants." Henry Davis said, giving his daughter a wink.

"Thanks, Dad." Aubrey smiled.

"I'm just confused." Her mother said sitting down across the table from Aubrey.  "That's all."

Me too. Aubrey thought as she turned her attention back to her eggs.  She'd stayed up most of the night-Justin's confession replaying in her mind over and over again.  The revelation about what had happened between him and Britney wasn't what was making her hesitant about going back to California though.  That had happened so long ago and she knew Britney wasn't going to cause any trouble between them.  This new girl, however, could and was.

She knew she didn't have grounds to be upset with Justin--they hadn't been dating at the time it had all happened--but she was.  She was mad and she was disappointed in him.  She'd realized, sometime during the night, that she'd put him up on a kind of pedestal because of who he was, and dealing with the fact that he was human and made mistakes like everyone else was a bitter pill to swallow.  Her own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy were also staring her in the face and she could finally admit that she was jealous.

When he'd been telling her everything last night all she could think about was the fact that those two girls had been and were experiencing something she never would.  She would never know what it felt like to know she was having Justin's baby--or anyone's baby for that matter!  Though their relationship was still developing and they hadn't come close to even thinking about discussing having kids, she couldn't offer him that possibility even if he wanted it.  She knew he would make a wonderful father if given the opportunity and it hurt to know she was unable to give him what these girls could so easily.

And without even wanting to, too.  She thought bitterly as she recalled what Justin had told her Britney had done.  Her fame had been more important to her than anything else, and Aubrey knew this other girl was going to milk the publicity that would come her way for all it was worth--no matter the havoc she was wreaking in Justin's life.  And it wasn't just him.  This whole thing was going to affect the rest of the guys as well.  What was going to happen with their reunion plans?

"Hmmm...that's interesting."

Aubrey looked up in surprise as Michael suddenly slid a section of the newspaper across the tale to her.  When did he get up?  She wondered as her eyes dropped to the paper--her fork falling from her hand.  The top story in the Entertainment section?  "Timberlake Paternity Suit."  Aubrey looked up and met her brother's searching gaze.

"What?" Their mother asked.

"Oh nothing." Michael replied.  "Just some stupid celebrity who's gotten himself involved in a paternity suit."

"He's not stupid." Aubrey said under her breath as she read the article that had been written about the situation.  Michael let out a snort of disagreement as he drank his coffee.

"So are you staying or going back?" Michelle asked Aubrey, going back to their original topic of conversation.  "I just need to know so I can plan the rest of my day."

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden." Aubrey replied in frustration and irritation as she put the paper down and stood.  "Plan your day." She told her mother.  "If I decide to leave I'll find my own way to the airport." She said as she turned and left. 

"Aubrey Janae!" Her mother called after her, but she ignored her as she walked out the front door and down the front walkway.  With a groan of frustration she sat down on the curb and covered her face with her hands as the tears she'd been holding back since last night finally overwhelmed her.  Someone came and sat down beside her silently and Aubrey leaned over--putting her head against her brother's shoulder--and continued crying as he put his arms around her.  She lost track of the time but when her tears finally quieted, Aubrey remained leaning against Michael. 

"You already knew, didn't you?" He asked. 

Aubrey nodded against him.  "That's why he came last night." She said.  "To tell me."

"Do you love him?" He asked.  Again Aubrey nodded.  "What are you going to do?"

Aubrey sat up, using her sleeves to wipe the tears from her face.  "I don't know." She replied--her voice raw from crying.  "I don't know what to do." She said running her hands through her hair.  She put her arms around her legs and rested her chin on top of her knees.  "I never thought..." She paused.  "It's ironic how life turns out sometimes, huh?" She mused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Aubrey sighed.  "I mean, who would have thought that I would one day wind up dating and falling in love with one of the biggest celebrities in the world?"

"Why do you love him?" Michael asked.

Aubrey thought for a moment.  "It's hard to explain." She finally replied.  "It's like...when I'm with him the pieces in my life--in my soul--that I didn't know were missing are suddenly put back into place."

"It's not because he brought sexy back?" Michael teased.

