"Come on, Paulie!" Kristen yelled at her television a few nights later.  "Don't let the Indians win.  You can do this!"

Chris chuckled as he leaned back against the couch and watched Kristen.  She was crazy and he loved it.  He lifted the bottle in his hand to his lips and took a swig of his beer as the White Sox's player Kristen was yelling at took the plate. 

"Paulie, don't let me down!" Kristen exclaimed.  "I love you, now show me you love me and cream these guys!"

"Should I leave you two alone?" Chris teased.

Kristen scowled as she looked over her shoulder at him.  "Tonight will be a true test of our relationship." She replied as she turned back to the TV.

"How so?" Chris asked as he watched her, his eyes running over her from behind.  Damn, she's hot.  He thought.  She had distracted and mesmerized him from the moment they had met, but watching her get all worked up over her favorite sports team was getting him kind of worked up.  I hope they win.  He found himself thinking.  He knew things would be better for him tonight if Kristen was happy and in the mood to celebrate...

"If you can handle me while watching a White Sox game then we were totally meant to be." She proclaimed, turning to smile at him over her shoulder.  Chris grinned back at her, lifted his beer bottle in salute then took another swig as she went back to watching the game.

"Are you kidding me?!" Kristen screamed.  "What the hell was that?"  Chris watched as she continued throwing curses at the screen, along with a few soft, stuffed baseballs that he had seen her get out earlier and had wondered at their purpose.  "How about we actually play some ball, boys?  Huh?"  She yelled.  "Shit!" She flopped down on the couch, and slumped down, folding her arms across her chest as she pouted beside him as a commercial break came on.  Chris turned to look at her.  "What are you looking at?" She grumbled as she turned to look at him. 

"You're really cute when you're pouting." He remarked.  He leaned towards her, intent on giving her a kiss but Kristen pushed him away.  He lifted one eyebrow in question but before he could say anything she stood up and began cheering again.  He chuckled to himself and leaned back against the cushions--settling in for a long evening.

~~~~~~~~

The White Sox had won their first game of the pre-season and, after a lot of jumping around celebrating in her living room, Kristen had turned to finally give Chris the kiss he'd been waiting for all evening.  She felt bad for pushing him away earlier but it had all been part of the test.  She had been telling him the truth when she told him that the future of their relationship depended on how he reacted to her reaction to the game tonight.  Kevin had never understood her love and devotion to her beloved Sox and one more than one occasion had prevented her from watching a game by sitting down and claiming the television on game night just to spite her.  She had often wondered if he had done it out of jealousy, so she had made an effort to curb her inner sport fanatic and bite her tongue whenever he threw out a jab or an insult at one of her teams.  But no more.  Standing up to Kevin last week and being with Chris this past month had given Kristen a renewed sense of self.  She wasn't going to conform to someone else's image of who she should be.  She knew who she was.  She wasn't going to give up this part of her or try and hide it anymore.  She liked sports.  A lot.  Chris had mentioned before that he liked how she wasn't a typical girl and tonight she had shown him just who she was. 

"You are crazy, girl." Chris remarked as they lay in bed together.  Kristen chuckled as she took a deep breath and snuggled closer to him.  The kiss she had given him had soon escalated and heated up between them, leaving them deliciously sated after an incredibly enthusiastic session of lovemaking.  The ceiling fan in her bedroom rotated above them, cooling their overheated skin.  "Did I pass the test?" He asked. 

Kristen smiled as wound her arm around his waist.  His arm tightened around her as she lifted her head slightly to look down at him.  "You passed the first test." She replied. 

"There's more than one?" He questioned as he looked at her.  Kristen nodded her head.  "What's the next one?  I can take it." He replied confidently. 

"I don't know..." She drawled, looking down as she began running her fingers over his chest.  "Tonight was kind of an easy one."

"Like you?" He teased, mischief sparkling in his dark eyes.  Kristen smacked his chest playfully, making him laugh.  "I didn't say that was a bad thing." He stated as he lifted his head enough to give her a kiss.  Kristen couldn't help the grin that came as she kissed him back.  When he lay back on the pillow she licked her lips, loving the way the taste of him lingered there. 

