March 10th, 2001 10 in the morning.

------------------------------------

"So I'll just meet ya at moms. It's quicker than you coming all the way back home."

Alex sighed into the phone and relaxed back in her chair. "Well I guess that's ok."

"What? Do you need to get stuff from here or something?"

"No, no. It's ok. I just don't know if I can get off in time. I'll ask though."

"Well just call me if something changes. I'm not doing anything; Jon's not doing anything so whenever. He is excited though."

A smiled appeared on her face at the sound of excitement in Justin's voice. "I bet."

"No, you don't understand Lexia. So I woke up when you got to of bed which was at like 8. But I went straight back to sleep and I swear at 8:30 that boy called and talked to me for about an hour. I was so mad."

She giggled. "I left the house right at 8:30."

"I know. So this will be an adventure. Mike is going to come to moms too."

"Oh ok. Well, listen let me go see if I can get off early and I'll call ya back."

"All right, bye baby."

"Bye." Alexandria hung up the phone in her office, pushed out of her chair and walked out into the hallway. She made her way down the hallways to the main lab to ask Dr. Ellis if she could have the day off to go to Seaworld. The thought brightened her eyes. She got to the double glass doors of the lab and saw a bustle of activity. Her hand gripped the door and pulled it open. People were shouting and running and going nuts in the large white colored room. Alex's eyebrows furrowed and she wondered WHAT was going on.

She saw Dave run past her and she grabbed his shirt. "WHAT?" He yelled in a rush.

"What going on?"

"Huge front off the Caribbean is sneaking up on us. It's gonna be a whopper." And with that information given he jogged on past her.

-Oh great...now I wont be able to get off. -

She walked through a crowd of people and computers to a large office. She knocked. No answer. After a minute she knocked again and finally the door was slung open.

"Oh, hey Alexandria. Can I help you?" Dr. Ellis asked frustrated.

"Uhh, nevermind. This is a bad time. Sorry to bother you." Alex cringed and began to turn.

"No, what is it?"

"Ohh well, I was wondering if I could get off for the rest of the day. It's ok if not." She bowed her head, shuffled her feet, and waited to get shot down.

"Great idea. There are enough people running around here today. The more we can thin out, the better we are." A thin smile graced his lips. "Bye Alexandria."

"Thanks Dr. Ellis." She smiled and waved, but turned back around inquisitive. "Hey, when is this big front supposed to hit?"

"Tonight or tomorrow morning. It's big, and its going to be stationary. It's gonna be here for a while."

"Oh ok." She shrugged, and walked back through the crowd of people; not caring about the front, and just happy she actually got the day off.

--------

3ish

"Arf Arf ARF!"

Alex giggled at Jon who was obviously annoying the crap out of Justin.

"Jon, we know that that's what sea lions sound like."

"They BARK, ARF ARF ARF!" Jon ran around "arfing" and clapping his hands together.

Justin shook his head, lowered his baseball hat and glanced at Alex. "Whatcha doin?"

She turned her head down from the sky. "Ohh, there is supposed to be a huge weather system coming this way. I'm just looking at the clouds."

She looked at him and smiled. He smiled back. That was about the only sign of affection they were allowed to give to each other. Mike would clear his throat whenever Justin would reach for her Alex's hand. They were in a public place, and even though Justin had a hat and sunglasses on, they didn't want to take the chance.

"OH YAY!!! JUSTIN!!" Jon pulled on Justin's shirt.

"What buddy?" Justin looked down and smiled at the excited kid.

"Can we go see the killer whales!! They will be out in a few minutes LOOK!" Jon pointed to the Orca pool and sure enough the cartoon whale wooden sign said that at 3:15 the whales would be performing.

Justin shrugged and looked at Alex. "Wanna go?"

"Sure." She smiled and Jon picked up her hand and pulled her to the entrance.

"Come on. Come on. WE gotta get good seats."

A few minutes later Jon and Alex were sitting in the blue seats near the huge tank. Justin and Mike were a respectable distance away.

"Lexy, why are they called Killer Whales? Do they kill people?" Jon asked as he "swam" his stuffed dolphin through the air.

"Killer Whales aren't their name. They are Orcas. They are just called that because they have teeth. But the only thing they kill is fish and turtles. Sometimes birds and sharks. And maybe..." Alex voice lowered and she narrowed her eyes at the stuffed animal. "...dolphins."