"No." Aubrey laughed.  "Though that is a plus, I'm not going to lie." She smiled at her brother, thankful for him and the way he had of making her laugh even when she was upset.  "But I don't love him because of how he kisses me.  I love him because of how he makes me feel even when he isn't kissing me.  I've gotten to know him over the last six months and I--"

"Six months?!" Michael exclaimed in surprise.  "I thought you were with Andrew earlier this year."

"I was.  Justin and I haven't been dating for six months." She clarified.  "We started out as friends and because of that I've gotten to know him.  He's smart and funny.  He owns several different and successful businesses.  He makes me laugh all the time with his goofy sense of humor and love for life.  He's a world famous superstar yet he's still just a normal, down to earth guy.  If you met him on the street and didn't know who he was you'd never know he was famous.  He makes a ridiculous amount of money but he's not afraid to get his hands dirty." She paused in her explanation to her brother.

"But?" Michael asked, sensing her hesitancy.

"But..." Aubrey sighed.  "I don't understand why he wants to be with me." She finally admitted.

"Because you're amazing." He replied. 

"You're my brother." Aubrey told him with a roll of her eyes.  "You're supposed to say things like that."

"That doesn't make it any less true." He said.  "Look, I'll admit when I found out who ‘Justin' was," he made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "last night I was worried about you and what you were getting yourself into.  But the fact that the guy flew out here so he could tell you what was going on himself should tell you something about his feelings for you.  He didn't want you to find out by reading the paper or watching TV. He wanted to tell you himself."  Michael tightened his arms around her in a hug.  "You can't help who you fall in love with." He continued.  "But once you do it's up to you to fight to hang on to that love.  Instead of sitting here questioning why Justin wants to be with you, you need to decide if you want the love he's offering and what you're willing to do to keep it."

Aubrey looked at him in amazement.  "When did you suddenly become so wise and all knowing about love?" She asked.