"The next test is when they lose." She told him.  "We'll see if you still want to be with me then." She chuckled.  "Tonight was nothing compared to what I do when those boys lose.  My mom thinks I need to go see someone about my anger issues involving sports." She confessed.  Chris laughed.  "It's true." She nodded her head.  "Actually, lots of people have told me that." She told him, thinking about all the friends and family members who had ever watched a game with her and then promptly declared that she needed psychiatric help. 

"I think it's great." He stated. 

Kristen narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side as she looked at him in question.  "Why?" She asked.  This was new territory for her: being with someone who actually liked her sports addiction.

"Because when you get all worked up it ends up working out very nicely for me." He replied, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.  Kristen laughed.  "And besides," he said as he leaned up to kiss her again--rolling them until she was lying down.  "I think you're hot when you're cheering and throwing insults at the players."

Kristen's smile grew as she lifted her arms, her fingers combing through his hair.  "Oh yeah?" She questioned, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Yeah." He nodded, kissing her again.  He pulled back slightly, their noses brushing, as he looked down at her.  "I've never seen anyone get into a game as much as I do when I'm cheering my teams on.  It was hot." He said, kissing her again lightly--his eyes never leaving hers.  Kristen's stomach quivered as he remained above her, teasing her with his mouth.  One of his hands slid down to caress her thigh, his fingers gripping slightly as he hitched her leg around his hip.  Kristen's back arched reflexively and she dropped her head back, giving him access to her throat as he lowered his head.  Chris' lips smudged over her skin, raising goose bumps and Kristen's arms wound around his neck--keeping him pressed against her.  "I'm just glad you're a girl." He confessed, his lips brushing over her ear.  "Otherwise I would have been in trouble."

Kristen laughed, her eyes opening as Chris pulled back--chuckling along with her.  He propped himself up on his elbows as he placed his hands against her face.  His thumbs brushed back and forth across her cheeks as his eyes ran over her features, seeming to memorize her.  She watched as the smile slowly left his face and when his brown eyes met hers again, Kristen felt a tingle skirt down her spine. 

"Don't ever be afraid to be who you are around you." He told her.  Kristen swallowed and nodded slightly.  She was surprised at the tears that were suddenly prickling behind her eyes and pulled her bottom lips between her teeth again to hide its trembling.  "What's that look for?" He inquired, watching her closely.

"I, uh..." she cleared her throat and looked away from him for a moment, embarrassed at her sudden display of emotion.

"Kristen?" He questioned.  She looked back at him.  "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Chris, do you..." Kristen paused, not wanting to ask the question running through her mind at the moment, but needing to.  "What did you think about Kevin's statement last week?"

His brows furrowed slightly, obviously taken back at her question.  "It just confirmed to me how much of a douchebag he is."

"No, that's not..." Kristen sighed.  "You just told me to be myself.  What if....what if that's who I am?" She questioned.  "What if I am only with you because of your celebrity status and lifestyle."

"You're not." Chris replied confidently. 

"How do you know?" She questioned, studying him closely. 

"Do I look like an idiot?" Chris asked.

Kristen shook her head.  "No." She replied.  He looked at her pointedly and she sighed. "I just...I mean...we've only known each other for a short time and...you've really only gotten my side of the story.  Maybe I am just after your money and the fame that will come from being with you.  How do you know?  How do you--"

She was cut off as his lips connected with hers.  "Listen to me, Vanilla." He said.  "I've been in show business long enough to spot those people who have ulterior motives.  You," he said, kissing the tip of her nose.  "Don't have any."

"I don't?" She asked.

"Nope." Chris shook his head.  "Beside the fact that I can see the truth in your eyes every time I look at you, if you had ulterior motives and were just in this for the money and fame you would have tried to sleep with me on the first date."

"Uhm..." Kristen drawled then giggled.  "We did sleep together on the first date, remember?"