Jon squealed in half fear and tha child giddiness that only kids can have. Finally we turned around and looked up at his brother. "Big J come sit with us!!"

"Jon, you are in the SPLASH zone."

"So?" He questioned.

"Sooooo...I don't want to get wet!! I got my new Nike's on." Mike laughed at the popstar's comment.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Lets make a compromise. You come down 4 steps and we will meet ya there."

"FINE!" He gave in and walked down the four steps, letting out a deep sigh as he sat down. Mike followed him, shaking his head.

Jon plopped down between Mike and Justin and Alex went on the other side of her boyfriend. "You are like a cat, cant stand just a bit of water."

"No, I've been to SeaWorld before. I've sat in the Splash Zone. Shamu does not like me." He lowered his cap a bit and watched as the women and men in wetsuits came out on the fake rock type thingy and started revving up the crowd.

---------

"Lexia..."

She giggled with Jon. "What?"

"I'm wet."

"Awww, REALLY? I couldn't tell." She pointed to his splashed blue tee shirt.

He pulled his shirt away from his body that it was sticking to and attempted to ring it out.

"Ok, guys. It's getting late and I think it might rain. So you ready to call it a day?" Mike asked.

Justin looked at his younger brother, whom this day had been planned for. Jon shrugged and nodded. They had been through the whole park, and there wasn't anything else to see.

"Ready Lexia?" He asked with a wink.

She nodded, biting her lip.

"All right, head out troops." Mike ordered with a deep chuckle. Justin was now carrying Jon on his back so Mike escorted Alex on his arm towards the exit.

-------------

Next morning...

Justin sat at bar of his kitchen, but he was looking out his windows towards the pool. He kept the phone to his ear, chuckling at his best friend's voice.

"Trace, dude. I'm tellin ya. You're gonna die when you meet her."

"I know man, you keep saying how hot she is."

Justin sighed. "That's not it. I mean she is like wow. It's not just how she looks. It's how she talks and walks and smiles and just is."

"Boy, no wonder you gave her the goods."

Justin gasped for a moment. "Listen Trace. That's not how it was. I mean, it was just felt right.."

Trace's chuckle entered the phone line. "I bet it felt JUUUUST right."

Justin gave an annoyed look even though Trace couldn't see him. "You are my best friend. Don't be getting all personal on me. I don't want to tell you how good my sex life is."

"Exactly. I'm your best friend. So you better dish the dirt or I'm going to annoy you and have major jokes. And you KNOW I have jokes, and you KNOW I can annoy you."

Justin knew that Trace would annoy him about this. But Trace knew Justin, and he knew Justin was probably itching to let some of this out even though he was trying to stay completely private about it. He let out a sigh and tried to hold off the blush in his cheeks. "All right, but this is private dude."

"Justin, its Trace."

That was all he needed to know.

"Ok...so... Justin sighed, lick his lips and thought about his bedlife. "The first time, you know I wasn't like..It wasn't for pleasure ya know? Well...it sure as hell WAS pleasurable. But like I didn't want to hurt...HOW CAN I DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU?"

Trace's laugh filled Justin's frustrated ears. "Justin, chill. I just want to know like if it was like worth it."

"HELL YEAH."

Trace laughed again. "So just tell me."

"Ok, so then the SECOND time was up in Alaska. Now that junk was NIIICCEEE. And then their have been a few times since we got back."

"Damn, so you guys have pressed the gas pedal so to speak."

"SHE HAS, man. Like last night was the first night that we just went straight to sleep without one of us trying something. I mean we don't ALWAYS do...that. But..ya know..she's my girlfriend...Trace....dude...stop laughing."

"Sorry..It's just. I mean, just hearing this from you is funny."

"Why?" He asked eagerly.

"Man, I DONT KNOW. So like, yall sleep in the same bed every night?"

"Not EVERY night. Just ..well a lot. But I mean sometimes she'll have to get up real early or just want her space or I'll want mine I mean..but usually we sleep together."

"Cool man. So my baby's all grown up...sniff sniff..." Trace joked.

"Whatever man. But my Lexia is mine. And no one else can have her. That's for sure." Justin said arrogantly.

"OH IS THAT SO?"