Michael laughed.  "I just spent two years in the desert." He replied.  "I had a lot of time to myself to think."  Aubrey chuckled.  "But now it looks like its time for you to think." He said standing.  "What do you want and how much are you willing to fight for it?"

~~~~~~

Justin tapped his pen against the top of the table he was sitting at Tuesday morning--his leg bouncing nervously as he waited for the meeting between himself, Nikki, and their respective lawyers to begin.  He picked up his cell phone from where he'd set it on the conference room table at Parker & Hopkins, Law Firm, hoping against hope that he'd somehow missed a call or text from Aubrey in the five minutes since he'd checked last. 

No missed calls and no text messages.

He pushed back from the table in frustration and began pacing around the room.  She'd told him she would call but she hadn't yet.  After driving her back to her parent's house Sunday might, he'd driven back to the airport and flown home--determined to face the music. 

He turned as the door opened behind him.  Nikki pranced in, followed by a man whom he assumed to be her lawyer.  She stopped when she saw him.

"You are a hard man to get a hold of." She smiled sweetly, but he could see the calculating look in her eyes. 

No doubt wondering how much she can get out of me.  He thought.  He'd learned enough in his years in the business to know when to keep his mouth shut.  He wasn't going to say anything until his lawyer was in the room.  His eyes traveled over her as he remained quiet.  She didn't look pregnant but when did women start to look like they were having a baby?  He had no idea. 

"Sorry I'm late." Richard Parker, Justin's lawyer, said as he came into the room.  "Let's get started." He said as everyone took a seat around the table--Nikki and her lawyer on one side, Justin and Richard on the other.  "Due to obvious reasons, we want to keep this all as clean and quiet as possible."

"I just want to make sure my baby is taken care of." Nikki interrupted as she put a hand to her stomach.  "I tried to get a hold of Justin to get this settled just between us but--"

"Nicole." Her lawyer said in warning.  She looked over at him and became quiet.

"Can we continue?" Richard asked, looking at the two people sitting across from him.  They both nodded.  "Alright." He said taking some papers from the manila folder he'd placed on the table in front of him.  "As I was saying, we want to keep this all as clean and quiet as possible.  This is the contract we've drawn up and that we'd like for you to sign and agree to."  He cleared his throat and Justin looked down at his clasped hands resting on the table top as Richard began reading from the documents in his hands.  "Mr. Timberlake is not responsible for paying any child support until the paternity of the child is proven.  At the time that paternity is determined, by a court approved paternity test, and it is confirmed that Justin Randall Timberlake is the biological father of Nicole Ashley Wilson's child he will then pay fifty percent of all medical--"

"A hundred percent." Justin interrupted looking up at Nikki.

His lawyer looked at him in question.  "Justin, we talked about this.  What are you...you don't have to--"

"I want to." Justin said.  "If the baby's mine...I'll pay for all the medical costs past and future."

Richard cleared his throat as he picked up a pen and making note of the change Justin had made.  "Alright.  Then, when it is confirmed that Mr. Timberlake is the biological father he will then pay one hundred percent of all medical expenses related to pre-natal and natal care past and future.  Miss Wilson must also agree not to talk to any media outlet without either Mr. Timberlake or myself present.  If she does..."

Justin tuned out as Richard continued reading.  He'd been emailed a copy of the contract yesterday to look over so he knew what everything else entailed.  Nikki wasn't allowed to talk to anyone about the baby until paternity was proven.  If he was the father he would then owe Nikki child support until the child was eighteen and would be granted partial custody.  If it was proven that he wasn't the father, Nikki wouldn't be given any monetary reimbursement and agreed to no longer mention Justin's name in association with her pregnancy and child.

When the document had been read in its entirety and everyone agreed to the terms, Richard passed the document to Justin who signed it and then passed it across to Nikki.

"When can a paternity test be done?" Justin asked.

"At fourteen weeks." Richard replied.  "I checked and there's a clinic just down--"

"I don't know if I can do that." Nikki spoke up, her pen hovering above the document she had yet to sign. 

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"I head that those tests can cause a miscarriage." She told him.  "I don't know if I want to risk that, do you?"

"Is that true?" Justin asked his lawyer.

"There is a slight risk, yes." Richard nodded.  "But it's nothing to be concerned about." He assured Justin.  "Miss Wilson, if you don't get the test done right now, you'll have to pay for everything until the baby is born." He reminded her.  "We won't be paying anything until paternity is proven.  So it's your choice.  Get the test done in a few weeks and not have to pay for anything else, or wait the entire nine months and have to pay for all medical costs yourself."

She looked over at her lawyer who bent his head and whispered something in her ear.  "We'll have the test done as soon as possible." He replied.  "Sign the document." He instructed Nikki.  She pouted, as she put the pen to the paper and scrawled her name across the appointed line. 

"Are we done?" Justin asked. 

"Yes." Richard nodded as he gathered the papers from Nikki.  "I'll make copies and have one sent to each of you." He said as everyone stood.  "Remember that whenever you have the test done, it must be done by a court approved testing center." He said.

"Let Richard know what you need from me and when." Justin told Nikki as he opened the door.  He had to get out of that conference room.  He felt like he was suffocating--like his entire life was being flushed down the toilet.  He didn't know how he was going to do this by himself.  How in the world was he going to deal with all the backlash this was going to cause?  How was he--

Justin came around the corner and stopped, his mind refusing to accept what he was seeing as his eyes connected with hers. 

Aubrey stood up from the chair in the lobby she'd been sitting in and his heart jumped in his chest.  He suddenly felt like crying; like curling up and bawling like a baby.  She'd come back!  He didn't know how she knew where he'd be and frankly he didn't care.   All that mattered was that she was standing in front of him right now, looking unbelievably gorgeous in her khaki pedal pushers, flip flops and light pink T-shirt.  He walked towards her and, without a word spoken between them, wrapped his arms around her--holding onto her tightly--vowing to never let her go again.  "You came back." He whispered.

"You sure move on quickly."

Justin let go of Aubrey and turned around at Nikki's statement. 

"Careful, honey." She told Aubrey, putting a hand to her stomach.  "Make sure you know what you're getting yourself into with this one." She said, pointing at Justin. 

"I do." Aubrey replied as she slipped her hand into Justin's.  He looked down at their entwined fingers then back up at her.  "But thanks for the advice." Aubrey continued.

"He'll love you than leave you but don't say I didn't warn you." Nikki said with a shrug as she left the building. 

"I'm sorry." Justin apologized.  "She's--"

"There are about a dozen guys with cameras waiting for you outside." Aubrey told him matter of factly.  "Think you can ditch them?"

"Eventually." He replied, his brow furrowing slightly.  "Why?"  He asked.  Aubrey looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his though her expression was unreadable.  He had no idea what was going through her head at the moment and it was driving him insane.  He needed to know where he stood with her.  He'd been feeling so alone and helpless the last few days to then walk out and find her waiting for him had thrown him from dejection to elation in a matter of seconds.  He didn't know how much longer he could ride this emotional roller coaster.  He needed to know if he was alone in this or if he'd been granted a miracle and she was going to stand by him and be there for him.

"Grams is in San Francisco right now visiting a friend." Aubrey told him and hope flared in his chest.  "If you can ditch the paparazzi outside and meet me back home we can talk."

"Give me thirty minutes." He told her.  She nodded and he gave her fingers a squeeze before releasing her hand and walking outside.