 "Oh yeah." He conceded.  "We did, huh?" He asked.  She nodded.  "Right, well...what I meant was..." he paused.  "Okay, look that doesn't matter." He shook his head and Kristen chuckled at him.  "What matters is the fact that I think I know you pretty well by now." He stated.

"You do?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.  "I do.  And I'm confident you don't have any ulterior motives." And with that he leaned down once more, pressing his lips to hers.  "If you did," he said pulling back after a moment to look at her.  Kristen's eyes met his as she waited for him to continue.  "You would know that cheering for Pittsburg would get you a hell of a lot further with me than you continuing to cheer for Chicago."  He stated with a straight face.

Kristen laughed and Chris' lips soon lifted in a smile as well as he rolled over beside her on the bed.  "The day I cheer for Pittsburg is the day Kevin and I are going to get back together." She told him, rolling on her side.  "It ain't gonna happen." She stated as she snuggled up against him--her head coming to rest against his chest. "In this life or the next." She promised.

"And that's how I know you don't have any ulterior motives, Vanilla." He told her as he put an arm around her, pulling her close.  "You don't do things just to impress me.  You're just you.  And that's what I love about you."

Kristen smiled as she felt him kiss the top of her head.  She closed her eyes as she listened to the sound of his heart beating beneath her.  She took a deep breath, inhaling the now familiar and incredibly sexy scent that was all his own, as she tightened the arm she had slung around his waist.  They stayed that way for a few quiet moments, enjoying the silence and the simple act of just being together, until an idea popped into her head and she spoke the words aloud before she could think about it.

"Do you want to come with me to my Mom's house for dinner on Sunday?" She asked.  "It's my brother, Jack's, birthday."  Chris was so quiet it sounded like he had even stopped breathing.  Kristen lifted her head to look at him.  "Do you have plans already?" She questioned, wondering if that were the cause of his hesitance.

"No." He shook his head.  He lifted his free hand and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.  His fingers then cupped her cheek and Kristen leaned into his touch.  "That's a big step." He remarked.

"I know." She smiled.

"Are you sure?" He asked.  "I mean, I would love to meet your family, but only if you're sure you're ready for that."

"I am." She nodded.

"Do they...do they know about..." He left the question open.

Kristen nodded.  "They know everything about me and Kevin-well, the adults know everything.  The kids know I'm getting a divorce and that Kevin and I aren't together anymore.  They know I've been seeing someone new.  I haven't told them anything about you," she continued.  "But that's not really going to cause any issues.  You're not going to get attacked or anything when you walk in.  I mean," she chuckled.  "It's not like you're Justin Timberlake, or anything.  No offence."

"And yet another reason I know you have no ulterior motives." He teased with a chuckle.  "You're with me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked with a laugh.

"If you were really in this for the celebrity status and money you wouldn't be with me, the odd man of the group." He clarified.

"Stop it." Kristen laughed again as she nudged him.  "I told you, you're the one I always had a crush on."  She leaned over and kissed him softly.  "And don't you think Lance is really the odd man of the group, what with being gay and everything?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Chris conceded with a chuckle. 

Kristen smiled.  "Besides," she shrugged, her smile turning into an evil grin.  "Justin's married.  He's not available right now anyway--even if I wanted him."   Chris growled as he narrowed his eyes at her and tightened his arm around her in a mock threat.  Kristen just laughed.  Their eyes met for a moment and her laughter quieted. "Please come." She said.  Placing her hand over his that still rested against her face she turned her head slightly and kissed his palm.  "I want you to come with me."

He nodded.  "I would be honored." He said, smiling up at her. 

Kristen grinned in excitement.  "Good." She proclaimed with a nod then laid her head back down on his chest.  Chris put both arms around her as he hugged her close. 

"What time is dinner?" He asked after a quiet moment.

"Six."

"I love you, Kristen Miller." He said quietly.

Kristen smiled as she tightened her arm around him.  "I love you, too." She said as she closed her eyes--finally giving in to sleep.  I love you, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"He's hot."