 ~~~~~~

Aubrey's heart jumped and began fluttering nervously in her chest as someone knocked on the front door.  She had no idea how this conversation between herself and Justin was going to go.  All she knew was that when he'd seen her this morning--his eyes registering shock and relief at the same time--she knew she'd done the right thing in coming back.  She'd taken Michael's advice and thought long and hard about what she wanted and what she was willing to do to get it. 

When Rachel had picked her up at the airport a few hours ago and asked how her weekend with her family had been, Aubrey had found herself telling Rachel all about Justin showing up and how conflicted she'd been since he'd told her what had happened.  Rachel had then succinctly told her that Aubrey should surprise him at his lawyer's office.

"I can't do that!" Aubrey had exclaimed, her heart beating as nervously as it was now.

"Of course you can." Rachel told her matter of factly.

"I don't even know where his lawyer's office is, or if he even wants to see me." Aubrey continued.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Rachel replied, looking at her pointedly.  "Of course he'll want to see you!  He wouldn't have flown all the way out to Virginia if he didn't care about you."

Aubrey pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she had turned and looked out her window.  "I don't know where his lawyer's office is." She said again, turning to look at Rachel again.

Her friend smiled brightly.  "Well, it's a good thing I'm engaged to Justin's best friend and they use the same firm, huh?" Rachel winked at her.

Aubrey took a deep breath as Justin rang the doorbell.  She'd been unbelievably nervous as she'd been sitting in the lobby of Parker and Hopkins waiting for Justin--wondering what his reaction would be when he saw her.  When he'd come around the corner her heart had leapt into her throat at the sudden and obvious way his eyes had lit up when he'd seen her.  And when he'd wrapped his arms around her tightly--clinging to her almost desperately--her heart had gone out to him and confirmed to her what she'd already known.  She had made the right decision.

With a trembling hand she reached out and opened the door.

~~~~~~

Justin's eyes met Aubrey's as she opened the door of her grandmother's house and he'd never seen anything more beautiful than she was right now.  Her hair hung down around her shoulders, softly framing her face and her eyes met his timidly as if she didn't know what to expect from him.  She smiled hesitantly at him as she held the door open and stepped back, allowing him to walk inside. 

As she closed the door behind them and turned to look at him he did something he'd wanted to do since walking out into the lobby earlier to find her waiting for him.  Knowing she'd come back after having every excuse not to, made him feel like he could suddenly conquer the world.  He knew he could get through anything as long as she was by his side. 

Taking the step that separated them Justin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, kissing her beautiful mouth.  Pressing her back against the door his lips moved against hers slowly at first but deliberately, hoping to convey to her the depth of his passion and the feelings he had for her.  It had been almost a week since he'd been able to kiss her like this and in that week everything had changed.  His world had been completely turned upside down and the only thing providing any sort of stability at all for him was this woman. 

As the exchange between them started to heat up, Aubrey wound her arms around his neck, a soft moan escaping from her as he tilted his head to the side-deepening the kiss.  Aubrey ran her fingers along the sensitive skin at the base of his neck, her lips tugging at his greedily as she matched his pace and enthusiasm.  Justin silently thanked God for the chance he had to hold her once again and to finally say the things he'd been holding inside the last few days.

When she finally tore her lips from his, desperately seeking oxygen, Justin pulled back and just looked at her--his chest rising and falling deeply.  His eyes traced every line of her beautiful face, every familiar and adorable freckle across her nose, every fleck of gold in her mesmerizing eyes.  She was incredible and she was his!  His heart leapt at the thought.  He knew he didn't deserve her--that fact was now painfully obvious for the entire world to see--but he was going to do everything in his power to hopefully, one day, prove himself worthy of her affection.  Even if it took him the rest of his life. 

"I love you." He said, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them.  Aubrey's breath caught as she looked at him in surprise.  He lifted one hand and brushed his fingertips along her cheekbone, softly caressing her skin.  "I love you." He repeated, with all the energy and conviction he possessed.  Her eyes filled with tears.  "I know this isn't the most romantic time or place to tell you this, but it's true."  He continued his heart swelling in his chest with everything he felt for her.  "And I want you to know.  When I watched you walk away from me Sunday night, not knowing if I would ever see you again, I fell apart." He confessed.  "I didn't..." his voice cracked with emotion and he paused. 

Swallowing, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Aubrey's forehead.  He closed his eyes as he then rested his forehead against hers--their noses brushing as their breath mingled.  "I didn't know how I was going to get through this without you." He told her quietly.  He heard her whimper softly and pulled back to look at her once more.  Lifting his other hand to her face he used his thumbs to smudge away her tears.  "You had every reason in the world to stay in Virginia and I wouldn't have blamed you if you never wanted to speak to me again.  Why did you come back?" He asked, his eyes searching hers intently.

"I had to." She replied quietly, her eyes holding his.  "I thought about everything you told me." She said as he lowered his hands and pulled back slightly.  He watched as she looked down at her feet for a moment then back up at him.  "After my brother talked some sense into me I knew I had to come back."  She put a hand to his face and Justin turned his head slightly, pressing his lips to her palm.  "My heart wouldn't let me do anything else." She continued quietly.  "You can't help who you fall in love with." She smiled softly at him as she put her arms around his neck.  "And I've fallen in love with you." She whispered softly.

Justin wrapped his arms around Aubrey, hugging her close as the weight that had be pressing down on him the last few days was literally lifted off his shoulders.  "What did I do to deserve you?" He wondered aloud as he released her again.  She smiled at him as she went up on her toes to press her lips against his.

"Come on." She said taking his hand.  "Although it's only just after noon, I've been up since about four, Virginia time, which would have been about one a.m. here.  I'm exhausted.  If I don't sit down I might fall over."

"You want me to carry you?" Justin offered as they walked into the Family Room.

"Hmmm...tempting." She grinned at him.  "But no.  I'm okay." She said as she sat down on the couch.  Justin sat down beside her and put his arm around her as she muffled a yawn.  "If I fall asleep on you, I'm sorry." She said with a laugh.

"You don't have to apologize." He chuckled as he kissed her temple--pulling her closer.  "And you can fall asleep on me whenever you want." He confided in an exaggerated whisper.  Aubrey smiled at him then laid her head on his shoulder.

"How come you're not at work right now?" He asked.

"I called in yesterday and told them I had a family emergency and I needed to extend my time--off until Friday." She told him as she drew her legs up beneath her and snuggled against him more. 

"They were okay with that?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded.  "But I guess we'll find out for sure if I still have a job on Monday."    

"If you lose your job because of me I'm going to--"

"You'll what?" She asked sitting up and looking at him.  "Have to take care of me?  Yep." She nodded.

"Aubrey..."

"Relax." She laughed.  "I'm teasing you.  I'm not going to lose my job.  I have enough vacation time saved up, don't worry about it." She assured him.  "Besides, they wouldn't survive without me.  I run that place.  They may take me for granted, but whenever I'm gone they quickly realize just how much I do as the receptionist."

Justin laughed as he stretched his long legs out, putting his feet up on the coffee table.  Aubrey snuggled back against him and he placed a kiss to the top of her head.  He wanted to just stay like this forever with her.  Why couldn't they ignore the rest of the world--especially Nikki and the claim she now had on him?  But he knew why they couldn't.  They had a lot they needed to talk about; a lot that needed to be discussed and figured out and ignoring the problems facing them weren't going to make them go away.  Just as he was about to bring the unpleasant topic up, Aubrey opened her mouth and beat him to it.

"What's going to happen?" She asked his quietly.

Justin let out a heavy sigh.  "A media frenzy." He replied honestly.  "I hope you're ready."