Kristen looked over as her niece Delainey sat down next to her on the couch Sunday evening.  Kristen smiled as she observed the teenager.  Delainey's eyes were focused on Chris and Kristen recognized the look in her niece's eyes--it was the same look that had been in her own eyes from the day she had met the man that was currently sitting in front of her mother's television, playing a video game with her nephew, Preston.  "You think so?" Kristen asked the girl as she went back to watching Chris and her nephew.

"Mmm-hmm." Delainey nodded.  "He's way cuter than Uncle Kevin." She admitted.  Kristen looked over at her niece.  Delainey's cheeks reddened as she looked at Kristen sheepishly.  "Sorry." She apologized.

"Why are you sorry?" Kristen asked.

"Mom said we..." Delainey paused.  "She said we shouldn't say anything bad about Uncle Kevin even though he's not going to be our uncle anymore."

Kristen smiled as she leaned over.  Putting her arm around Delainey's shoulders, Kristen pulled her close and pressed a kiss to the top of the girl's head.  "It's ok." Kristen told the girl.  "He is way cuter than Uncle Kevin." She admitted in a whisper.  Delainey giggled as she leaned her head on Kristen's shoulder.  "So..." Kristen drawled.  "How are things going with that boy, Travis?  Still just texting each other or has it moved on to...other things?"  Delainey giggled again and ducked her head.  "Ah!" Kristen chuckled as she nudged her niece.  "Does that giggle mean what I think it means?"

"They've kissed." Preston supplied, suddenly jumping into the conversation the girls were having on the couch.

"Preston!" Delainey exclaimed.

"Kissed?" Chris asked, turning to look at Kristen and Delainey over his shoulder.  "You're too young to be kissing anyone, aren't you?" He teased.

"I'm fifteen." Delainey replied in defense.  She straightened and pulled away from Kristen slightly.  "I'm old enough to kiss someone if I want to."  Kristen smiled at her niece's attempt to show how mature she was. She and Chris shared a knowing look.

"Have you and Aunt Kristen kissed?" Preston asked Chris. 

Chris' eyes met Kristen's.  She lifted one brow at him and waited, curious to see how he was going to answer the boy's question. 

"Uh..." Chris hesitated.  "Yeah."

"Of course they have!" Delainey insisted.  "That's what you do when you're in love." She continued.  "You kiss." She stated authoritatively.  Kristen smiled as she looked at Chris.  Chris winked at her, his own lips lifting in a smile.

Preston nodded as if he were thinking hard about what his sister had said.  "So does that mean you didn't love Uncle Kevin?" The little boy asked. 

"Preston!" Delainey hissed.  "You don't ask things like that!"

"It's okay." Kristen told her niece. 

"Cuz, I never saw you guys kissin'." Preston continued as if he hadn't heard his sister's reprimand. 

This time it was Chris' turn to look at Kristen in question, curious as to how she was going to answer.  "I did love Uncle Kevin." Kristen told Preston.  "But then I stopped loving him."

"Why?" Preston asked, the video game he had been playing with Chris forgotten for the moment.

"Because..." Kristen drawled, wondering how to explain this to the nine-year-old.  Delainey looked at her, waiting for Kristen's answer and Kristen felt the pressure build.  She looked at Chris, silently pleading for him to help her out.  He just shrugged and she nodded.  It wasn't his place to say anything about her relationship with her soon to be ex-husband.  Kristen took a deep breath as she looked first at Delainey and then over at Preston.  "Sometimes..." she hesitated.  "Sometimes you just...stop being friends with people and that's what happened with Uncle Kevin and I.  We were in love and then we just...stopped being in love."  Preston looked at her with his big blue eyes and Kristen looked at Chris again.  "I know it's hard to understand, but someday you will." Kristen assured him.

"You stopped loving Uncle Kevin," Preston said.  "And now you love Chris?" He asked. 

"Yes." Kristen nodded, smiling as her eyes met Chris'. 

"So," Preston turned to look at Chris.  Chris looked down at the little boy.  "Does that mean you're going to be my uncle now?"

Chris' eyes shot up to meet Kristen's and she was sure her own face mirrored the look of shock that was on his.  Her heart began pounding in her chest as she waited to see what he was going to say.  "I-I...uhm...well, I..." He swallowed hard and lifted one hand, rubbing the back of his neck.  He chuckled nervously.  "Well, I guess that's, uhm...that's up to your Aunt Kristen, there." He said, nodding and pointing at Kristen. 

Preston nodded again.  "I think you'd be a cool uncle." He said as he shifted and turned his attention back to the television screen.  "Nobody else ever plays video games with me." He muttered under his breath. 

Chris chuckled as he reached over and tousled Preston's hair then began playing a new game with him.  Kristen and Delainey stayed on the couch talking and laughing until the rest of the family members they were waiting on arrived and everyone was called to the dining room for dinner.  Chris stood up as Kristen walked over to him, a smile on her face. 

"What's that look for?" He asked as she slipped her hand into his-their fingers threading together as she leaned towards him. 

"You handled that very well." She told him as she pressed his lips to his. 

"So did you."  He said.  "Although, I have to say," he blew out a breath as he shook his head.  "That was more intense than any interview I've ever done!" He exclaimed.  "And I've done some pretty intense interviews over the years."  Kristen laughed as she kissed him again.  "He's a good kid." He nodded.  "They both are."

"Yeah." Kristen smiled.  "They are."  She took a deep breath.  "So..." She drawled. 

"So?" He echoed. 

"You ready for this?" She asked gesturing towards the dining room where the noise of the family gathering could be heard. 

"Psh!" He waved a hand through the air.  "If I can handle ‘Preston the Inquisitor,' I can handle dinner with your family." He stated confidently.

Kristen smirked as they left the Family Room.  "We'll see."  She muttered under her breath.  "We'll see."   

~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, Aunt Kristen!" Preston cheered a few hours later.  "Beat him!  Beat him!  Beat him!"

"Quiet, Preston." Kristen laughed as she tried to stay focused on the screen in front of her.  "You're throwing off my groove!"

"What groove?" Chris taunted beside her.  "Do you see how many steps you're missing?" He asked with a laugh.  "You ain't got any groove, baby."  Kristen reached over and smacked his arm as she continued dancing but, she missed one too many steps and she lost.  "Yes!" Chris threw his arms up in the air in victory.  The audience they had of Kristen's family all cheered and taunted from their seats around the room.

"Damn you, Kirkpatrick!" Kristen said with a glare though she was anything but mad.  Dinner had gone better than she had expected.  Her family had welcomed Chris in with open arms and the conversation over dinner had been light and easy.  Once it had been revealed who he was, Chris had kept everyone laughing and entertained with stories of life on the road as a member of one of the biggest pop music groups of all time.  After dinner they had had cake and ice cream, and Jack had opened his gifts, then everyone had moved into the Family Room.  Preston had quickly challenged Chris to a game of Dance, Dance Revolution on his PlayStation.  Chris had beaten Preston which had led to Kristen now playing for dominance.   

"Do it again!  Do it again!" Preston encouraged.  "You almost had him."

Kristen put her hands on her hips, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.  She looked at her nephew--his big blue eyes pleading with her--then looked at Chris--his brown eyes sparkling with mischief--and she threw her hands up.  "Oh, all right.  One more time."  Preston cheered and Chris smirked.  "What's that smirk for?" Kristen asked him.  "You're going down." She threatened as she jumped up and down lightly a few times to get ready for another dance battle. 

Chris laughed.  "Do I need to remind you that I was in a boyband?" He asked.  "If anyone's going to win this little dance-off..."

"It's gonna be me!" Chris and Kristen both said at the same time.  They looked at each other and immediately began laughing.  No one else seemed to understand what was so funny, which just made them laugh even more. 

"What's so funny?" Preston asked.

"Nothing." Kristen said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.  "Let's go." She said to Chris.  He selected the song and they set the difficulty level for the dance moves they each wanted then began the game. 

"Good job!" Preston cheered as Kristen seemed to be beating Chris. 

"Ha!"  She taunted.  "You see that?" She laughed as she continued to hit the right arrows on the mat they were standing on in order.  "This is how you do it!"  She reached up and tucked some hair behind her hears.  Chris bumped her with his hip, intent on throwing her off.  "Cheater!" She laughed as she pushed him back.   

"Oops, I slipped." He replied with a laugh as they continued dancing.

"Slipped my ass." Kristen muttered under her breath.  He did it again, bumping her harder this time and Kristen reached over and smacked his arm hard.

"Ow!" He exclaimed. 

"That's what you get for cheating!" She replied with a laugh as she stuck her tongue out at him.  Chris narrowed his eyes and the game was soon forgotten as they each tried to now knock the other one down.  "We're supposed to be dancing!" She laughed, trying to stay away from him as much as she could.  "Not playing Twister!" Chris just laughed as he reached out with his left foot just then and slid it behind her feet--knocking her down.  Kristen squealed as she reached out and grabbed a hold of his shirt.  She wasn't going down unless she brought him with her. 

They went toppling down onto the floor in a laughing and tangled mess of arms and legs while everyone in the room was laughing.  As they landed, Chris tried to catch himself as much as he could from landing on top of her by bracing his hands on the floor.  However, he still landed mostly on top of her--knocking the wind out of her.  Kristen was able to catch her breath a moment later, but bit her lip as a sharp, searing pain shot up her leg.  She closed her eyes, but tears quickly came and she cried out as Chris moved from on top of her.  

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking her over fantically.  "What?  What happened?" The laughter in the room silenced as everyone quickly realized something bad had happened.

"My ankle." Kristen ground out, biting her lip so hard she thought she was going to bite clear through it.  "Shit, it hurts!" She cursed.

"Jack, go call an ambulance." Kristen's mother said as she came and knelt down beside her.

"No, I don't need--ow!  Damn it!" Kristen exclaimed, crying as she tried to move her leg.  The tears became heavier and she fisted her hands as the pain overwhelmed her.  She turned her head and opened her eyes-looking at Chris who sat beside her on the floor.  The look of fear and concern on his face made her cry even more.  She reached out towards him and he took her hand, gripping her fingers tightly. 

"I'm sorry." He apologized.  "I am so sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt you.  I just--"

"It's okay." She said, grimacing as another wave of pain hit her.  She tightened her hold on his hand-squeezing his fingers tightly as she closed her eyes.  "It was...an accident." She breathed out, trying to focus on breathing evenly, hoping it would help take her mind off the pain.

"They're on their way." Jack said coming back into the room.  "What do you need, Kris?" He asked as he came to stand beside her. 

"A drink." She replied.  Chris squeezed her fingers in silent support and she turned to look at him as Jack left the room.  "Leave it to me, to ruin the night." She laughed bitterly, trying to laugh about her situation.

"It wasn't you, it was me." Chris stated.  "This is my fault."

"It's nobody's fault." Kristen's mother interjected.  "It was accident, like Kristen said."  She reached over and patted Chris on the shoulder.  "Don't beat yourself up about it.  Kristen's a tough girl.  Has she filled you in yet on all the injuries she's had over the years playing volleyball and softball?" Suzanne laughed.  "I swear, there was a time there for awhile that every nurse and doctor in the ER knew us by name.  Her dad used to joke around that he was just going to start having his paychecks sent directly to the hospital to cover our monthly tab." 

Kristen chuckled through her pain and tears.  "But I never broke a bone."  She sniffed.  She looked over at Chris.  "This is another first of mine you get to experience." She laughed, thinking of their conversation from last week. 

"Not funny." He said, shaking his head.  He looked close to tears himself and Kristen knew if he started crying she was really going to lose it.  "This isn't funny.  I don't want to experience anymore firsts like this." He said as the doorbell suddenly rang.  "Okay?"

"Okay."  She nodded.  "But that means you have to stop cheating when we play games." She teased, finally making him laugh. 

"Deal." He replied as the paramedics appeared and began working on her ankle.  "No more cheating."